Imagine Climate Friendly Futures

We want to bring residents, local organisations and businesses together as one community to create a shared vision for a climate friendly future. 

Over the last few years, the groups, businesses and individuals which make up Southampton Climate Action Network (including Southampton Collective), have talked to many people and organised numerous events to explore about what is needed to address the climate challenges that Southampton faces. This has led to clearer understanding of local priorities.

Projects such as Transition Southampton's Imagine Southampton Time Machine demonstrate that creative and imaginative approaches can help engage people in the issues (and indeed opportunities) that climate change brings. Projects such as Beat the Heat, Southampton Food Partnership and local enthusiasm for a River Rights Charter, have shown that people are desperate to see adaptation to the impacts of climate change that are happening now, such as having to deal with unbearable summer heatwaves, risks to our food system and threats to our precious local water system. City-wide consultations, such as that undertaken by Southampton City Council in 2024 on the latest City Plan, demonstrate that people are really concerned about climate change and want to find ways to address this at a local level, such as through actions within their homes, gardens and by connecting with local environmental groups.

We know that we can't achieve any of this without a stronger, more climate friendly local economy. This means supporting businesses that take climate emissions and other environmental threats seriously whilst meeting people's fundamental social needs. New economic approaches must be just, inclusive and not make people worse off. Much more could be done to encourage supply chains and investment that follows this approach (as advocated by the independent Southampton Climate Commission). Larger anchor institutions have greatest potential to make a difference, and we are keen to see the recognition of and stronger voice for locally-important "mini anchor institutions" which bring people together at a community level and are the social glue of the city.

Fundamentally, we need to find ways to cooperate together for greater impact. The skills and  knowledge are out there, both within our city, and following good practice in other parts of the UK and world that we can learn from. Communicating opportunities and sharing knowledge is crucial.

Our aims in 2026 and beyond are to achieve the following:

• continued strengthening and improved sharing of the Southampton Sustainability Directory (shared on SoCAN website) and Transition Southampton's Sustainable Living Guide, recognising that economic initiatives and businesses can help kickstart and embed climate action;

• building on the "Imagine Southampton" approach, help promote more creative and inclusive approaches to climate action that support social connections and shared visions;
• delivery of hyper-local neighbourhood approaches, including in places such as Portswood and Shirley, so people can come together, trial their ideas and be supported in the process;
• bring in more support for community and business approaches that embed climate approaches, such as through the growth of cooperative and community enterprise;
• continued development of the city-wide network of people who care about climate, and stronger links with our friends and climate advocates in Hampshire and beyond. The SoCAN calendar is a great place to find out about what is happening around environmental change in the coming months, and anyone who is wanting to undertake climate activity can use this as a platform for sharing their events.
• continued learning from beyond Southampton; and 
• recognising that climate action takes many forms - practical "doing" activities such as shown via Southampton's popular Repair Cafes, community building, such as via organisations such as Southampton National Park City, business activites, to tie in with local economy, protest to make sure people's voices are clearly communicated and policy change.

Towards the end of 2025, we worked with partners at Coop Culture, Southampton City Council and University of Southampton to apply to the National Lottery's Shared Futures Climate Action Fund, to help progress much of the above. We will find out in early 2026 whether we have been successful in progressing to the next stage of this funding round. Even if not successful, we know that our model of activity is the one that could work well in Southampton. 

We want to continue to build the partnership of collaborators. If this sounds of interest to you, please sign up to the SoCAN mailing list, follow SoCAN on Facebook, Instagram or Linked In, come along to one of our events including our seasonal gatherings or drop us an email to hello@socollective.org.uk.

This is what our partners tell us is important about our approach:

• Southampton Climate Action Network says "It's vital that we come together to address climate change. We are hopeful that by working with people and organisations across the city we can give the climate emergency the attention it needs, as so eloquently communicated via the recent National Emergency Briefing. We look forward to more activities in 2026, including our seasonable climate gatherings and othe events listed on our SoCAN Calendar, and more practical action that will help us reach a positive tipping point"

• Nathan Brown from Co-op Culture says "Co-op Culture worked with communities up and down the country to establish democratically controlled co-operatives and community businesses working on retrofit, food waste, climate friendly food production and energy generation.  These businesses create positive impact for the people that work in them, the communities in which they operate and the wider environment, offering community level responses to climate change.  Communities in Southampton deserve the chance to access these benefits."

• Southampton Food Partnership says "As a collaboration of people and organisations striving to make Southampton a sustainable food city, the Southampton Food Partnership wholly supports this proposal. Southampton Collective is an important member of the Southampton Food Partnership, contributing to the work including a food in the city event."

• Shirley Ward Councillor (Labour Party) Alice Kloker says “Community, collaboration and trust must be at the heart of local initiatives to adapt to climate change. I’m especially pleased that Southampton Collective is exploring hyper-local approaches and look forward to supporting their work this year.”

• Portswood ward councillor (Green Party) Katheine Barbour says"Southampton has long been a city with a strong green minded community and it is so exciting to see this project unfold. Alongside the other work in the city I am very pleased to endorse this project. We need to engage with as big a group of residents as possible in as many diverse ways as possible" 

• Other councillors who represent Portswood and Shirley wards (Labour and Liberal Deomcrats) as well as the Councillors with responsibility of Economic Dvelopment and Green City (both Labour) have also been contacted. They have expressed in principle support for this project and we will share any detailed quotes when available. 

• Dan Clark, Vicar of St James by the Park in Shirley says "I’m excited to hear that a bid is being made highlighting the specific needs within Shirley. There is a strong network of local churches and other community groups who could come together to address environmental issues which affect us all. And if you need a cool space within a heatwave, our building could be perfect!"

• Southampton Cycle Campaign says "We work with the council to try and get the best active travel and cycle schemes that we can. This Climate Friendly Futures project will help encourage more people to think about sustainable ways of travel, and identify gaps and opportunities, encouraging more people to walk and wheel in the future."

• Southampton Friends of the Earth says "We need to keep working together to raise awareness of all the issues linked to Climate Breakdown, using our great SoCAN network"

• Greenpeace Southampton says "Keeping up pressure locally, nationally & internationally on those in power is vital.  Climate Breakdown is real and working together makes our task easier"

• Izzy, Southampton resident says: 

  "I'm proud to call Southampton my home and honoured to be part of a vibrant network of communities who are supporting residents to achieve healthier and happier lives. Recent months have demonstrated how diverse communities can pull together and oppose forces who would divide us. Within these groups, there is a strong desire to be more proactive, to build something bigger and demonstrate that Southampton's diversity is its strength. These conversations often touch on the need to address global crises locally, but often with a sense that we individually lack agency.

   

  People who live and work in our city recognise that there is a need for action to address our impacts on climate and nature and the impacts that a destabilised climate and depleted nature are having, and shall have, on our health and wellbeing. We also know that our actions must address the inequalities, exclusion and marginalisation that mar our city and that stem from the same forces as those that have caused the climate and nature crises. Our focus should be on understanding who will be most adversely impacted by climate and nature policy and impacts, and working together to correct these injustices.

   

  By working in a hyperlocal manner, in two neighbourhoods represent the diversity of the wider communities, local climate action can serve the desire of Southampton's communities to build cohesion, to develop their own agency, and to take proactive steps towards a more united and healthy future. By ensuring these actions are fully inclusive of the whole community, we can ensure that our climate friendly future corrects injustices and eliminates inequalities for good."

   

   

  If you would like to add your message of support to this list, please contact us via hello@socollective.org.uk.

   

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