The challenge we addressed

Local authorities across the UK had ambitious climate targets but lacked the tools and confidence to meaningfully engage their communities in climate decision-making. The UK Government's research found that "almost half of Britons are overwhelmed by conflicting climate information and don't know what to trust." Local leaders understood that achieving climate targets required public support. Yet, many councils struggled to move beyond traditional consultation approaches to genuine participatory engagement that could build consensus and drive action.

Our sustained advocacy journey

2021: Launching Local Climate Engagement

In September 2021, UK100 launched the Local Climate Engagement programme in partnership with Involve, Democratic Society, Shared Future and Climate Outreach. We recognised that local authorities are consistently rated as the most trusted tier of government on climate action, making them essential partners in building public support for the energy transition. Our programme aimed to support councils in developing more interactive, accessible and locally focused approaches to climate engagement.

2021-2023: Supporting transformational change

UK100 directly supported 21 local authorities across England through free training, mentoring and hands-on support. We worked with councils from Lancaster to Essex, Sunderland to Derbyshire, helping them plan, commission and deliver high-quality public engagement in their climate decision-making. The programme was vastly oversubscribed, with 75 applications for 21 places – demonstrating the appetite for better engagement approaches.

2024-2025: Influencing national policy

Building on the success of our local work, UK100 actively engaged with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as they developed Britain's first-ever public participation strategy on climate action. We provided real-world insights from our programme participants, facilitated roundtables with local leaders, and contributed our expertise to shape this groundbreaking national approach to climate engagement.

What we achieved

21 - Local authorities directly supported through our programme with training, mentoring and hands-on guidance

75 - Applications received for 21 places, demonstrating unprecedented demand for climate engagement support

117 - Members in our network now equipped with enhanced understanding of effective public participation approaches

Multiple proven approaches - From citizens' assemblies in Southampton to community research in Lancaster, our members pioneered innovative engagement methods

Key outcomes we delivered

Transformed local approaches

Our evaluation demonstrated that five local authorities implemented public engagement activities that were "more interactive, accessible, and locally focused" than they would have been without support. Eleven out of 15 local authorities made changes to their public engagement processes and plans.

Built local capacity

The programme evaluation found that local authorities had "a real interest in learning about better public engagement in climate decision-making" with "potential for significant change in this area" when properly supported. Officers reported moving "from telling to asking" in their approach to community engagement.

Created momentum for action

Beyond individual projects, the programme gave momentum to wider climate action in participating areas. Several councils reported that their climate work had been given new energy, with plans to replicate successful engagement approaches.

Established national influence

Our toolkit, drawing from experiences of 21 local authorities, provided practical guidance that influenced national policy development. The insights from diverse communities across the UK informed the government's approach to the first-ever public participation strategy.

Local leadership in action

Southampton's Citizens' Climate Assembly

Southampton City Council ran a citizens' assembly on climate change and transport in partnership with academic institutions and Involve. Through a robust process, 37 demographically representative residents participated in five days of learning, deliberation and decision-making, creating a vision statement, ten priority recommendations and funding ideas that directly informed the council's Local Transport Plan.

Results achieved:

• Rigorous design ensuring local relevance and demographic representation
• Assembly members rated their experience as good or excellent
• Direct influence on council transport planning decisions
• Template for other councils seeking deliberative engagement approaches

This assembly exemplifies what becomes possible when local authorities have access to proper support and frameworks for meaningful public participation in climate decision-making.

The continuing journey

National strategy development

The establishment of the UK's first-ever public participation strategy on climate action, with meaningful local authority input, represents the evolution of our original vision for community-led climate engagement into national policy framework.

Enhanced local capability

Our Inclusive Climate Action toolkit continues to provide practical guidance for councils seeking to engage their communities effectively, demonstrating approaches that work in diverse settings from urban centres to rural areas.

Cross-party collaboration

The programme's success in bringing together local leaders from all political parties demonstrates the power of our cross-party approach to tackle climate change together, moving beyond party politics to focus on what works for communities.

Our research legacy

Local Climate Engagement evaluation

Our comprehensive evaluation provided evidence that proper support enables local authorities to transform their engagement approaches, with measurable improvements in accessibility, interactivity and local focus.

Inclusive Climate Action toolkit

Drawing from real experiences of 21 local authorities, our toolkit offers practical guidance for designing and delivering effective public participation in climate decision-making that other councils can adapt for their own communities.

Parliamentary evidence

Our written evidence to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee's inquiry on building support for the energy transition provided authoritative insights based on extensive work with local authorities across the country.

Policy briefings

Our ongoing briefings to government departments helped establish the principle that local authorities should be central to any national approach to public participation on climate action.

Impact and influence

UK100's Local Climate Engagement programme demonstrated that when local authorities receive proper support, they can transform their approach to community engagement and build genuine public support for climate action. From our pioneering work with 21 councils to influencing the development of the UK's first-ever public participation strategy on climate action, we showed how local innovation can drive national policy change.

The journey from grassroots engagement projects to national strategy development illustrates how UK100's unique position as the cross-party local climate network enables us to bridge the gap between community needs and government policy, creating the conditions for thriving places powered by clean energy.

UK100 is the only network of ambitious councils led by all political parties working together to tackle climate change.

Creating thriving places powered by clean energy — with fresh air to breathe, warm homes to live in, and a healthy natural environment.