'The Role of Seoul in the Climate Crisis Era' Seoul City Operates 1,000-Member 'Seoul Citizens' Assembly'

First Seoul Citizens' Assembly Debate '1st Thematic Meeting' Held on the 26th
Expert Presentation on 'What is Carbon Neutrality?', 1,000 Citizen Members Participate Online and Offline

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 24th that it will hold the '2021 Seoul Citizens' Assembly 1st Thematic Meeting' with 1,000 Seoul citizens participating under the theme of 'Seoul's Role in the Era of Climate Crisis' at 2 p.m. on the 26th, marking the official start of deliberation and public discussion to prepare countermeasures against the climate crisis.

The 'Seoul Citizens' Assembly' is a policy public forum where citizens directly participate in discussions on issues that significantly impact their lives, deliberate and seek desirable alternatives. It is operated in two parts: the 'Thematic Meetings,' co-hosted by citizens, issue-related experts, and relevant Seoul city departments, and the 'Citizens' General Assembly,' which comprehensively discusses the results derived from the thematic meetings and decides the priority of policy reflections.

In the first half of the year, the Seoul Citizens' Assembly will discuss 'Seoul's Role in the Era of Climate Crisis' to seek countermeasures against climate change, which citizens perceive as the greatest threat following the spread of COVID-19. The city plans to hold a total of three thematic meetings by the end of July and, after the Citizens' General Assembly on August 29, derive the roles of citizens, administration, and businesses for '2050 Carbon Neutrality.'

The first thematic meeting of the Seoul Citizens' Assembly will be held under the topic 'Understanding 2050 Carbon Neutrality ? What is Carbon Neutrality?' To help citizens understand the agenda, the session will begin with a presentation by Shin Geun-jung, co-representative of the National Network for Regional Energy Transition and an expert in the environmental field. After the presentation, there will be a discussion between experts and citizens on the agenda, followed by a full-fledged citizen debate on the seriousness of the climate crisis and the necessity of response measures. The 2nd thematic meeting will be held on August 8, and the 3rd on August 29.

Policies proposed by citizens through the three thematic meetings will be submitted as agenda items for the Citizens' General Assembly held on August 29. After comprehensive discussions and citizen voting, the final outcome on 'Seoul's Role in the Era of Climate Crisis' will be derived, concluding the first half-year agenda discussions.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will adjust the number of participants in all on-site thematic meetings according to social distancing levels. This meeting will be limited to fewer than 50 people, about 10% of the venue's capacity, while the remaining members will participate simultaneously in non-face-to-face discussions via an online video conferencing system in real time.

The Seoul Citizens' Assembly can also be accessed through YouTube. Not only assembly members but also the general public can watch the assembly, express opinions on practical measures to respond to the climate crisis through real-time comments on YouTube, and participate in voting during the discussion.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, "Since the Seoul Citizens' Assembly reflects the population ratio of Seoul with consideration of gender, age, and region, it is a microcosm of Seoul, and I believe that each member's voice represents the voice of all Seoul citizens, so I will listen carefully." He added, "We will find climate crisis countermeasures together with citizens that the administration has not yet discovered."