Participants' Questions

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What is expected of me as a WWViews participant?

What do I need to know in terms of practical arrangements?

What type of costs do I have to cover?

Who is running the event and who will attend it?

Will I be identified as a WWViews participant?

What will happen with the results of the event?

Will my participation have an impact on climate change policy?

Why run an event like this?

 

What is expected of me as a WWViews participant?

Is there any homework involved beforehand?

Yes, the Information Pack includes a climate change Background Reading (about 40 pages) that selected participants are expected to read before the event. You are not expected to know a lot about climate change. The Background Reading is intended to provide you with information to help you feel better prepared for discussions about climate change but you are not expected to learn or remember everything in the reading materials – there won’t be an exam! There will also be an opportunity to ask questions about the information in the Background Reading materials at the end of the first day of the event. You are there to represent your own views on the topics being discussed.

What is expected of me at the event?

You are expected to attend for the full duration of the event, which is a half day on Friday 25th and a full day until 6.30pm on Saturday 26th. You will be asked to listen to information videos and take part in group discussions about climate change and an anonymous voting process. You are expected to follow the program of activities during the event, and interact respectfully and courteously with your fellow participants, who are coming from around Australia and all walks of life.

Will I have to get up and speak in front of everyone at the event?

No, you will not have to get up and speak in front of everyone. You will be expected to take part in small group discussions at a table of about 6 to 8 people. Each table will have a facilitator to help make sure everyone gets a chance to speak and have their views heard.

What if I don’t know much or don’t have strong opinions about climate change?

It is absolutely fine to take part in this event regardless of your current levels of knowledge or views on climate change. This is not an event for scientists and experts, this is an event for ordinary Australians.

What will we be discussing at the event?

You will be discussing pre-set questions that fit broadly within four thematic areas: personal views on climate change, long-term goals and urgency, responsibility for dealing with greenhouse gas emissions and the economics of dealing with climate change. The event has a global focus and the discussions will be about the global community’s response to climate change more than Australia’s internal climate policies. As a table group you will also be making a recommendation to Australia’s climate negotiators.

Will it be clear what I have to do and where I need to go?

We hope to make participation in the event as easy as possible. If you have been selected for the event you should by now have received a confirmation letter, maps of Sydney CBD, further information, the event program and an individual itinerary. The information pack includes details about group walks from hotels to the event venue. There will also be a dedicated Participant Support Team available for the entire duration of the event on the 25th and 26th who can help answer any questions you might have about the process, about logistics, or any other queries of concerns you might have while taking part. However, with the exception of flights and accommodation, as explained in the information you have received, you will need to make your own travel arrangements, for example, for getting to and from airports.

Will I get a chance afterwards to let you know what I thought of the event?

Yes, we will be circulating a survey after the event for participants to fill in to give us information on your views. There will also be an opportunity for feedback on the first day of the event to help us best meet the groups needs.

What do I need to know in terms of practical arrangements

 

What if I change my mind about attending?

This is an important and unique opportunity. As a participant, you have committed to take on the following responsibilities:

It is very important to the success of the event that you attend if you have been selected, unless you have an unexpected emergency that prevents you from attending.

Can I bring someone with me to the event?

You must be able to attend the event and take part independently. You may wish to bring someone with you to Sydney at your own expense – we will not pay for travel expenses for anyone accompanying you. Anyone accompanying you will not be able to attend the event. You will also be expected to stay at the event venue throughout proceedings on 25th September and 26th September.

What times of day is the event being held?

Participants will be asked to register from 1pm on Friday 25th and the event is expected to end around 5.30pm on the first day. It will start at around 8.30am on Saturday 26th and finish around 6.30pm. At the end of the event there will be a 2 – 2.5 hour Closing Drinks Function for everyone involved.

What if I arrive late to the event?

You should plan your trip so that you allow plenty of time to get to Sydney and to get to the event venue. If we have booked a flight for you, we have tried to book a flight with an arrival time that gives you enough time to check in to your hotel before the event. However, if for example, your flight is delayed or an unexpected emergency causes you to run late on the day, please call us as soon as you can. If you miss your flight, please call us as soon as you can. If you are late through no fault of your own, for example due to a delayed flight, we will do our best to accommodate you in the event. However, we reserve the right to refuse entry to latecomers.

