R&D Opportunities for climate action

The message – and the evidence – are clear. Public participation and local expertise need to be at the forefront of climate action.

The Sixth Assessment Report from the IPCC published in 2023 championed local solutions, especially for successful adaptation in the regions most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Approximately 85 percent of the world’s eight billion people live in countries of the Global South, yet only a tiny fraction of this population are involved in shaping and delivering climate initiatives. Mobilizing more money is of course a critical determinant of whether this can be achieved. But so will our ability to mobilize all the resources of intelligence, the collective skills, talents and capabilities we have at our disposal. Boosting this ability means learning to deliver collective intelligence initiatives designed by and for Global South communities. This includes optimizing technology to work in diverse contexts where data are sparse and infrastructure, including digital infrastructure, is spotty.

In Table Nine we present nine key opportunities for R&D investment. All of them help to elevate local knowledge. These opportunities set an aspirational agenda for the future of collective intelligence for climate. Funders and institutions should use them as a basis for designing new funding and delivery programmes, making sure to evaluate progress and share lessons along the way.

Nine key R&D opportunities categorized by three areas for action