Acknowledgements
About the partners
Common Vision is an independent think tank with a mission to unite people around long-term intergenerational goals and catalyse collaborative action and collective agency. Common Vision has a strong track record facilitating policy dialogue and civic leadership opportunities for young people.
Force of Nature is a youth non-profit mobilising mindsets for climate action. Alongside creating safe spaces for young people to explore their climate emotions, Force of Nature supports leaders across business, education and policy to centre youth in delivering intergenerational climate solutions.
Climate Cares is a team of researchers, designers, policy-makers and educators working together with the public to understand and support mental health in the current climate and ecological crises. Climate Cares is a collaboration between the Institute of Global Health Innovation and the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London.
About the funder
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is the driving force of investment in environmental science in the UK. NERC advances the frontier of environmental science by commissioning new research, infrastructure and training that delivers valuable scientific breakthroughs. NERC’s public engagement focuses on delivering excellent public engagement with environmental science research.
Design and digital
Octophin Digital is a digital agency that works primarily within the wildlife conservation, arts and charity sectors.
Plan B is a creative studio based in London.
Environmental scientists
The following scientists contributed to the ‘Imagine’ scenarios of the future.
Adriana Humanes, Marine Biologist, Newcastle University
Adriana Humanes is a marine biologist working on Coralassist, a research project exploring how assisted and selective coral breeding techniques might be used in coral reef restoration. She is an expert on the effects of disturbances, like industrial activities and climate change, on coral reef reproduction. Adriana was born in Venezuela and started her career in biology, using field techniques to monitor early life history stages of corals in the Caribbean, before completing her PhD in Australia. She is also a trained photographer, and uses photography to capture the impact human activities are having on ecosystems. Adriana currently is a postdoctoral research associate at Newcastle University.
Amy Lewis, Geologist, Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation, University of Sheffield
Amy Lewis is a PHD researcher researching how putting a crushed rock (called basalt) on soil, might help to capture and store C02, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This process is called ‘enhanced weathering’ and Amy is focusing on which soil types and agricultural settings capture the most carbon when basalt is used. Amy started her studies in geology – the study of rocks – where she researched how waste materials from steel production could also capture carbon dioxide.
Grace Wardell, Soil and Plant Scientist, University of Sheffield
Grace Wardell is a soil scientist and PhD researcher at the University of Sheffield. Amy studies how using special bacteria in agriculture can help ‘fix’ more nitrogen in the soil, acting as a natural fertiliser. Before starting her PhD she studied how plants can be more resistant to disease, applying her research to sustainable agriculture. She has been nominated as a ‘Top 100 influential female students to watch’ by The Tab national student newspaper.
Hassan Sheikh, Earth Scientist, Cambridge Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge
Hassan is a researcher at Cambridge University’s Department of Earth Sciences, researching how to monitor and reduce air pollution. His research investigates whether leaves can be used to monitor air quality and mitigate pollution. Before starting his PhD he worked at the Centre of Risk Studies examining the physical risks of extreme weather caused by climate change on business supply chains. He has also worked at the Climate Crisis Foundation as a student consultant, is also part of the Cambridge Carbon Map team, and co-founded a climate conversation called the ‘Big Cambridge Climate Conversation’.
Liam Nash, Ecologist, Queen Mary University of London, UCL
Liam Nash is a PhD researcher at Queen Mary University of London, in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and the University of Campinas in Brazil. His current research focuses on the connectivity between freshwater and forest ecosystems, and why this is important in an increasingly fragmented natural world. Through his research he has worked with leeches, amphibians, sea turtles and hedgehogs, and has a penchant for the small, unusual and overlooked creatures like insects. He is also interested in how the arts and humanities should be used in combination with science to tackle environmental issues.
Nina Friggens, Plant-soil Ecologist, University of Exeter
Nina Friggens is a plant-soil ecologist investigating the links between plants and soil, particularly in the context of global climate change. Globally soils store more carbon than vegetation and the atmosphere combined, most of which is stored at high latitudes and in the Arctic where the climate is warming faster than anywhere else on earth. Nina is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Exeter, where her research aims to answer whether the formation of new soil organic matter (as trees grow in warming climates) can offset predicted thaw-induced permafrost soil carbon losses, and if yes, to what extent.
