Weekend 7 Observer Session and Q&A

16:36:48 SECRETARIAT: Welcome to the seventh Observer session of Scotland’s Climate Assembly. Thank you for the questions you submitted in advance. Please do add your additional comments and questions into the chat as we go, and in the Q&A session at the end. NOTE: We are recording this session to share.
16:41:49 Greetings [REMOVED] I think in previous Observers’ Sessions you have permitted the participants to post Chat Comments to Everyone.  At present there is no way for us to ask open Questions as this is a Meeting not a Webinar - which does have Q&A.  Are you able to permit Participants Chat to Everyone?
16:45:03 Given so much great effort has gone into this process, is there anything we can all do to ensure the widest possible promotion of the recommendations, they cut through the noise around the upcoming elections, and are taken up and debated properly by the political parties?
16:46:45 Thank you so much - an awesome date, today, for last day of assembly - 21/3/21 - How cool is that?!
16:51:37 SECRETARIAT: Hi [REMOVED] - thanks for flagging that, it wasn’t intentionally done and we’re just trying to work out how to fix that now!
16:52:22 Did Josh just say that all five political parties in Scotland have expressed their commitment to the assembly’s recommendations?
16:54:37 No probs - I’ve been very impressed how open you have managed to be.  Perhaps advise participants the person to whom any in sessions questions should be addressed.  I realise time is limited but …
16:55:51 When in the process was the survey carried out with the children from the 10 primary schools - at the beginning or at the end?
16:55:56 Evidence_Kevin: Really uplifting to hear from Khopolo & Susie!
16:56:32 SECRETARIAT: Hello everyone - it seems those on the call are not able to post questions to the wider chat. We are working on fixing this - meanwhile, please do send your questions to myself or any member of the Secretariat and we will re-post them to the main chat!
16:58:58 This comment from Khopolo about instantly forming a community is awesome. It perfectly shows how much better a citizens’ assembly is able to work together to come up with sensible solutions to problems, than those shackled by party politics! perhaps we don’t need MSPs! They’re just randomly selected citizens too after all. Perhaps Scotland has come up with the ideal transformational change in the democratic process??
16:59:00 Dear Secretariat, Are you a little concerned that the launch of the Interim Recommendations will sink without trace in this coming week [It looks likely to be VERY full] - and What are your contingency plans / extra ways you plan to communicate the findings of the Assembly Members?  And how can civil society groups co-promote the urgency of the issue?
17:00:02 congratulations for your work, when will your recommandations be published and how do you expect parliament to take them into account ? thank you and thank you for the in invitation
17:00:38 MPs and MSPs don’t usually have expert knowledge and they often/ usually don’t even really listen to the expert evidence!!
17:01:00 It is great to hear from Susie and Kholplo on the power of deliberative processes, and the commitment of members to trying to make it real. Really hope the members have been able to consider the fundamental drivers of the crisis, and so are able to make recommendations that are radical enough to address the cause of the crisis.
17:02:25 Will the members take any action if the recommendations are NOT adopted by Scot Gov? Members will be more knowledgeable now about the climate crisis than many of our MSPs!
17:02:29 Dear Secretariat, Is it possible the Assembly Members recommendations will be lost in a blizzard of other releases due this week?  What cunning ways are you planning to get the word out?  And how can civil society bodies co promote the findings?
17:03:17 @[REMOVED] While I can't speak for Josh, my understanding isn't that the parties have committed to the recommendations themselves, but that they have committed to a formal government response within 6 months of the final report being issued, which is significant as there will be the national elections in May. I think that it would be difficult to commit to recommendations with no idea of what they'd be committing to!
17:04:37 SECRETARIAT: @[REMOVED] you can see the message from the leaders of Scotland's political parties here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq4PpgB1nu8&t=1s
17:05:21 FACILITATOR - Kaela: Thanks [REMOVED] - yes the 5 party leaders all sent video messages to the members today to confirm that they value the process and are looking forward to giving the recommendations serious consideration.
17:05:23 Thank you to everyone for responses to my questions!
17:07:16 SECRETARIAT: Hi all, you should now be able to send a message to the entire group by selecting ‘Everyone’ in the ‘To:’ tab at the top of your chat message box. Please do message anyone in the Secretariat if you are still having trouble with the chat function.
17:07:50 Thank you for affording me the opportunity to hear this. I am currently chairing the Citizens Assembly of the North of Tyne Climate change panel. We have had similar experience of high level engagement from our 48 members, (two dropped out for health reasons) and we shall be reporting soon. Again a huge variety of prior knowledge but considerable engagement and mutual support. Thank you.
17:08:34 SECRETARIAT: Good question [REMOVED], thank you. We will be looking for publicity around the interim report this week and will share coverage etc via social media. It's tough to get coverage at the best of times and the election period poses a big challenge, however we will look to produce a wide array of communications products to support quality media coverage around our final report publication in May and beyond. We will also be engaging directly with stakeholders -- a huge and very important job!!
17:09:11 Interesting that the Scot Gov have extended the closing date of their public consultation on the climate plan (zero carbon nation) from 16th march until 31st march. It would be great if all the members of the assembly were to complete their own personal submission to this consultation?!
17:09:35 Thank you, Kevin, for recognising the skills of both the facilitators / secretariat team AND the Members themselves.
17:11:35 Thanks for mentioning the draft public engagement strategy for climate change (titled "Net Zero Nation"), [REMOVED]. We would encourage any/all interested parties to have their say in the consultation process :)
17:11:48  A couple of us attending today from the Culture For Climate Scotland Working Group. Brilliant to hear your experiences as we think about the role the cultural sector can play in Scotland’s Green and Just Recovery Culture for Climate Scotland
17:12:02 Question for Khopolo and Susie in particular: Do you feel you’ve heard a broad enough range of evidence, and undertaken a systematic enough process, to be able to to fully answer the question the assembly has been asked?
