States Members will consider and discuss the recent recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change in this week’s States sitting.
The Citizen’s Assembly met between March and May 2021, bringing together 45 Islanders to consider how Jersey should work towards a carbon neutral future. Last month, they submitted a series of prioritised recommendations, focusing on issues such as transport, heating, cooling and cooking emissions.
As part of the agreed process, an in-committee debate is required to consider the suggestions of the Citizens’ Assembly, and the Minister for Environment was called upon to promptly arrange for that to take place.
The debate is scheduled for the latter part of this weeks’ States sitting agenda. It is an opportunity for States Members to give their initial reaction to the work of the Citizens’ Assembly, and outline whether they welcome the recommendations.
The Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young, said: “This debate is the next key milestone on the Island’s path and transition to carbon neutrality. It’ll allow us to gauge the political will and ambition, from across the States Assembly, for real action in this area and to get a sense of which recommendations are likely to gain their support.
“I’d like to thank the Citizens’ Assembly again for their considerable commitment and a remarkable contribution of over 1,500 hours of their collective time and effort. I thank them for their set of recommendations and, with this in-committee debate, reassure them that their suggestions are being carefully considered by politicians.”
Unlike propositions, in-committee debates are not followed by a vote. Members are allowed to speak more than once.
Following the debate, the Government will review the existing evidence, recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly, and the initial views of the States Assembly, before drafting the Carbon Neutral Roadmap which will be published by the end of January 2022.
Government of Jersey News Release.