What will I need to bring/wear?

You will need to bring all of your personal items such as toiletries, personal effects, travel documents, etc.

The event will involve sitting indoors, and discussing things in groups, at small tables for long periods, so we suggest wearing comfortable clothes. You may like to bring a warm top or jacket that you can remove or put on through the day as the venue will be air-conditioned, and may feel cool to some participants.

Can I bring luggage to event?

If you have time, we advise you to check in at your hotel before the event and leave your luggage at the hotel as there isn’t a secure storage facility at the event venue – the hotel can hold your luggage if your room is not ready. If you don’t have time to check in first, for example if your flight is delayed, you can bring your luggage to the event. However, we cannot take responsibility for the safety of your belongings and if you bring luggage to the venue we advise you to keep your valuables with you.

How long will breaks be – will I have time to have some quiet time during the day?

Breaks will generally be between 20 minutes to 45 minutes in length. You can choose how you use this time.

Can I leave the venue for quick errands or to meet people during breaks/lunch?

The breaks are not long enough to leave the venue. It’s crucial that you’re there for the whole of every session otherwise you could miss important information or miss contributing to discussions – it is also disruptive for fellow participants. We are providing food and refreshments during the event so it shouldn’t be necessary to leave the venue. Bring everything you need for the day to the event venue, for example any medicines you need to take during the hours of the event. There will not be enough time to run errands, meet people or sightsee during breaks. Remember that it’s only 1.5 days and only 110 people from all of Australia are invited to attend. You have been selected to represent your state and it’s important that you participate fully. The event will run to a tight schedule with a packed agenda - we will be starting sessions on time and getting people settled in their seats in advance. It’s also important to remember that scheduled breaks are an important opportunity to relax, recharge and refresh. We strongly advise you not to plan any other activities during the hours of the event.

Will I be able to smoke at the venue?

The venue is a non-smoking venue. During sessions, participants will need to remain inside, contributing to their table discussions. During scheduled breaks there will be limited opportunity to go outside for a smoking break.

Will I be able to watch the AFL Grand Final during the event?

We are aware that the event coincides with the AFL Grand Final, and that this may be a concern for some potential participants. We anticipate making scores available during breaks.

Will I be able to make or receive telephone calls during the event?

To ensure that discussions are not disrupted, you will be asked to switch off your mobile phone during sessions. There will be opportunities to use your mobile phone during scheduled breaks. An exception may be made if you are expecting an emergency phone call, but in these circumstances you should carefully consider whether it is practical for you to attend the event.

Can I check emails during the event?

There will not be access to computers to check emails at the event venue. If you have a personal electronic device for checking emails, you will be asked to switch it off during sessions but there will be opportunities to use it during scheduled breaks. An exception may be made if you are expecting an emergency message, but in these circumstances you should carefully consider whether it is practical for you to attend the event.

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

Yes. There are lifts inside the venue and the venue is wheelchair accessible from street level.

What facilities will there be at the hotel?

For general information on the Ibis Hotels, you can visit the website: http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/discovering-ibis-hotel/index.shtml. You will have also received information about your hotel in your confirmation pack

What type of costs do I have to cover?

In order to make the event accessible to people, we will make available an optional contribution to other travel costs involved in getting to and from Sydney for the event and to non-catered meal costs during your stay in Sydney for the event. This contribution is estimated based on the approximate cost of public transport and modest meal expenses. This will be made available only to those who participated in the full event, and will be available at the event venue at the close of the event. If you opt not to take this contribution or if the contribution does not cover your actual expenses, you will need to cover the additional costs. The information you have been sent provides details on the value of contributions available depending on where you are travelling from.

Who is running the event and who will attend it?

Who thought up this event?

The Australian WWViews event is part of an international project of the same name that has been initiated by the Danish Board of Technology, a Danish Government agency. Denmark is hosting the international Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. There are up to 50 countries around the world taking part in WWViews. The Institute for Sustainable Futures of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is running the Australian WWViews event.

Who is running the event?

As mentioned above, this is part of a global project, being carried out by lots of participating organisations around the world at the same time. In Australia, the event is being organised and run by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). UTS is a contemporary and progressive university with a global perspective, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008.

