The Community of Practice Driving the Future of LCAT
The Local Climate Adaptation Tool (LCAT) has come a long way since its launch over a year ago. It is one of the BlueAdapt case studies which is showing great potential for impact.
Designed to help practitioners understand and plan for the local impacts of climate change, LCAT continues to evolve —not only through technical updates, but also through the ideas and insights of a growing network of users and experts interested in the topic.
At the heart of this progress is the Adaptation Community of Practice, a space where over 200 members—including local authorities, health organisations, researchers, businesses, and community groups—come together to share ideas, discuss challenges, and directly collaborate in shaping the future of climate adaptation work.
Two new members of the LCAT team, Peter and Helen, are helping to strengthen this collaborative spirit.
New faces, shared purpose
Peter Lefort, who joined the BlueAdapt team in June this year, is no stranger to LCAT. Having been involved in the tool’s early development while working with the Cornwall Council, he now leads engagement and network-building within the LCAT team. After years of understanding how people intended to use the tool, he is now focused on learning how they are using it in practice — what works well, what surprises them, and what could be improved.
Helen Underhill joined the BlueAdapt team more recently, bringing a background in anthropology and sociology. Her experience with ethnographic methods—listening to people, observing group dynamics, and exploring how tools, similar to LCAT, fit into real-world contexts — adds a valuable layer to the engagement work. She is particularly focused on understanding user needs and priorities. She is looking forward to continuing the co-creation process that has been part of LCAT’s identity.
Together, they are working to ensure that every stage of LCAT’s development is grounded in real experiences and practical insights from those who use it.
The Power of the Community of Practice
The Adaptation Community of Practice, which Peter has been running for more than three years now through the University of Exeter’s Green Futures Network, has become a cornerstone of this effort. It brings together experts and practitioners from across sectors and regions to explore adaptation challenges, share knowledge, and provide direct feedback to inform tools like LCAT.
Although LCAT has been mentioned in previous sessions, the session held this past September was unique – it focused entirely on the tool itself. Around 45 participants joined the discussion, offering a valuable opportunity to reconnect with existing users, introduce new members to the tool, and gather practical feedback on how the tool is being used in real settings.
Using interactive tools like Mentimeter, participants responded to live questions throughout the session, offering anonymous insights and a diverse range of perspectives. The session began by exploring how many participants had used LCAT before, revealing that many were new to it. The discussion then moved to how participants currently communicate climate impacts, sharing examples of what has worked well in their organizations and offering ideas for more engaging and actionable formats.
One highlight was the panel discussion about a new downloadable PDF feature, which allows users to export results for reports or adaptation strategies. Participants gave their views on its usefulness, how they might use it, and what results would be most useful for their needs.
Another key focus was visualising climate impacts: many noted that relying on long-term averages could obscure extreme events that drive local concern. This input has been instrumental in shaping how the team presents climate information in ways that are both accurate and actionable.
The sessions underscored the value of holding these collaborative meetings, where rich, diverse feedback is exchanged, showing how cross-disciplinary collaboration can shape LCAT’s evolution and ensure it meets users’ needs.
Collaboration, Co-creation, Looking ahead
Beyond improving the tool itself, the Community of Practice is helping define how LCAT can be applied strategically — from supporting regional adaptation strategies to encouraging cross-sector collaboration and community engagement.
Helen emphasises that LCAT is not just a product but a process: the lessons learned about systems thinking and co-creation can serve as a model for others developing similar tools in the future. For Peter, the key is ensuring that LCAT remains genuinely useful — supporting climate action at multiple levels without trying to be everything to everyone.
Sessions like the one in September reflect the potential of the tool to connect different actors — from local authorities and health organisations to communities — around shared climate challenges. These interactions also guide the development of additional resources to support the practical application of LCAT in different contexts.
By combining real-word feedback, co-creation, and strategic thinking, the team is shaping LCAT into a platform that not only communicates climate risks effectively but also strengthens collaboration and informed action across sectors.
