Understanding the challenge
The transition to a low-carbon future is not simply a technological challenge. It is also a social one.
Across the UK, communities, organisations, activists, researchers, businesses, and governments are all engaging with climate change and energy issues in different ways. The UKERC Public Observatory was established to better understand this activity and build a growing body of evidence around public engagement.
The challenge was making that evidence accessible.
The Observatory had amassed a large collection of case studies and datasets, but without the right digital tools much of the value remained difficult to discover. Users needed a way to explore patterns, identify trends, and understand how different groups were engaging with climate and energy issues across the country.Turning research into an interactive resource
The project centred around a simple question: how do you make a large research dataset useful to a wide variety of audiences?
Researchers might want detailed information and filtering capabilities. Policymakers might be looking for trends and examples. Community groups might want inspiration from similar initiatives elsewhere.
We designed the platform around exploration.
Users can browse case studies, contribute new examples, and interact with visualisations that reveal patterns across the dataset. Rather than presenting information as static reports, the platform encourages discovery and investigation.
This transformed the Observatory from a repository of information into a living research resource.Designing meaningful data visualisations
One of the most important aspects of the project was helping users understand the diversity of climate and energy engagement activity taking place across the UK.
We developed a series of interactive visualisations that allowed users to explore case studies through multiple perspectives.
The data could be filtered and analysed according to:
- Forms of engagement, such as activism or community action
- Participant groups, including consumers, activists, and local communities
- Topic areas, such as fossil fuels, energy systems, or planning policy
- Geographic location across different regions of the UK
These visualisations helped surface insights that would have been difficult to identify through spreadsheets or written reports alone.
The result was a more engaging and accessible way to interact with research data.Building on an existing platform
Having previously delivered UKERC's main website, we were able to build upon an established visual language and user experience.
This ensured consistency across both platforms while allowing the Observatory to develop its own identity and functionality.
The site was built using WordPress and Gutenberg, with a series of custom content blocks created specifically to support the Observatory's research workflows. Existing datasets were imported and structured to provide a strong foundation for future growth and contribution.
By balancing familiarity with flexibility, we created a platform that could evolve alongside the research programme.Outcome and impact
The UKERC Public Observatory created a new way for people to engage with climate and energy research.
By combining case studies, visualisation tools, and community contributions, the platform made a complex and growing body of knowledge more accessible to a broad audience.
The Observatory's ambition is to influence researchers, policymakers, businesses, activists, community groups, and the wider public. The platform provides the digital foundation to support those goals, helping people understand not just what climate engagement looks like, but where it is happening, who is involved, and what can be learned from it.
Most importantly, it demonstrates how digital products can help bridge the gap between research and real-world action.