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The Climate Action Unit is developing metrics that communicate clearly what is happening with climate change right now
Summary
We are currently developing three new metrics which help people understand how human activities result in climate change, and how this links to the weather we experience.
The project uses a 'design-led' approach. This means we're starting with communications and design principles, rather than basing the metrics on what data is already availabile. We're also taking lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis about how communicators used metrics like the R-number.
Recommended reading
- A with 25 scientists, policymakers and communication experts
- A Financial Times article previewing the metric concepts
- Our blog describing the design sprint process used to kick start the development of metric visuals
Current activities
In November 2022, we completed the design sprint to visualise the three metrics conceived in the first part of the project. We then conducted a testing phase until the start of 2023 with a core group of end-users.
From January 2023 onwards, we worked with design studio Accurat to refine the prototype metrics, including their design and the online platform on which they will operate. We connected the metrics up to the latest data sets in March 2023, and are now planning a series of events to launch the metrics with journalists, science communicators, policymakers, the general public and other end-users.
Our series of launch events will be announced in April 2023.
The image shows the UCL Climate Action Unit Director, Dr Kris De Meyer, introducing a team of data creatives to the metrics at the design sprint, which was coordinated and run by Data4Change.
