In the framework of the General Estates for a Just Transition, we were mandated by the Federal Institute for Sustainable Development (FISD) to coordinate, organize, and facilitate the Citizen Agora on Just Transition.
The aim of the Citizen Agora was to place citizens at the center of deliberation and to hear their grassroots realities, addressing the question “What conditions must the ecological transition meet to be just?”. For this purpose, we gathered 65 citizens, aged at least 16, from across Belgium, representing the diversity of the population, during 4 weekends in Brussels, Ghent, Charleroi, and Verviers, at emblematic locations of past transitions or the ongoing transition.
The uniqueness of this process lay in its inclusive approach, with particular attention given to the most vulnerable individuals, including those living in precarious situations or with disabilities. The goal of citizen involvement, especially for more vulnerable groups, was to place them at the heart of discussions, democratizing the debate around just transition by highlighting on-the-ground realities as well as daily difficulties and needs. Thanks to a recruitment process through stratified random selection, a wide diversity of Belgian citizens was able to interact and debate among themselves and with experts on the topic in order to formulate concrete recommendations.
24 conditions and 47 recommendations emerged from this process. These recommendations were presented to the minister and the Federal Institute for Sustainable Development during a closing day held at the Senate.
Find them in the agora report ➡️ https://www.justtransition.be/en/citizens-agora-report-just-transition
More information: https://www.justtransition.be/en
