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The Biergerkommitee Lëtzebuerg 2050 is the “citizen” component of a transnational consultation called Luxembourg in Transition, commissioned by the Department of Spatial Planning of the Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning between mid-2020 and the end of 2021. Its purpose was to reflect on how the territory of Luxembourg and its border regions could achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
On one hand, the process included an expert consultation, where 10 multidisciplinary teams—comprising architects, urban planners, landscape designers, and other professionals in urban and territorial planning—were tasked with developing scenarios and proposals for achieving carbon neutrality.
On the other hand, the process involved a citizen consultation through the citizens’ assembly called Biergerkommitee Lëtzebuerg 2050. This assembly had the following tasks:
At the end of the process, the Biergerkommitee Lëtzebuerg 2050 was expected to formulate recommendations for policymakers and thus contribute to the updating of the Spatial Planning Master Plan (PDAT).
The public opinion research institute TNS Ilres was tasked with independently selecting the 30 participants and 10 alternate candidates for the committee. From a database of 18,000 names, a random selection was made, and these individuals were invited by email to submit their application. In addition, a public call for applications was launched on December 4, 2020, through the media and social networks.
Based on the applications received, TNS Ilres formed a group that best reflected the diversity of Luxembourgish society, taking into account various factors: age, gender, education level, professional background, and country of origin.
The population of cross-border workers was also considered, with 5 members included out of the 30.
Facilitation
The work of the Biergerkommitee Lëtzebuerg 2050 was coordinated and facilitated by several groups.
The secretariat was established to operate independently from the Luxembourg government. Stoldt Associés was commissioned by the Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning to serve as the secretariat for the Biergerkommitee. The structure set up by the ministry gave the implementing body significant control over the design and facilitation of the process, but not over the recruitment of participants. Stoldt Associés was therefore responsible for organizing and conducting the process, providing administrative support, and establishing the overall framework. This also included communication, coordination, and moderation of the process.
The facilitation team was led by the same company as the secretariat—Stoldt Associés, an independent consulting firm with experience in participatory processes and citizen dialogue. Their focus was on facilitating and moderating the Biergerkommitee.
The expert group included more than 25 national and international experts, invited by the secretariat and facilitation team to discuss a wide range of topics and issues with the BK members, including water management, biodiversity, transportation, and construction. The goal was to enable members to grasp the complexity of their task. These experts included researchers, climate change scientists, and practitioners.
The advisory committee consisted of six members covering a broad range of expertise and perspectives on climate change and participatory and deliberative democracy. It was responsible for ensuring the integrity of the process. Its members were: Dr. Léonie de Jonge, Sophie Federspiel, Dr. Raphaël Kies, Tommy Klein, Peter Opitz, and Bob Wetzel.
Organization
In terms of design, the Biergerkommitee was unique in three respects: 1) it was conducted almost entirely online, 2) it was multilingual, and 3) it did not divide participants into thematic working groups.
Practically, the first phase, from January to June, was divided into four stages:
This first phase corresponded to the informational phase, during which members met twice a month, from February 4 to June 17, 2021, to engage with experts online. During this phase, members also met in person for the first time during a group outing to visit a section of Natur & Ëmwelt on May 8, 2021. Additionally, in mid-July, members conducted an interim evaluation of the process and discussed next steps.
The second phase, from September to December, was divided into two sub-phases:
At the end of the process, the report with the final recommendations was presented to the responsible minister, Claude Turmes, generating public interest and media coverage.
The PLDP and the University of Luxembourg were commissioned by the Ministry to evaluate the process. This work was carried out in collaboration with the University of Groningen.
The evaluation analyzed the quality of the process in terms of design and organization, recruitment, and deliberation—particularly considering its multilingual and digital nature—as well as the impact of participation on the members. Finally, the evaluation assessed the outcomes of the BK, the consideration given by policymakers, and the media reception of the process.
These analyses were based on a mixed-methods design, primarily including:
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