Citizens Climate Assembly - recommendations

Process and voting

Assembly members used their learnings from weekend one to agree on their vision, principles, and recommendations through an iterative process across the final weekend of the assembly. From developing a long list of recommendations, clustering similar suggestions, testing ideas, and participating in various rounds of consolidation and refinement, recommendations entered a final vote.  

Each recommendation statement was read to the group, and assembly members were asked to vote on their level of agreement against each recommendation.  

Those receiving 80% agreement or more became a majority recommendation.  

Recommendations received under 80%, but over 40% were recorded as minority recommendations.

One prototype didn't achieve the required level of support for being either a recommendation or a minority recommendation. 

Vision for a Net Zero Westminster

Empower communities and businesses to build a sustainable and resilient environment that fosters a healthier and greener way of life. 

Principles for Delivering Net Zero in the Fairest Way

We will deliver net zero by:

• prioritising climate change actions in the buildings we live and work in
• making our actions transparent, measurable and independent from the political process
• engaging and educating the community to enable fair and inclusive decision-making. 
• creating incentives for both businesses and citizens to create change
• driving change through equity, inclusivity and coordination between all stakeholders 

Recommendation template 

Assembly members were encouraged to detail their recommendations by completing a recommendation template, which included the following sections: 

• headline recommendation 
• the actions needed to make it happen (short, medium and long-term) 
• our top three reasons why this is important 
• ensure this is delivered in the fairest way 
• who needs to be involved? 
• who is responsible? 

Majority recommendations 

The recommendations are:

• To fund and support greening initiatives and projects. Both in terms of increasing biodiversity and developing green infrastructure and technologies
• Building and introducing renewable energy technology on new and existing infrastructure, while also supporting current initiatives
• An energy efficiency rating on any organisation, whether for profit or not, which owns, manages or occupies one or more non-residential buildings in Westminster. Provide incentives and assistance and improvement for/and/or hitting targets. Publish this data for transparency for the council website and promote through WCC communication channels
• It should be mandatory for all types of business to ensure that developers reuse and recycle materials and minimise energy use. This should be complimented by the revised one-stop circular construction website, that offers easy access to all. 
• Make climate action the top priority when updating planning policies and documents and giving approvals. Pay particular attention to prioritising climate action in listed buildings. 
• Develop an educational programme for the community (including schools) which builds green skills. Green skills include: active lifestyle, living sustainably, growing food, recycling, cooking, gardening and nature
• Recycling needs to be scaled up by all stakeholders to include a wider variety of waste streams. Information should be provided in simpler, easy to understand language, and multiple languages most appropriate to Westminster's diverse community and visitors
• Review, adapt and act - We expect the council to reconvene the Citizens's Climate Assembly annually, regardless of political affiliation and independent of the election cycle, to account for its progress and to re-state goals in light of any shortfall

 

Next steps

On 7 September 2023, a delegation of assembly members attended the council's quarterly Climate Leadership Group meeting to present their agreed recommendations to Cabinet Members. Initial conversations were held around how each recommendation could be operationalised and implemented, sparking a crucial step of a continued dialogue with assembly members, harnessing their views and contributions to tackling the climate emergency.

On 20 September, the recommendations were acknowledged at Full Council via a motion. A volunteer from the assembly delivered a short speech reflecting on their experience and why the recommendations were agreed upon.

An evening reception will be held for all assembly members and stakeholders who supported the delivery of the sessions to officially thank them for their invaluable contributions.  

There will then be a process of internal review and consideration of the recommendations. The Climate Emergency Action Plan will then be updated, informed by learnings and recommendations from the Westminster Citizens' Climate Assembly.  

There will be ongoing collaboration and partnership between assembly participants, wider partners and the council to act on the assembly's recommendations.