Case studies

Working across multiple tiers of local authorities to develop a hyper local vision for the town of Coleford

In 2025, The Forest of Dean District Council partnered with Involve to develop a place-based citizens’ vision for a market town within the district. This citizen visioning project was designed to deliver meaningful community engagement tailored to a rural context and the areas expected transition to a unitary authority structure by 2028. Through this multi level council collaboration, the District Council aimed to realise its ambition of creating community-led climate action plans.

How the Outer Hebrides built confidence to disagree well on community energy:

In the Outer Hebrides, climate and community energy decisions are deeply relational shaped by long standing relationships within a tight-knit community. Attitudes are also shaped by costs, reliability, industrialisation, and relationships with the land. Working with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Community Energy Scotland, Involve supported people who run community engagement to build skills for navigating disagreement bravely and constructively.

Embedding High-Quality Public Engagement in a City-Scale Retrofit Programme:

In 2025, Cardiff Council partnered with Involve to strengthen its approach to public engagement for its proposed retrofit programme, which primarily targeted households experiencing fuel poverty. 

How to develop a coherent community engagement approach as part of community-led resilience and emergency planning:

As climate-related emergencies increase, Northern Ireland is exploring how communities and public bodies can respond together more effectively. In 2025, a new team, the Building Resilience In Communities team (BRIC), was created and jointly funded by the Department for Communities and the Department for Infrastructure. Its goal is to develop greater coordination across Northern Ireland in line with the UK Government’s National Resilience Strategy. 

How does a community lead the conversation towards a positive future?: Derry and Strabane

The Derry and Strabane Sustainability and Climate Commission recognised a gap in how local climate priorities were being shaped. Whilst there was active engagement from some communities, other voices were underrepresented in discussions. To develop a climate action plan rooted in real community priorities, the council needed to hear from people in all parts of the district – especially those in easier to ignore, economically underserved and rural and remote areas.

People, Place, Purpose

A selection of case studies around climate engagement.

Local Just Transitions

In 2019, WMCA declared a climate emergency and set a 2041 net zero target. To achieve this, it developed strategies across energy, environment, air quality, and circular economy. Citizen participation was key, ensuring public voices shaped decisions and projects that support a sustainable, low-carbon future for the West Midlands region.

Community Conversations: How Warrington Youth shaped a vision for a Greener Future

After declaring a climate emergency in 2019, Warrington formed a Climate Emergency Commission and launched a town-wide strategy on how to respond. This strategy was developed in consultation with key actors across the town, however the voices of young people were absent. This community conversation sought to bring youth perspectives into the town’s climate planning, asking: ‘What can we all do to prepare for and reduce the impacts of climate change, whilst making our town a better place to live?’

How Gateshead Residents Helped Shape the Council’s Energy Strategy

Gateshead aims to lead in the energy transition. With a District Heat Network already in place for some commercial and social housing areas, the challenge was ensuring residents had a genuine say in how the next stages of the energy transition should unfold – so that changes reflect their priorities, values, and everyday realities.