Citizens' Assembly for Climate of Catalonia

The objectives of the Assembly

Faced with climate change, one of the most important challenges for the future of our country and the world, the Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya wants to listen to and examine the proposals made by a cross-section of Catalonia's citizens. This is a unique experience, and an opportunity to participate actively in a project for the democratic improvement of our country, and a means, over and above voting of participating in the definition of important public policies.

The primary objective of the Assembly will be to learn, deliberate and ultimately make proposals concerning:

·       Climate change and the deployment of renewable energies

·       Climate change and the food model for the future

The Assembly also aims to:

·      Improve, complement and innovate in the potential for including citizens in the formulation of the Generalitat's public policies.

·      Contribute to generating knowledge and awareness of the challenges of the climate emergency in Catalonia.

How are the 100 members of the Assembly chosen?

All citizens of Catalonia have an equal chance of receiving one of the 20,000 invitations to become a member of the Assembly, which will be sent out in October 2023. Those registering will be entered into a draw for the final selection of the 100 members of the Assembly. The Generalitat de Catalunya has worked with the Statistical Institute of Catalonia and Sortition Foundation to ensure that the 100 people represent diverse profiles of Catalan society in terms of their gender, age, level of education, regional background and origin. (link).

How does the Assembly work?

The Citizens Assembly for Climate of Catalonia will meet for a total of six working sessions, between the opening session on 18 November 2023 and the final session on 10 February 2024. No prior knowledge of climate change is required to take part. The sessions will be supported by experts working in various fields who will share their knowledge, and by a team of facilitators that will expedite the discussion and provide all the necessary support for participants.

Participants in the Assembly will receive financial compensation of €65 for each of the 6 sessions, and transport, catering, accommodation and care services will be provided to enable all the members to take part. (link)

The Assembly is divided into 3 phases:

·      Learning and training phase

During the initial sessions, the participants will receive relevant information and various experts will share knowledge and opinions from different perspectives with them, so that they can form their own opinions and adjust their own positions as regards the challenges discussed.

·      Deliberation and drafting of recommendations

The participants will formulate the contents of the recommendations together, and assisted by the facilitators, draft them based on the highest possible level of consensus, which they will pass on to the political decision-makers.

·      Feedback phase

The government will examine the Assembly's recommendations, and will then report back to the Assembly members and the general public, explaining how the recommendations have been incorporated into the policies of the Generalitat, and those that have not been adopted and the reasons for their exclusion.

The Steering Group of the Assembly

The Steering Group regularly brings together independent experts and actors from civil society, in both the field of climate change and citizen participation. Its objective is to supervise the design, planning, implementation and oversight of the Assembly in order to ensure the quality and integrity of the project as a whole. Those responsible at the Generalitat will inform and engage in discussions with the Steering Group on the most important decisions by the project. (link)

What is the Government's commitment to the results of the Assembly?

The Government of the Generalitat will examine the recommendations drawn up by the Assembly, and consider whether they can be incorporated into the Generalitat's public policies. They will then report back to the members of the Assembly and the general public, explaining which recommendations have been included in the policies of the Generalitat, and those have not been adopted and the reasons for their exclusion.

This project is funded by the European Commission Horizon Europe funds within the Horizon-CLIMAS project. Further information (External link).

Grant Agreement Number: 1010940. Further information