New Data Dashboard Includes Climate Indicators

ACT Rochester Celebrates 15 Years

The purpose of ACT Rochester is to improve the culture of decision-making and establish a more equitable, inclusive, and vital eight-county region. This Community Foundation initiative has been a resource since 2009, and in 2024, launched a new data dashboard that makes community indicators, research expertise, and curated articles even more accessible. The dashboard gives people a place to start to develop insightful research, identify where to dig deeper, and ultimately pursue more informed solutions. 

“We encourage people to treat data as a spark or a benchmark, not an answer,” ACT Executive Director Meg Norris says. “The questions people pursue after engaging with ACT’s dashboard are what get me really excited.”

Partnering on Climate Metrics

The Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region was a key partner in building out a new category of indicators: environmental justice and sustainability. “ACT had already established itself as a trusted resource in the region, so it was a natural fit to collaborate,” says Omar Aponte, data manager at the Accelerator.

One of the new indicators is “energy burden,” or the percentage of household income spent on energy. Looking at data at the county level paints a positive picture, but the Accelerator’s research and data expertise gave them insight on where to look next.  Breaking down the data by income reveals an equity problem: Low-income households are spending much more of their income on home energy costs than high-income households. Aponte hopes that analysis like this will spark conversation and help policy decision makers and advocacy groups better organize around environmental justice.

“These indicators can help to better align efforts to counter the impacts of climate change, especially for historically disadvantaged groups,” says Aponte. “With climate commitments being established by organizations and government institutions, the indicators have the potential to help us track progress, identify what is working and what is not, and increase accountability.”

“These indicators can help to better align efforts to counter the impacts of climate change, especially for historically disadvantaged groups.”
– Omar Aponte, data manager at the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region

To explore data indicators and feed your brain with fresh narratives about our community, visit ACT Rochester.