Our episode today is about citizen engagement in climate governance. More specifically, we will talk about climate assemblies, where representatives of the public come together and discuss issues. Citizen assemblies in the climate sphere are becoming more popular, especially in the UK and Europe. But how do they work and why are they important in the context of the climate crisis? Can we all join a citizen assembly?

Our guest is Stephen Elstub of the Tyndall Centre at Newcastle University. Stephen joined the Department of Politics at Newcastle University in 2015 and is currently the Director of Research. His main research interests are in the theory and practice of democracy, democratic innovation, public opinion, political communication, civil society and citizen participation, all viewed through the lens of deliberative democracy. He has been involved in research on Climate Assembly UK, Scotland’s Climate Assembly, and the Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis.

Music by BenSound