The Climate Citizen Assembly (CCA) South Tyrol – the Klimabürgerrat / Consiglio dei cittadini per il Clima – held its last meeting on the weekend of 1-2 June 2024.
Citizens’ assemblies have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation. They are seen as an instrument of democratization that can address complex issues in more diverse, inclusive, and equitable ways than parliaments and governments. For South Tyrol, the CCA was a premiere: Since January, 56 South Tyrolean residents, drawn by lot, have been working intensively on the South Tyrolean Climate Plan 2040, discussing its goals and measures in five working sessions. The assemblies’ recommendations will be presented to the provincial government and parliament this autumn. Simultaneously, and uniquely for South Tyrol, an extensive stakeholder process is running on the same topic.
An interdisciplinary research project at unibz’s Faculty of Design and Art has accompanied this process and is analysing the process and the outcomes in terms of social inclusion and climate justice. More about it on the website of the project “Climate Citizens Assemblies – An instrument for climate justice and inclusive decision-making?“. More information on the processes in South Tyrol → www.klimaland.bz
→ The research group will present their first results at the By Design and by Disaster Conference 2024, where they will examine participatory democratic instruments through the lens of power.
Image on top: Visual minutes by Anja Salzer in the booklet designed by Ada Keller and Chiara Cesaretti for the research project.
→ The information design for the Climate Citizen Assembly and the layout of an extensive workbook for all participants has been elaborated by the students of eco-social design, Laisà Cordes, Matteo Antonazzo and Simon Wallis under the supervision of Kris Krois, and in collaboration with members of the scientific board of the CCA – in a crazy process, with far too little time for all and everything, above all for content editing and design. Given the circumstances, we can be very proud about the outcomes.
A few screenshots:
btw: The moderation team of the Klimabürgerrat / Consiglio dei cittadini per il Clima has been lead by Sabina Frei, who is also teaching the course Participation & Moderation in the Master in Eco-Social Design. Among the moderators was Klaudia Resch, who is giving the short seminar Cooperatives (funding and running a democratic and social ecological business).