AI and climate action: strengthening democratic engagement

As part of its mission to foster inclusive, sustainable, and scalable climate adaptation and resilience solu- tions, the EU-funded project NEUROCLIMA (GA 101137711) explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), climate adaptation governance, and deliberative democracy. By leveraging digital tools and participa- tory frameworks, NEUROCLIMA aims to enhance citizen engagement and support decision-making, ensur- ing that AI-driven climate solutions are transparent, equitable, and democratic. Climate adaptation has long served as a testing ground for deliberative democracy, with structured public engagement mechanisms—both online and onsite—such as citizens’ juries, deliberative polls, and climate assemblies playing a crucial role in shaping policies. Examples include ClimAdaPT in Portugal, European initiatives like Europolls, and global multisite consultations such as World Wide Views. More recently, par- ticipatory frameworks such as the Brighton and Hove Climate Assembly highlight the continued relevance of deliberative democracy in climate governance. These initiatives offer valuable insights into how delib- erative frameworks can shape adaptive strategies that integrate public concerns and scientific evidence into policy processes. AI-supported systems are transforming climate governance by enhancing early warning mechanisms, risk management, and resource optimisation across sectors such as agriculture, public health, and energy. However, despite advancements, AI-driven climate governance faces critical challenges, including digital (and climate) literacy gaps, stakeholder coordination issues, and the need to build public trust—an essen- tial factor for engagement, policy adoption, and the effective integration of AI. NEUROCLIMA seeks to ad- dress these challenges, ensuring that AI technologies foster participatory and democratic decision-making rather than reinforcing hierarchical governance structures. A priority of NEUROCLIMA is bridging individual and collective climate action. AI-powered tools can help in- dividuals track their carbon footprints and adopt sustainable behaviours, while AI-driven platforms aggre- gate public opinion, facilitate social interactions, and inform policymakers. By leveraging machine learning and natural language processing (NLP), AI can enhance participatory governance by synthesizing diverse inputs into insights. This research underscores the role of AI-powered deliberative platforms in enhancing democratic systems, with initiatives such as BCAUSE and Decidim Barcelona demonstrating how AI can broaden participation through NLP, network analysis, and data visualisation techniques that improve trans- parency and public understanding. This contribution presents a preliminary classification of methodologies and cases operating at the in- tersection of AI, climate change adaptation, and deliberation. The framework outlines how AI can support different stages of participatory governance, from citizen consultations to policy co-creation. Furthermore, this research contributes to the broader discourse on AI-driven climate governance: while AI offers new opportunities to improve accessibility, aggregate public opinion, and scale citizen engagement, it also rais- es critical concerns related to bias, transparency, and ethical accountability. The question remains: How can AI be designed to empower democratic engagement rather than reinforce hierarchical decision-making? Moving forward, NEUROCLIMA’s insights will be relevant in shaping AI-driven governance frameworks that are efficient, scalable, equitable, and participatory, ensuring that digital inno- vation strengthens rather than undermines democratic climate resilience.