Understanding climate change means more than knowing how the Earth’s climate system works—it also involves knowing how human actions affect the climate, how climate change impacts people and the environment, and how to make smart decisions based on this knowledge.

Much climate information comes from Earth Observation (EO) data, like satellite images and other scientific measurements. New technologies, especially in virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR), are making this data easier to understand and more engaging for learners and the public.

At the MIT Media Lab, the Earth Mission Control (EMC) platform uses immersive AR/VR tools to help people explore climate stories using real data. These interactive experiences—called “vignettes”—cover topics like sea level rise and wildfires. Each one combines trusted data with storytelling to help users better understand complex climate issues.

We will share our Climate Data Storytelling Framework, which brings together data, visuals, and narrative to make climate communication more effective. We'll also highlight early results from EMC user testing, focusing on how people use the platform, how well they understand the information, and whether it inspires them to take action. Our goal is to show how immersive storytelling can support climate learning and motivate positive change.