Citizens’ Assembly for Climate in Spain

A citizens’ assembly is a democratic tool in which randomly selected ordinary citizens come together to discuss a specific political issue in a structured way. In November 2021, a government-led Climate Citizens' Assembly (CCA) process started in Spain. The country thus followed other European examples, like in the UK or France. One hundred Spanish citizens started discussing the question "A safer Spain in the face of climate change - how do we do it?". From November, monthly online assembly sessions were held, continuing in 2022.

The coordination of the campaigning work was taken forward to WeMove Europe gGmbH. Indeed, in the past years, our entity has conducted Citizens’ assemblies in Germany, and dedicated its expertise to make Citizens’ Assemblies happen. Our ambition was to mobilise civil society in the process of design, implementation and follow-up of the assemblies. With quality and independence as ground principles, we also aimed at concrete results, like the adoption of the assembly’s recommendations after it happened.

• In September, over 2,500 people sent tweets or emails to Teresa Ribera, the Spanish Minister for Ecological transition. They shared their expectations to see the standards of the assembly improved. Following this, the Minister called WeMove and Extinction Rebellion for a face to face meeting, where she commited to consider our community’s amendments.

• We invited the audience at large to take part into a government’s public consultation related to the assembly’s work. This step helped determine CITIZENS’ PRIORITIES TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE.

• There’s also been a very qualitative engagement in smaller-scale events:

  • 100 people took part in an action on the ground in Madrid on 24th October. Our people’s assembly organised along the climate march was very well attended and with a vibrant energy throughout. Some key figures noticed the action, and civil society at large became aware of our existence.

  • In December, over 60 people engaged throughout A 2-HOURS DIGITAL WORKSHOP, run both in English and Spanish. It showcased a documentary on the UK Citizens’ Assembly on climate, and had its producer as a speaker.

• In the run up to the first session of the CCA, from 13 to 20th November, the public has been invited to watch and share brief videos related to the assembly’s challenges. They were posted daily on Marea Deliberativa’s social media.

Educate and communicate

This Climate citizens’ assembly was challenging in terms of public education beyond our community. Combined with our online and offline actions, our media work resulted in national coverage. Done by the coalition emerged from this project, a specific social media work also contributed to give visibility and inform about the CCA’s progress.

All along the process, many participants expressed the will that governments need to listen to citizens and take urgent action in the face of the climate crisis. Some testimonies also came from our online community: "I like the idea of citizens' assemblies: it is a way that democracies get real instead of being mere appearances. Democracy should allow the expression of all opinions and concerns from citizens. My faith in democracy was truly declining a lot. Getting together to try to bend big lobbies, by contributing through contents and ideas to influence opinions and important decisions in Europe, makes me want to participate in these assemblies and restore the authentic sense that the ancient Greeks gave to participation and authentic Democracy." Patxi, Spain.