This application is written in Python, with the help of the ReportLab library (the web part is powered by the flask framework). The code is open-source and is available here: framagit.org. The ability of this application to reproduce several figures published by the IPCC was carefully tested (however, the IPCC bears no responsibility for this software).

We are sorry to hear that you have encountered a problem. We will do everything we can to help. Please have a look at 'It did not work! Why?' in the tutorial. Do not hesitate to provide feedback.

The 'ember drawing' code is available as a python package which can be accessed from code written in python or R. The package and some examples are available from the standard python package index: PyPI - EmberMaker.

Although the web application and layout details were improved over time, there is no change affecting the translation of the risk levels provided as input to colours in the burning embers. The changes are recorded on framagit.org (see Changelog). A short summary is provided below (from recent to old).

Recent news?

When an update is planned, it might be announced on climrisk.org.

2024/08 [2.1]: Compatibility with EmberMaker 2.1

• The "ember drawing" code is now a separate library (EmberMaker).
• New example related to "potential benefits of climate change", illustrating how additional risk levels (and associated colors) can be defined.

2023/07 [1.8.2]: Addition of SVG output, support for non-standard transition names

• Addition of SVG as one of the available output formats (SVG is an open-standard vector graphics format). This format is also used for the screen preview.
• Any transition name can be used provided that the included colors/risk levels are defined in the "Color definitions" sheet of the Excel file provided as input. This may facilitate the inclusion of positive impacts of climate change.

2023/04: Support for detailed risk transitions, simplifications and corrections

The update provides support for complex descriptions of transitions, which may involve one or both of the following:

• risk transition ranges assessed for more than one confidence level (e.g. "it is likely that it will occur in this narrow range, but very likely that it will occur within that broader range").
• more information about the hazard level that corresponds to a given risk level inside a "risk transition". The standard is min, (optional) median, max; the update adds the possibility to provide "percentiles", which are intermediate levels of risk within a transition: p25, p75, etc. (p50 would be the median).

In addition, the update simplifies the documentation by referring to the former "basic (file) format" as the standard format. The former "full-flex" is kept for legacy file(s).
(version 1.7.1)

2021: Support for 'overlapping transitions', additional layout options

Allowed 'overlapping transitions', i.e. embers with 'uncertainty ranges' that span across each other (e.g. it might be that risk is above or below 'high' at a given level). Optional secondary axis (on the right, typically with a different scale), along with other new layout options.
(version 1.6)

2020: Introduction of the median value, improvements, full documentation of the parameters

An optional median, or 'midpoint' between the start and end of each transition, is added in the 'Basic format'.

File format download options (PDF/PNG/JPEG) are added. All parameters are documented in a way that is fully consistent with how they work (the same file provides online documentation and default values).
(version 1.4)

2019/11 - 2020/05: Initial development

This software was created by Philippe Marbaix at the end of 2019 (based on an earlier 'AR5-related' back-of-the-envelope version). The first objective was to produce figure 3 of Zommers et al. (2020; Burning Embers: Towards more transparent and robust climate change risk assessments. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. doi.org/10/gg985p).