The UK government has released a long-awaited strategy for how it will involve people and communities in the policies and decisions that will help tackle climate change and nature loss. This is a significant step towards a fair, democratic transition, and is something that partners of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have been advocating for years.“Energising Britain” has been influenced by a number of organisations supported by the Foundation, and many are referenced in the plan as examples of best practice.

“Energising Britain” aims for everyone in the UK to play their part and feel the benefits of a more sustainable and prosperous society. It sets out key principles that will guide the Government’s work, and some new activities and commitments. This includes a Youth Climate and Nature Council, an energy efficiency advice service, an annual event to showcase community-led climate and nature action, and a Climate and Nature Participation Hub to help policymakers involve citizens in the design of climate policies.

Engaging all of society in climate action is something that every country which signed the Paris agreement has committed to. Despite this, few countries have created tangible plans to engage communities on climate policies and action in an inclusive and meaningful way.

A group of civil society experts in the UK recognised this, and established the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Coalition to work with policy-shapers and key Government figures, including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to help secure and shape a national public participation strategy. The Coalition takes its name from the UN’s Action for Climate Empowerment framework. Their work was instrumental to the publication of “Energising Britain”.

The Foundation supported the ACE Coalition from the outset. The support went towards activities including a secretariat, a workshop with civil servants at the Foundation’s UK Branch, a forthcoming report and a series of case studies of what effective, inclusive public engagement on climate can look like in practice.

The Foundation has promoted effective public engagement on climate in recent years through the Climate and Biodiversity programme and the UKB’s earlier Citizen Engagement on Climate programme (20202-2022). The publication of  “Energising Britain” is an important milestone for everyone who has shared that vision, and many NGOs supported by the Foundation over the years have deservedly had their work recognised in the plan.

 In particular, “Energising Britain” acknowledges the effectiveness of local-level engagement, and the need to support and learn from what’s working. The strategy mentions the Local Climate Engagement initiative, led by Involve and UK100, which supports local authorities to deliver high-quality, inclusive public engagement in a way that benefits local people. The Foundation supported this Initiative since its first phase in 2021.

The strategy also references Climate Outreach, Ashden and Local Storytelling Exchange – other partners of the Foundation that work to make climate action more inclusive, fair and democratic.

Climate Outreach, which convened the ACE Coalition, shared its reflections on the new Government strategy on its website.

Photo: A meeting in 2025 between Secretary of State Ed Miliband MP, civil society, and  climate and nature youth leaders