Climate and Environment

Create or strengthen the legal framework around right to information (RTI) protections, including rules on archive management, proactive disclosure requirements, and the publication of performance data. In countries with lists of proactive data to be published, ensure that high-value climate data is on that list. For details on RTI best practices, see the “Right to Information” chapter of the Open Gov Guide.

• Some countries may not need to develop specific legal frameworks to provide access to environmental data because international or regional agreements requiring such disclosure are incorporated into legislation once signed. Instead, the focus should be on implementing agreement requirements, such as the Escazú Agreement.

Create or strengthen a national-level climate lead, such as a climate cabinet or working group, focused on public information access and digital government. Such a body should be mandated to provide expertise and targeted assistance in shaping policy-making and capacity building across government, and can centralize the coordination of public awareness-raising campaigns related to climate and the environment. Examples of structures to improve coordination could be the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) office, if a government has one, or a combination of national statistical offices, open data offices, and access to information bodies.

Create systems across agencies to collect and publish open climate data across levels of government, including a centralized platform where the data can be shared. That system should be able to coordinate interoperable, cross-sector data collection, prioritize high-value datasets for proactive disclosure, and ensure adequate resources for agencies charged with data collection and publication.

• The official climate lead should be mandated to support data collection and publication by having the power to request data from other ministries and agencies and to set open data guidelines and standards for other government bodies to follow.
• Such coordination on open climate data can be complemented by parallel efforts by non-government actors. For example, the Climate Risk Atlas in Chile is an academic initiative that is coordinated by the Interministerial Technical Team on Climate Change.

Collect and publish key climate-related data in an open format (see the “High-Value Climate Data Checklist” below). Specifically, relevant government bodies can share climate data and metadata in free, machine-readable formats and standardize vocabulary to make such information easier to analyze.

• Research institutions and networks can support the integration of community priorities and perspectives into data collection and publication.
• According to Open Data Charter and World Resources Institute, governments should ensure the collection and publication of climate-related data that are often missing in existing datasets, such as the following:
  • the demographic, socio-economic and technological factors driving greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
  • the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of different sectors of the economy and of society;
  • the likely impacts of climate change on vulnerable groups and its effects on existing inequalities—including gender-disaggregated data; and
  • the effects of policies and programs on GHG emissions and climate preparedness.

Use common identifiers across datasets related to climate change, environmental impacts, and other relevant topics to ensure that data in different databases can be used together, which increases accountability. Though the origin of government-held data can vary considerably by country, it is often the case that line ministries and sectoral agencies at the national level and local jurisdictions at the subnational level all collect their own data.

• Examples of key common identifiers are georeferencing coordinates to specify physical locations and identifiers for actors (such as companies, contractors, public-private partnership members, and local government entities) in line with the Global Legal Identifier standard.
• Regulatory agencies can collaborate with research institutions to improve interoperability through better digital infrastructure design choices.

Ensure government bodies have the resources and capacity to collect, clean, and publish climate data. Government bodies that collect and publish climate data should also guarantee that the data is updated, complete, and matches user needs.

• Conduct training sessions with public officials to ensure they know how to carry out data-related tasks.
• Consider creating an incentive program to encourage public officials to further develop their fluency with open data best practices in general, and open climate data in particular.

Consult those using the data (especially researchers and journalists) in an advisory capacity to ensure data is useful and usable. Specifically, governments can assess the demand for specific types of climate data, data users’ needs, and the performance of existing data platforms.

Provide tailored training for different non-government actors, such as CSOs, journalists, the private sector, academics, and the general public. This is necessary to create a baseline understanding of what open climate data is, why it matters, and how it can be used to monitor progress on climate-related commitments.

Conduct consultations where relevant members of the public can inform decision-making, such as in the identification of climate-related priorities for data collection or the design of pilots to collect new types of data. Ensure that such consultations include targeted outreach to vulnerable communities. Examples of this include deliberative models of participation at national and local levels.

Create or strengthen independent audit and legislative oversight mechanisms to use open climate data in assessing whether government funds are spent effectively and equitably on climate actions. Governments may wish to create cross-governmental inspectors and ombudsperson offices to ensure that data conforms to the law and is accurate and free of political influence.

• This includes publishing audit reports in an easy-to-find location (such as a central portal) and a structured format. Consider conducting a campaign to amplify the reach of the reports with users of such data (such as CSOs and journalists) and the general public.

Create a complaint mechanism for the media, civil society, or interested members of the public to request verification of climate-related information. The government body responsible for this information should be given a mandate to investigate and respond to all requests in a timely manner.