The Climate Assembly UK was a deliberative body commissioned by six Select Committees of the House of Commons to discuss how the UK should reach its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target and propose a set of recommendations. It was composed of 108 randomly selected citizens.
Problems and Purpose
The UK Government passed a law committing the UK to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This target has important ramifications on the day-to-day life of citizens. For instance, the actions required to reach the target would change how citizens travel, heat their homes, and consume goods. The nature and extent of these impacts depend on what the UK does to meet its target and how it does it. [1] To explore the trade-offs inherent to such actions, six Select Committees of the House of Commons commissioned a citizens’ assembly. [2] The purpose of the Climate Assembly UK was to explore the possible actions the country could take to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and recommend a series of measures. The process was designed to strengthen the UK’s parliamentary democracy by providing an opportunity for the public to contribute to the climate change debate and inform policymaking. [3]
Background History and Context
In April 2019, the movement Extinction Rebellion initiated a series of protests in the UK, requesting a more aggressive approach to the climate crisis. [4] One of the three demands they made was that the Government “must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.” [5] In May 2019, the UK Parliament declared an environment and climate emergency, which paved the way for the government to pass a law in June 2019, committing the UK to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Six Select Committees of the House of Commons (Business Energy and Industrial Strategy; Environmental Audit; Housing, Communities and Local Government; Science and Technology; Transport; and Treasury) commissioned a citizens’ assembly to inform how the UK can reach that target. [6] The UK Climate Assembly is the second citizens’ assembly commissioned by the UK Parliament; the first was the Citizens’ Assembly on Social Care in 2018.
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
This citizens’ assembly was funded by the House of Commons and two philanthropic organizations: the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the European Climate Foundation. [7] It had a budget of £520,000. [8] Its activities were run by Involve, the Sortition Foundation, and mySociety. Involve was the lead organizer and was responsible for ensuring the quality of the process. They worked on the assembly design (structure, timings, accessibility) and provided the facilitation team. Involve was also the main point of contact for assembly members. [9] For their part, the Sortition Foundation was responsible for recruiting the participants, while mySociety created the assembly website and branding. [10]
Participant Recruitment and Selection
The 108 participants were recruited using a civic lottery and stratified random selection of citizens aged 16 years and over. The selected group of citizens was reflective of the broader population in terms of age, gender, educational level, ethnicity, geography, urban/rural area, and their level of concern about climate change. [11] The recruitment process had three stages. First, letters were sent to randomly selected households. Citizens that received a letter could respond to the invitation either by phone or online and were invited to answer a small number of demographic and attitudinal questions. For the second stage, the Sortition Foundation used random stratified sampling by computer to generate a list of 110 participants. The randomly selected participants were contacted to confirm their availability. In case some members changed their mind before the beginning of the process, a reserve list was created. For the last part of the selection process, Involve contacted the 110 participants to provide logistical support. [12] Since two participants didn’t come to the first session, the Assembly took place with 108 assembly members. Participants were offered an honorarium of £150 per weekend to ensure the inclusiveness of the process. In addition, their travel to Birmingham, accommodation, and other expenses such as childcare, food, and technological support when the process moved online were also covered. [13]
Methods and Tools Used
The Climate Assembly UK was designed following the citizens’ assembly method and its three stages (learning, discussion, and decision-making). It empowered a group of randomly selected citizens representative of the broader population to tackle a complex issue and propose a set of recommendations to inform policymaking. Forty-seven experts were invited to take part in the process. While some of them were asked to act as “informants,” others acted as “advocates” and were tasked with presenting either their own point of view or the view of their organization. [14] The experts were chosen based on the key questions the assembly members had to address and the range of evidence required to get a “balanced, accurate, and comprehensive” view of the topic. [15] The presentations were live-streamed to ensure the transparency of the process. In addition, the slides and transcripts, videos and transcripts of the Q and A sessions during plenary sessions, and all written briefings given to assembly members were also made available on the project website. [16] The deliberative process relied on a mix of plenary sessions and facilitated small-group discussions. A Quiet Room staffed by a trained facilitator was also designated in Birmingham for participants who felt distressed or overwhelmed. When the assembly moved online, a phone number was provided for participants who felt the need to talk about their concerns. [17]
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
The question the Assembly was tasked to examine by the six Select Committees of the House of Commons was, "How should the UK meet its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?" During the process, the participants considered ten topics: 1) Underpinning principles for the path to net-zero; 2) How we travel on land; 3) How we travel by air; 4) Heat and energy use In the home; 5) What we eat and how we use the land; 6) What we buy; 7) Where our electricity comes from; 8) Greenhouse gas removals; 9) The changed context created by COVID-19; 10) Additional recommendations. [18] The whole process lasted from January to May 2020, during which three in-person sessions were conducted in Birmingham, and the last three were conducted online.
