Reducing the negative effects of climate change: Lessons from the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change in Budapest

Author: Daniel Oross

In 2020 the City Council of Budapest invited locals to take part in the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change in order to develop a climate strategy that matched people’s lives and aspirations. This policy brief provides empirical evidence of how local governments can address the problems of climate change in cooperation with non-governmental organisations and randomly selected citizens. Beyond presenting the proposals accepted during the event, the brief will also analyse the extent of changes in participants’ attitudes and knowledge about climate change. Finally, based on interviews with policy-makers, the brief also reflects on extent to which the citizens’ proposals were included in the climate strategy of the city.

This policy brief is a result of the ICLD Local Democracy Academy 2020