Held in Bologna, Italy, on May 28th, the CLIMAS Public Event gathered experts, researchers, activists and citizens to present the CLIMAS Toolbox and our experience in supporting the creation of Citizen Assemblies on climate. Moreover, the participants were engaged in roundtable sessions, as well as key note speeches from our Advisory Board members. 

Building Inclusive Climate Policy

On May 28th, 2025, the CLIMAS project held a public event in Bologna, Italy, bringing together researchers, institutions, local authorities, civil society organisations, and citizens to discuss how climate assemblies and participatory tools can support climate adaptation. Specifically, the event aimed to share CLIMAS’s research and tools with a broader public, gather feedback, and foster dialogue on how all citizens can be meaningfully involved in shaping climate policy.

Moreover, the event was part of CLIMAS’s mission to develop practical, inclusive methods for involving communities in the democratic governance of climate change. With three climate assemblies already completed across Catalonia, Germany, and Latvia, and contributions from living labs in Greece, Lithuania, and the Catalan Ebro Delta, CLIMAS is fostering and supporting the transformative potential of citizen deliberation in climate action.

A dynamic Agenda and a Line-up of Field speakers

The event opened with a warm welcome from the CLIMAS coordinator Aelita Skaržauskienė (Vilnius Tech), who reflected on the project’s journey and the importance of sharing the tools developed with the public. Also, she emphasized the value of feedback in improving the project’s relevance and impact.

Opening remarks included a message from Anna Lisa Boni, Bologna City Councillor. In fact, Councillor Boni highlighted the city’s strong commitment to participatory governance. She described Bologna’s own climate citizen assembly, which involved 87 randomly selected residents, and underscored the importance of integrating citizen proposals into the city’s climate agenda.

The following session was introduced by Floridea Di Ciommo, managing director at cambia|MO and CLIMAS Scientific Coordinator. Afterwards, CLIMAS Advisory Board members İlgü Özler (SUNY Global Engagement Program) and David Farrell (University College Dublin) provided each a keynote speech focusing on the importance of citizenship involvement and its central role in shaping local policy on environment.

To set the stage with a broad outlook on current challenges, Prof. Özler emphasised the urgency of climate adaptation and the responsibility of European actors to address the impacts of overconsumption. She spoke of the need for a just transition based on human rights and collective responsibility.

Prof. Farrell, a leading expert on deliberative democracy, discussed the power of citizen assemblies in shaping public policy. He highlighted the success of assemblies in Ireland on sensitive issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, as well as the growing role of climate assemblies across Europe. He also addressed the challenges of gaining political buy-in and ensuring the implementation of citizens’ recommendations.

Panel Discussions: From Practical Tools to Policy Pathways

Following the introductory sessions, two panel discussions took place, gathering practitioners, researchers, and organisers of citizen assemblies from across Europe.

The first panel, titled “Barriers, Opportunities, and Challenges from Recent Climate Assemblies in Italy and Europe” featured insights from:

Moderated by Constantin Schäfer from IFOK, the discussion explored real-world experiences with implementing citizen assemblies, including how recommendations are integrated—or sometimes ignored—by decision-makers. The panelists addressed the tension between democratic innovation and political resistance, and stressed the need for institutional frameworks that respect and act on the outputs of assemblies.

Live graphic facilitation: LinkedIn – Alessandra Zaffiro (IG @tratto_vivo)

The second panel, “Tools to Increase Inclusivity in Climate Assemblies – The CLIMAS Toolbox,” focused on practical methodologies to ensure more inclusive and effective citizen engagement. Speakers included:

The panel showcased tools developed within the CLIMAS project aimed at making citizen engagement more accessible and diverse, with particular attention to facilitating deliberation among underrepresented voices.

Live graphic facilitation: LinkedIn – Alessandra Zaffiro (IG @tratto_vivo)

Roundtables and Audience Involvement: Diving into Key Themes

In the second half of the afternoon, the event transitioned into a more participatory format, with four roundtable discussions moderated by CLIMAS partners and external Advisory Board members and experts. Participants were invited to share reflections, experiences, and feedback, with live translation and graphic facilitation available throughout the room.

The roundtables topics were:

  1. A value-based approach to identifying impactful climate issues for deliberation
    Facilitators: David Farrell & Yago Bermejo

  2. Co-creating climate futures: Evaluating methodologies for citizen-driven scenario building
    Facilitators: İlgü Özler & Havva Ebrahimi Pour

  3. Shaping climate policy through citizen science
    Facilitators: Julià Vicens & Ferran Adrià

  4. Inclusive Climate Assemblies: Engaging silent and unheard voices
    Facilitators: Raniero Maggini & Nunzia Gabriella Fasolino

These discussions helped deepen the exchange of ideas and captured valuable input from local and international participants. The event also included an interactive survey and poster session, launched by CLIMAS partner Aegean, to gather additional perspectives. Also, CLIMAS sister project Adaptation Agora, represented by Nunzia Gabriella Fasolino from CMCC, contributed to discussions bringing the perspective of followers cities in their pilot regions.

Live graphic facilitation: LinkedIn – Alessandra Zaffiro (IG @tratto_vivo)

Key Takeaways: Participation, Justice, and Urgency

The event concluded with a wrap-up session and informal networking cocktail. Throughout the day, several take-away messages emerged:

  • Climate change is a crisis of inequality, and adaptation strategies must reflect global responsibilities, especially toward the most vulnerable communities.

  • Citizen assemblies are not just democratic experiments—they are critical tools for inclusive, informed, and locally grounded climate governance.

  • However, real impact requires institutional support, political will, and structures that embed citizen voices into policy and planning.

  • The CLIMAS Toolbox, developed through a co-creative process with European partners, offers practical guidance for implementing inclusive and effective assemblies.

By sharing knowledge, tools, and experiences, the CLIMAS Public Event in Bologna showed how communities and institutions can work together to shape a fairer, more resilient future—one where democratic participation is at the heart of climate action.

Author: Izabela Diana Ihnatiuc, CLIMAS project dissemination team at Deep Blue

Photography: Fabio Lovati COPYRIGHT CLIMAS 2025

Visual facilitation: Alessandra Zaffiro (IG.@tratto_vivo)

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