On Saturday 25 October, the Ecosocialist Action Network and West Midlands Climate Coalition hosted a half-day climate assembly in Birmingham. Just under 40 people came to compare experiences, take stock of the climate movement and sharpen strategy. With COP30 in Belém only weeks away, the goal was simple: slow down, listen and share what’s working in organising – and what isn’t.

Speakers

• Alicia Roberts, Ecosocialist Action Network opened the assembly.
• Richard Hatcher set out the West Midlands picture on local government and retrofit.
• Fran Wilde outlined the Extinction Rebellion / Just Stop Oil approach to citizens’ assemblies.
• Solene Chaudy reported on youth climate organising in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

Across two sessions with table discussions, participants set recent experiences alongside each other, tested assumptions and identified where energy is gathering.

Rebuilding participation

Attendees described a chilling effect on protest under government crackdowns, plus burnout, cost-of-living and work pressures, and a drift toward nihilism. People highlighted practical steps that bring new people into the movement and keep them: childcare, travel and food support, and more face-to-face time – such as shared meals and informal meet-ups that build community and cut loneliness.

Messages that move people

Facts matter, but emotion, humour, tangible wins and striking visuals travel further. People pointed to Birmingham’s creative Cardboard Carnival planned to coincide with COP30, and a pivot toward smaller, local events that build local communitirs and relationships rather than relying on one-off mass rallies.

Young people and education

Participants called for stronger secondary-level climate education and clear green-jobs pathways. There was a general sense that the barriers to entry into the climate movement are even higher for young people. Without credible routes into paid, meaningful work – and with little overall support from government – some warned that they could drift toward Reform and other right-wing movements.

Local power

Speakers identified a familiar tension in local government: ambitious talk on retrofits, but not enough funding, delivery focused only on council housing, and the loss of ward-level forums that once anchored public involvement in local politics. People argued for pairing pressure on institutions with concrete, deliverable proposals.

Link struggles, don’t duplicate them

Reports from European youth organising reinforced the need to work across movements and avoid duplication. If another group already does something well, collaborate. People also raised policy themes including free public transport, representation and counter-lobbying, lowering barriers for working-class and younger people, and engaging with parties such as the Green Party and the new left party where it helps win concrete demands.