Looking at data differently to highlight those left in the cold
When we talk about climate change and energy use, we often focus on the big picture, such as reducing emissions, switching to renewables, and improving efficiency. But what happens when the data behind these decisions doesn’t include everyone?
Back in 2023, we featured research by Professor Lucie Middlemiss and Dr Diana Ivanova, which explored this question and found that disabled people are often left out of the data used to shape energy and environmental policies.
This matters because nearly one in four people in the EU has a disability, many of whom face unique challenges when it comes to energy use.
Some disabled people need more heating to stay healthy or rely on energy-intensive medical equipment. If policies don’t account for these needs, they risk making life harder for those already facing barriers.
— Professor Lucie Middlemiss
Read the original research storyImpact
- Knowledge discovery: creates new information and understanding about disability and energy use
- Policy impact: provides evidence for policy decisions to support people with disabilities in the transition to net zero, supporting just climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Key Information
- Major funders: European Commission, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Partners and collaborators: Leeds City Council
- Disciplines: sustainability, energy, data science
- Investigators: Professor Lucie Middlemiss, Dr Diana Ivanova.
By combining lived experience with large-scale data analysis across 19 European countries, the researchers discovered that the way energy data is collected and used often overlooks disabled people entirely. That means decisions about who gets support and how might be missing a huge part of the picture.
This research has since grown into a wider agenda, with the newly published book Just Climate Futures, which explores the justice risks of climate policy and calls for inclusivity to be placed at the centre of future decision-making.
The book provides a framework for future research, focusing on the evidence of injustice and inequality in climate policy, what needs to change and how we approach climate policy in a way that includes all members of our society.
The goal of the book is simple – to make sure that future climate policies put inclusivity at the centre.
Launch of the JUST Centre
The new JUST Centre, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), launched earlier this year, has also grown out of this earlier work, bringing together expertise in climate, social inclusion, and data.
Dr Anne Owen leads on data analysis, Dr Diana Ivanova focuses on sustainability and social inequalities, while Professor Lucie Middlemiss brings justice and climate policy expertise. Together, they are building a more holistic understanding of the barriers people face in the transition to net zero.
Diana and Anne continue the initial research that started with 'Looking at data differently', but with different components of research to build a more nuanced understanding of the barriers facing disabled people and net zero.
There is a need to have an inclusive climate policy that highlights the importance of people and place.
Previously, research looked at households where people with a disability were unemployed. The new JUST centre enabled the researchers to look at different circumstances in each household, more context and how to innovate research through the centre.
Traditional research methods often decontextualise people’s lives, using samples that represent the majority while overlooking social and environmental differences.
The project and the JUST Centre’s work flips this approach—centring people and place and linking lived experience in regions to infrastructure and emissions. People’s social differences are linked with infrastructure to understand barriers, allowing the researchers to create an institutional framework that then links back to emissions.
We’re looking at households in context. Not just abstract data points, but real lives—how people’s circumstances, location, and access to infrastructure shape their ability to participate in low-carbon living.
Dr Anne Owen
The team found that a place can be ready for net zero if existing carbon levels are low, or if there are enablers to change, rather than barriers. Socioeconomic factors, such as the ability to spend money, also have an impact on home improvements.
This includes factors like proximity to public transport, ability to retrofit homes, and whether someone can switch to active travel.
As Anne points out, “Not everyone can just pick up a bike and cycle to work. Health, family responsibilities, and physical infrastructure, such as locations of bus stops, all play a role.”
A tool for change
To make this research actionable, Anne, Diana and colleagues from Leeds are now in the process of developing a practical web-based tool designed for policymakers, charities, NGOs, and businesses.
The tool will enable users to view data at the neighbourhood level, layering data together, creating a heatmap to highlight inequalities and identify areas with potential for change and pinpoint specific areas. These can be taken ‘off the shelf’ by users.
“We want to show where the enablers are and where the barriers lie,” says Anne. “It’s about understanding readiness for net zero, not just in terms of carbon levels, but in terms of people’s ability to make changes.”
The way we approach and conduct the research is fundamentally different now. Now we’re innovating, creating tools that take a flexible and participatory approach. We are creating something practical that can empower people to be their own researchers and explore requirements for socially just sustainability transitions.
Dr Diana Ivanova
“In our earlier research, Diana and I didn’t have funding and were limited to focusing on one demographic—disabled people who were not in employment,” says Lucie. “We explored how their energy use and emissions differed from the wider population in one dataset.
“Now, with more resources, we’re able to consider a broader range of variables affecting people’s ability to participate in low-carbon living, bringing together complementary datasets. This allows us to develop a much richer and more nuanced analysis of how different circumstances shape people’s experiences and ultimately, to design more tailored policies and support.”
The researchers can now also include data on people who are working but still receiving benefits—something they couldn’t do previously. This opens up new possibilities for understanding and addressing inequality in climate policy.
What’s next for the project?
The aim is to shape more inclusive and effective climate policies. The next phase of the project is to build the web application, and the team is actively seeking collaboration with intended users, including charities, NGOs, policymakers, businesses, and local authorities.
Their insights will be invaluable in refining the tool and ensuring it meets real-world needs. This is an exciting opportunity to co-create solutions that make climate action work for everyone.
Find out more about the JUST Centre.
Part of the Further Together updates series.