Francis Noijen from Boekel was selected as one of 175 participants in the National Climate Citizens’ Council, after 70,000 people received an invitation and more than 4,000 applied. The council brought together ordinary Dutch citizens to consider climate policy and make recommendations to the cabinet. Noijen, who works with a forklift at a distribution centre in Veghel, travelled to Amersfoort for a weekend each month from January through June 2025. She said she had initially been sceptical but ultimately believed the participants had developed good plans.