Has it been able to assess
1. whether current policy is capable of addressing the level of crisis we are in,
2. what the fundamental drivers of the crisis are (including the economic system), and
3. what fundamental change is needed to our political and economic system in order to ensure Scotland is able to model to the world how to address the crisis?
17:12:58 We have had a more local Citizens Assembly covering Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland. So a more local assembly but in a coherent area.
17:13:00 To Katie: How did the children express sadness or fear regarding the climate crisis, and how did they cope with those feelings? Did they express that the deliberative model helped them cope or bring them any happiness about the future of climate governance?
17:14:24 Re the Q about models for Citizens’ Assemblies and People’s Assemblies - there are some excellent guidance docs available from Extinction Rebellion. They have always advocated “telling the truth” and “listening to the people”.
17:14:29 Hi [REMOVED]! The interim report will be published this week, and the full report in May. The act then requires a response within 6 months.
17:14:51 There are many other community spaces and or structures of engagement in addition to Citizens Assembly that can be encouraged to take part in this process.
17:15:48 Question for Kevin: Great to hear from so many folk - especially Khopolo, Susie and Kevin - about the power of deliberation. Clearly key to that is to have a robust question and a robust process. What difference might it have made to the process if there had been a debate on whether current policies and targets are adequate (e.g. between Chris Stark and Kevin Anderson)? Might that have enabled members to consider the live of transformation required?
17:16:08 *level of transformation
17:16:27 See https://extinctionrebellion.uk/go-beyond-politics/citizens-assembly/
17:16:44 FACILITATOR - Kaela: Absolutely @[REMOVED] - CA's are one form of engagement but you are absolutely right there are many, many ways.
17:17:29 RESEARCH - Nick: A reminder of the research on the SCA that is continuing into the autumn, when we will report. We will be looking increasingly at the impact of the assembly over the coming 6 months. https://www.climateassembly.scot/how-it-works/independent-research
17:17:36 [REMOVED] - that’s interesting - can you give a bit more detail pls?
17:17:46 Re community engagement - there are lots of resources on the Involve website and at Participedia https://participedia.net/
17:18:01 FACILITATOR - Kelly : This was the Innovation in Democracy Programme that I mentioned, which published a handbook with some practical tips for organising a local assembly: https://www.demsoc.org/projects/innovation-in-democracy-programme (Involve were partners too)
17:18:55 The OECD have also produced an interesting citizen participation report - https://www.oecd.org/gov/innovative-citizen-participation.htm
17:19:14 I mean that there are many Community Based Organisations and spaces that already bring people together at local level  to engage in a range of issues, "Climate Justice "inclusive.
17:19:18 Some schools use the Walking Bus that does the same- perhaps more useful in towns.
17:19:18 FACILITATOR - Kelly : Lots of great info on Involve’s website too https://www.involve.org.uk/resources/knowledge-base
17:19:23 Question for Katie: Interesting point about rewilding. Do we need to think about reworlding not rewilding? In other words about restoring not just the non-human world but the human world in a way that sustains and enable the non-human and human world to flourish?
17:19:35 Hey everyone - as Chat can’t be copied or saved you need to click on all these useful links NOW if you want to look at them after this session!  Maybe Secretariat might compile them and share with those who registered for the session?
17:19:49 The expert evidence is the crucial part of the process - I guess the evidence resources from this assembly could be used in local assemblies
17:20:27 SECRETARIAT: Yes, all of our videos will continue to be available on our website and youtube for anyone to use.
17:20:27 FACILITATOR - Kelly: UK citizens' assembly tracker - lots of local examples https://www.involve.org.uk/citizens-assembly-tracker
17:21:00 Inaction is the perception. This is why the recommendations need to be published asap so we can put pressure on scotlgov!
17:21:03 SECRETARIAT: @[REMOVED] yes we can share those in the Observer follow-up communication
17:21:50 I can recommend this report too, from a PCAN funded project: https://pcancities.org.uk/sites/default/files/Shared-Future-PCAN-Climate-Assemblies-and-Juries-web.pdf
17:22:12 Please can we hear Kevin Anderson answer [REMOVED]’s question (5.16pm)?
17:24:23 My email is [REMOVED]
17:24:25 Katie Reid : If anyone would like to see the children’s final film, which captures their journey and calls to action, it’s available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ8uhnyJP3Q
17:24:30 FACILITATOR - Kelly : Following on from [REMOVED]’s comment, there is a Scotland Civil Society Open Government Network which may be of interest https://www.opengovernment.org.uk/networks/scotland/
17:24:48 Thanks Kelly
17:25:04 And interested in Susie and Kopolo’s views on [REMOVED]’s Q too!
17:27:40 Yes …!
17:27:50 Is there an email or a particular person ([REMOVED]) we can direct ongoing questions to? I am an undergraduate in the US and am studying the SCA, CCC and CAUK for my senior thesis and would love to have the opportunity to get more detailed information as SCA progresses to Parliament
17:28:17 SECRETARIAT:  info@climateassembly.scot
17:28:28 How will the recommendations be presented to the Scottish Parliament? Will any members be allowed to speak to MPs directly?
17:28:53 I think [REMOVED] has a point to make
17:29:37 FACILITATOR - Kelly : Thank you, everyone!
17:29:48 Thanks for a great session
17:29:53 Thank you, that was very interesting
17:29:57 SECRETARIAT: thanks everyone
17:30:01 Help us spread the word please!
17:30:05 Thank you!
17:30:11 Thank you!
17:30:34 Many thanks! And congratulations