The Institute for Sustainable Futures is Australia’s leading sustainability research and consulting organisation based at the University of Technology, Sydney. It works with industry, government and the community to help create sustainable futures through independent, project-based research. Its work includes development and delivery of consultation processes that aim to give ordinary citizens a voice on important policy issues.

How was the background reading document produced?

The information booklet was written by Danish science journalist Ebbe Sønderriis in close cooperation with the Danish Board of Technology, coordinator of World Wide Views.

A Scientific Advisory Board was established to review whether the information provides the background knowledge necessary to form opinions on the questions that will be discussed at the WWViews event, to avoid misunderstanding and to ensure a relevant balance of information.

To test if the information was relevant, well balanced, and easy for ordinary people to understand, four focus group interviews were carried out, in Japan, Canada, Denmark and Bolivia. All World Wide Views partners had the opportunity to comment on draft versions of the information booklet.

The background reading document is largely based on the latest assessment report from the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), The Fourth Assessment Report, published in 2007. The background reading material is based on the consensus of the scientific community [described below].

What is the scientific basis of the information in the document?

The information below is from the website of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization.htm

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences.

The IPCC is a scientific body. It reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It does not conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters.

Thousands of scientists from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC on a voluntary basis. Review is an essential part of the IPCC process, to ensure an objective and complete assessment of current information. Differing viewpoints existing within the scientific community are reflected in the IPCC reports.

The main conclusions of the IPCC are approved by scientists and government representatives. Membership of the IPCC is open to all countries which are members of the World Meteorological Organisation and the UN Environmental Programme.

Because of its scientific and intergovernmental nature, the IPCC embodies a unique opportunity to provide rigorous and balanced scientific information to decision makers. By endorsing the IPCC reports, governments acknowledge the authority of their scientific content. The work of the organization is therefore policy-relevant and yet policy-neutral, never policy-prescriptive.

Who is funding the event?

The University of Technology, Sydney is the major event sponsor. Other in-kind or financial sponsorship is being provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers, National Australia Bank, WWF Australia and the Department of Sustainability and the Environment, Victoria.

Why is a university involved in this event?

Many of the WWViews events around the world are being run by community and research organisations such as universities. As well as being a citizens democracy process, it is an important research project for the University. For more than 10 years the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney has been a leader in the development and delivery of innovative engagement processes that aim to give ordinary citizens a voice on important policy issues.

What is the role of the sponsors?

The University of Technology Sydney is both the WWViews Australian partner for WWViews International and major sponsor of the Australian event. The event is being organised and run by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney.

Other sponsors are providing a mix of financial and in-kind support for the event, such as staff and facilities, because they believe that this is an important and exciting event that they are proud to be associated with. Sponsors play a very important role in making the event possible.

Sponsors are not involved in designing the event program, the process or the research methodology or in writing up the results of the process.

Who will be attending the event?

The event will be attended by at least 100 randomly selected Australian adults who have been selected to represent the demographic diversity of Australia. The event will also be attended by staff running the event, including facilitators who will be drawn from a number of organisations, but whose role will be to facilitate discussions and who will not take part in the discussions themselves. The whole event will be facilitated by a professional facilitator.

The Closing Drinks Function will be open to all participants, facilitators and staff from sponsoring organisations. In addition, external guests who we want to know about the event will be invited.

What mix of people will attend?

The organisers are specifically trying to get a mix of the Australian public represented at the event. The event will include adult men and women of all ages, from all states and territories of Australia. Participants will have various educational, work, and family backgrounds, to mirror as far as possible the mix that is present in the Australian population as a whole. Ordinary people are being recruited to attend, not climate change professionals or experts like climate scientists.

How will it represent the Australian population?

The recruitment process involved contacting randomly selected citizens from around Australia. The screening and recruitment questions were selected to draw people with a mix of characteristics around key features such as age, gender, ethnicity, educational background, household type, income levels. In this way the participants will broadly mirror the same mix of characteristics present in the Australian population. We have not asked people their views on climate change in the recruitment process. By selecting people randomly and seeking a mix of demographic characteristics to mirror the population as a whole, we hope to have a diverse range of views represented at the event.

Will I be identified as a WWViews participant?

Will the event be video recorded?

