Translating Complexity: The FABLE (ISE) Dashboard suite Brings Sustainability Scenarios to Life
The Visual Evolution of FABLE
The FABLE Interactive Simulation Environment (ISE) Dashboard is a web-based tool that aims to enhance sustainability policymaking by translating complex modelling outputs into accessible and interactive insights for a broad range of stakeholders. It is based on the Excel version of FABLE Calculator, which is an open and free accounting tool used to study the potential evolution of food and land-use systems from 2000 to 2050. Developed by ERRA in collaboration with SDSN in order to expand and go beyond the Excel-based version limitations. The goal of FABLE ISE Dashboard is to provide an intuitive user interface (UI) and make it easily accessible to a technical as well as to a non-technical audience. The tool’s objective is to give people a simple way to navigate and understand how various scenarios and policy choices impact sustainability, food and land-use system planning. Users can investigate the effect of changes in several fields such as food, biodiversity, production, jobs, land evolution and greenhouse gas emissions.
What the Dashboard Does
Figure 1: FABLE ISE Homepage
The main functionalities of the tool are to provide the users with the opportunity to select different scenarios combinations through the scenario selection panel and visualize the outputs generated by the scenarios selected by them.
Figure 2: FABLE ISE Overview
Users can choose a country from a list of all the available countries. Then they can select a pathway from a list of predefined countries. Otherwise, they can define their own pathways by configuring a combination of different scenarios. Through a simple and user-friendly scenario selection panel users can choose different scenarios parameters such as food supply, crops and livestock productivity, as well as finding a short description about each one.
Figure 3: FABLE ISE Scenario selection panel and results dashboard
In addition to this, they can explore the changes that their selections have in several outputs. The dashboard visualizes the outcomes namely food, production, jobs, biodiversity, land use and greenhouse gas emissions through simple and interactive charts.
Figure 4: FABLE ISE Compare pathways
Furthermore, they can compare the results of two different pathways side by side in order to have a better and clearer understanding of the impact that their choices have on their outputs.
The FABLE UI provides users with an efficient and effective tool for scenario-based analysis. This user-friendly platform has been created to enhance user experience and usability. Through the intuitive dashboard interface, users can investigate the different scenarios combinations and their impacts on agricultural and sustainability fields.
Aligned with Pilot Engagement Goals
The FABLE ISE Dashboard has been developed as part of the project CHOICE in order to mainstream Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and incorporate them into lifestyle choices providing a modern and user-friendly UI. This user-friendly UI aims to increase stakeholder awareness on decision making and make the IAMs widely accessible by a non-expert audience. Its visual outputs and scenario-based simulations make it highly adaptable for awareness-raising initiatives and green marketing trials. The ability to compare different pathways as well as the simplified representation of the outputs leads to informed choices and strengthens the visibility of sustainable farming practices.
The interactive dashboard allows citizens, farmers, and other stakeholders to explore the environmental, economic, and land-use trade-offs associated with alternative farming pathways.
Users can compare outcomes such as emissions reductions, productivity changes, and biodiversity impacts, fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities behind sustainable transitions. This approach encourages dialogue, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making within pilot communities.
Next Steps
The FABLE ISE is still in development phase and next steps are already planned for the next few months. More specifically, UI improvements will be implemented based on feedback collected from workshop participants in order to enhance user experience and engagement.
During pilot campaigns, the FABLE ISE will be utilized to design and evaluate sustainable farming scenarios by stakeholders. FABLE Calculator interfaces will be used to simulate pathways and help people explore the changes in land-use, agriculture, biodiversity and emissions. FABLE ISE will contribute to introducing green farming practices to a wide audience including experts and non-experts. Using the Calculator’s interactive interfaces, participants will explore how different combinations of sustainable practices affect greenhouse gas emissions, land use allocations, biodiversity, farm-level productivity and food supply. In addition to this, scenario comparisons will allow actors to obtain a better understanding of the impacts of their choices as well as understanding synergies between productivity and climate mitigation.
Developer Insight
ERRA’s design approach prioritizes usability, accessibility and user engagement. Our goal is to make IAMs models though a user-friendly and intuitive UI accessible to a wide audience that includes people with varying levels of technical expertise. Through the FABLE ISE we focused on creating an interface that translates complex modelling outputs into clear and actionable insights.
Key Takeaways
The FABLE ISE provides a user-friendly and visually engaging interface that simplifies complex modelling outputs, enabling diverse stakeholders — including farmers, advisors, researchers and policymakers — to interact confidently with different scenarios combinations. By translating CHOICE IAM modelling results into accessible and engaging UI, the tool effectively connects advanced technical analysis with practical, real-world decision-making. This bridge contributes to mainstreaming IAM models and strengthening the trust of sustainable policymaking. This interactive and scenario-based approach makes the tool suitable for awareness-raising and behavioural change initiatives. Users can easily explore the environmental and economic impacts of alternative farming practices, and this can lead to better choices and long-term commitment to sustainable transitions.
FABLE ISE is available online at https://fable-ui.erra.gr/
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