Re-thinking green transitions research project
The “Re-thinking Green Transitions” project, in partnership with LSE Cities will involve young Londoners (aged 18-26) in discussions about creating a greener and healthier borough.
Youth in the climate crisis
Young people are crucial in fighting climate change,but only 9% of British 18–24-year-olds feel they have a significant say in climate decisions (2023 YouGov Poll). Eco-anxiety, online disinformation, and distrust in political institutions are causing many to disengage from environmental politics.
What the research will focus on
This project aims to bring young people to the heart of public and policy debates. Working with young people, we aim to:
- involve young Londoners in discussing and imagining a move to greener physical and digital spaces in Islington
- work with young researchers to find ways to bring young voices into policymaking and public debates around green transitions
- inform broader discussions on fair green urban transitions, including by developing a model for future research, exploring youth climate action in cities.
What the young researchers will engage in
Building on the Islington Climate Panel, this project is delivered in collaboration with a team of four young researchers (aged 18-26), council officers and academics from LSE Cities. Our research questions, methods and outputs will be developed in dialogue with our young researchers and their peers.
Using both social media and in person discussions – from TikTok to low-traffic neighbourhoods to Islington Climate Panel events – will allow us to track young people’s opinions of these schemes.
Creative visual methods will shape a workshop with young people and policymakers and underpin our final output: a neighbourhood communications campaign (e.g. series of TikTok videos) complemented by policy briefs for Islington Council and local governments across European cities.
Project duration
June 2024 – June 2025
Changing how we engage and work with you
The research project is part of our wider commitment to put communities at the heart of everything we do. It is a pilot for a new way of engaging with residents, and we will be launching further opportunities for residents to engage with us on how we do things later in the year.