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How the UCL Climate Action Unit built new climate metrics
6 June 2023
On 5th June 2023, Kris De Meyer presented the process used by the UCL Climate Action Unit to turn climate data into useful, usable metrics to a data & policy expert audience.
The presentation took place at a Data Bites event hosted by the Institute for Government. This was one of several events to introduce the Unit's climate metrics to different professional audiences.
View the presentation slides
You can watch the presentation via YouTube:
And now we're off to 'Climate change in numbers' from Kris de Meyer#IfGDataBites
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
The work all started with a kickoff workshop - with experts from different domains - that considered how R number became a useful and popular metric to communicate covid risk.#IfGDataBites
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
The R number caught on because:
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
- it was closely linked to the dynamics of the system
- smaller numbers are easier to parse and remember
- clear threshold between "good" and "bad"
- it showed what the situation was right now#IfGDataBites
The R number also gained meaning over time:
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
- as it was repeated again and again
- was well explained in story and graphical forms
- it could be linked to people's lived experiences#IfGDataBites
How can these lessons on R number inform the communication of climate change?#IfGDataBites
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
Climate change has been, historically, communicated through what data was available.
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
This represented a chance to reset the communication mode to encourage and engage the public on climate change.#IfGDataBites
Working with Data4Change and then design sprints and stakeholder groups, the team learnt what worked, how much needed to be explained and eventually, via a second iteration, what the prototype should look like.#IfGDataBites
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
Ended with three metrics showing:
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
- Imbalance in the earth's energy system and how much energy is being trapped
- The speed of temperature change
- The unusualness (i.e. level of unusual and record breaking weather events)#IfGDataBites
For more on this, go visit https://t.co/VxZflsclqH
— IfG events (@ifgevents) June 5, 2023
And to hear more, see another event from the team at London Climate Action Week in the last week of June.https://t.co/OLzd41mTxW#IfGDataBites