Graham Smith, Chair of KNOCA, has published a short book, We Need to Talk about Climate: How Citizens’ Assemblies Can Help Us Solve the Climate Crisis, with the open access University of Westminster Press. It is available free to download or can be bought in hard copy. An audiobook version is coming soon.
The book explores the variety of climate assemblies that have taken place so far at local, national and international levels and explains why they have captured the imagination of governments and activists alike. It examines the different contexts and designs of climate assemblies and assesses their impact. Drawing lessons from current practice,the book demonstrates how assemblies can take us beyond the shortcomings of electoral and partisan politics and how they can have a real and lasting impact on climate policy and politics.
As Graham acknowledges in the book, the KNOCA community has been critical to his thinking: “It has been a privilege to work alongside such committed people as we have explored different aspects of climate assembly practice together. I have learned a great deal from collaborating closely with public officials and civil society organisations who have trusted us to support them developing plans for the organisation of and advocacy around climate assemblies. I have been in a rare position to learn with and from governments and radical activists – and everyone in between. Thank you to all of you.”
Praise for the book:
“Full of penetrating analysis and inspiring examples, this book shows that there is another – and better – way of doing politics”.
- Dr Roman Krznaric, author of 'The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World'
“An authoritative and practical guide to one of the most promising democratic innovations for redressing the power imbalances in climate policymaking”.
- Laurence Tubiana, CEO, European Climate Foundation
“Citizen assemblies on the climate may save our lives. This careful, up to the moment analysis tells us what is going on. If you have, or want to have, anything to do with citizen assemblies, buy this book, read it, and keep it close at hand. It’s essential".
- Professor Jane Mansbridge, Harvard University
We Need to Talk about Climate: How Citizens’ Assemblies Can Help Us Solve the Climate Crisis can be downloaded or a hard copy ordered from the University of Westminster Press website.
