Optimistic climate futures for local communities in the UK imagined in a new report

Participants were asked to envision hopeful futures for local landscapes. Credit: Jasmine Hortop

A new report co-authored by researchers from the University of York and WWF highlights how local communities across the U.K. imagine positive, sustainable, and resilient futures for the places where they live and work.

The report, titled "The Good Anthropocene: The Science, Community and Art of Hope," was produced by researchers at the university's Leverhulme Center for Anthropocene Biodiversity, in partnership with environmental charity WWF.

The report draws on insights from workshops held with residents and partner organizations in WWF's three "Wholescape" areas: Pembrokeshire in Wales, Norfolk in England, and the Firth of Forth in Scotland.

As part of the study, participants were asked to envision hopeful futures for their local landscapes, contributing to stories brought to life through original artwork. The resulting reflections present a rich blend of futuristic technology and traditional practices, offering a hopeful roadmap for human and environmental flourishing.

Innovation

Across all three regions, communities described futures where innovation harmoniously coexists with tradition:

• Pembrokeshire: Residents imagined floating renewable energy generation and advanced environmental monitoring technology alongside sea allotments, climate-adapted farming, and a revitalized connection to local cultural heritage, including the Welsh language and seasonal community celebrations.
• Norfolk: In response to rising sea levels, participants depicted a wetter landscape with climate-adapted buildings constructed on higher ground and islands. Visions included vertical farming to maximize space and sustainable seafood harvested from restored marine habitats.
• Firth of Forth: Communities imagined re-established oyster reefs supporting thriving lobster and herring fisheries. Restored coastlines with boardwalks and coastal parks were highlighted as key to improving public health, building community while providing natural defenses against storm surges and rising tides.

Clear goals

Across the workshops, participants described future societies that felt more secure, less precarious, and guided by a more sustainable pace of life with more connection to nature.

The Good Anthropocene project builds on the findings of the "2026 Living Planet Report," which focuses on the "Science of Hope." That report demonstrates how positive environmental change is achievable when backed by clear goals, actionable pathways, agency, and resilience—citing conservation successes such as recovering populations of tigers, green sea turtles, and bluefin tuna.

The project also underlines the power of "positive tipping points," where small, incremental changes aggregate until a system shifts into a self-reinforcing positive trajectory. A prime example is the global energy system, where solar power has become the cheapest source of new electricity in most countries, with global solar capacity doubling every three years.

Human influence

Lindsey Gillson, director of the Leverhulme Center for Anthropocene Biodiversity, said, "The Anthropocene is a time of enormous change and unprecedented human influence. We have choices we can make about the kind of Anthropocene we shape for ourselves and future generations.

"Working with WWF in their Wholescapes, we have explored what good futures might look like, in ways that consider people's priorities, values and the things they care about in their locality. We hope that this process and 'The Good Anthropocene' report will inspire people to think optimistically about the future and feel a sense of agency and stewardship where they live."

More information

Report: The Good Anthropocene: The Science, Community and Art of Hope

Who's behind this story?

Lisa Lock

BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

Citation: Optimistic climate futures for local communities in the UK imagined in a new report (2026, October 28) retrieved 29 October 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-10-optimistic-climate-futures-local-communities.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.