Oxford’s Citizens Assembly on Climate Change is about to kick off, with the first meeting planned for Saturday 28 September. This follows Oxford City Council’s climate emergency declaration in January. The Citizens Assembly will involve a randomly selected representative sample of Oxford residents, who will consider new carbon targets and measures to reduce emissions.
What is a Citizens Assembly?
A Citizens Assembly is a group of people who are brought together to discuss an issue and reach a conclusion about what they think should happen. The people who take part are chosen so they reflect the wider population – in terms of demographics and relevant attitudes. Citizens Assemblies give members of the public the time and opportunity to learn about and discuss a topic, before reaching conclusions. Assembly Members are asked to make trade-offs and arrive at workable recommendations.
The Oxford Citizens Assembly on Climate Change will involve a randomly-selected representative sample of 50 Oxford residents, who will learn about climate change and explore different options to cut carbon emissions through a combination of presentations from experts and facilitated workshops. Oxford is the first city in the UK to deliver a citizens assembly on the topic of climate change. It will consider the question “How proactive should Oxford be in seeking to achieve net zero carbon sooner than 2050 and what trade-offs are we prepared to make?”
How can I get involved?
The Oxford Citizens Assembly on Climate Change will be held over two full weekends (28-29 September 2019 and 19- 20 October 2019) at the Said Business School. Residents cannot apply to become an Assembly member but all local residents have the potential to be invited to participate. All of the speaker presentations to the Assembly will be filmed and made accessible to the public, and presentation materials will be published. Click the button below for more information.
