Connecting People to Climate Change Action: Informing Participatory Frameworks for the National Dialogue on Climate Action (C-CHANGE)

Abstract

Ireland has committed to becoming a net-zero and climate-neutral economy by 2050. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act set this ambition in legislation, while the Climate Action Plan defines the pathway to achieve it. For Ireland to make this transition, a society-wide collaborative effort is required by government, business, communities and individuals. Thus, the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) aims to engage stakeholders and the public with climate action across Ireland by enabling and empowering people. The NDCA is delivered through three main pillars: (i) improving climate literacy, awareness and understanding; (ii) providing funding and support for active public engagement in climate action at local and national levels; and (iii) conducting social and behavioural research connected to the Climate Action Plan and climate policies in Ireland. The EPA-funded Connecting People to Climate Change Action: Informing Participatory Frameworks for the National Dialogue on Climate Action (C-CHANGE) project aimed to improve our understanding of environmental participation to specifically support the implementation of the NDCA and future environmental and climate dialogues in Ireland. C-CHANGE also aimed to support public participation in climate action across Europe by informing the European Climate Pact. This report presents the results of the C-CHANGE project, which (i) synthesised national and international best practice for facilitating participation in environmental and climate action, and (ii) assessed the NDCA in order to provide guidelines for supporting long-lasting participation in environmental and climate dialogues. Chapter 1 of this report sets the NDCA in the context of the wider landscape of climate action in Ireland and Europe and details the research objectives and methodology. It also situates both the NDCA and the research outputs within action for climate empowerment (ACE) and the guidelines from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) for accelerating climate solutions through education, training and public awareness. Chapter 2 discusses existing research and empirical evidence highlighting the need for intersectional and interdisciplinary approaches to participatory climate action and climate justice. It describes the European policy landscape for public participation in climate action, and draws lessons from the Irish Citizens’ Assembly, to inform the longitudinal assessment of the NDCA. Chapter 3 presents the longitudinal assessment of the NDCA process and discusses the results of critically analysing, comparing and contrasting the qualitative information collected from focus group sessions, surveys, interviews and documentary research. Lastly, Chapter 4 describes the research findings in relation to impact indicators and guidelines to support future environmental and climate dialogues in Ireland. The process of co-assessing the NDCA with participants and organisers, while considering the literature on best practice in environmental participation, ensured that the impact indicators and guidelines will best support future environmental and climate dialogues. This report’s final sections detail how the findings will directly inform the design, implementation and assessment of participatory processes for climate action and climate justice in Ireland.