Citizens’ assemblies : A tool for climate transition

Citizens' assembliesa tool for climate transitionDifferent forms of citizens' assemblies are now being tested in several European countries, at both local and national levels, as part of the work on climate transition.But what are in fact citizens' assemblies?What lessons can be learned from the assemblies that have been carried out?And how can they be designed to guide political decision-making?What are citizens' assemblies and how are they used?To reach the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, many researchers argue that far-reaching societal transformations are required, which have so far proven difficult to achieve.At the same time, contemporary party politics is often criticised for becoming increasingly professionalised, losing contact with the grassroots, and being shaped by short-term electoral cycles.Against this background, ideas about more participatory forms of democracy in decision-making have gained traction, including the use of so-called citizens' assemblies.Citizens' assembles are based on the following principles:• Members of the assembly are selected through a stratified random selection process, based on criteria that reflect population diversity, such as gender, age, place of residence, income, education, political orientation, etc, so as to mirror the population.• The assemblies are tasked with developing proposals on one or more societal issues, usually commissioned by a public authority or government body, although in some cases they may be initiated by civil society organisations.• The assemblies' deliberations take place over several days, often with financial compensation for participants.They include input from experts, structured discussions, collective listening, learning and idea development, and are facilitated by independent moderators.