‘It's good what we're doing and it's scary what we're facing’: young people’s careful environmental action in the UK

In this paper, we argue for greater recognition of young people’s contributions to environmental action through social and environmental justice. It draws on findings from research based on eleven organisations in the UK exploring young people’s connection with environment-related collective action and activism in the UK landscape. Building on theoretical arguments of ethics of care and implicit activism and capturing a range of practices of young people, the paper explores young people’s multiple framing(s) of activisms–towards the environment and each other. Drawing on the experiences of young people and facilitators within these organisations, we unpack the experiences and representation of minoritised groups in the climate movement and other forms of environmental engagement. The findings demonstrate thoughtful and effective approaches towards inclusion within the UK context and in terms of global climate justice but also highlight a need for more intersectional approaches and awareness of enduring barriers often relating to racialised identities.