Website
Nationaal Burgerberaad Klimaat | Burgerberaad klimaat
Commissioning Body
The Ministries of Climate and Green Growth and of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on behalf of the Dutch Government as a whole.
Remit
How can we as the Netherlands eat, use things and travel in a way that is better for the climate?
Commitment to Respond
Before the assembly began its work, the government committed to respond within six months of the conclusion of the Assembly, announcing which recommendations it plans to adopt and giving reasons for its decisions. The Dutch Parliament then committed to consider the Assembly report and government response.
Delivery Bodies
The Consultative Body for the Physical Living Environment (OFL) was commissioned to design and deliver the Assembly.
Duration
January to September 2025
Participant Recruitment
The Dutch Climate Assembly is one of the largest citizens’ assemblies to date with 175 members. Recruitment consisted of a two-stage democratic lottery. 70,000 invitations were sent to randomly selected residents across the Netherlands, and 175 members were selected from the group of 4,070 citizens who indicated their willingness to participate. The criteria applied in selection were: gender, education, geography, age, and opinion on climate change. Members received an honorarium of 120 Euros per month.
Governance
The Assembly had an independent chair – Nienke Meijer – who has extensive administrative experience and has been active in social organisations. A Scientific Working Group provided advice on scientific knowledge and potential commentators.
Structure
The Assembly met exclusively in-person over 6 meetings. Five were two-day weekend meetings; one was a single Saturday. The first three meetings focused on learning and field trips. Latter sessions focused on the development, revision and voting on recommendations. The assembly broke into three streams that focused on the different elements of the remit, but with dedicated time to share learnings and draft recommendations. An additional day has been added in September to consider how to influence the political system.
Evidence Base
The Assembly drew on scientific knowledge, knowledge about current policy and knowledge from different societal stakeholders. During the second weekend, assembly members proposed the different topic areas where they wished to hear more evidence. A group of members elected by the Assembly were then tasked with selecting the 50 commentators who would present in a one-day meeting, with support and advice from the organisers and scientific working group. Their proposals were then voted on by the rest of the Assembly in an online process. The one-day meeting combined plenary and smaller break-out sessions where members could choose which commentators to engage with. Commentators included scientists, those with direct experience of responding to climate change, representatives of interest groups and government officials. While developing their recommendations, assembly members could seek advice from relevant knowledge holders. All evidence provided to the Assembly is available on its website.
Developing Recommendations
Recommendations were developed in small working groups that then shared their work with the broader Assembly for review. The Assembly agreed to a produce a relatively small number of recommendations which meant that ideas had to be combined in creative ways. In weekend 5, public officials provided input on the legal feasibility of proposed measures and the current relationship with policy. Scientists gave insights into potential consequences and alternative options. The Assembly also met with children and young people from a Children’s Climate Summit. On the final weekend, members were invited to stand in designated circles to support (or otherwise) each recommendation – options were full support, can live with it or do not support. The Assembly decided that it would give prominence to recommendations that achieved 75 percent support or above. The Ministers for Climate and Green Growth and for Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations and rapporteurs from parliament were present at the final session.
Wider Public Engagement
Between the fourth and fifth sessions, the Assembly held an open online consultation where anyone could contribute ideas. With the publication of its report, everyone in the Netherlands is invited to support the voice of the climate assembly by signing the online declaration of support.
Final Report
The Assembly Report was released on Monday 1 December when the Dutch Citizens’ Climate Assembly formally presented its recommendations to the outgoing Prime Minister, the Minister for Climate and Green Growth, the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, and the Vice-President of the House of Representatives. Also present were various members of the House of Representatives and more than 150 representatives from business, society, science and administration, as well as more than 120 participants from the Citizens' Assembly itself. The report includes 23 proposals, 13 of which received more than 75% support. The proposals range from a six-year warranty on electronics to a national strategy for healthy food, from reducing air travel to encouraging working from home and cycling. A striking number of measures touch on systemic change: revising spatial planning, pricing polluting products, and a greater role for the government in shaping long-term policy.
Official Response
The government has promised to respond to the assembly’s proposals within six months, indicating which recommendations it will adopt, which it will not, and why. The Parliament will then debate the Citizens' Assembly's recommendations and the government's response. At a final meeting, which will take place no later than December 2026, the government will discuss with the Parliament and the Citizens' Assembly how the recommendations have been taken forward.
Oversight of Official Response
The Citizens' Assembly will continue working for another year to monitor how the government and parliament respond to their recommendations and to discuss their proposals with the business community, social organisations and society at large.
Impact
Political and media attention on the Assembly has been high, with the Assembly operating in a challenging political context. Particular political parties (including within the government coalition) and social interests (including media outlets) have explicitly criticized the Assembly. A parliamentary vote was lost which would have halted the Assembly. The Assembly will consider its strategy for engaging with the new parliament and government at its September meeting. The launch of the report in Parliament received widespread media attention.
Evaluation
Not yet available.
Budget
Funding for the Assembly has been provided by the Dutch Climate Fund. The budget has not been made public.
