Climate Assemblies: New Civic Institutions for a Climate-changed World

Oliver Escobar; Stephen Elstub

doi:10.1515/9783111328393

Climate Assemblies: New Civic Institutions for a Climate-changed World

Oliver Escobar^* (Editor), Stephen Elstub (Editor)

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Social and Political Science

Research output: Book/Report › Book

Abstract

Climate assemblies are capturing the imagination of people interested in how citizens can participate in decision-making to address the climate and ecological crisis. Traditional institutions are struggling to cope with the challenges of a climate-changed world.

Climate assemblies are new civic institutions that include a cross-section of the public in deliberation to influence environmental policy, governance, public discourse and collective action. With the rapid spread of this approach to public engagement, practice has developed well in advance of research. This book addresses that gap by analysing the internal and external dimensions of climate assemblies and how they interact.

It brings together 25 authors to offer novel perspectives, critical insights and practical reflections based on original research about paradigmatic cases at local, national, transnational and global levels. The book investigates the state of the field, reflects on the hope and hype about this growing phenomenon, and proposes ways to improve climate assemblies so that they can make a difference in a climate-changed world.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Berlin
Publisher	Degruyter
Number of pages	222
ISBN (Electronic)	9783111328393, 9783111328454
ISBN (Print)	9783111328379
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111328393
Publication status	Published - 22 Aug 2025

Publication series

Name	Citizens’ Assemblies and Mini-Publics
Volume	2

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

climate assembly
citizens' assemblies
participatory democracy
deliberative democracy
climate action
environmental governance
democratic innovations
climate and ecological crisis

Access to Document

10.1515/9783111328393Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

EscobarOElstubS2025ClimateAssembliesFinal published version, 2.59 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

What Works Scotland Centre
Escobar, O. (Principal Investigator)
Other
1/07/14 → 31/12/19
Project: Research

The future of climate assemblies
Elstub, S. & Escobar, O., 22 Aug 2025, Climate Assemblies: New Civic Institutions for a Climate-changed World. Escobar , O. & Elstub, S. (eds.). 1 ed. Berlin: Degruyter, p. 175-199 25 p. (Citizens’ Assemblies and Mini-Publics; vol. 2).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Open Access
File
The present of climate assemblies
Escobar, O. & Elstub, S., 22 Aug 2025, Climate Assemblies: New Civic Institutions for a Climate-changed World. Escobar, O. & Elstub, S. (eds.). 1 ed. Berlin: Degruyter, p. 3-23 20 p. (Citizens’ Assemblies and Mini-Publics; vol. 2).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Open Access
File

Cite this

@book{0113d10379db40eca9b40f158dd9cdb3,

title = "Climate Assemblies: New Civic Institutions for a Climate-changed World",

abstract = "Climate assemblies are capturing the imagination of people interested in how citizens can participate in decision-making to address the climate and ecological crisis. Traditional institutions are struggling to cope with the challenges of a climate-changed world. Climate assemblies are new civic institutions that include a cross-section of the public in deliberation to influence environmental policy, governance, public discourse and collective action. With the rapid spread of this approach to public engagement, practice has developed well in advance of research. This book addresses that gap by analysing the internal and external dimensions of climate assemblies and how they interact. It brings together 25 authors to offer novel perspectives, critical insights and practical reflections based on original research about paradigmatic cases at local, national, transnational and global levels. The book investigates the state of the field, reflects on the hope and hype about this growing phenomenon, and proposes ways to improve climate assemblies so that they can make a difference in a climate-changed world.",

keywords = "climate assembly, citizens' assemblies, participatory democracy, deliberative democracy, climate action, environmental governance, democratic innovations, climate and ecological crisis",

editor = "Oliver Escobar and Stephen Elstub",

year = "2025",

month = aug,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1515/9783111328393",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783111328379",

series = "Citizens{\textquoteright} Assemblies and Mini-Publics",

publisher = "Degruyter",

}

TY - BOOK

T1 - Climate Assemblies

T2 - New Civic Institutions for a Climate-changed World

A2 - Escobar, Oliver

A2 - Elstub, Stephen

PY - 2025/8/22

Y1 - 2025/8/22

N2 - Climate assemblies are capturing the imagination of people interested in how citizens can participate in decision-making to address the climate and ecological crisis. Traditional institutions are struggling to cope with the challenges of a climate-changed world. Climate assemblies are new civic institutions that include a cross-section of the public in deliberation to influence environmental policy, governance, public discourse and collective action. With the rapid spread of this approach to public engagement, practice has developed well in advance of research. This book addresses that gap by analysing the internal and external dimensions of climate assemblies and how they interact. It brings together 25 authors to offer novel perspectives, critical insights and practical reflections based on original research about paradigmatic cases at local, national, transnational and global levels. The book investigates the state of the field, reflects on the hope and hype about this growing phenomenon, and proposes ways to improve climate assemblies so that they can make a difference in a climate-changed world.

AB - Climate assemblies are capturing the imagination of people interested in how citizens can participate in decision-making to address the climate and ecological crisis. Traditional institutions are struggling to cope with the challenges of a climate-changed world. Climate assemblies are new civic institutions that include a cross-section of the public in deliberation to influence environmental policy, governance, public discourse and collective action. With the rapid spread of this approach to public engagement, practice has developed well in advance of research. This book addresses that gap by analysing the internal and external dimensions of climate assemblies and how they interact. It brings together 25 authors to offer novel perspectives, critical insights and practical reflections based on original research about paradigmatic cases at local, national, transnational and global levels. The book investigates the state of the field, reflects on the hope and hype about this growing phenomenon, and proposes ways to improve climate assemblies so that they can make a difference in a climate-changed world.

KW - climate assembly

KW - citizens' assemblies

KW - participatory democracy

KW - deliberative democracy

KW - climate action

KW - environmental governance

KW - democratic innovations

KW - climate and ecological crisis

U2 - 10.1515/9783111328393

DO - 10.1515/9783111328393

M3 - Book

SN - 9783111328379

T3 - Citizens’ Assemblies and Mini-Publics

BT - Climate Assemblies

PB - Degruyter

CY - Berlin

ER -

Climate Assemblies: New Civic Institutions for a Climate-changed World

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

What Works Scotland Centre

Research output

The future of climate assemblies

The present of climate assemblies

Cite this