The CLIMAS project, aimed at fostering citizen engagement in climate change discussions, successfully hosted its first workshop on Citizen Engagement on May 3rd, 2023. The event, organised by cambiaMO with the support of CLIMAS partners, served as a platform to establish a shared understanding of Climate Assemblies and support the development of the CLIMAS Toolbox. It was the first of a series of three CLIMAS workshops scheduled for May, June, and September 2023, respectively.
The workshop, attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, facilitated fruitful discussions on the bottlenecks, barriers, and drivers for deliberation in Climate Assemblies and other citizen deliberative activities.
The day-long workshop followed a comprehensive agenda, which included various sessions conducted in multiple languages. The schedule of events was as follows:
- 11:30-11:50: The workshop commenced with a warm welcome and an introductory plenary session held in English, providing an overview of the CLIMAS project.
- 11:50-12:10: Participants engaged in parallel breakout sessions to brainstorm and explore bottlenecks, barriers, and drivers for deliberation. The breakout sessions covered different topics, as outlined below:
- Breakout 1: Discussions on the involvement and roles of politicians and policymakers, as well as Climate Assembly governance and organization, were in English.
- Breakout 2: The session focused on the framing of Climate Assembly topics/dilemmas and the selection of experts, along with the creation of the Knowledge Working Group. These discussions took place in Spanish.
- Breakout 3: German-speaking participants delved into topics such as the selection of citizens, stratification, incentives and rewards, and effective information and communication strategies.
- Breakout 4: Similar to Breakout 1, this session examined the involvement and roles of politicians and policymakers, as well as Climate Assembly governance and organization, with discussions conducted in English.
- 12:10-12:25: The workshop concluded with a final wrap-up session in the plenary, where participants reported the key takeaways from each breakout session, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration. The wrap-up session was in English.
- 12:25-12:30: The workshop’s conclusions and next steps were presented, providing a roadmap for the future activities and developments of the CLIMAS project.
The event proved to be a significant step forward in advancing the CLIMAS project’s objectives. By bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders and facilitating meaningful discussions, the workshop provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities surrounding Climate Assemblies and citizen deliberation.
The CLIMAS project stands ready to use the results of the workshop to further refine the CLIMAS Toolbox and promote progress in citizen involvement in climate change.
