New South Yorkshire citizens' assembly to steer climate policies

Extinction Rebellion protesters in Sheffield in 2019

One hundred members of the public will be chosen to steer policies to tackle climate change in South Yorkshire.

The region's mayor Oliver Coppard pledged to abide by decisions made by the citizens' assembly in what he said was "a new way of doing politics".

Letters will be sent at random to 30,000 people in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley inviting them to take part.

Assembly members will be chosen by a lottery from those who respond.

They will spend 31 hours including nine in-person sessions focussing on the question: "The way our climate is changing will impact us all. How should we respond, to build a thriving and sustainable future for South Yorkshire?"

Mr Coppard, who has set a target of achieving net zero carbon emissions across the region by 2040, said the climate crisis meant "we are going to have to change how we live, work and travel".

"We simply can't tackle those big questions without listening to and learning from everyone," he added.

"That's why I'm clear that the changes we make to tackle climate change have to be done with people, not to people."

Oliver Coppard pledged to abide by the decisions of the assembly

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service the membership of the assembly will be confirmed in October and those taking part will be paid £300.

The selection process has been designed to ensure members are representative of the region, said the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority.

MPs in Westminster previously set up a national citizens' assembly made up of 110 people from across the UK.

The group made a series of recommendations in 2021 on how the country should pursue net zero.