Young People’s Understanding of the Health Impacts of Climate Change

The aim of this research activity is to explore young people's understanding of the health impacts of climate change through interviewing 16-18 year old school students from UK schools.

This project empowers 20 first-year undergraduates from UCL’s IOE and Faculty of Population Health to conduct interviews with 100 young people (aged 16–18) on their understanding of climate change and health. The initiative builds student research capacity while generating insights into youth perspectives on climate-related health impacts. Findings will inform public policy, support calls to integrate climate-health topics into school curricula, and contribute to wider academic and public discourse. Outputs include dissemination at the CCCSE conference, media engagement, and academic publications.

The project also explores the use of AI tools like ChatGPT-4 for data analysis and fosters interdepartmental collaboration. It builds on previous UCL Grand Challenges work and aims to seed a larger research bid. By combining education, research, and public engagement, the project highlights the importance of youth voices in shaping inclusive, health-informed climate action.