The Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA) aims to improve the commissioning, design, implementation and impact of climate assemblies, using evidence, knowledge exchange and dialogue. We are an active community of policy makers, practitioners, activists, researchers and other actors with experience and interest in climate assemblies who co-create activities and knowledge.
Workshop on Engaging Stakeholders in Climate Assemblies
Climate and other citizens’ assemblies are designed to give space to a diverse group of citizens to learn, deliberate and come to collective recommendations. They are designed to protect citizens from the direct influence of stakeholders. But that does not mean stakeholders are absent from assemblies. In most designs, stakeholders are part of advisory bodies and may provide evidence to the assembly. Should their roles go beyond governance and evidence? Are there good reasons to integrate stakeholders into other aspects of assembly practice? If so, how?
This workshop presented the findings from a draft KNOCA Briefing on the different forms of involvement of stakeholders and their roles in climate assemblies. The briefing asks what contributions – and challenges – stakeholders can bring to assemblies and how they can best be integrated.
Drawing on a range of approaches to engaging stakeholders that have been developed at national, regional and municipal levels, the workshop explored the pros and cons of deepening stakeholder engagement in climate assemblies.
The workshop was led by Ines Omann who is authoring the Briefing and was lead consultant on the national Austrian Klimarat – the Citizens’ Climate Assembly. She was joined by colleagues who have experimented with stakeholder engagement at sub-national levels to explore this critical set of questions.
Chapters in the recording:
00:00 Welcome w/Graham Smith
03:15 Framing the workshop w/Ines Omann
05:43 Why a KNOCA Briefing on engaging stakeholders?
06:49 Who is a stakeholder?
09:30 Why engage stakeholders in climate assemblies? w/Mirijam Mock
11:55 Funktions and roles of stakeholders w/Ines Oman
15:05 Different forms of stakeholder engagement
17:03 Challenges and risks
20:03 Practical examples
22:13 Parallel meetings: Austria w/ Christoph Streissler
31:48 Parallel & common meetings: Erlangen w/Simone Zippel
39:00 Parallel & common meetings: BCF w/Erwan Dagorne
49:08 The whole system in the room, Dutch municipalities w/Mirjam de Pagter
55:21 Key findings from the KNOCA briefing w/Ines Omann
57:50 Recommendations
59:31 Q&A
1:03:38 Feedback from breakout groups
1:13:08 Synthesis w/Graham, Ines & Mirijam
1:17:30 Wrap up w/Graham Smith