Community organisations, climate groups, local leaders and residents from across North Yorkshire and York came together in York for the Community Climate Conference 2026.

The event created a space for people to share practical ideas, learn from local projects and make new connections. The programme included keynote speakers, a marketplace of organisations and six workshops covering climate storytelling, energy and retrofit, food and agriculture, active travel, nature recovery and preparing for the impacts of climate change.

The conference was organised by North Yorkshire Climate Coalition, Village Green, Friends of the Earth York and York Environment Forum, with support from Friends of the Earth, Community First Yorkshire and The National Lottery Community Fund.

Hope through collective action

One of the strongest messages from the day was that meaningful climate action depends on people working together.

Nigel Topping CMG, Chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, said:

“It takes a village, as they say. It takes the whole of society to tackle the climate crisis, and there are people working on every aspect of it. That gives me a lot of hope.”

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, reflected on the energy and commitment in the room:

“It’s been inspiring, listening to some of the other speakers, talking to people here with their stalls and hearing about the numerous activities people are already doing on the ground.

“When you bring people together, it renews that energy, that hope and that expectation.”

Their comments feature in the conference highlights video, which captures the atmosphere of the day and the views of speakers, organisers and attendees.

Small actions that build momentum

The conference focused not only on the scale of the climate challenge, but also on practical action that people can take in their own communities.

Councillor Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency at City of York Council, said:

“The people who get the work done are all of us individually and collectively. Whether you plant a tree in your own garden, lobby your school or talk to your workplace, we can all take action.”

Tim Larner, Vice Chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate, spoke about the importance of helping people move beyond feelings of helplessness:

“If one person can change, then 100 people can change, a thousand people can change. It’s about empowering people to realise that their actions count.”

The conference programme supported this practical approach through workshops on reducing energy use, improving buildings, restoring nature, sustainable travel and helping communities prepare for hotter summers, wetter winters and more extreme weather.

Building a stronger climate community

For many attendees, the value of the day was in meeting others, exchanging ideas and realising that they were part of a much wider movement.

David Howlett, a member of Malhamdale Environment Group and the North Yorkshire Climate Coalition steering group, said:

“We’re not the silent minority. We’re perhaps a large majority. Coming together to share what you’re doing, whether you’re in Malham, Malton or Selby, is great, and you can learn from each other and take more action to tackle the climate and nature emergency.”

David Tonge, Acting Chair of North Yorkshire Climate Coalition, highlighted the importance of communicating climate action through human stories:

“The science is important. The data and passing that message on are important as well. But the human connection is really crucial to getting this story over the line.”

Laura Autumn, writer, climate activist and protest poet, added:

“Sometimes you can feel that you’re isolated, that you’re on your own, that it’s just you. Coming to a place like this and having that reminder that all these people are doing such amazing things is really crucial.”

Looking to the future

The day also placed a strong focus on younger generations and the need to create a hopeful, fair and sustainable future.

Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said:

“Young people give me hope. They really care, they want us to change and they want to look after our planet. I know the next generation are passionate, and I know that we’ve got the solutions.”

The conference closed with a clear sense that local action, shared learning and stronger partnerships can help communities across North Yorkshire and York respond to the climate and nature emergencies with greater confidence.

Watch the Community Climate Conference 2026 highlights video to hear directly from speakers, organisers and attendees about what the day meant to them.

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