The mission of the Jury was to estimate how to implement transport emission reductions in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region effectively and fairly.
The Helsinki-Uusimaa region aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. In its efforts to reach this goal, the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council wanted to hear the views of the region’s inhabitants. Therefore, a Citizens’ Jury on carbon-neutral road transport was convened. The mission of the Jury was to estimate how to implement transport emission reductions in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region effectively and fairly.
The Citizens’ Jury on low-carbon transport measures
Invitation to the Jury was sent in February to 6,000 randomly selected individuals living in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region. From the approximately 400 people who volunteered to take part in the Jury, 40 people were randomly selected using quotas so that the Jury composition corresponded to the population of Uusimaa as well as possible. Altogether 32 people took part in the Jury throughout the whole process. The Jury convened on the 2nd, 9th, 23rd and 24th of April in Pasila, Helsinki. The statement of the Jury was published and handed to the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council at the publishing event held 5th of May 2022.
The Citizens’ Jury followed a deliberative mini-public method. In the deliberative mini-public, the participants familiarize themselves comprehensively with the topic under discussion for example by consulting experts and then discuss different views with people coming from different backgrounds. The principles followed in the discussions are honouring the other participants, justification and reflecting on one’s own opinions and being open to the opinions of others. At the end of the discussion, the participants form a statement on the topic.
The Citizens’ Jury discussed Uusimaa’s low-carbon transport measures – i.e. measures that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from traffic and promote the province’s carbon neutrality. The council’s task was to make recommendations to the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council regarding which emission reduction measures are the most important from the citizens’ point of view, and how they can be implemented acceptably and fairly. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council processes the recommendations of the citizens’ jury as part of the implementation of low-carbon transport measures.
Researchers from the Finnish Environment Institute and the University of Turku were responsible for the recruitment and practical arrangements of the council as part of the Deliberating climate actions -research project. The convenor of the jury was the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, which also deals with the board’s recommendations.
Participants
The persons to be invited to the Citizens’ Jury were randomly selected from among all residents of Uusimaa between the ages of 18 and 80 with the random sampling of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The invitation to the jury was sent to a total of 6,000 people, who could register as a volunteer for the citizen jury by filling out the online survey mentioned in the invitation by February 25, 2022.
From among those who registered as volunteers, 40 participants were chosen by random sampling in such a way that the composition of the jury was as diverse as possible and corresponded as well as possible to the population of Uusimaa in terms of age, gender, place of residence, educational background and movement habits. In the end, 32 residents of Uusimaa from different parts of the province participated in the jury work.
Method and process
The persons to be invited to the Citizens’ Jury were randomly selected from among all residents of Uusimaa between the ages of 18 and 80 with the random sampling of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The invitation to the jury was sent to a total of 6,000 people, who could register as a volunteer for the citizen jury by filling out the online survey mentioned in the invitation by February 25, 2022.
From among those who registered as volunteers, 40 participants were chosen by random sampling in such a way that the composition of the jury was as diverse as possible and corresponded as well as possible to the population of Uusimaa in terms of age, gender, place of residence, educational background and movement habits. In the end, 32 residents of Uusimaa from different parts of the province participated in the jury work.
End-product
As the end product, the jury created the statement concerning transportation’s emission reduction measures in Uusimaa region.