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The Climate Knowledge Brokers Manifesto: Informed Decision Making for a Climate Resilient Future

This manifesto describes the essential role of climate knowledge brokers in helping people make climate sensitive decisions fully informed by the best available climate knowledge.
The CBK Manifesto
This video gives a peek into the thinking behind the CKB Manifesto and the role of climate knowledge brokers.

Introduction

The availability and quality of climate related information is uneven. It depends on who and where you are. Some are deluged by datasets, reports, scenarios, toolkits and other publications. For others, especially in developing countries, there is still a lack of relevant information. In both cases the result is similar: people struggle to find what’s useful to them in their daily work.

Chains of ‘knowledge brokers’ act as filters, interfaces and translators between knowledge producers and users, across different disciplines, fields and sectors. They employ a range of methods and communication approaches to meet users’ needs. Effective brokers recognise that knowledge is often more readily accepted if the knowledge production process is transparent and participatory.

You can download the CKB Manifesto from the right-hand column. Please see further resources for an 8-page overview pamphlet, a printer friendly version of the Manifesto, and versions in Spanish.

The CKB Manifesto

The Climate Knowledge Brokers Manifesto was developed in a collaborative process with the vision of a world in which people make climate sensitive decisions fully informed by the best available climate knowledge. It explains that users of climate-related knowledge require access to information that is tailored to a myriad of specific circumstances, and the essential role climate knowledge brokers play in delivering this. It is only through collaboration that climate knowledge brokers will meet this complexity of user needs effectively.

It includes an analysis of user needs, characteristics of the climate knowledge broker role in responding to those user needs, and how the CKB Group can improve the effectiveness of climate knowledge brokering through collaboration. It concludes with an invitation for users of climate knowledge, funders of climate information services and climate knowledge brokers to engage with us.

We regard it not as the end of a series of important conversations, but the beginning.

The role of Climate Knowledge Brokers

Principles of CKB

  1. People who are trying to address the impact of a changing climate deserve high quality information to support them in their decision making.
  2. CKB champions the importance of climate knowledge brokers in ensuring high quality climate relevant information is available and accessible to all who need it.
  3. We believe that understanding user needs in their multiplicity is the starting point for effective climate knowledge brokering.
  4. We are committed to learn together to improve the effectiveness of climate knowledge brokering.
  5. We support climate knowledge brokers in choosing appropriate tools and methods to address their users’ needs, including intelligent use of digital technologies.
  6. We apply collaboration as a standard in our work.
  7. We promote open knowledge; meaning we have an open mindset, are actively seeking to share our knowledge and want to work with others who have the same attitude.

The Climate Knowledge Brokers Group

The Climate Knowledge Brokers group (CKB)aims to help climate knowledge brokers become more effective and efficient in their efforts to meet the information needs of current and future users. We believe this will only be achieved through collaboration, sharing and a commitment to open knowledge. We promote this through a community of practice to enhance trust, build relationships and encourage peer learning. We also coordinate efforts to realise the potential of digital technology for efficient transfer of knowledge at scale.

The origins of CKB lie with pioneers in the use of online portals, linked open data and semantic tools. It has since broadened to be inclusive to any organisations and professionals who attempt to deliver tailored climate information to those who need it.

We support the intelligent use of climate-related knowledge; we urge the coherent and strategic funding of climate knowledge brokering activities; and we invite the participation of all collaboration- minded climate knowledge brokers.

Be part of CKB

We are collaboration-minded and seek to engage with users of climate knowledge, with funders or potential funders of climate knowledge activities and services, and of course with those who identify themselves as climate knowledge brokers. Join the network by clicking on the Network link ( top right of this page) and get in touch with questions or suggestions by adding a comment below.

Twitter: @ckbrokers

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