Political Imaginaries Shaping Climate Futures offers a distinctive perspective on youth and climate change by foregrounding political imaginaries as an innovative lens through which to understand how young people make sense of and engage with this critical issue.

Approaching climate change as an inherently political matter, the book examines how political imaginaries shape understandings of climate futures, while interrogating the hegemonic imaginaries underpinning contemporary democracies. Organised into three parts, the volume explores: (a) the theoretical foundations of political imaginaries and their articulation in media and political arenas; (b) case studies of climate activist groups and analyses of the visions they advance for addressing climate change; and (c) collective action-research initiatives that invite participants to question, rework and expand their political imaginaries and understandings of their own agency.

Emphasising action-oriented research, the book bridges conceptual reflection and practical engagement, demonstrating how political imaginaries can be critically examined and reconfigured to open up alternative climate futures. It explores practical ways of supporting young people’s political agency and broadening their possibilities for engagement in climate politics. This highly interdisciplinary volume will be a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as researchers, in several fields such as Communication Studies, Political Science, Environmental Science, Sociology, Education and Climate Studies.

Anabela Carvalho is Associate Professor (Habilit.) in the Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Minho, Portugal. Her research lies at the intersection of climate change, communication and democracy, with a particular focus on climate change discourses across different countries, public engagement with environmental issues and political imaginaries of climate futures.

Maria Fernandes-Jesus is an Assistant Professor at the University of Sussex, UK. Her research focuses on collective action, climate justice, climate-related im/mobilities, youth activism, and political imaginaries of climate futures. She is interested in researching these topics following critical, applied, participatory, and transdisciplinary approaches.