South Yorkshire Mayor to form Citizens’ Assembly to collaboratively tackle climate change

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) will send letters to 30,000 people in the region inviting them to join the first Citizens’ Assembly to tackle climate change.

A Citizens’ Assembly is a collection of residents who have been selected to represent the views of their wider population on a particular issue.

Of those who apply, 100 people will be selected by lottery to represent the citizens of Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield in the assembly.

They will be asked to consider the question: “The way our climate is changing will impact us all. How should we respond, to build a thriving and sustainable future for South Yorkshire?”

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has pledged to abide by the decisions that are made by the assembly to shape climate change policy.

Those selected will be informed during October before taking part in 31 hours of sessions, nine of which are in-person.

All assembly members will receive a total compensation of £300.

Sharing the details online, Mr Coppard said: “We already know that the way in which the climate is changing is going to have an impact on all of us. We are going to have to change how we live, work and travel.

“But as well as being a huge challenge, it’s also a huge opportunity, an opportunity to create good new jobs for everyone, working in the industries and within the technologies of the future, and if we get this right, it’s an opportunity to build a cleaner, greener, happier and healthier South Yorkshire. But to get there, we’re going to have to take some big and difficult decisions.

“I’m determined to do politics differently. We can’t tackle these big questions without listening to, and learning from, everyone who lives in Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield, because the changes we have to make to tackle climate change have to be done with people, not to people.”

For more news and pictures visit our Facebook page.