We’re really excited to share the recommendations and report of the Blackburn with Darwen People’s Jury on Climate Change, on behalf of Blackburn with Darwen Council. The purpose of the People’s Jury was so that residents could have their say on how to tackle climate change issues in their borough. Shared Future supported the council at all stages of the project, which started in autumn 2022. The Jury members delivered their recommendations in January 2023.

The People’s Jury, a panel of 26 local residents, was carefully selected to reflect the diversity of the local population. After hearing from expert commentators and reflecting on their own knowledge about climate change and ideas for making positive improvements in their Borough, during the final sessions of their deliberation, jury members wrote a set of recommendations, answering the question:

‘What do we need to do in our homes, in business and our local area to respond to the climate change crisis?’

Their top four recommendations focussed on:

• Improving communication and education about climate change.
• Improving accountability and reporting on progress.
• Improving green spaces around the borough.
• Tackling food waste through research and behaviour change projects.

You can download the report of the process and the full recommendations from the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Website.

There has also been regular reporting on the Shuttle webpages, the council’s own local media outlet. We are grateful to the Shuttle for the image above, from the launch event. In his introduction to the report Councillor Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

“Throughout this process, the aspiration was to create an honest assessment of what can and should be done within Blackburn with Darwen to address the climate emergency being faced across the globe. As you read through this report, please keep this aspiration in mind.

The Jury – made up of 26 local residents who each contributed their valuable time and efforts – have utilised knowledge from researchers, scientists and local experts to produce a set of 15 recommendations of immense value.“

Those who came to the launch event included representatives from a wide range of sectors across the borough, bringing together the likes of United Utilities, Blackburn College, National Festival of Making, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Together Housing and East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce – to name just a few. Nearly 100 people attended the launch event at King George’s Hall.

Download the Blackburn with Darwen Peoples Jury report on our website