Intersectional Barriers to Participation in Climate Assemblies: A Study of the Brussels and Paris Cases

In recent years, citizen assemblies have emerged as innovative platforms aimed at developing climate policies and fostering a more inclusive and participatory democracy. Even though climate assemblies have the expressed ambition to be inclusive, they often reproduce systemic inequalities that hinder equitable participation. This paper explores how intersectionality—the interplay of overlapping identities such as race, gender, class, and ability—shapes engagement and participation in climate assemblies, particularly for individuals from historically marginalized and disempowered communities. The study investigates the specific barriers that intersectionally marginalized groups face when engaging in these assemblies. Through a combination of interviews and focus groups, the study examines both the degree and quality of participation among marginalized individuals. The analysis focuses on two prominent climate assemblies: the Brussels Climate Assembly and the Paris Citizens’ Assembly. By identifying barriers and patterns of exclusion, this research will contribute to our understanding of how participatory mechanisms can better address systemic inequalities, and provide insight into making climate governance more inclusive and effective.