Weekend 1 (24th-26th January 2020):
During that first meeting, assembly members heard from and questioned three panels of experts. The assembly also received a written briefing on climate change. The experts provided an introduction to climate change and the net-zero target, and they discussed overarching ethical, practical, and strategic questions about the path to net-zero. [19] A Q & A session with the experts followed the presentations. Based on these exchanges, members were asked to deliberate and vote on the values and principles that should underpin the UK’s approach toward its net-zero target. Members were asked first to consider how they would finish the following sentence: “The UK’s path to net-zero by 2050 should be underpinned by the principles of …” Following this, they engaged in small group discussions, agreeing on four priorities per table. Overseen by an official from Parliament, facilitators then grouped similar ideas to form a draft ballot paper. The draft was presented back to assembly members and modified based on their feedback. Members were then asked to vote and prioritize the twenty-five principles that they had developed. [20]
Weekend 2 (7th-9th February):
During the second weekend, assembly members heard about issues related to where energy comes from and engaged in a Q&A session with the experts. For the rest of the weekend, the assembly was divided into three groups to examine the three following topics: “How we travel,” “Heat and energy use in the home,” and “What we eat and how we use the land.” [21] The groups were assigned using random stratified sampling to ensure that each group remained representative. In these groups, assembly members heard evidence, asked the experts questions, and began discussing the issues. [22]
Weekend 3 (28th February – 1st March):
During the third session, assembly members remained in the group they were assigned to at the last session and reflected on their previous deliberation. In addition, each group had the opportunity to consider the topics discussed by the other two groups to inform their decisions. For each topic, assembly members had to make three decisions. First, they drafted, discussed, and prioritized considerations the government should bear in mind. Second, they discussed and voted on multiple future scenarios on reducing emissions based on the range of evidence they heard and on their deliberation. Third, they discussed and voted on policy options and ranked them in order of preference. All the votes were conducted by secret ballot. [23]
Weekend 4 (18th-19th April) – Online:
The fourth session was the first to be conducted online. Assembly members met virtually to hear and consider evidence on electricity sources (onshore wind, offshore wind, solar, bioenergy, nuclear, fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage). They heard from a panel of experts before having the opportunity to ask questions in groups. After deliberating in small groups, they proceeded to vote on their preferences. The first ballot was about whether they believe each method should be part of the government strategy. The second ballot asked them to rank the methods in order of preference. [24]
Weekend 5 (2nd-3rd May) – Online:
The fifth session focused on different ways of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and to what extent the government should rely on these technologies in its approach to reach its net-zero target. The following methods were discussed: better forest management; resorting and managing peatlands and wetlands; enhancing the storage of carbon in the soil; using wood in construction; bioenergy with carbon capture and storage; and direct air carbon capture and storage. Assembly members heard from a panel of experts and had the opportunity to ask them questions in small groups. Members were also first asked to vote on whether each method should be part of the government strategy and to rank them in their order of preference. [25]
Weekend 6 (16th-17th May) – Online:
The final session was divided into three stages. [26] First, members reflected on the discussions taken in previous sections. They were asked to consider and provide feedback on early drafts of sections of the assembly report. Second, they discussed the coronavirus pandemic and voted on some measures. Third, they were asked if they wanted to add any additional recommendations to the report. Members drafted suggested additions and submitted their proposals to a vote of the whole assembly. In total, members voted in favour of thirty-nine additional recommendations on themes such as transparency; accountability and decision-making; education; communication and engagement; international action and impacts; and incentives, payments, conditions, and taxes. [27]
The UK Climate Assembly submitted its final report on September 10th, 2020. The 550-page report contains twenty-five underlying principles as well as a series of considerations and recommendations. More than just a list of recommendations, the report details the views of the assembly members on the trade-offs and benefits of the different ways to reach the net-zero target. An overview of the report can be found here.
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
Following the report’s publication, the six Select Committee Chairs wrote a letter to the Prime Minister and another to the Opposition leaders to highlight the Assembly’s contribution and ask them to consider its recommendations. In its initial response, the Government invited the Expert Leads to give briefings to government officials. The Chair of the Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Committee, one of the six commissioning Committees, also announced a major inquiry into the Assembly’s findings to regularly review the governments’ engagements with its recommendations. [28] In addition, more than 550 stakeholders and government officials have attended in-depth briefings on the Assembly’s recommendations. [29] However, considering that the Government did not commission the Climate Assembly UK, it remains an open question if they will commit to its recommendations. [30]
Regarding the process itself, based on initial results collected by the Assembly, 90% of assembly members “strongly agreed” and “agreed” that this kind of deliberative process should be used more often to inform government and parliament decision making. In addition, the experience was also beneficial to the participants themselves. This was noted by 88% of members who claimed that they feel more confident to engage in political decision making and more interested in getting involved. [31] A similar process will also be taking place in Scotland in late 2020.
Analysis and Lessons Learned
An independent evaluation of the Climate Assembly UK will be published in Spring 2021. [32]
See Also
Citizens’ Assembly on Social Care
Climate Assembly UK and the COVID-19 crisis
References
[1] Climate Assembly UK, About, https://www.climateassembly.uk/about/.
[2] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 35.
[3] Climate Assembly UK, About, https://www.climateassembly.uk/about/.
[4] Claire Mellier & Rich Wilson, 2020, “Getting Climate Citizens’ Assemblies Right,” Carnegie Europe, https://carnegieeurope.eu/2020/11/05/getting-climate-citizens-assemblies-right-pub-83133
[5] Extinction Rebellion, Our Demands, https://extinctionrebellion.uk/the-truth/demands/
[6] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 35.
[7] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 11.
[8] Claire Mellier & Rich Wilson, 2020, “Getting Climate Citizens’ Assemblies Right,” Carnegie Europe, https://carnegieeurope.eu/2020/11/05/getting-climate-citizens-assemblies-right-pub-83133
[9] Involve, How Should the UK Tackle Climate Change?, https://www.involve.org.uk/our-work/our-projects/practice/how-should-uk-tackle-climate-change
[10] Involve, How Should the UK Tackle Climate Change?, https://www.involve.org.uk/our-work/our-projects/practice/how-should-uk-tackle-climate-change
[11] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 36.
[12] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 37-39.
[13] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 43
[14] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 52
[15] Climate Assembly UK, Speakers, https://www.climateassembly.uk/about/speakers/
[16] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 52
[17] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 44.
[18] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 32.
[19] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 44.
[20] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 57-58.
[21] Climate Assembly UK, Weekend 2, https://www.climateassembly.uk/about/meetings/weekend-2/
[22] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 45
[23] Climate Assembly UK, Weekend 3, https://www.climateassembly.uk/about/meetings/weekend-3/
[24] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 362.
[25] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 426.
[26] Climate Assembly UK, Weekend 6, https://www.climateassembly.uk/about/meetings/weekend-6/
[27] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 535.
[28] Sarah Allen, “Climate Assembly UK Final Report: Top Ten Developments,” Involve, 2020, https://www.involve.org.uk/resources/blog/project-updates/climate-assembly-uk-final-report-top-ten-developments.
[29] Sarah Allen, 2020, “Climate Assembly UK Final Report: Top Ten Developments,” Involve, https://www.involve.org.uk/resources/blog/project-updates/climate-assembly-uk-final-report-top-ten-developments.
[30] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 44.
[31] See notably Claire Mellier & Rich Wilson, 2020, “Getting Climate Citizens’ Assemblies Right,” Carnegie Europe, https://carnegieeurope.eu/2020/11/05/getting-climate-citizens-assemblies-right-pub-83133 and Graham Smith, 2020, “Citizens’ assembly: what we’ve learned about the kind of climate action the public wants to see,” The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/citizens-assembly-what-weve-learned-about-the-kind-of-climate-action-the-public-wants-to-see-146161.
[32] Climate Assembly UK, The Path to Net Zero: Climate Assembly UK report, 2020, p. 32.
External Links
Climate Assembly UK website: https://www.climateassembly.uk