Data

General Issues
Environment
Governance & Political Institutions
Specific Topics
Climate Change
Environmental Conservation
Sustainable Development
Collections
Citizens Voices & Values on Covid-19
Location
France
Scope of Influence
National
Parent of this Case
The Citizens' Convention on Climate
Links
https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
Yes
Time Limited or Repeated?
A single, defined period of time
Purpose/Goal
Make, influence, or challenge decisions of government and public bodies
Approach
Co-governance
Direct decision making
Spectrum of Public Participation
Collaborate
Total Number of Participants
150
Open to All or Limited to Some?
Mixed
Recruitment Method for Limited Subset of Population
Stratified Random Sample
General Types of Methods
Deliberative and dialogic process
Direct democracy
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Facilitate dialogue, discussion, and/or deliberation
Propose and/or develop policies, ideas, and recommendations
Recruit or select participants
Specific Methods, Tools & Techniques
Citizens’ Assembly
Sortition
Deliberation
Legality
Yes
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Online
Types of Interaction Among Participants
Discussion, Dialogue, or Deliberation
Type of Organizer/Manager
National Government

CASE

Extraordinary online session of the Citizens’ Convention on Climate: Finding a way out of the COVID-19 crisis

General Issues
Environment
Governance & Political Institutions
Specific Topics
Climate Change
Environmental Conservation
Sustainable Development
Collections
Citizens Voices & Values on Covid-19
Location
France
Scope of Influence
National
Parent of this Case
The Citizens' Convention on Climate
Links
https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
Yes
Time Limited or Repeated?
A single, defined period of time
Purpose/Goal
Make, influence, or challenge decisions of government and public bodies
Approach
Co-governance
Direct decision making
Spectrum of Public Participation
Collaborate
Total Number of Participants
150
Open to All or Limited to Some?
Mixed
Recruitment Method for Limited Subset of Population
Stratified Random Sample
General Types of Methods
Deliberative and dialogic process
Direct democracy
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Facilitate dialogue, discussion, and/or deliberation
Propose and/or develop policies, ideas, and recommendations
Recruit or select participants
Specific Methods, Tools & Techniques
Citizens’ Assembly
Sortition
Deliberation
Legality
Yes
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Online
Types of Interaction Among Participants
Discussion, Dialogue, or Deliberation
Type of Organizer/Manager
National Government

The Citizens’ Convention on Climate held an extraordinary online session to discuss the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 crisis within the framework of their mandate, linking the Convention's agenda to recommendations on how the government should start thinking about reopening the economy.

Problems and Purpose

Background History and Context

The Citizens’ Convention on Climate was mandated by the French President in 2019 to identify measures to achieve an objective of reduction of at least 40% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. In light of the COVID-19 health crisis, the members conducted an online meeting to discuss their contribution to the debate on the exit strategies to the public health crisis.

Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities

The Convention is organized by the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (the Conseil Économique, Social et Environnemental – CESE), which is the third constitutional chamber, an institution independent of the Government.

Participant Recruitment and Selection

150 citizens were randomly selected to achieve a panel representative of the French population (gender, age, level of education, socio-professional categories, residency, and geographical areas).

Methods and Tools Used

Two days of online meetings where the members of the Convention discussed the ins and outs of a plan to find a way out of the COVID-19 crisis and the climate and social issues related to it. 

What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation

Influence, Outcomes, and Effects

The extraordinary online session led to two outcomes [1]. First, the “Communication to French society and its leaders”[2] is a document that expresses the principles underlying a way out of the crisis that does not lead to the detriment the climate, humans, and biodiversity. The document calls on the government to ensure that "the financing that is mobilized in the framework of crisis recovery is socially acceptable and directed towards green solutions" and that "investments are concentrated in future-oriented climate-friendly sectors." The members also expressed themselves in favor of a "reconfiguration of international relations [...] in a spirit of social justice" with regulation of globalization that is "climate-friendly" and a "relocation of activities in strategic sectors to ensure our food, health and energy security." The Convention also emphasized the necessity of the active participation of citizens in the preparation of policy and the decision-making process. 

The second outcome was the transmission of 50 of their 150 proposed measures to the executive. These measures are intended to contribute to “a revival of the economy, to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and, undeniably, to the improvement of our collective health and well-being, while taking into account the most vulnerable populations”. However, the proposals were neither voted on nor finalised by the Convention, which still has to continue its work. The members of the Convention have chosen not to share their proposals with French society before they can hold the final session. During this final session, they will finalise, vote, and present all their proposals publicly, specifying those that could be the subject of a referendum.

Analysis and Lessons Learned

See Also

References

[1] Citizens’ Convention on Climate, 2020,”Press release,” https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Press-release-Contribution-of-the-CCC-for-a-way-out-of-the-crisis.pdf

[2] Citizens’ Convention on Climate, 2020, “Communication to French society and its leaders,” https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Contribution-of-the-Citizens’-Convention-on-Climate-for-a-way-out-of-the-crisis.pdf

External Links

https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr  

Notes

This case note was built in collaboration with Antonin Lacelle-Webster.