Key Findings

Including community groups and businesses in climate policy development is crucial: valuing their lived experience, and being guided by local practitioner knowledge is fundamental to exploring possible futures. A creative approach enhanced engagement with those traditionally excluded from discussions and encouraged community-led solution finding.

• Key to our methodology was an introductory ‘Walk and Talk’ activity around the community groups’ localities. Crucially, the walks not only acknowledged the group members as leaders and experts, but also provided shared experiences to draw on in later roundtable discussions.
• The process of establishing trust with community leaders, and early discussion of the needs of their communities, combined with a deep respect for their local knowledge, was fundamental in the overall framing of the activities.
• Working with community leaders increased the potential reach of these workshops and fostered inclusion, generating a ‘network of networks’. This facilitated access to participants who are vulnerable to climate change impacts through socio-economic or other factors, such as limited language skills in English, health status, or isolation/lack of social networks. These discussions also ensured that the workshops were framed appropriately within the local context and personal circumstances of the community participants.
• Moving the discussion from abstract academic narrative to lived experience opened the way to uncovering diverse forms of knowing, personal values, and identities. This approach aligned with the now broadly recognised value of local knowledge and its importance in reducing risks from climate change and lowering emissions.
• A ‘common language’ for environmental engagement must extend beyond words to achieve concrete outcomes. Working with images, spaces, and practices, such as sharing food, can help include those vulnerable communities and individuals who are more likely to bear the brunt of our climate emergency.