Keynote: Citizen participation to city hall – building equity into climate action from the bottom up

As cities strive to address climate change, it is imperative to ensure that climate action is inclusive and benefits all residents, especially those who have historically been disproportionately impacted by environmental challenges. The opening keynote is dedicated to how cities can address those historical inequities and put different citizen demographics back on equal footing when adapting to climate change impacts. This includes:

Inclusive decision-making processes – the keynote will delve into the need for inclusive and participatory decision-making processes in climate action planning. It will explore strategies for engaging and empowering marginalised communities, ensuring their representation at city level, and incorporating their perspectives in the development and implementation of climate initiatives. This extends to the importance of recognising environmental justice and the need to actively redress inequities by prioritising the needs and concerns of marginalised communities.

Integrating equity into climate action through engagement and capacity building – emphasising the importance of empowering communities to actively participate in and benefit from climate action initiatives. Here, the keynote will explore strategies for providing access to information, resources, and decision-making processes, enabling communities to shape and co-create climate solutions that address their specific needs and aspirations. It will also address the need for monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess equity outcomes in climate action implementation. They will explore how indicators, data collection, and evaluation frameworks can track progress, identify disparities, and ensure accountability in achieving equitable outcomes.