Solutions for our planet: In search of common ground on climate and energy policy

Climate change is an intensely polarizing issue. It doesn’t have to be.

In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), a representative sample of 962 Americans gathered last month to consider climate and energy policy proposals from across the political spectrum. Convened by Stanford’s Center for Deliberative Democracy and the global problem-solving organization Helena, and recruited by NORC at the University of Chicago, this unprecedented group bridged partisan divides through a process called Deliberative Polling. Over the course of several weeks, participants read the best arguments from all sides, questioned experts, and engaged in thoughtful, moderated discussion via an interactive virtual platform.

Polling before and after the event found that the forum yielded strong, bipartisan alignment on policies to address climate change. The key question now: Will it make a difference in D.C.?

This launch event will take you through the results of the deliberative poll, America in One Room: Climate and Energy. We’ll also hear from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), both members of the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, about the political dynamics of the climate debate and the prospects for policy change.