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

This case study is a summary version of the original report, which can be downloaded from the right-hand column. Please access the original text for more detail, research purposes, full references, or to quote text.

Summary

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.

A long term, inter-generational perspective is needed for climate policies to be effective and genuinely transformative. This means that young people’s voices should be valued as a priority in decision-making. The Rethinking Green Transitions project contributes to this goal by identifying barriers that keep young people disengaged.

For example, the research found that young people are already navigating a range of socio-economic challenges, including housing, transport, safety, access to green spaces, race, gender, income, and disability. Linking climate action to these everyday challenges would make the green transition feel more relevant and meaningful. Also, directly connecting climate risks to young people’s biggest concerns can strengthen engagement. Concerns such as their safety and insecurity.

Placing young people at the centre of the research process improved perspectives of what a genuine green transition should look like. These findings provide practical evidence to inform climate policy.

“It’s my first time being part of something like this. It’s nice to feel that I’m part of something that has the potential to make meaningful change.”

– Maddy Westhead, young researcher on the Rethinking Green Transitions research team

Introduction

Islington is the UK’s second most densely populated local authority. It is a borough of striking contrasts — it has much to boast, alongside some acute inequalities. For example, 2025 marked Islington’s fifth consecutive year named as the healthiest inner London borough. Islington is renowned for its long-standing commitment to creating greener, safer, and more welcoming streets. But, while environmentally ambitious, Islington council is one of London’s most environmentally disadvantaged boroughs. It has the lowest amount of green space per capita in London, and residents face a disproportionate risk from urban heat island effects and flash flooding. The climate vulnerabilities, especially with the housing concerns and high levels of deprivation, create an urgent need for action in Islington.

Young people’s voices are highly valuable, and according to survey responses in the research, 70% of young people want to get more involved in local decision making. However, 38% do not know how to get involved. This calls for a change in approach.

Hence, the Rethinking Green Transitions programme emerged. Their research team included four young people from Islington, two young policymakers from Islington Council’s Strategy and Engagement team, and one researcher from LSE Cities. They conducted comprehensive peer research from 2024-2025, with focus groups, peer reviews, surveys etc.

Peer research brings the people with lived experience of the issues directly into the conversation. This makes research much more inclusive and practically useful. The programme was also about up-skilling the generation and pouring back into youth and getting young people involved on a longer-term basis in local government

The team decided to look at Islington Council’s Liveable Neighbourhoods (LNs) programme, which questions how to make Islington’s neighbourhoods ‘liveable’ — that is, greener, healthier, fairer, and more welcoming. The programme evolved from the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) scheme, which was established across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government introduced the LTNs scheme to reduce traffic in residential areas. On the other hand, LNs take a more holistic approach to transforming Islington. Here, they consider what could be done better in the space, animating the city for young people, and reallocating car spaces to green, social spaces. More than just transport and the environment, LNs offer a powerful lens to explore equity, safety, belonging, and participation in climate action in Islington.

Methodology

Peer research is a form of Participatory Action Research (PAR). This approach actively includes the communities affected by the research in the design and delivery of it. A big advantage of this methodology is that it empowers the young people to shape the research process, so that the questions asked and insights generated stem from their lived experience. This helps to produce findings that are more authentic and reflective of the realities faced by young people.

The recruiters for the peer research group opted for a ‘youth’ age range of 16-26 years — the broader age range allowed for a wider scope of perspectives to be considered. The project was guided by other key principles:

• The young peer researchers would have the power of the final say in decisions about the research design.
• Mutual respect for experience and expertise — all researchers were recruited because of their diverse range of experiences and were paid for their time and labour.
• Young researchers were provided with training and support, ensuring that they gained new skills.
• The young researchers would be involved in as many aspects of the research as possible — establishing the research aims, designing methods, stakeholder engagement, conducting interviews/ focus groups, designing surveys, analysing data, writing reports, and communicating key findings at events, producing a short film, and on social media.

A total of 184 participants took part in the research, for example through online surveys, interviews, and in person focus groups. The research involved observing, recording, and discussing how young people use and experience Islington’s streets, as well as walking through proposed Liveable Neighbourhood sites with council representatives.

Below is an example of an online survey which was circulated through Islington Council’s youth networks and shared on social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. It was completed by 116 young people between April and May 2025, including both residents of the borough and those commuting to Islington for work or studies. The survey illustrated demographic diversity in Islington.

While the total number of responses was lower than expected, this number in itself speaks one of the project’s concerns: engaging young people in conversations about local policy and the green transition remains a significant challenge.

More details on the research methods:

• 11 interviews with peers, lasting 6 hours in total
• 6 focus groups with 31 young people aged 16-26
• 10 interviews with policy officers and decision makers at Islington Council, lasting 7 hours in total. Included representatives from a range of departments — Transport, Planning, Community Wealth Building, Climate and Environment, Children’s Services, and the Chief Executive’s Unit.
• A workshop with 18 key policy makers and decision-makers from various council teams.

