This report investigates conditions under which climate assemblies can effectively and realistically lead to enhanced climate action from governments and society at large. Focusing on actionable insights, this report aims to provide decision-makers and technical leads in national and local governments, civil society organizations, and funding agencies with a comprehensive overview of the key political and design considerations to bear in mind for achieving this goal. 

The analysis identifies specific challenges and enablers that stakeholders should address when planning climate assemblies. It focuses on the design of climate assemblies and their integration into existing climate governance, including political discourse, the stakeholder ecosystem, and policy institutions. This report doesn’t deal with general design issues relevant for any deliberative process, such as the sortition process and meeting facilitation.

Key Findings:

  • The outcomes and impacts of climate assemblies differ widely, with more significant influence observed at the local level than at the national level.
  • Climate assemblies remain untapped in their potential to support just transitions.
  • The mixed results of climate assemblies are partly due to a unique set of challenges stemming from the very features of climate action.
  • This study highlights the importance of early political and design decisions in shaping the assemblies’ outcomes.
  • Whereas climate assemblies have typically been convened as one-off processes, early experiences of institutionalizing them into decision-making suggest advantages in addressing climate change.

Executive Summary:

Citizens’ assemblies on climate change have surged in recent years, spreading from Europe to other parts of the world. Convened by governments or other organizations as major levers to enhance climate action, “climate assemblies” often generate both strong expectations and frustration, due to their insufficient influence on policymaking and public debate. 

We draw on a literature review and stakeholder interviews to analyze the known impacts, specific challenges, and design options of climate assemblies, aiming to enhance their contribution to ambitious and equitable climate action.

Many challenges climate assemblies face stem from the inherent features of the climate issue, including its urgency and wide-ranging scope, the unprecedented system changes needed, the complexity of social implications, and the highly polarized debates to overcome.

Most climate assemblies have struggled with an overly broad remit, lack of time and resources, limited data on social impacts, and tenuous connections with the broader public.

Overall, climate assemblies contribute best to climate action when they have teeth. This report calls for a second generation of climate assemblies that are more focused, empowered, and embedded in policymaking, with greater attention to social justice and effective communication strategies.