From Climate Data To Public Action: Key Themes From The Climate Adaptation Forum

Event Overview

The hybrid Climate Adaptation Forum, Climate Adaptation Communication – Decoding Data and Risk for All, took place on Friday, March 6, 2026. The forum centered on a practical challenge for resilience professionals: turning increasingly complex climate data into communication that promotes action.

Communication as the Core Story

The forum emphasized that communication is a core resilience function, not a side task. As climate decisions become more data-driven and complex, policymakers and practitioners must move beyond simple black-and-white stories to explain uncertainty, clarify risks, and build resilience through better-informed actions. Organizers showcased real-world examples of how practitioners have turned technical climate data into clear, contextualized, credible, and useful communication. The aim was to help communities of all sizes proactively address climate risks and explain adaptation in ways that are accessible, credible, and actionable.

Speaker Lineup

The speaker lineup reflected that focus. Katharine Hayhoe delivered the keynote virtually. Emma Gildesgame of The Nature Conservancy offered a regional perspective. Anne Coglianese of the City of Jacksonville and Delaney Morris-Landry of the City of Boston Planning shared municipal experience. Abbey Dahl of Rhode Island’s Division of Statewide Planning, Alex Maxwell of Fuss & O’Neill, and Silvana Mercado of Rhode Island Commerce contributed statewide, technical, and economic development insights.

Cross-Sector Perspective

The forum viewed climate adaptation communication as a challenge that cuts across multiple sectors. Participants included regional conservation groups, municipal planners, state policymakers, environmental consultants, and economic developers, highlighting that effective climate communication must span institutions and target diverse audiences. The discussion stressed that building resilience involves not just collecting data but also interpreting it to guide decisions on planning, investments, governance, and public awareness.

Key Takeaways

The clearest throughline was that climate data alone was insufficient. Effective resilience work depends on explaining risk and adaptation choices in ways people can understand and act on. By focusing on practical examples and cross-sector experience, the forum presented climate adaptation communication as crucial for making resilience efforts more credible, inclusive, and useful in real-world decision-making.

(Source: Climate Adaptation Forum. (n.d.). Climate adaptation communication – decoding data and risk for all. Retrieved March 6, 2026, from https://climateadaptationforum.org/event/climate-adaptation-communication-decoding-data-and-risk-for-all.)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What was the focus of the Climate Adaptation Forum? The forum focused on how to communicate complex climate data and risk in ways that support practical action, better decision-making, and stronger resilience planning.
2. Why was communication emphasized in the forum? Communication was presented as a core part of climate resilience work because data alone does not drive action. Communities, policymakers, and practitioners need clear, credible, and accessible explanations of risk and adaptation options.
3. Who spoke at the forum? The forum featured a cross-sector lineup including Katharine Hayhoe, Emma Gildesgame, Anne Coglianese, Delaney Morris-Landry, Abbey Dahl, Alex Maxwell, and Silvana Mercado.
4. What perspectives were represented in the discussion? The event brought together viewpoints from regional conservation, municipal planning, statewide policy, environmental consulting, and economic development, creating a broad discussion on adaptation communication across sectors.
5. What was the main takeaway from the forum? The main takeaway was that effective climate adaptation depends not only on strong data, but on the ability to explain risk, uncertainty, and resilience choices in ways people can understand and act on.