In 2022, we ran a series of six ‘prototyping weeks’, to inform the future development of our Climate programme, with the input of sector experts and people with lived experience of challenges like retrofit, housing disrepair, and community organising.

In each week, we explored the challenges and solutions on a particular topic, co-designing a quick prototype to test our assumptions before the end of the week, from which we could then draw recommendations for next steps. We’ve produced a short report on the process and outputs of each prototyping week, and they’re all linked below.

In the immediate short term, we took forward two of our six prototypes for further development – prototypes that eventually became the Local Intelligence Hub, and Neighbourhood Warmth. We also developed an alpha version of a service which improves transparency of high-emissions local authority procurement.

mySociety team members looking at Post-It notes on a whiteboard

Prototyping week 1: Council procurement as a lever for local climate action

The key question: How might digital services enable councils to reduce emissions through procurement?

The summary report: https://research.mysociety.org/publications/prototyping-procurement

The prototype: https://mysociety.github.io/contract-countdown/

Other resources:

Prototyping week 2: Conditional commitment around home energy

The key question: How might digital services enable local climate action on energy through conditional commitment?

The summary report: https://research.mysociety.org/publications/prototyping-home-energy

The prototype: https://mysociety.github.io/neighbourhood-warmth

Other resources:

Prototyping week 3: Access to nature

The key question: How might digital services enable local emissions reduction through improved access to nature?

The summary report: https://research.mysociety.org/publications/prototyping-nature

The prototype: https://mysociety.github.io/street-seed/

Other resources:

Prototyping week 4: Fair transition and the world of work

The key question: How might technology play a part in enabling a fair transition to a world that’s reducing climate risks and harm?

The summary report: https://research.mysociety.org/publications/prototyping-work

The prototype: https://mysociety.github.io/your-green-future/

Other resources:

Prototyping week 5: Energy efficiency in the private rented sector

The key questions: How might we use digital services to improve energy efficiency in the private rented sector?

Read more about the week, here.

The summary report: https://research.mysociety.org/publications/prototyping-rental-energy

The prototype: https://mysociety.github.io/renters-energy-checklist/

Other resources:

Prototyping week 6: Data sharing for climate campaign organisations

The key questions:  How might we use data to make local engagement, influencing, and organising around climate action stronger, more focussed, and more sustainable?

The summary report: https://research.mysociety.org/publications/prototyping-data

The prototype: https://mysociety.github.io/local-intelligence-hub

Other resources: