Engaging stakeholders to incorporate citizen science in climate assemblies

Citizen science can strengthen climate assemblies by grounding them in real-world data and lived experiences. Engaging the right stakeholders, from local networks to European platforms, enhances inclusivity, trust, and data quality. 

Types of Stakeholders to Engage 

Networks and Hubs 

Local/Regional Level 

• Oficina de Ciencia Ciudadana de Barcelona (Spain). The Barcelona Citizen Science Office is the City Council's multidisciplinary platform for the promotion of citizen science and collective learning based on experience and good practices, offering toolkits, platforms, and links to local research centres and community initiatives (e.g., Ciència a les escoles). 

• Citizen Science Zurich (Switzerland). Citizen Science Zurich is a joint initiative of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, supported by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland and acts as a hub for citizen science in the region providing training, digital tools and participating in projects (e.g., CrowdWater) 

National Level 

• Citizen Science Network Austria (Austria): Citizen Science Network Austria was founded, which is coordinated by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences. This network aims to further develop citizen science in Austria, to promote quality and to strengthen the dialogue between science and society (e.g., Sparkling Science). Provides guidelines and standards for participatory research in Austria and host multiples projects. 

• mit:forschen! Gemeinsam Wissen schaffen (formerly Bürger schaffen Wissen) (Germany) is the central platform for citizen science in Germany. The platform presents, connects and supports citizen science projects since April 2014. The platform’s main goals are to give an overview of citizen science projects, to inform about the concept of citizen science and strengthen its visibility and acceptance, to further develop the citizen science landscape in Germany and internationally and to contribute to current debates on participatory science. 

• Rede Portuguesa de Ciência Cidadã (Portugal) is an informal network that brings together researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts involved in citizen science in Portugal. The network aims to share resources, best practices, and information about citizen science projects in the country. The network facilitates collaboration between different citizen science initiatives and stakeholders. 

• Scivil (Flanders) is the Flemish knowledge centre for citizen science. It is a catalyst and matchmaker, bringing together all parties and required tools for strong citizen science projects. Scivil promotes, connects, supports and innovates citizen science, including the a Citizen Science Roadmap for Local Government. 

European Level 

• European Citizen Science Association (ECSA): A cross-European network that promotes citizen science through policy advocacy, resource sharing, and networking (e.g., EU-Citizen.Science Platform). 

Science Shops 

Science Shops are organizations affiliated with universities or NGOs that carry out scientific research in response to concerns expressed by civil society. They are an excellent bridge between citizen needs and academic expertise. Climate assemblies can commission local research or facilitate co-designed studies through science shops.  

Living Knowledge Network (based in Netherlands where the first Science Shop was established in the 70s) is the formal international network of Science Shops and Community Based Research. SciShops.eu project, a Horizon 2020 project to scale up the Science Shop model across Europe, was an initiative supporting research driven by grassroots environmental and social questions with examples of Science Shops like InterMEDIU (Bucarest, Romania) or the Oxford pop-up science shop in artificial intelligence (Oxford, UX). 

Citizen Observatories 

Citizen Observatories are long-term, participatory platforms focused on collecting environmental data. They represent a powerful intersection of citizen science, environmental monitoring, and often, policy influence. A significant aim of many citizen observatories is to provide valuable data and insights that can inform environmental policy and decision-making at local, regional, national, and even European levels. By involving citizens, they can also increase public awareness and engagement with environmental issues. 

In the same vein of citizen science projects, many prominent Citizen Observatories initiatives have been supported by EU funding programs like Horizon 2020 and now Horizon Europe. This funding has been instrumental in developing innovative platforms, testing methodologies, and building networks across Europe and beyond, for instance, CitiObs (Citizen Observatories for inclusive, healthy, sustainable and resilient cities) or FRAMEwork (Citizen Observatory for Monitoring Biodiversity in Farmland Landscapes). 

Some other projects followed the same approach, however most of them are discontinued: SCENT (2016-2019), GROW Observatory (2016-2019), LandSense (2016-2020), WeObserve (2017-2021), CitieS-Health (2019-2021), Cos4Cloud (2019-2023). 

Participatory and Community Science Initiatives 

Beyond formal citizen science, broader participatory approaches can support climate assemblies: 

• Living Labs, these are real-life testbeds where users and producers co-create innovations. Relevant in testing local climate adaptation measures. In our case we have participate in three living labs: Ebro Bioterritory Living Lab (Spain), Chios Living Lab (Greece) and Vilnius Living Lab (Lithuania) 

• Participatory mapping, initiative like Adaptation Scotland's Participatory Mapping Tool provides a detailed guide on how communities can undertake participatory mapping to understand local experiences and impacts of climate change. This involves community members annotating maps with their observations of where climate change is happening and what makes their area vulnerable or resilient. Local Initiatives using OpenStreetMap: Many local groups and NGOs utilize OpenStreetMap (OSM) for participatory mapping related to climate adaptation. For instance, communities might map flood-prone areas, green infrastructure for heatwave mitigation, or areas affected by coastal erosion. Tools like the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) often engage communities in mapping vulnerable areas relevant to climate-related disasters. 

How to engage stakeholders effectively in the climate assembly 

1. Map existing initiatives: conduct an inventory of local and national citizen science activities. 

2. Include citizen scientists as stakeholders: invite project leaders or data contributors to present findings or participate in deliberations. 

3. Build collaborations with research institutions: partner with universities that have active citizen science departments or science shops. 

4. Co-design questions with communities: develop climate assembly dilemmas collaboratively so that they align with community priorities and policy relevance.