A lot-based citizens’ assembly for German climate policy in the next legislative period

We bring together 160 randomly selected citizens on behalf of the company. So that they can jointly discuss how to meet Germany’s climate protection targets fairly for all.

Under the Paris Agreement on climate protection, Germany has pledged to make its contribution to limiting the global temperature increase to as close to 1.5 degrees as possible. According to experts, this goal cannot be achieved with the climate package passed by the Bundestag in December 2019. One reason for the reluctance of politicians is the potential for social conflict arising from political measures that intervene deeply in the lives of citizens. Transformative measures therefore need strong democratic legitimacy.

A citizens’ assembly commissioned by BürgerBegehren Klimaschutz e.V., composed of diverse members by lottery and accompanied by scientists, develops recommendations for the Bundestag in order to achieve the climate protection goals – taking into account social, economic and ecological perspectives. This makes the Citizens’ Council comparable to the Citizen Assembly in France and the Climate Assembly in Great Britain. In Germany, too, this format has already proven its worth with the Citizens’ Assembly for Democracy.

The Climate Citizens’ Assembly offers non-partisan and open-ended space to clarify which concrete measures well-informed citizens are willing to support, even if these are associated with cuts in their everyday lives. Proposed solutions developed by citizens reflect a common basis for decision-making, are perceived as fair and are capable of gaining majority support.

A scientific board of recognized climate and social scientists under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Ortwin Renn (Director IASS Potsdam) develops the content framework, ensures thematic balance and supports the drawn citizens in leading a fact-based and well-informed discussion. A civil society advisory board will be formed from various sectors of civil society. This composition should be as representative as possible of civil society and represent its diversity of climate protection interests. The Advisory Board shall ensure an open-ended, balanced process.

160 randomly selected citizens will develop their recommendations to policymakers in digital sessions from April to June 2021. The three investment institutes ifok, nexus and IPG are thematically independent and ensure a professional, neutral and open-ended implementation of the process. The Citizens’ Council is preparing a citizens’ report that will be handed over to all parties in the German Bundestag in the fall of 2021 with the request that the recommendations be taken into account in the upcoming coalition negotiations.

Further information can be found here.

Laufzeit: 02/2021 – 09/2021
Auftraggeber:
BürgerBegehren Klimaschutz e.V.
Mitarbeiter*innen:
Sabine Schröder (Projektleitung), Elisabeth Dienel, Ansgar Düben, Ina Metzner, Zora Ott, Karlotta Schultz
Projektpartner:
ifok GmbH, Institut für Partizipatives Gestalten (IPG)

Picture: buergerrat-klima.de