Review of deliberative engagement on climate policy development: summary

This review was commissioned by the central climate policy division within the Welsh Government to explore deliberative forms of involving the public in decision making to inform its approach to developing Net Zero and climate related policies.

The specific aims of the review

Aim 1

To undertake research to determine the extent to which engagement activity is being undertaken in Wales, the methods used, and their effectiveness.

Aim 2

To inform understanding of the different forms of deliberative engagement that might be used for different purposes and audiences in Wales.

Aim 3

To help inform decisions around methods that can be used to broaden engagement beyond consultations, reaching those who would not typically respond to Government consultations.

Aim 4

To establish how deliberative engagement methods can be used to deepen Government understanding and help design policy solutions that overcome barriers to action on climate change and that are welcomed by the public.

A mixed methods design was used to conduct this review, triangulating insights from a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA), online survey, semi-structured interviews and a roundtable. The methods used were complementary and interlinked, providing different lenses to address the aims set out above.

The outcomes of this review will inform approaches to engagement around the Welsh Government’s pathways and plans to Net Zero by 2050, and around the delivery of the Climate Adaptation Strategy for Wales 2024.

The principles that underly deliberative approaches are well aligned with the duty placed on public bodies to involve the public in decisions that affect their lives and those of future generations, as set out in the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015).

Recent decades have seen noticeable growth in the use of deliberative approaches as a tool to involve the public in decision making, particularly across Europe. They equip participants with information, opportunities to challenge their ideas and space for reflection, to enable deeper public input on how to address a particular policy issue. For this reason, they are an approach that is attracting increasing interest in Wales, as methods that can help to deliver on the duty to involve the public in decision making, as set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Four qualities distinguish deliberative approaches from other engagement methods.

1. The involvement of members of the public who are randomly selected to represent a microcosm of the wider population.
2. The time and resources provided to participants to reach informed positions that take account of diverse perspectives and robust evidence.
3. The requirement to reach a collective decision or recommendation through deliberation, considering the trade-offs involved.
4. The clarity of purpose, linked to decision making, with a clearly defined question that participants have a genuine opportunity to influence.

Deliberative practices in Wales

Deliberative practices have already begun to emerge in Wales, within a rich ecosystem of engagement practices – but are often characterised as fragmented, with a need for greater coordination, sharing and embedding of the learning.

The involvement of the public in shaping climate action in Wales can broadly be characterised 
by locally rooted action, complemented by a smaller number of regionally or nationally focused programmes. This scope of activity has touched on a wide range of issues relating to climate change and the nature crisis, covering mitigation and adaptation as well as related topics such as biodiversity loss, connection to nature and environmental protection. In addition to a rich array of participatory approaches, at least 8 deliberative exercises have taken place to date in Wales on issues related to climate change, largely following the citizens’ assembly or citizens’ jury models.

This ecosystem was, however, sometimes characterised as fragmented, with a need for greater coordination, sharing and embedding of the learning from what are currently ad hoc practices – with deliberative practices tending to conform to, rather than deviate from this trend.

More diverse voices into policymaking

The importance of careful design choices that ensure deliberative engagement can bring more diverse voices into policymaking.

Deliberative engagement is often seen as a means of bringing a greater diversity of perspectives into policymaking. Most deliberative methods aim to involve a group that is broadly representative of a wider population, though there are increasingly cases where groups affected by the issue are over-represented to better take account of lived experience.

Success in recruiting a diverse cohort of participants is not, however, guaranteed. A wide range of design considerations contribute to the success of deliberative processes in reducing barriers to participation, including:

• taking time to ensure the question for deliberation resonates with community priorities
• paying people for their time, compensating people for lost income, and covering expenses
• meeting accessibility needs, and providing support for caring responsibilities
• presenting information in a range of accessible formats that suit different learning styles
• making the timing and location of the workshops as accessible as possible
• ensuring equal opportunities to participate, e.g. through facilitated discussions

Ensuring the outcomes of deliberative process are used

Deliberative processes are generally designed to reach a decision or generate recommendations that are delivered to the commissioning body. Sometimes these decisions are binding, but more often the outputs of deliberative processes serve an advisory function. A clear message in this review is the need to demonstrate that public involvement in policy development is welcomed and respected, while also being honest and realistic about the limits of its influence. While deliberative approaches are often framed as having the potential to restore trust in democracy, there is a real risk of further disenfranchisement if those who take part feel their contributions and efforts are ignored, or selectively used to push forward a pre-determined agenda.

Actions identified through this review that can help included:

• framing the engagement exercise around a clear policy question that addresses a genuinely open policy dilemma or trade-off
• engaging ‘at the right time, with enough time’ to influence a particular policy window
• setting transparent lines of responsibility for who takes forward decisions arising from deliberative engagement and how the government will respond

Deliberative engagement methods are helpful tools for meeting the duty placed on public bodies in Wales to consider and involve people of all ages and backgrounds in decision-making. This review has set out a range of ways in which deliberative methods can help to fulfil this duty, including:

• bringing more diverse voices into policy making
• helping policy makers take account of lived experience
• enabling space for learning and reflection, to foster a more informed position before asking the public to weigh up policy choices
• increasing the legitimacy of decisions made
• building on the work of a global network of practitioners applying deliberative approaches to climate related issues

This review has found appetite for both expanding and institutionalising deliberative practices to support the development of climate related policy in Wales – as well as excitement about Wales becoming a ‘test bed’ for innovation in how the public are involved in decision making. However, this review also identified limitations that require careful consideration in the commissioning of deliberative events. These limitations include setting realistic expectations of influence, ensuring the outputs of deliberative processes land in a political culture that welcomes and values citizen input into policymaking, and the need to consider carefully the goals of public participation, to select the most appropriate tools for the context.

This review presents four recommendations for consideration by the Welsh Government that aim to find a role for deliberative engagement that complements the rich engagement practices that already exist in Wales. The recommendations are made to the Welsh Government as a whole, in the spirit of the need for a holistic approach to governance around the climate and nature crises.

Recommendation 1

Fostering a political culture that visibly welcomes and values public involvement in climate action, is clear about its purpose and that is accountable for its impact.

Recommendation 2

Connecting a community of practice, that embeds deliberative engagement within a wider tapestry of public engagement practices in Wales.

Recommendation 3

Building capacity around deliberative engagement in Wales, both within Government and beyond.

Recommendation 4

Investing in more sustained, permanent modes of deliberative practice, alongside flagship programmes.

Report author: Kirstie Hewlett, Rachel Hughes, James Porter, Marypaz Ventura-Arrieta, Aakash Patel, Medhini Pathirana, Irene Soriano Redondo, Suzanne Hall, Hafiza Bint Alim, Zara Regan

Views expressed in this report are those of the researchers and not necessarily those of the Welsh Government.

For further information please contact:
Laura Entwistle
Climate and Environment Research
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

Email: ClimateandEnvironmentResearch@gov.wales

Social research number: 46/2025
Digital ISBN: 978-1-83715-825-6