# Creating an Open Knowledge Graph for Climate > [! note]- > The content of this page is generated by audio/video transcription and text transformation from the content and links of this source. Source: [https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-6006-creating-an-open-knowledge-graph-for-climate/](https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-6006-creating-an-open-knowledge-graph-for-climate/) <video src="https://video.fosdem.org/2025/aw1126/fosdem-2025-6006-creating-an-open-knowledge-graph-for-climate.av1.webm" controls></video> ## Summary & Highlights: The session 'Creating an Open Knowledge Graph for Climate' at FOSDEM 2025 highlights the efforts of semanticClimate, a community-driven initiative to make climate data accessible and actionable. The project involves interns from various educational backgrounds who transform dense climate reports into semantic, machine-readable formats. This initiative not only aids in informed decision-making but also encourages public engagement and advocacy for climate action. **Introduction to semanticClimate** semanticClimate is a global community focused on creating accessible climate knowledge. Using trusted sources like the UN and IPCC reports, the project develops term-based dictionaries, corpus tools for literature analysis, and a comprehensive knowledge graph. The initiative is driven by interns who learn through practical involvement, contributing to public talks and creating educational content. **The Role of Interns and Community** Interns from high schools and colleges, particularly in India, play a crucial role in semanticClimate. They engage in daily online sessions, learning software skills and contributing to knowledge products. The community model encourages public speaking and video creation, fostering a culture of learning and sharing. **Technical Approach and Tools** The project employs open-source tools like pygetpapers and docanalysis for data collection and analysis. The knowledge graph is built using RDF triples, allowing for easy navigation and integration with other data sources. Visualization and analysis are conducted using tools like networkX and D3. **Challenges and Future Directions** Despite its potential, semanticClimate faces challenges such as limited adoption and data accessibility issues. The session calls for collaboration and integration with other projects to enhance the utility and reach of the knowledge graph. Future efforts will focus on scaling up, finding new users, and expanding volunteer participation. ## Importance for an eco-social transformation The session underscores the importance of accessible climate knowledge for eco-social transformation. By converting complex climate reports into semantic formats, semanticClimate empowers communities to make informed decisions about environmental and social issues. This initiative highlights the potential of open-source tools and community-driven approaches to address global challenges. Eco-social designers can leverage these tools to create educational resources, advocate for policy changes, and engage diverse audiences. Challenges include ensuring data accuracy, fostering collaboration across disciplines, and overcoming institutional barriers to data sharing. Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort from technologists, policymakers, and educators to build a sustainable and inclusive knowledge ecosystem. ## Slides: | | | | --- | --- | | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_001.jpg\|300]] | The first slide introduces the FOSDEM event in Brussels on February 1, 2025, focusing on semanticClimate's knowledge graphs. Peter Murray-Rust from the University of Cambridge presents the project, highlighting its free and open-source nature. The slide mentions key collaborators like the NIPGR team and TIB Germany, and introduces mascots like Chuff the OKF Okapi to engage the audience. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_002.jpg\|300]] | The second slide provides an overview of semanticClimate, emphasizing that it is not merely a student project but a serious effort to semantify 'the survival guide for humanity.' The slide highlights the importance of the initiative, noting that no similar efforts exist. It references a BBC article and points out the lack of availability in Indian languages. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_003.jpg\|300]] | The third slide outlines semanticClimate's mission to build a community that automatically collects climate information, makes it semantic, and annotates it for learning, reuse, and advocacy. The slide emphasizes the project's inclusivity and the role of community engagement in driving the initiative forward. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_004.jpg\|300]] | The fourth slide details the project's timeline from 2020 to the present, involving over 100 participants in six-month internships. It mentions the 'Doctor WHO handover' model for project succession and acknowledges mentors and supporters like Simon Worthington from TIB Hanover. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_005.jpg\|300]] | The fifth slide introduces AMI, a participant who joined in January 2025, and highlights Sharon's upcoming presentation. It sets the stage for their contributions to the semanticClimate project. