Project Description:
The Observatory of Climate Narratives is a citizen science initiative led by Bla Bla Lab that aims to identify, map, and amplify the climaterelated perceptions and narratives of different social groups across Spain. Combining participatory methods with narrative analysis and psychosocial segmentation (based on the “Eight Spains” model), the project seeks to bridge the gap between public sentiment and climate policy. During its pilot phase in the regions of Euskadi and Castilla y León, the project will collect citizen-generated narratives through thematic campaigns, workshops, and digital tools. Key components include a digital climate narratives map, a Character Bank of narrative archetypes, and a Citizens’ Climate Panel providing monthly insights. Tailored campaigns will engage diverse publics—youth, elderly, rural journalists, local associations, and more. The Observatory offers monthly reports for participants and policymakers, culminating in co-creation events. It is a tool to surface the emotional and cultural layers of climate transition and inform inclusive policymaking.
Project Type: Kick Starting
Theme: Resource Management
Mentor: Paolo Giardullo
Climate Narratives Observatory: Understanding How Spain Talks About Climate Change
What is the project, and who is involved?
The Climate Narratives Observatory of Spain is a citizen science initiative developed by Bla Bla Lab – Laboratory of Data, Tactics and Narrative for Climate, an organisation dedicated to fostering evidence-based climate mobilisation. The project’s main goal is to understand how people feel, talk, and think about climate change—and how these insights can better support collective action.
What did we do and where?
We created a national digital observatory where citizens submit short narratives about how climate change affects their lives, hopes, and fears. These inputs feed a living map of climate discourse in Spain – revealing patterns by territory, age, identity, or social segments.
As part of the project, we launched territorial citizen panels in Spain (national level), Euskadi (Basque Country) and Castilla y León. These panels are made up of representative groups of citizens recruited through an open call, who regularly share their opinions, concerns and everyday narratives about climate change and the eco-social transition through short monthly engagements (via WhatsApp or email).
To support broader citizen participation, we also developed practical engagement materials, including activity kits and guidance for libraries, municipalities, schools and community spaces to act as local “narrative sensors.” This approach combines listening, evidence generation and public engagement to inform communication strategies and support more effective and inclusive climate action.
Alongside the panels, we collaborated with climate communicators and organisations to ensure the voices gathered feed into real strategies for mobilisation.
Why is this important?
Climate change is no longer only a scientific issue – it is a social and cultural one. Yet, Spain remains divided in how it perceives and reacts to climate challenges. Miscommunication, fear-based narratives, and political noise often prevent people from seeing climate action as something relevant to their daily lives.
Our project tackles a key gap: understanding the stories people tell about climate change, so that communicators, public institutions, and organisations can connect climate messages to people’s real emotions, values, and identities.
Instead of asking people to adapt to climate narratives, we adapt climate communication to society.
What did IMPETUS provide, and what did we learn?
IMPETUS enabled us to test and scale a new model of citizen participation in climate communication. With their support, we:
- Designed and piloted our citizen panels
- Strengthened our collaboration with the territorial ecosystem of stakeholders.
- Learned new mechanisms to integrate citizen input directly into public engagement strategies
The programme helped us to complement our initiative, from a communication initiative into a citizen-science-driven mobilization system.
What’s next?
The Observatory will continue with their activity at least for one year (supported by Bla Bla Lab), expanding by:
- Being a tool to organisations designing climate mobilisation strategies
- Partnerships with public institutions to inform climate policies
- Expanding to new territories of Spain, to visible the endless mosaic of narratives that compound the country.
The mission continues: visible citizen climate narratives to turn them into collective climate action.
