Engaging young people with alternative climate futures: cultivating political imagination through participatory methodologies

Young people face challenges in envisioning alternative climate futures due to intersecting inequalities, power imbalances, and the adult-dominated climate discourse. They are often depicted as either powerless victims or heroic activists, yet their political agency is constrained by age-related bias and limited opportunities for engagement within conventional political systems. In this context, exploring the inherent political nature of climate change is a central point of critique and experimentation in social research. Participatory methodologies may offer a way to overcome structural barriers as they can bolster more horizontal relationships with adults and decision-makers. Such approaches open space for political discussion, help uncover power dynamics, and support the exploration of alternative climate futures. In doing so, participatory approaches contribute to rethinking the role of young people as political agents in contemporary society. This critical review examines published research that explores how participatory methodologies can encourage young people to reflect on their political imaginaries regarding climate change and their role as agents of change. Such methodologies can function as spaces for resistance and community capacity-building while also nurturing the imaginative potential that may later shape the arenas in which young people exert influence.