Developed by climate analyst and science communicator John Lang, The Climate Trunk uses a series of visual “rings” to organise complex information into a clear, accessible structure for policymakers, educators and students.

"Understanding climate change and the global energy system is hard. New facts and claims arrive faster than they can be processed. Hot takes crowd out credible context. And without a solid foundation, knowledge can fall away – like a tree without a trunk," Lang says.

"That’s the idea behind Climate Trunk. It holds the big picture together – from science and history to impacts and justice, and from societal net zero to what we can do in practice. Each ring adds coherence and context."

Lang is a New Zealander based in London. He works at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit and co-founded the Net Zero Tracker, which monitors net zero targets worldwide. He is an Oxford Net Zero Associate and founder of Kiwis in Climate.

He said the project was developed to bring clarity to an increasingly crowded and confusing information landscape.

"The Trunk grew out of years of trying to cut through the noise – reading the science, the politics, the arguments, the spin, and realising how easily new information slips away without the right frame."

Lang said the concept is built around a dual metaphor designed to help organise and retain knowledge.

"Like a tree trunk, it records our climate and energy story in its rings as it grows over time.

"It also works like a storage trunk, safeguarding and organising the knowledge you can carry with you and come back to."

He said the project is intended to help people stay grounded amid misinformation and recurring climate debates.

"The Trunk won’t cover everything. It’s designed to help you understand, remember and share what really matters, and to stay grounded when that next wave of confusion rolls in.

"It’s also here to help you navigate climate misinformation and those familiar deflection arguments that keep resurfacing.

"You know them: But what about China? But the climate has always changed. But we're less than 1% of global emissions. But can't we just adapt?

"Stabilising our climate is the story of this century. The Trunk can help you see it clearly."

Lang said that despite a flood of climate information, no single, coherent visual anchor exists.

"Facts and graphs are scattered across reports, articles and posts that are hard to connect and interpret."

The Climate Trunk is designed to fill that gap.

"It provides a system-level structure that shows how climate science, impacts, energy, economics, politics and net zero fit together, while dispelling common deflection arguments." To grow a 'tree of knowledge' about climate and energy, Lang says you need a strong trunk.

"The Climate Trunk uses a series of interconnected ‘rings’ to build understanding layer by layer, moving from what we know, to how climate change is experienced and contested, to what can be done and where progress is increasingly visible," he says.

The result is coherence, not overload. "At a time when net zero pushback and misinformation are on the rise, the need for accurate, durable climate information has never been greater.

"The Climate Trunk balances realism and rigour with optimism and agency, helping people see both the scale of the challenge and where influence and progress are possible."

Lang said the project is built around clear, evidence-based visuals and is intended to be widely distributed, with plans to eventually integrate it into school curricula, starting with the UK and New Zealand.

"Visuals anchor memory far better than words alone. Each infographic is designed to be legible at a glance, credible under scrutiny and relevant beyond news and data cycles.

"Accuracy is non-negotiable. Uncertainty is handled explicitly, sources are transparent, and each visual is paired with a concise 300-word explainer and further reading ‘trees’, making this project a one-stop shop for students and teachers."

He says the project will be delivered through multiple channels. The initial Big Picture series – more than 100 infographics released over 2 years – aims to put The Climate Trunk on the map, disseminated via a weekly newsletter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky and Substack.

Lang says the project is designed to help people better understand the scale and significance of the climate challenge.

"Stabilising the climate and repairing nature is one of the central stories of our time. The Climate Trunk will help the next generation of leaders – and those shaping decisions today – see that story clearly."

You can subscribe on the Climate Trunk website.