At the first weekend assembly members met together for a full day of presentations and discussions on Saturday, and a half-day on Sunday. The assembly heard from a range of speakers on what climate change is, its impacts and the challenges around reducing emissions.
The assembly received a written briefing on climate change. They also heard evidence on some of the overarching ethical and strategic questions that tackling climate change raises. The assembly discussed and voted on what underpinning principles they believe should steer the UK’s approach reaching net zero by 2050.
Each speaker was provided with a brief from the Expert Leads on what their presentation should cover. Read the speakers' briefings for panel one here and panel two here.
Agenda
View the footage of weekend one, and read transcripts and speakers' presentations by following the links in the agenda below.
Saturday 25th January
Assembly introduction
Panel one - introduction to climate change livestream
The speakers will cover what climate change is, the effects of climate change and why tackling it has proved difficult.
Professor Joanna Haigh, Imperial College London: What climate change is (informant)
Professor Ed Hawkins, University of Reading: Impacts of climate change (informant)
Professor Rebecca Willis, University of Lancaster: Why tackling climate change has proved difficult (informant)
Chris Stark, Committee on Climate Change: What the assembly will consider (informant)
Assembly members prioritise their questions for the later Q&A
Break for lunch
Group discussion and reflection
Panel two - overarching ethical questions on how to get to net zero livestream
Posing ethical questions around issues such as fairness and individual freedom, co-benefits and trade-offs:
Chris Stark, Committee on Climate Change (informant)
Giving their view on the ethical questions:
Fernanda Balata, New Economics Foundation (advocate)
Professor Paul Ekins, University College London (advocate)
Modi Mwatsama, Wellcome (advocate)
Tony Juniper, Natural England (advocate)
Kirsten Leggatt, 2050 Climate Group (advocate)
Assembly members prioritise their questions for the later Q&A
Sunday 26th January
Discussion on principles and values
Panel three livestream
Chris Stark, Committee on Climate Change: Where our energy comes from and how we use energy (informant)
Professor Rebecca Willis, University of Lancaster: Key practical issues to consider for how the UK gets to net zero (informant)
Assembly members prioritise their questions for the later Q&A
Panel three - Q&A livestream
Discussion and voting on principles and values