Assembly on climate change debates who pays the bill

MORE than 100 members of the public were asked yesterday to consider who should bear the costs of climate change in the first citizens’ assembly on the subject.

A representative sample of 110 people gathered in Birmingham for the first of four weekends that will address how the UK should meet the Government’s legally binding target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The first weekend was designed to introduce the members to the background of climate change, and the ethical considerations that should inform their decision-making.

Later weekends will look at more practical questions, such as whether to impose flight taxes, how much meat we should be eating and how we should be heating our homes.

Chris Stark, the chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change, a Government advisory body, told the assembly they should think about how

‘The people most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are often least able to change its course’

the burden of climate change should be shared and how much government intervention should be acceptable.

“The people who are most vulnerable to the global effects are often the least able to change the course of climate change,” he said.

Asked how the Government could make sure the costs do not have a disproportionate impact on poor people, he said it was “very important” that the Treasury answer that question.

Among the speakers was Tony Juniper, the head of Natural England, who warned of the “tearing apart of the web of life”.

The group was last night due to hear from Sir David Attenborough, to thank them for their participation.

Invitation letters were sent randomly to 30,000 people asking them to take part in the assembly, for which they will be paid £600 in total.

From the 2,000 who replied to express interest, the group was chosen by an algorithm to reflect the demographics of the UK, including age, gender and ethnicity.