FAQs

What's the problem with the current klimalov? 

- too little, too late.

- consumption emissions (e.g. goods produced&emitting in China, but consumed here in Denmark) are not included.

- the famous 'hockeystick' approach = do little now, wait for magic solutions later.

- don't just take our word it: the Klimaråd says the same (English, Dansk), equally the supporting parties.

- no tax on CO2, no incentive to stop emitting. 

Why do we believe a citizens' assembly (borgerting) can help solve the challenge?

There are 3 good reasons for a citizens' assembly:

 1. It is genuinely democratic: if you e.g. randomly select 100 Danish citizens into an assembly, the socioeconomic bottom 99% will likely have 99 representatives, likewise equal numbers of women and men, old and young. It is thereby resistant to lobbying and interference from vested interests or existing institutional power distribution.

2. Both research and real-life examples show that in a setting of a citizens' assembly (a group of initially strangers tasked to inform themselves and  tackle a given problem), people will start to work together to find a solution (as opposed to a parliament, where traditional enemies and the view to the next election limit the scope for collaboration).

3. As it will contain people from all walks of life - age, gender, income, education - it has a much greater chance of getting buy-in on its conclusion from the broader population (as opposed to an expert decree handed down 'from above'). 

 - nuts & bolts explanation of how it works

- yet more detail here

- Ireland used a citizens' assembly to solve the political controversy around their abortion law.

- the Polish city of Gdansk used a citizens' assembly to decide how to respond after major flooding and are continuing to use this tool for any issue if it can get 1000 signatures (in a city of ca. 350,000).

- for it to work, it needs to have a strong or even binding mandate. 

What effect will the EU's Fit-for-55 policy have?

- while welcome & tackling important questions and industries (e.g. shipping): too little, too late.

- it is not phasing out fossil fuels for at least another 20 years

- passing the costs to the citizens instead of the polluters: it leaves the public financing fossil profits.

- 1.5 degrees target is off the cards & 2 degrees target little chance of surviving either

- as with the Danish klimalov, a reliance on non-existing or oversold technologies (carbon capture, hydrogen, biomass) to solve problems later without contingency in the case of these not delivering as wished and hoped for.

- while agriculture is finally addressed by EU regulation, it is still effectively excluded from meaningful action for another 10 years - time we do not have.