Tackling climate change and its impacts is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. Local authorities and partnerships have a crucial role in both driving the UK toward net zero and preparing communities for a changing climate. To do this effectively and fairly, meaningful public engagement is essential.
This is why we and others developed the Local Climate Engagement (LCE) — an innovative programme that uses a combination of training, mentoring, peer learning, resources and hands-on support to assist local authorities in engaging their local communities.
The programme proved what was possible. Councils that took part saw better policy outcomes, stronger relationships with communities, and greater confidence in delivering engagement. But it also highlighted a challenge: many more local authorities wanted access to this expertise.
That’s why we created the Local Climate Engagement Resource Hub—a free, practical online space to help all local authorities involve communities in climate decision making.
What is the Resource Hub?
The Local Climate Engagement Resource Hub is an online collection of how-to guides, case studies, and step-by-step resources to help local authorities, area based climate groups and anyone else interested to design and run high-quality public engagement on climate change.
It brings together lessons from councils across the UK and provides clear, accessible guidance on what works.
The Hub includes:
- Step-by-step ‘How-To’ Guides – Practical guides covering everything from running engagement events to involving underrepresented groups.
- Case Studies – Real-world examples of councils that have successfully engaged their communities.
- Engagement Methods Bank – A directory of different engagement approaches and when to use them.
- Planning & Strategy Support – Tools to help officers structure engagement processes that lead to real impact.
Why does this matter?
Local authorities are central to tackling climate change, but effective engagement can be complex. Officers face time pressures, limited resources, and the challenge of reaching a diverse range of voices.
Done well, public engagement builds trust, creates stronger policies, and ensures climate action reflects real community needs. The LCE Resource Hub is designed to make this easier—helping councils avoid common pitfalls and run engagement that truly works.
Who is it for?
The Hub is designed primarily for local authority officers working on climate and sustainability. However, it will also be useful for councillors, community groups, and organisations looking to involve people in climate decisions.
What makes it different?
- Built on real-world experience – The resources come from lessons learned during the Local Climate Engagement programme and our over 20 years of expertise
- Time-saving & accessible – Designed for busy officers who need quick, reliable and easy to understand guidance.
- Continuously updated – Shaped by feedback from local authorities to ensure it stays relevant and useful.
Find out more
The Local Climate Engagement Resource Hub has launched. You can see it here!
As an addition to your work, feel free to check out the Inclusive Climate Action: A Toolkit for Effective Public Engagement in Decision-Making. This toolkit, developed by UK100 and us here at Involve, provides practical guidance for local authorities on how to effectively engage the public in climate-related decision-making processes. It aims to support councils in moving from traditional "doing to" approaches towards more collaborative "doing with" strategies that foster public confidence and lead to better climate outcomes.
Keep an eye out on this page for the recording of our event with UK100 all about the hub.