Tools and Guidelines
Introduction
CLIMAS project offers an innovative climate adaptation Toolbox, the Climate change Citizens Engagement Toolbox, co-designed with stakeholders adopting a value-based approach, design thinking methods and inclusivity at heart.
The ambition of the CLIMAS project is to support a transformation to climate resilience by offering an innovative problem-oriented climate adaptation toolbox, co-designed together with stakeholders by applying a value-based approach, design thinking methods and citizen science mechanisms.
The CLIMAS Toolbox for Climate Assemblies design process is structured in different steps, following a design-thinking methodology: first we BUILT EMPATHY, working in our Living Labs, and ensuring full understanding of people’s diversity in needs and living conditions then we CO-CREATED and TESTED the first prototypes thanks to continuous exchanges across Climate Assembly organisers and Living Labs stakeholders. In Europe, three Climate Assemblies have been already organised with the support of CLIMAS: one in the region of Catalunya, one in the Latvian municipality of Riga, and one in Edermünde, in Germany. In each phase practitioners and citizens shared lessons learnt and soon the full set of tools will be CALIBRATED and made publicly available.
CLIMAS Toolbox
The CLIMAS Toolbox is composed of:
1) A Citizen-collaborative future scenario building tool: to involve citizens in generating views of the future, gradually converging towards concrete descriptions of how to realise them, who shall be involved and what actions shall be taken to maximise the benefits.
2) The methodological guidelines and manual: for setting up and facilitating Climate Assemblies also addressing the organisational aspects pre, during and after the deliberation process. It includes tips to engage local institutions, budgeting, selection of venues, training for facilitators, and much more.
3) A Citizen Science tool for deliberation processes: to understand why, how and when to apply a Citizen Science in Climate Assemblies. This tool can be used for the initial identification of local issues, as a reality-check during the informative phase, enhancing knowledge uptake through bottom-up mechanisms, and for the monitoring of measures implemented after the deliberation.
4) A scenario prioritisation tool based on citizen and expert values: which helps quickly weighting pros and cons of a selection of possible future scenarios, where different opinions need to be considered.
5) The Climate Assembly follow-up tool: for the systematic monitoring of outcomes and to dynamically keep up-to-date the adaptation plans.
6) The Knowledge and evidence based support tool: a user-friendly tool to select relevant topics and set-up a Climate Assembly agenda.
7) The Multilingual Climate Assembly Portal: where users can explore existing participatory platforms and collect information to better navigate the Climate Assembly context and purposes.