Citizenship, science and power: from the co-production of knowledge to the co-construction of legitimate and fair decisions

This article explores the importance and role of citizen participation in the co-production of scientific knowledge and collective decision-making. Drawing on the concepts of democracy, citizen science, and action-research, the author demonstrates that citizens, particularly those confronted with environmental risks, can play an active role in science, from data collection to the development of public policies. The article questions the modalities of representation and potential biases, and emphasises the importance of an intersectional approach.It underscores the need for a genuine collaboration between scientists, decision-makers, and communities to build shared, solid, legitimate, and equitable expertise, which requires resources, time and coordination. It concludes by recalling that the sine qua non condition for this collaboration is power-sharing, at every step of the process.