In UK politics, Manchester is the place to be at the moment, and on Monday I made my way there for one of a series of regional events for Energising Britain, shaping the public participation strategy of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). 

Public participation for a fair green transition 

A public participation strategy isn’t simply a consultation plan or a communications exercise; at its best, it is a way of sharing power, widening whose knowledge counts, and creating the conditions for people to influence the decisions that will affect their lives. Done well, it can help government move faster and more fairly by building trust, surfacing practical barriers early, and connecting national ambitions with the realities of daily life in places and communities. That is why The Young Foundation is involved: our work has long shown that a successful net zero transition depends not only on technologies and targets, but on people’s agency, insight and participation. In our work with Climate Outreach on public participation for the net zero transition, we previously argued that DESNZ has an opportunity to build on the wealth of community action already underway and put people genuinely at the heart of climate policy.  

Local voices shaping climate policy 

This week’s events were organised by Local Net Zero Hubs, the national network of partnerships supporting local authorities and communities to develop clean energy projects. Minister for Climate, Katie White, put a clear focus on this place-based approach, saying Energising Britain events ensure “local communities across the country have their say on climate action and clean, homegrown energy”. She added,

We know government cannot drive this mission alone – by working together with local communities, we can accelerate our work to deliver lower bills, good jobs and cleaner air now and for generations to follow.”

For The Young Foundation, pubic participation must shape priorities, redistribute influence, and confront the inequalities that determine who is asked, who is heard, and who benefits from the transition – which is why our colleagues attended regional Energising Britain events across the country: Tania joined me in Manchester, Leonie went to Bristol, Sameen to Bradford, and our colleagues from the JUST Centre took part in Manchester and Bradford. 

Community climate action is powering change 

All events hosted vibrant panels looking at what needs to change in the next decade to realise the ambition of becoming a cleaner, greener country, looking locally, regionally and nationally. I heard speakers representing organisations and sectors ranging from Liverpool FC, to housing retrofitters, by way of the National Emergency Briefing, musicians, faith leaders, and beyond. Panellists told inspiring stories of their contribution to addressing the climate crisis – all against the backdrop of the third heatwave to hit the country this summer, bringing home the fact that we are dealing with a reality of extreme weather, no longer a distant forecast. 

The conversations were wide-ranging. I heard about a premier league footballer learning how to grow rhubarb on an allotment, and about damming an underground stream beneath a music venue. The common thread was that these individuals and others had taken the initiative to make a change in their community. They showed that people-powered response – no matter how small or local – add up, contributing to a full-scale national response.  

The Young Foundation’s role in inclusive climate engagement 

The Young Foundation’s role in these events was to draw together the threads that participants identified as either powering or blocking their paths. We explored ways in which the transition can be made more inclusive, more equal and more accessible to all. As part of this, working jointly with Climate Outreach, we facilitated a final panel at the regional events taking place that day, asking groups of participants to envision what a clean, green future could look like in ten years’ time, and then to list the challenges and blockers that must be removed to achieve that vision. The Slido responses flowed in quickly, and many common themes were noticeable: the ever-present need for funding, the disruptions of constantly shifting political priorities, the problems of mis- and disinformation on social media.  

What communities need to build a cleaner, greener Britain 

One thing was clear, however: the solutions and responses we need are already in our hands. Perhaps more encouragingly, they are already being built, demonstrated and proven in communities up and down the country. We have the evidence, we know what to do, we just need to ‘crack on’ (as Minister Katie White put it in her address). Or alternatively, in the energising words of one Slido contributor, we need to ‘Be more punk’!   

I left Manchester recognising that the challenge ahead is huge, but so is the appetite to build a better future together, from the ground up. 

Read about our work for a just transition to net zero and about our work with the JUST Centre.

Climate change Community leadership Local government and public services Net zero Posted on: 8 July 2026 Authors: Sue Griffiths,