Talanoa Dialogue - Opening flickr photo by UNclimatechange shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-SA) license
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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 18, Issue 02 | June 21, 2021
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White Paper: Equitable and Empowering Participatory Policy Design Strategies to Accelerate Just Climate Action
Isatis M. Cintron-Rodriguez (1,2), Haley A. Crim (3), Deb L. Morrison (3,4), Frank Niepold (3,5), Jen Kretser (3,6), William Spitzer (3,7), Tom Bowman (8)
Corresponding author: [email protected] |
Keywords: climate empowerment; participatory policy design; climate governance; policymaking; climate learning; COP26; Talanoa
Executive Summary: Inter- and intra-country inequalities hamper adaptation and resilience capacity to climate change. Achieving a climate resilient future requires long-term visions, system-oriented approaches, cross-sector collaborations, and good climate governance, while centering on equity and justice in policy making. Central to these governance efforts is an informed and active society with concrete mechanisms to influence decision making. Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) provides the framework to attain climate policy coherence that integrates the capacities and needs of all members of society into ambitious and effective strategies. This paper proposes a novel approach to policy making, applied to the co-creation of a national climate empowerment plan for the United States that encompasses local participation, leadership, and consent. The approach is based on a combination of participatory backcasting and the Talanoa process structure and principles of multi-level, transdisciplinary, transparency and inclusive dialogues. The proposed approach is beneficial for the advancement of ambitious, practical, and flexible plans with broad-based buy-in from stakeholders ranging from policymakers to relevant actors to frontline and marginalized communities to institutions.
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Isatis M. Cintron-Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican climate researcher awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship and the Austrian Science Fund to study the impacts of atmospheric pollution in the cryosphere and potential mitigation policies. She works in the intersection between climate civic diplomacy, science and community organizing around climate action and human rights in the Latin America and Caribbean Region (LAC). She is the LAC Regional Coordinator for Citizens Climate Lobby/International (CCI), focused on advancing climate-smart finance, climate empowerment, and public participation both at the national and the UNFCCC level. She also manages and designs engagement strategies for civil society, scientists, and policymakers across the world at the local, national and international level. She is also a member of the U.S. ACE Framework Coordinating Team. Her work has been supported by the Union of Concerned Scientists to hold a citizens’ assemblies to build a National Climate Action Strategy for Puerto Rico, a template that has served to coordinate and deploy citizens assemblies across the LAC region.
Haley A. Crim is a project coordinator at the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) and a member of the U.S. ACE Framework Coordinating Team. Her work focuses on coordinating communities, governments, nonprofits and other stakeholders to work together towards climate justice. Haley recently graduated Cum Laude from Bates College with a degree in Ecology and Earth Systems and served in AmeriCorps’ Greenest Region Corps as a sustainability fellow at the Village of Park Forest, Illinois.
Deb L. Morrison, PhD works at the intersection of justice, science, and learning. She is a scientist, educator, learning scientist, mother, and locally elected official. Deb works in research-practice-policy partnerships across various scales to iteratively understand and improve complex socio-ecological systems through design-based and action-oriented research. More at www.debmorrison.me
Frank Niepold serves as the Climate Education Coordinator at NOAA's Climate Program Office in Maryland, and U.S. ACE National Focal Point. He is a co-chair of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Education Interagency Working Group, member of the Federal Steering Committee for the Fourth National Climate Assessment, and the ECOS community. He is the reporting lead for the UNFCCC National Communication Education and Youth Chapter. Niepold is a founding member and co-chair of the CLEAN Network Leadership Board. He has been a delegate for the U.S at the 2015 UN COP21.
Jen Kretser leads the Wild Center’s climate change engagement program including the Youth Climate Program which works to engage with and empower youth around the world to take action on Climate Change. Under her direction, the Program has been recognized by the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency. She has represented the Wild Center at the United Nations climate talks. Kretser is also part of the coordinating team for U.S. ACE Framework, the CLEAN Network Leadership Board and the NYC Climate Resilience and Education Task Force.
William Spitzer, PhD is a member of the coordinating team for the U.S. ACE Framework, and is former Vice President for Learning and Community at the New England Aquarium, where he was responsible for applying learning and social science research across education programs, exhibits, visitor experience, and community outreach for more than 20 years.
Tom Bowman is a strategic communication practitioner, consultant, and author in the fields of climate change engagement and business strategy. He is founder of Bowman Design Group and Bowman Change, Inc., a consultancy that advises government agencies and cultural institutions.
Acknowledgements We thank Spencer Foundation for making this work possible under Grant No. 202100079. We would also like to show gratitude to the broad ACE community for sharing their lived experience and practical wisdom with us in this process. We stand on the shoulder of giants.
Disclaimers This paper is based upon the ACE community insights and might not necessarily reflect the views of Spencer Foundation or the authors’ institutions and governmental agencies.
Haley A. Crim is a project coordinator at the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) and a member of the U.S. ACE Framework Coordinating Team. Her work focuses on coordinating communities, governments, nonprofits and other stakeholders to work together towards climate justice. Haley recently graduated Cum Laude from Bates College with a degree in Ecology and Earth Systems and served in AmeriCorps’ Greenest Region Corps as a sustainability fellow at the Village of Park Forest, Illinois.
Deb L. Morrison, PhD works at the intersection of justice, science, and learning. She is a scientist, educator, learning scientist, mother, and locally elected official. Deb works in research-practice-policy partnerships across various scales to iteratively understand and improve complex socio-ecological systems through design-based and action-oriented research. More at www.debmorrison.me
Frank Niepold serves as the Climate Education Coordinator at NOAA's Climate Program Office in Maryland, and U.S. ACE National Focal Point. He is a co-chair of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Education Interagency Working Group, member of the Federal Steering Committee for the Fourth National Climate Assessment, and the ECOS community. He is the reporting lead for the UNFCCC National Communication Education and Youth Chapter. Niepold is a founding member and co-chair of the CLEAN Network Leadership Board. He has been a delegate for the U.S at the 2015 UN COP21.
Jen Kretser leads the Wild Center’s climate change engagement program including the Youth Climate Program which works to engage with and empower youth around the world to take action on Climate Change. Under her direction, the Program has been recognized by the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency. She has represented the Wild Center at the United Nations climate talks. Kretser is also part of the coordinating team for U.S. ACE Framework, the CLEAN Network Leadership Board and the NYC Climate Resilience and Education Task Force.
William Spitzer, PhD is a member of the coordinating team for the U.S. ACE Framework, and is former Vice President for Learning and Community at the New England Aquarium, where he was responsible for applying learning and social science research across education programs, exhibits, visitor experience, and community outreach for more than 20 years.
Tom Bowman is a strategic communication practitioner, consultant, and author in the fields of climate change engagement and business strategy. He is founder of Bowman Design Group and Bowman Change, Inc., a consultancy that advises government agencies and cultural institutions.
Acknowledgements We thank Spencer Foundation for making this work possible under Grant No. 202100079. We would also like to show gratitude to the broad ACE community for sharing their lived experience and practical wisdom with us in this process. We stand on the shoulder of giants.
Disclaimers This paper is based upon the ACE community insights and might not necessarily reflect the views of Spencer Foundation or the authors’ institutions and governmental agencies.
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance or issue partners/sponsors. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.
ISSN 2372-2193
ISSN 2372-2193