Local authority assemblies are empowering community net-zero strategies

Charlotte Obijiaku, Deliberative Democracy Officer at digital transformation specialist TPXimpact, explains how one English local authority has improved public engagement on climate policy through debate, discussion and inclusion. 

The climate crisis is one of the most, if not the most, significant challenges humanity is currently facing. There is a broad consensus that we need to act now and fast , but how we do that is a contentious issue. 

Some call for global strategies, while others think national governments should be focussing on their own countries. Both approaches are key to addressing the crisis, but a solution that is less talked about is the role of local communities in shaping and making impactful changes.

This is exactly what Barnet Council looked to harness by focusing on engaging local groups and individuals in its climate strategy. From my experience working on this project, it has been a great success, offering a shining example of local government creating innovative, sustainable solutions that can have long-term, positive impact. 

Putting community at the heart of climate action

In 2022, Barnet Council declared a climate emergency and committed to becoming a net zero council by 2030, as well as making Barnet a net zero borough no later than 2042. But rather than just pushing ahead alone, the council opted to take a different, more inclusive route. 

Climate policies will impact people across Barnet’s diverse communities and so the authority aimed to ensure all initiatives were both fair and in line with community needs. The council agreed the best way to drive this was through a citizens’ assembly – groups formed from randomly selected members of the public, designed to be representative of an area’s population, who together must learn, debate and decide on specific issues. 

To achieve this, Barnet worked with TPXimpact to create parallel assemblies. These were a citizens’ assembly of 40 residents aged 18 and over, and a young people’s assembly, with 20 residents aged between 12-17.

For the citizens’ assembly, members were chosen through a democratic lottery system, reflecting community demographics. For the young people’s assembly, interested students from local schools were asked to write a short statement on why they wanted to join the youth assembly and share background information to ensure a variety of perspectives and experiences.

These assemblies were tasked with creating an actionable plan to implement green policies across Barnet. Throughout this process, participants attended workshops to learn about climate change, discussed local issues, and collaboratively determined practical solutions. Following these engaging and thought-provoking sessions, the assemblies produced a comprehensive report with a range of innovative ideas from the citizens’ and young people’s assemblies. 

Members of both then presented recommendations to the council. The process proved hugely popular and was warmly received by the cabinet. Many of the visions and recommendations were accepted and are now helping inform a key part of Barnet Council’s Net Zero Action Plan. 

By aligning its goals with what residents consider to be the priorities for action to address sustainability in the borough, Barnet Council fostered trust, community involvement, and people-driven climate action. With the crisis such a vastly complicated issue, assigning policy-making exclusively to national representatives risks leaving some communities behind, an issue this project proves can be overcome with localised engagement.

While only one example, much can be learnt from Barnet’s integrative techniques. By partnering with third-party experts to attend local needs, the council was able to build a net-zero strategy that involved and had the support of its community. The world faces a myriad climate issues that won’t be solved by this specific case, but nevertheless the work Barnet has undertaken could serve as a blueprint for council’s across the country to create a brighter, cleaner, and more person-led future. 

More features and opinion: 

https://environmentjournal.online/headlines/matlock-flood-risk/

https://environmentjournal.online/features-opinion/future-carbon-neutral-buildings/

https://environmentjournal.online/headlines/local-government-restore-nature/