The Spanish Citizen Assembly for Climate: Input from 100 Randomly Selected Spanish Citizens on How to Tackle Climate Change
In 2021, the Spanish Government launched the Citizen Assembly for Climate. 100 people selected at random, and who reflect the diversity of Spanish society, have been working to issue a series of recommendations on climate change policies.
Promoted by civil society organizations, some European countries have started to implement Climate Assemblies with the aim of guiding decision-making on climate policy. With the launch of the Citizen Assembly for Climate in October 2021, Spain thus joins France, Scotland, and Ireland in pursuit of more citizen involvement in the climate agenda.
The coordinating panel includes SDSN Spain (REDS) and the Basque Center for Climate Change (BC3). In addition, the assembly has the participation of a group of independent experts, with support and advisory functions. During this time, the assembly has met in 6 four-hour sessions, one weekend every month. Each one was dedicated, on one hand, to learn about climate change, and, on the other, to the reflections and deliberations that led to the elaboration of and voting on the recommendations.
In these sessions, working groups were formed according to specific areas: consumption, food and land use, work, ecosystems and communities, and health&care.
From SDSN Spain, this experience has shown us:
• Citizens respond when they are well-informed based on recommendations aligned with the scientific evidence.
• Spaces for respect and reflection, like the Citizen Assembly, are absolutely necessary in view of an existing climate of political polarisation.
• The Citizen Assembly works best when the assembly members decide not only the conclusions but also the process.
• Diversity requires careful consideration of everything from the digital divide to the linguistic diversity of Spain.
172 recommendations
The result of this process is reflected in the document with its 172 recommendations which were prepared by the assembly and submitted to a vote by its members, more than 80% of whom accepted them.
These recommendations include aspects such as a State Treaty, green and sustainable architecture, renewable energy, circular economic models, waste management, transport emissions, sustainable food production, efficient use of water, sustainable mobility, synergies between immigration and the problem of depopulation in rural Spain, and human health and ecosystem restoration.
They were delivered to the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Third Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, at the beginning of June 2022. Soon the recommendations of the assembly will also be presented to the Spanish Parliament, as well as to educational and business institutions, trade unions and local governments.
For their role in coordinating the Assembly, SDSN Spain, BC3, and the members of the assembly, received the Extraordinary Environment Prize, from the Spanish Vice President, Teresa Ribera.
More information in Spanish is available here
Video. Presentation of Citizens Assembly for Climate in Spain