Presentation
The analysis proposed in this Study provides a better understanding of the CCC’s contribution, including its complementarity with the way in which these conventional debates are typically conducted between stakeholders. It can also be used to build on this novel experiment in participatory democracy for future citizens’ exercises in France and, potentially, for other countries wishing to replicate this exercise.
Key Messages
- The measures proposed by the CCC provide a real contribution to the policy discussion on the ecological transition. Despite a limited timeframe and turbulent conditions (strikes, health crisis), the CCC proposes more proactive measures for the climate than those already existing, packages of proposals that have systemic added value and a new perspective on the transition agenda. By advancing our understanding of what is possible and acceptable, the CCC thus presents a new frontier for climate action.
- Few truly innovative measures are found in the CCC report, but it makes some valuable proposals for policy trade-offs. France does not suffer from a lack of knowledge and proposals on the ecological transition, but rather from a lack of trade-offs regarding what is possible and desirable and what needs to be strengthened in spite of the barriers and obstacles. The true added value of the CCC lies in the identification of these possible pathways as well as in the quality of its debates.
- The scope of what is proposed incorporates a large number of components (social justice, innovation, advertising, education, trade policy, circular economy, etc.) and indicates willingness to refocus every dimension of our society on the climate priority. It shows the need to radically transform our entire economic system and our lifestyles. In this respect, the CCC proposals translate the urgent need to act into a unique plan of action.
- The convention has avoided the risk of the requisite collective approval of the 150 citizens leading to a weak consensus and to vague proposals, and has revived the social debate on the ecological transition: this is an important result. The implementation of this precise and ambitious programme would, by definition, have impacts on society, and especially on the economic sphere: this was inevitable in light of the ambitious mandate given by the government. It is now the responsibility of policymakers and civil society to take up this challenge of economic and industrial policy.