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_006.jpg\|300]] | The sixth slide discusses the 'Learning-by-Doing' approach of semanticClimate, driven by public presentations. It notes that new joiners often have no previous coding experience, emphasizing the project's educational aspect. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_007.jpg\|300]] | The seventh slide features presentations from OKF's 'The Tech We Want 2024' by Shweata Hegde and Parijat Bhadra. It discusses making IPCC reports semantic and warns of potential YouTube ads during presentations. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_008.jpg\|300]] | The eighth slide outlines the four software freedoms: to run, study, redistribute, and modify programs. It references GNU and Richard Stallman's visit to Cambridge, underscoring the importance of open-source principles. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_009.jpg\|300]] | The ninth slide defines semanticClimate's mission to create verifiable, computable climate knowledge using sources like the IPCC framework, UNFCCC reports, and scholarly publications. It emphasizes the project's commitment to accuracy and reliability. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_010.jpg\|300]] | The tenth slide provides an overview of the IPCC website, detailing its working groups, reports, glossary, and data. It highlights the project's efforts to convert extensive PDF documents into semantic, machine-readable formats. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_011.jpg\|300]] | The eleventh slide describes the project's simple approach to creating knowledge graphs, using RDF triples without complex tools like OWL or Protege. It emphasizes the role of Wikidata in enhancing the triple store. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_012.jpg\|300]] | The twelfth slide showcases the tools used for graph visualization and analysis, including networkX and D3. It also mentions query languages like SPARQL and GraphQL for interacting with the data. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_013.jpg\|300]] | The thirteenth slide features Sharon's demonstration of network and Table of Contents (ToC) graphs, illustrating the practical application of semanticClimate's tools in visualizing complex data. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_014.jpg\|300]] | The fourteenth slide highlights the use of Linked Open Data, dictionaries, and documents, with over 100 million items. It underscores the project's integration with global data resources. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_015.jpg\|300]] | The fifteenth slide directs viewers to Renu's resource page, featuring a glossary and encyclopedia of IPCC terms, a knowledge graph by Shweata Hegde, and a Wikidata knowledge graph by Egon Willighagen. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_016.jpg\|300]] | The sixteenth slide outlines past and upcoming outreach events, including presentations at 'The Tech We Want' and ISOSC CODATA. It calls for scaling up knowledge graphs, finding new users, and expanding volunteer participation. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_017.jpg\|300]] | The seventeenth slide thanks various supporters, including the Yusuf Hamied Travel Fellowship, NIPGR, the Indian National Young Academy of Scientists, Egon Willighagen, and Wikimedia, for their contributions to the project. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_018.jpg\|300]] | The eighteenth slide marks the end of the presentation, with a note that some random pages about AI follow. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_019.jpg\|300]] | The nineteenth slide humorously references Polly and stochastic parrots, touching on the concept of 'hallucinations' in AI. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_020.jpg\|300]] | The twentieth slide questions the trustworthiness of HuggingFace, noting the lack of transparency in data sources and the absence of an advisory board. It calls for an OKF-Open framework. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_021.jpg\|300]] | The twenty-first slide critiques private, for-profit data management, emphasizing the need for democratizing machine learning through open-source commitments. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_022.jpg\|300]] | The twenty-second slide depicts Standard Oil as an all-powerful octopus, critiquing historical practices of resource consumption, government influence, and market control by monopolies. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_023.jpg\|300]] | The twenty-third slide references a Pluralistic article on AI, encouraging critical engagement with technology. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_024.jpg\|300]] | The twenty-fourth slide urges viewers to engage their brains and control AI, warning of the risks of unchecked technological advancement. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Creating-an-Open-Knowledge-Graph-for-Climate/preview_025.jpg\|300]] | The twenty-fifth slide provides a link to OKFN's Twitter account, encouraging engagement with the organization's updates. ## Links [Slides](https://fosdem.org/2025/events/attachments/fosdem-2025-6006-creating-an-open-knowledge-graph-for-climate/slides/237810/fosdem202_A1jsU7X.pdf)