Investing in the participation of citizens chosen by the lot to prevent a climate emergency: this is not a recipe for witchcraft apprentices, but strategic choices that more and more Western countries are making to meet the challenge of the century.
China and India’s blitz dampened the ambitions of COP26, From “mitigation” to the ultimate objective of improving the simple “reduction” of global emissions, is symptomatic of an increasingly obvious situation: as long as the fight against climate change remains the exclusive matter of governments, they are less likely to implement policies that are necessary and necessary for the sustainability of the planet.
words of Greta Thunberg Commenting on the Intergovernmental Summit reflects this awareness: “It is no secret that the Glasgow Climate Conference is a failure. It should be clear that we cannot solve the climate crisis in the same ways that it caused it.” “
Hence a question of ways, and as climate activists have taken note of: Ecological policies do not bring consensus, they are hostage to consolidated economic interests and concern a time horizon that, although necessary, is still too short. The distance on which it is electoral politics is becoming increasingly focused. Furthermore, there is a lack of social acceptability of measures that would create a significant impact on the economy that elected officials, who are concerned about being re-elected, do not have the courage to face. All factors that make parliaments and governments unfit to take the necessary measures to tackle climate change.

Looking at our house, it’s easy to confirm, The Draghi government has also not managed to transfer the 34.6 billion euro elephant That Italy pays environmentally harmful subsidies annually (estimated) legambiente), precisely because the interests divided between the various sectors are enormous: 12.86 billion euros per year on energy (most of which for drilling); direct and indirect subsidies of 16.6 billion euros for transport; 3.1 billion euros for agriculture; 1.1 billion euros per year for construction, citing prime examples.

So what can be a democratic alternative to the inertia of politics? Let us return to the civic gatherings, A representative sample of citizens who studied and debated, supported by experts and compared different voices of society, during meetings organized by professionals to find solutions to issues of common interest. One way to propose ambitious climate measures that are making their way around the world. The resort to citizen meetings to address climate-environmental challenges has indeed experienced a remarkable boom in the past two years. The first citizens’ assembly on the topic of climate and environmental protection can be considered “Citizens Assembly of Ireland” of 2016/2018. A two-year process that prompted 99 member citizens to actually address a plurality of issues, the best known of which was the criminalization of abortion. In this context, one of the questions asked to the gathering was precisely “How can Ireland be a leader in the fight against climate change?”.

The year after the end of the Irish trial, it was France’s turn to inaugurate the exercise of assemblies focused solely on climate-environmental issues. now known “Citizens Conference for the Climate” Wanted by President Macron in response to a yellow vest protest involving 150 civilians between October 2019 and June 2020. Nine months of work on five subtopics – living; Work; Step; Eat; Consumption – with the aim of providing recommendations on how France can cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 in the spirit of social justice.

While the Convention was being held in France, the British Parliament launched the country’s first national civil assembly across the Channel, “Climate Assembly UK”, composed of 108 citizens who have been called upon to indicate in four months of work – from January to May 2020 – how the country can fully reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Also in 2020, in November, the Government of Scotland decided to form its own “Scotland Climate Assembly” despite the British process ending in the spring: 102 members called for work until March 2021, which would decide the subject of the assembly. An initial deliberation aimed at pointing out was at the end of the process to answer a question defined by itself, namely: “How should Scotland change to effectively and fairly deal with the climate emergency?”.

All this only in Europe? don’t take Washington State in the United StatesFor example, it organized a gathering between November 2020 and March 2021 to envision how to implement effective climate mitigation strategies in a fair manner.

And here we are in 2021, the year in which some national legislatures, such as “Bugerat Climate”in Germany, which brought together 160 citizens between April and June with the aim of defining the best route and most efficient measures to comply with the Paris climate agreements.

Finally, on November 20 this year, he will start his work there in a few days. “Citizens Assembly for the Climate” from Spain. 100 citizens will work in five fully online sessions between now and April 2022 to answer the question: “How can we have a safe Spain in the face of climate change?”. One initiative, this, is a direct result of two actions taken by the Madrid government over the past two years: the January 2020 declaration of climate emergency and the May 2021 legislation on the ecological transition.

So should we let Italy stand when the whole world is marching ahead on the frontier of democratic innovation? Finally our country is taking the first step in this direction with the initiative “Climate for Citizens”, promoted by the Coalition “Politicians Per Case – Informed to Make Decisions”, supported and funded by the Pan-European Movement eumans, Signature collection work is going on since few days. Online, In banquets and in municipalities 50 thousand signatures need to be submitted to the Parliament popular initiative law which provides for the establishment in Italy of citizens’ assemblies at all administrative levels as a means of deliberate participation available to citizens and institutions.

Those who read us can lend a hand sign here, to be sure, that Italy also finally has a new horizon in democratic innovation and the fight against climate change.

article signed by lorenzo mino, Coordinator of Politics Per Caso (committee that seeks to bring randomly selected citizens’ gatherings to Italy), and Marco Cappato, founder of the pan-European movement Umans – Citizens for Democracy and Sustainability.