Joint Learning Network: Unlocking Data for Climate Action
As the impacts of climate change accelerate across the world, meaningful action is crucial now more than ever.
Data is critical to addressing these threats. From location and infrastructure mapping data to transportation and mobility data – more comprehensive and accessible datasets could inform mitigation and adaptation efforts and provide vital information for disaster prevention and response.
A range of climate-relevant datasets – including weather patterns, tide levels, and agricultural conditions – already exist. Yet, for a number of reasons, this information isn’t sufficiently harnessed for climate action or decision-making. Data may be locked behind unaffordable commercial paywalls, kept in siloes due to data privacy or governance concerns, not available at granular detail sufficient for local action, or held in inaccessible formats and outdated technical architectures. In other cases, decision makers may be unaware that the data exists, or lack the technical capacity to analyze and use the data once they have it. The result is that crucial, climate-relevant data is often inaccessible to the frontline governments and communities that need it the most.
To unlock this data for climate action, we need new models of governing and financing data sharing. The Climate Data JLN identified key data governance innovations that can enable climate-relevant data to be more accessible and useful for frontline governments and communities.
By bringing together insights from the emerging field of digital public infrastructure (DPI) with experts on climate action, the JLN has surfaced unique recommendations for funders and other actors who can accelerate the use of data to meet the urgent need to build community resilience in the face of climate change. By partnering with associations of city governments, the Climate Data JLN ensures that recommendations are grounded in – and relevant to – their strategic plans. Such plans aim to help communities maintain and expand critical needs under threat from the changing climate, including access to breathable air, drinkable water, relief from heat waves, and disaster preparedness.
The Climate Data JLN was launched as part of the Green Digital Action track at COP28, and our flagship research findings and recommendations were shared at COP29.
The next phase of the Climate Data JLN will kick-off in early 2025.
The Digital Impact Alliance is proud to count the following organizations as members of the joint learning network:
