Learning Call on the Austrian Climate Assembly

In July 2022, after 6 weekends of learning and deliberation, the Austrian Citizens’ Climate Assembly (Klimarat) published its final report with 93 recommendations in response to the task of proposing measures to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. The Austrian Assembly is novel in having been organised in response to a citizens’ initiative. It is also innovative in the way in which social partners and politicians engaged directly with the Assembly and the members formed the Association of the First Austrian Citizens’ Climate Assembly to monitor the government’s response and spread knowledge about the climate crisis and their recommendations.

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This learning call interrogated the motivation, task, organisation and impact to date of the Austrian Climate Assembly, drawing out innovations and lessons for future practice.

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Ines Omann (consultant coordinating the assembly), Lisa Purker, (facilitation team), Dieter Beisteiner (Ministry for Climate Action), Laura Grossman (Civil Society Engagement Officers), Christoph Streissler (Chamber of Labour) was in conversation with Graham Smith, Chair of KNOCA and took questions from the audience.

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For a summary of the Austrian Citizens’ Climate Assembly see the KNOCA website. Further details are on its dedicated website.

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