We create and synthesize research to answer advocates' key questions.
The Climate Advocacy Lab’s research program produces actionable insights that help organizations build power and win. Over the past eight years, we have worked with dozens of climate, clean energy, and climate justice organizations to help answer the community's biggest questions. We are able to draw from our in-house research knowledge as well as the considerable expertise of our membership of social scientists, organizers, and field researchers. Through our research, we have helped advocates develop more effective public engagement campaigns, better connect with target audiences, and save on valuable resources like money and staff time.
How we work
The Lab and our in-house social scientists foster research and experimentation in a variety of ways, from conducting and commissioning original studies ourselves, to facilitating and participating in partnerships with social and data scientists and advocates on the ground, providing financial, training, and consulting support to projects, and building pathways for funder investments in critical research. And we complete the research-to-practice loop by leveraging these research findings to power the Lab’s best practice recommendations and training program.
Field Research
The Lab works with field and academic partners to create original research that helps organizations build power and informs the wider climate advocacy community.
Knowledge Synthesis
The Lab collects knowledge on public engagement and movement-building from sources like academic research, public opinion, field experiments, and campaign case studies and distills it into accessible, actionable materials for climate advocates.
Consulting
The Lab provides research expertise or relevant connections to other research experts for climate advocates seeking to answer questions that will enhance the effectiveness of their work and inform the community.
Related Resources: Research, Experimentation & Partnerships
A roadmap of what we think are some of the most critical gaps in the community’s evidence base
The Lab's underlying philosophy of field research to support climate advocates
A paper co-authored by the Lab’s Executive Director Carina Barnett-Loro on how research can focus on building collective power
Get in touch!
Are you an advocate looking for research advice? A researcher looking for partners doing advocacy work in the field? We will connect you with other members of the Lab community interested in working together.
Contact Us