Citizen engagement – crucial for a just and fair transition
Achieving the targets laid out in the Paris Agreement, transforming high carbon economies and individual behaviours, and facing the consequences of Covid-19 will require unprecedented range and depth of action. The use of citizens’ assemblies to inform decisions around these challenges can make a big difference. Not only because they provide informed recommendations for robust and inclusive policies from the bottom-up, but because as an effective tool of democratic climate action they may help to build understanding and ownership of the necessary choices and thus pave the way for a smoother transition.
Recent developments have shown that appetite to involve citizens in the climate transition is growing, with high-profile assemblies in Ireland, France, Scotland, and the UK leading the way. These innovative approaches are increasingly being used in a variety of European countries at different scales of governance, but the knowledge they collect – from policymakers and academics to civil society and everyday people – is diffuse.
KNOCA aims to provide a visible, accessible, credible home to help structure and share learning and best practices on citizens’ assemblies and related participatory processes related to climate action. The aim is to create a ‘go to’ place for policy-makers, researchers, practitioners, climate activists and all stakeholders with an interest in the topic. As a focused meeting point for the climate and democracy communities, KNOCA should make it easier for those commissioning assemblies to find practical, relevant information and expertise, and provide a venue to advance thinking on how best to engage citizens in climate policy-making.