Findings

“Arguably, the biggest finding from this research is that the ideals of Islington Council’s Liveable Neighbourhoods programme largely resonate with young people, but we want these schemes to work in favour of the many, to make things just and equitable.”

Young researchers

Young people want neighbourhoods that are not just green, but also safe, accessible, social, and inclusive. The findings are divided into key themes:

CLIMATE JUSTICE

Climate change and the LNs programme must also address the socio-economic inequalites that constrain everyday life in the borough. The green transition must benefit everyone, particularly the most disadvantaged in the community. For young people, a ‘liveable’ neighbourhood includes safety, convenience, accessibility, affordability, a community feel, and inclusivity. Participants emphasised that if a climate policy promises to make neighbourhoods more liveable, they should extend beyond implementing benches in public spaces and reducing traffic. Policies need to focus on bettering people’s quality of life, such as including access to secure, affordable housing.

Young people broadly aligned with the council’s vision for Islington’s future, yet the majority did not have a clear idea of what the LNs programme was. If the programme does not engage directly with the immediate socio-economic challenges that young people face, it risks being deprioritised.

safety

A survey found that feeling ‘unsafe’ was the second most frequently reported emotion among the youth in Islington. People feel unsafe walking alone at night, or when cycling because of aggressive drivers in London. People felt anxious both in crowds, and when alone. These fears are heightened amongst young women and people of colour. Safety was one of the strongest and most consistent themes throughout the research, affecting mental health, wellbeing, transport choices, and more.

transport

Transport is essential to the green transition, shaping how people access work, education, and opportunities across London, and therefore determining how sustainable the city can become. Young people have complex views on transport, but common themes emerged. Safety was a consistent concern, alongside affordability and the overall travel experience.

Buses are already very popular, as well as cycling and walking in Islington. Nearly 70% of residents do not have access to a car, so it would be ideal for streets to become more cycle friendly.

green spaces

Overall, Islington has very little public green space, with the second-lowest proportion of green space of all councils in the country. Trees offer shade, help to cool urban areas, enhance the quality of public spaces, and provide wider environmental benefits. The borough already has some successful and thriving green spaces, which are valued by young people for socialising, exercising, and mental wellbeing. The challenge is ensuring equitable access to these spaces across the borough.

social spaces

Young people want Islington’s green transition to prioritise community building. Youth have outgrown social spaces for younger children, such as adventure playgrounds, but struggle to find replacements that feel comfortable and welcoming. Social connection should not be a correlated side-effect, but foundational to the aims and methods of the greening.

While the second most common emotion was feeling ‘unsafe’, the first emotion mentioned to describe walking across the streets was ‘neutral’. The youth are craving a more engaging landscape, with more possibility for spontaneous interactions and more opportunities to meet new people.

engagement

Young people expressed a strong sense of disengagement from council affairs, and many had not heard of the LNs programme before participating in the discussion. This suggests the need for an educational awareness campaign, to propel the LNs concept and boost involvement from the outset.

In fact, when prompted, young people are very supportive of the vision, and have strong opinions and creative ideas for how things could develop. If people do not know what LNs are, they have no reason to care about them and planning for them, especially with busy lives and other immediate day-to-day challenges.

Employing a diverse range of strategies is likely to be most effective for boosting engagement, as young people’s preferences vary. Some prefer digital media on platforms such as TikTok; others would prefer in-person discussions with a councillor in parks, schools, or workplaces.

Young people want to understand how the green transition relates to their everyday lives, such as making their daily needs more convenient, cheaper, or quicker to achieve. Awareness of the climate crisis was rarely the primary motivation to make better lifestyle choices.

Nonetheless, young people still do want to engage with and learn about the local and global implications of the climate crisis. Climate should remain part of the discussion, but other elements of the green transition should be emphasised too – such as socio-economic and racial justice, or mental health benefits.

Recommendations

The report concludes with 10 practical recommendations, aimed at making green transitions more inclusive, equitable, and youth led:

1. Link the green transition to everyday realities of economic and social inequality in London.
2. Prioritise safety in all transformation designs.
3. Make it safer to choose cycling.
4. Prioritise low-cost or free bicycle provisions for young people.
5. Make access to green and social spaces easier.
6. Improve year-round access to green and social spaces.
7. Meet young people where they are, where they already spend time – online and offline.
8. Engage young people in the designing of youth-friendly communications.
9. Frame climate action in terms of the tangible benefits for young people.
10. Invest in educational programmes on local urban climate risks and green transitions for young people.

Conclusion

Through interviews, workshops, creative methods, and a survey, the peer research team reached 158 young people and 20 policy makers to explore what makes a neighbourhood truly ‘liveable’. The findings highlight the importance of rooting climate action in social justice, prioritising safety, and improving access to green and social spaces. The Rethinking Green Transitions project reveals that young people want to contribute meaningfully to these conversations, especially where the green transition intersects with social and economic justice.

Citation

LSE Cities (2025) Rethinking Green Transitions: A youth-led peer research project in Islington. London: London School of Economics and Political Science. Available at: https://www.lse.ac.uk/asset-library/Cities/Full-Report-Rethinking-Green-Transitions.pdf