The climate crisis is the big issue of our times. But how can data be used to get to net zero in time?
One issue is who has datasets that might be useful. The UK and EU are more likely to have useful datasets than countries in the developing world; which makes comparisons between them difficult. Even in the EU, a lot of data will be resticted. Only a few countries, like France, are pushing ahead with open data sets that enable communities to push for change.
Even then, no one dataset will do everything. It might provide an answer to a simple question, like what air quality is like in Wolverhampton. But it won’t provide an answer to a complex question. And climate change is the ultimate complex question. Plus, communities need to know what is available if they are going to use data to apply pressure for change.