Rory Miles, Innovation Expert, Centre for Enzyme Innovation, University of Portsmouth
Rory Miles is the Innovation Fellow at the The Centre for Enzyme Innovation in the University of Portsmouth. He works on plastic-eating enzymes, and how they can be taken out of the lab to work in real life to recycle plastic waste. This would help build a more sustainable and circular economy and help prevent plastic polluting the environment. He started out his career as a research scientist in molecular microbiology and genomics at Public Health England and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, before moving on to work in Defence Science. He is driven by enhancing the impact of research outputs in industry and wider sectors, ensuring that society fully benefit from research outcomes.
Steve Simpson, Marine Biologist, University of Bristol
Steve Simpson is marine biologist and fish ecologist, with particular interests in the behaviour of coral reef fishes, bioacoustics, effects of climate change on marine ecosystems. He leads a dynamic research team, works with industry and policymakers on improving fisheries and reducing marine noise pollution, and was a featured scientist in Blue Planet 2. His work combines fieldwork, often through expeditions to remote and challenging environments, with laboratory-based work. He is committed to developing a sustainable, productive, prosperous, and aesthetically inspiring marine environment from which future generations can draw economic benefit and enjoyment in equal measure.
Ting Sun, Climate Risk Expert, UCL Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction
Ting Sun is a climate researcher for cities currently working at UCL’s Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction. He has a multidisciplinary background in hydrology, meteorology and the built environment. His research focuses on the impacts of weather and climate extremes like heat waves or in cities, and how creating models of these risks at multiple scales (from neighbourhood to globe) can help mitigate their impact. As a result of his research he hopes cities will adapt to become more resilient to climate change. Ting has a multi-disciplinary research background, having worked in hydrology and meteorology, and is passionate about the power of digital climate modelling.
With thanks
Thank you to the members of the project team, the project advisory group, and the young people and scientists who participated in our interviews and co-design sessions.
Abiola A
Adam Laity, Black Cat Films
Aditiya S
Aisha Younis, Climate Reframe
Alex Brown, STEM Learning UK
Allan Kellas, Royal College of Psychiatry
Anastacia T
Beth M
Caitlin L
Caroline Macfarland, Common Vision
Catherine Fitzsimons, National Centre for Earth Observation
Catriona Mellor, Royal College of Psychiatry
Christopher White, University of Strathclyde
Ciaran B
Daniel Osmond, University of Exeter
Daniel Stanley, Future Narratives Lab
Dr Emma Lawrance, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London
Eben L
Elizabeth Lewis, Newcastle University
Ellayna T
Finty R
Florence Okoye, Natural History Museum
Francisca Rockey, Black Geographers
Frankie M
Frankie Mayo, UK Youth Climate Coalition
Funmibi Ogunlesi, New Economy Organisers Network
Gabriel Lester, UK Youth
Georgia Beel, University of York
Hannah Grist, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
Hannah Lacey, Natural Environment Research Council
Hilary Geoghegan, University of Reading
Hywel Williams, University of Exeter
Isla Geis King, The Wildlife Trusts
James Sutton, Raleigh International
Jane Morrison, Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland
Jasmine B
Jasmine Pullen, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Jasmine Roha Wakefield, University of Sheffield
Jennifer Uchendu, SustyVibes
Jenny Thatcher, Friends of the Earth
Joseph Taylor, Natural Environment Research Council
Joycelyn Longdon, Climate in Colour
Julia Migne, Conservation Optimism
Julie O
Kate Smith, University of Hull
Katherine Kennett, Royal College of Psychiatry
Katie Hodgetts, The Resilience Project
Katie Parsons, University of Hull
Kelly Redeker, University of York
Kris De Meyer, UCL Climate Action Unit
Laura H
Laura Hunt, British Geological Survey / University of Nottingham
Laura Kravac, Action for Conservation
Lauren A
Luke Wynne, Global Action Plan
Martin Wright, Positive News
Mary Edwards, University of Southampton
Matilda Agace, Common Vision
Maud B
Michael B
Miriam C
Müjde E
Natasha Parker, Global Action Plan
Nikita A
Nishu G
Nithushan R
Oliver C
Olivia H
Phoebe Hanson, Force of Nature
Phoebe L. Hanson
Pip Batey, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London
Priyanka M
Rachel Malena-Chan, Eco Anxious Stories
Rachel Nickerson, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Ruth Taylor
Sacha Wright, Force of Nature
Sadie Bartholomew, National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS)
Sam B
Sarah Divall, Hubbub
Sayyidah Salam, Revolution Plastics, University of Portsmouth
Sharmin C
Shelot M
Simon Howe, Natural Environment Research Council
Stacey C
Stephen Simpson, University of Bristol
Theresa Mercer, University of Lincoln
Tom A