Citizen participation in climate politics. Drivers and barriers of Climate Assemblies in Europe

There are various ways to engage citizens in the development of climate policies. Supporters of public involvement in these issues argue that traditional democratic processes are inadequate for addressing climate change and mitigation. One way people and politicians collaborate in this area is through a Climate Assembly (CA). At such an event, a group of citizens chosen at random from different backgrounds come together to learn about and discuss ways to tackle climate change. Then, they provide recommendations to policymakers. This paper asks three questions: (1) How often do European cities and regions use CAs, and how are they used to develop policies? (2) What enables or prevents CAs from happening? (3) How ready are policymakers to use CAs and their results? The results show that the number of CAs in Europe is increasing, often on behalf of public authorities. However, the relationship between CAs and policymaking varies. The research demonstrated the importance of political culture and support. Key factors of CAs include ensuring that topics are relevant to citizens, that everyone is treated equally and has equal access to CAs, and that CAs have an actual impact on policies. Three main barriers exist: First, when citizens and policymakers lack sufficient knowledge about climate change and deliberative democracy, Second, when CAs are not inclusive enough. (3) When political power is not distributed equally between citizens and policymakers. The survey shows that many European cities and regions have climate policies and use different methods to develop them. However, only 9.4% of respondents from European cities and regions said city officials developed climate change policies with stakeholder input, including from citizens. While some citizen engagement was used, their recommendations were not always turned into policies. CAs are the exception rather than the norm in Europe.