Islington Climate Panel
We’re giving local people the opportunity to help shape Islington Council’s approach to creating a greener, healthier borough.
About the Islington Climate Panel
The Islington Climate Panel brought together a group of people, chosen by democratic lottery, who broadly represent the diversity of Islington's communities. The panel worked together to tackle the important question: 'What does a climate-resilient Islington look like and how do we get there?'
Panel members learned about climate change risks, impacts and hazards and discussed them with each other as well as with subject matter experts, representatives from community partner organisations and the council. Together, they considered how the council and its partners can reduce the risks posed by climate change by improving Islington's 'climate resilience'. This included considering what can be done to make the borough greener, and to reduce the risk of flooding and extreme heat.
What the panel produced
Through nine sessions held between April and November 2024, the panel developed:
- 21 Guiding Principles for Building Climate Resilience in Islington
- 6 Community Resilience proposals
- 11 Greening the Borough proposals
Their ideas and priorities set out three clear groups of asks:
- Asks for the council to take action
- Asks for the council to empower people in the borough to take action
- Asks for businesses and partners to take action
Climate resilience and adaptation
Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events in the UK. People in London are already experiencing impacts through increasingly extreme weather events, including unprecedented heatwaves and flooding.
These climate impacts are felt most severely by our disadvantaged communities, highlighting why our response to the climate crisis must prioritize protecting our most vulnerable residents.
As a borough, we need to adapt how we manage these impacts and prepare to withstand and recover from the effects of climate change that we're experiencing now and expect to face in the future. The Islington Climate Panel is part of how are ensuring that residents’ voices, needs and priorities are shaping our approach to building a more climate resilient borough.
What happens next
The panel's proposals and principles will inform:
- Our updated Climate Action Plan in 2025, which will clearly set out the council's approach to climate adaptation and resilience
- The new Green Infrastructure Strategy – our roadmap for creating and enhancing green space in the borough
- Our approach to managing and communicating about extreme weather events
Council officers have reviewed the panel’s proposals and are now working on taking them forward.
Read the full report
You can now download and read the full Islington Climate Panel report to learn more about the panel's process, their guiding principles and proposals and the council's commitments.
Changing how we engage and work with you
The Islington Climate Panel is part of our wider commitment to put communities at the heart of everything we do. It is a pilot for a new way of engaging with residents, and we will be launching further opportunities for residents to engage with us on how we do things.