The event will be video recorded and the video may be made available to the media, on websites etc. However, video footage of the event will not include identifiable audio of individual participants.

Will I be identified as an individual?

You may be identifiable in video footage and photographs from the event. However, video footage of the event will not include identifiable audio of individual participants.

Comments will only be specifically attributed to you as an individual by the event organisers in print or video recording if you have specifically given consent for this.

Your details will only be made public by the event organisers e.g. via the WWViews website or to media, if you have given specific consent for this.

Will my views be made public?

The results of the event as a whole will be made public. Your individual views will not be made public by the event organisers unless you give specific, written consent to sharing them, for example via interviews with researchers or with the media.

During the event, your individual views will be shared with the views of other people at the event through a process of small table discussions (which will not be recorded), anonymous voting and other activities.

Comments will only be specifically attributed to you as an individual by the event organisers in print or video recording if you have specifically given consent for this. Your details will only be made public by the event organisers e.g. via the WWViews website or to media, if you have given specific consent for this.

What will happen with the results of the event?

How will discussions be captured and written down at the event?

The event will result in a set of outputs – the results of voting by the participants on various questions, and recommendations made by the group. These will be gathered up and tallied during the day by designated event staff.

What will happen with the results?

We will input the results of the event into the WWViews international database and they will be compared to results from other countries. The Danish organisation leading the international event will present the results to climate negotiators who will be in Copenhagen in December for the international climate conference. Participants will also be able to access this information and compare the Australian results with those of other countries.

In Australia we will also report the results to Australian media outlets and will distribute the results to Australian climate negotiators.

The Australian Government Department of Climate Change has endorsed the project and will also be given the results.

All participants will be given a copy of the results, as will facilitators and sponsors of the event.

Will there be media coverage of the event?

The WWViews Australia project team includes a dedicated media officer and we have developed a media strategy with the aim of attracting media coverage before, during and after the event. Media outlets have expressed interest in the event.

Will my participation have an impact on climate change policy?

What is the likelihood of participants’ views having any influence?

We will make the results of the event publicly available on the internet and will give the results to the Department of Climate Change and climate change negotiators. The Australian Government Department of Climate Change has endorsed the project in a letter of support from the Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong. They have also committed to sending a senior representative to the event.

We have also developed a media strategy and other activities that aim to raise the profile of the event and build relationships with government representatives. Internationally, the Danish event organisers will promote the results of WWViews before and during the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. The intention of all these activities is to ensure that governments listen to what participants have to say and take account of participants’ views in climate policy.

Is this process part of the Australian Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme or the 2020 Summit or any other government consultation process?

This process is being run by the University of Technology Sydney in conjunction with many linked events taking place on the same day around the world. The event is not part of the Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, the 2020 Summit or any other government run consultation.

Why run an event like this?

Why has this event been organised?

The Australian WWViews event is part of an international project of the same name that has been initiated by the Danish Board of Technology, a Danish Government agency. Denmark is hosting the international Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. The primary purpose of the event is to give ordinary citizens a voice on climate change. WWViews is a unique process empowering members of the public in many different countries to give a clear indication to climate negotiators of their preferred options for policy action on climate change. WWViews is also the first-ever global citizen engagement exercise. A secondary aim of WWViews is to demonstrate the importance of public participation in policy-making processes in Australia and nations around the world.

Why have 100 people there? Is that enough to find out what ordinary Australians think?

The 100 participants have been selected to be broadly representative of the Australian adult population. Unlike a survey or a poll, this process involves provision of information to participants and discussion between participants, which gives them an opportunity to hear different opinions and learn from each other. 100 people is a reasonable size for this kind of process. It also makes it logistically possible for many countries around the world to take part in WWViews.

Why not just run a survey? Why get everyone together like this?

Unlike a survey or a poll, this process involves provision of information to participants and discussion between participants, which gives them an opportunity to hear different opinions and learn from each other. This allows the possibility for a process of change to occur as a result of discussions, rather than only capturing pre-existing opinions. It is more similar to a jury process than to a survey.

The process involves face-to-face discussions in small groups. In some participating countries where advanced communications technologies may not be available to the organisers, this will only be possible by bringing everyone together in one location. To make the process as similar as possible in all countries, every participating country will bring participants together in one location in that country.