Your campaigning guide for local elections

Why local elections matter

Local elections in May 2026 will shape the decisions that affect us. From warm, affordable homes and local transport to green spaces and jobs. It's a key moment to show our local authorities that the issues our communities care about go hand in hand with climate action.

Find out more about why these elections matter and how we can make an impact.

Read: why local elections matter

Learn about local climate and social justice issues

The Friends of the Earth policy team have developed a set of priority policy areas to focus on for climate and social justice. These issues can be used as a starting point for your conversations around local priorities. Each one has a short explainer to help make them meaningful in your community and useful for engaging candidates.

 

How to find out what matters to your community

The first step is to listen to people in your community. Friends of the Earth will give you resources to help you run simple listening activities. You might run surveys, stalls, partner events and community meet ups.  

This will help you create a list of local priorities that connect everyday concerns to climate justice. This will be a key tool for continuing to engage your community and election candidates.

Read: how to listen to your community

What does your community want local decision makers to do?

Once you’ve done your listening work, the next step is to turn what you’ve heard into a short set of clear community priorities - your charter of hope. This is a simple summary of the top things your community wants to see local decision makers act on, rooted in real peoples' experiences. It becomes a tool for engaging both residents and election candidates.

Ask your local election candidates to work for you

With your charter of hope, you can start engaging local election candidates. This might include attending or organising hustings, sharing your charter in newsletters and social media and inviting candidates to commit to community priorities. The aim is to ensure candidates hear directly from the people they seek to represent, and that climate justice is part of the local election conversation.