Citizens’ Jury tested in Finland to support climate policy preparation

NordenBladet — The first Citizens’ Jury for assessing climate action was convened in Finland in 2021. The Citizen’s Jury, commissioned by the Climate Policy Roundtable and Ministry of the Environment of Finland, discussed the fairness and impact of the national climate measures.At the Ministry of the Environment, the involvement of citizens in policy preparation is an established practice . Traditional consultations are often targeted to people who are active in a certain field, and to the same people over and over again. In terms of the acceptability of climate measures, however, it is important to also give a voice to people who usually do not participate in consultations.Citizens’ Jury drew up a statement on the fairness of climate actionsThe task of the Jury was to assess the measures to be included in the new Climate Change Policy Plan that extends until 2035. The focus in the discussions was on emission reduction measures concerning housing, mobility and food that are particularly relevant for individual citizens, and on how just and effective they are likely to be.The members of the Jury learned about the topics to be discussed from background material and presentations by experts from different fields. The Jury deliberated on the information received and different perspectives on climate measures in small groups and joint discussions. The Jury convened three times in online meetings and drew up its own statement on the topics discussed.Here is one example of the general observations made by the Jury:“Consumers must be strongly and clearly informed about the measures concerning the economy so that people in all income classes know how to apply for support and deductions or otherwise take into account the new changes affecting their economy. Guidance by information must be offered comprehensively, e.g. climate education starting in primary and lower secondary education. This should include clear and brief justification for the measures concerning the economy to improve the citizens’ awareness of these matters. Especially people with lower income and older people should be duly taken into account in the provision of information concerning financial support.”

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi