Impact of inaccessible research on climate progress

𝐃𝐚𝐲 4️⃣ 𝐨𝐟 3️⃣ 0️⃣: 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 … 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 📢 From remote mountain regions to studio lights and green screens – this is the reality of modern research life. 📸 After months building trust in mountain communities, learning about climate adaptation and traditional livelihoods, I found myself facing an uncomfortable truth: 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝: Research visibility isn’t vanity. It’s responsibility. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: ↪️ 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 - Brilliant insights locked in academic jargon help no one. ↪️ 𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 - When you amplify fieldwork stories, you give voice to people who deserve to be heard. ↪️ 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒔 - Papers, blogs, social media, podcasts, interviews. Each reaches different audiences. ↪️ 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔 - People connect with process and discovery. ↪️ 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 > 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 - Genuine passion always resonates more than polished presentations. Sometimes the bravest thing a researcher can do is step into the spotlight and say: “This matters. Here’s why.” #30DayChallenge #ResearchDiary #AcademicVisibility #ScienceCommunication #ResearchImpact

Imagine running a business without access to key financial data. No revenue reports. No market trends. No balance sheet. Now imagine making high-stakes, long-term decisions - without access to climate data? That's exactly what's happening in the U.S. right now. 🚨 Climate data is vanishing from federal websites - silently and systematically 🚨 Air quality data is no longer being shared internationally - impeding global responses 🚨 Government agencies are erasing all references to climate change - undermining informed decision-making The impact? Climate risks become harder to assess and even harder to address. No data means no action. No action means more vulnerability (not just for businesses, but for real people like you and me!). Here's the reality: climate impacts continue regardless of politics. 🌪️ Extreme weather disrupts supply chains - no matter who's in office (natural disasters caused losses of US$ 320bn in 2024) 📈 Savvy investors still demand climate disclosure - the logic hasn't changed 📉 Employees and customers demand climate action - now more than ever (85% of consumers say climate change affects their daily lives and buying decisions) At AimHi Earth, we've immersed teams at Unilever, PepsiCo and 40 other organisations in learning experiences that enable them to better understand and identify climate risks, spot future-proofing opportunities and make better business decisions in a changing world. So, given what’s happening in the States, we are launching a "pay what you can" initiative for US-based SMBs and non-profits - those who need this information most. Because access to essential climate information should be hampered by politics.

🌍It's not new news: The impact of blocking climate data in federal documents Recent reports about efforts to block the release of climate data from federal documents & websites are deeply concerning. Access to accurate, transparent, and comprehensive climate data is critical for informed decision-making—not just for governments, but for businesses, individuals, and global organisations alike. If this move goes ahead (or continues to), the ripple effects could be significant. I’ve stepped through my thoughts but mostly I'm keen to understand how others are remaining positive with these changes? 🏢 Impact on Businesses🏢 Businesses rely on federal climate data to assess risks, plan for the future, and align with sustainability goals. Without access to this information, companies may struggle to: 👎 Understand and mitigate climate-related risks to their operations and supply chains. 👎 Make informed investments in clean energy and sustainable practices. 👎 Meet regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations around environmental transparency. Industries like insurance, agriculture, energy, and real estate—which are heavily dependent on climate data for risk modeling and long-term planning—could be hit the hardest. 🙅♀️ Impact on Individuals🙅♀️ For individuals, the lack of accessible climate data could mean: 😞 Reduced ability to make informed decisions about where to live, work, or invest. 😞 Limited understanding of local climate risks, such as flooding, wildfires, or extreme weather events. 😞 Fewer opportunities to hold policymakers and corporations accountable for climate action. 🌎 Impact on Global Climate Organisations🌎 Global organisations like the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) rely on robust, reliable data to inform their analyses and recommendations. Blocking access to U.S. federal climate data could: 💡 Create gaps in global climate models, undermining their accuracy and usefulness. 💡 Hinder the ability to track progress toward international climate goals, such as the Paris Agreement. 💡 Limit the effectiveness of global efforts to address climate change, as data from the U.S. is a critical component of worldwide analysis. While global organisations may still publish their findings, the absence of U.S. federal data could weaken the credibility and comprehensiveness of their reports. This could lead to delays, increased uncertainty, and a lack of consensus on critical climate issues. It is sad because this is yet another barrier on what was already a difficult road. What positives can we take? How do we remain hopeful? #ClimateAction #Sustainability #Climatedata #Transparency #BusinessImpact #carbon Trace | Certified B Corp™