Rethinking green transitions: How Islington council engaged young people in climate policy

Young people are consistently left out of the crucial discussions around climate policy, despite wanting to get involved, and being the ones that will face the consequences of climate change for the longest amount of time. The Rethinking Green Transitions peer research project was conducted by Islington Council, LSE Cities, and Partnership for Young London, to recenter climate adaptation around young people. The project defines the green transition as the process of achieving social and environmental sustainability, towards ‘liveable’ cities and a liveable planet for all. The findings were published in a report in July 2025, to address the concerns of young people within the climate crisis context.

The key questions framing the research:

1. What do young people want from green transitions?
2. How can policy makers work better with young people, to centre their visions for the future?

A group of four young researchers from across Islington were employed to generate these key questions, as well as completing the investigative work to answer them and coming up with the key recommendations and next steps towards inclusive green transitions in the borough.