The National Environmental Data Index (NEDI) provides direct access to environmental data and information descriptions, and thereby, improves awareness of and facilitates access to data and information holdings. The overall goal of the NEDI is to facilitate the use of the widest possible range of environmental data and information to support our ability to protect human health, safety, and welfare; to maintain and restore ecological integrity; and to sustain economic stability and growth. The NEDI will be a focus for identifying environmental data and information holdings within the United States and ultimately, internationally.

The National Performance Review's Recommendation IT07 called for the creation of a National Environmental Data Index (NEDI). The NEDI will be a core element of the National Information Infrastructure (NII), with a goal to effectively identify government environmental data holdings and, thereby, facilitate access to these holdings by citizens, industry, government, and academia. The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director, John Gibbons, directed NOAA to organize the implementation of this "yellow pages" for environmental data. An interagency team was established by The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Task Force on Observations and Data Management (TFODM) to develop an implementation plan. This plan addresses the phased implementation of the NEDI and requirements for existing and planned standards.