Climate change in Africa

Africa is home to about 18% of the global population, but only accounts for less than 5% of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions. Despite Africa’s relatively low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report on impacts, adaptation, and vulnerabilities confirmed that Africa is emerging as the world’s epicenter of climate vulnerability and risks, with 9 out of the 10 countries most vulnerable and least resilient to climate change countries located in the continent.

Climate change reporting in Africa

Against this background the role of media is to inform the public, explain scientific concepts, humanize climate change, highlight solutions,support policy makers and the public to navigate challenges and take advantage of available solutions, as well as hold powerful actors to account, though for example, investigative journalism is extremely urgent. Yet, there is a defining shortage of media coverage on climate change from both local and international journalists.

While the scale of climate reporting is indeed improving in Africa, another critical aspect of climate reporting in Africa is who tells, and how the story is told. In other words, how the climate narratives are framed and communicated in Africa and abroad. This is important because how Africa's climate story is told can have significant implications on various levels, such as shaping public perceptions, local and global policies, international collaborations and partnerships, global solidarity and climate justice action. This underscores the need to prepare and equip African and Global journalists alike with the capacity and tools they need to provide contractive, fact based, and impactful reporting on climate change without fear or favor and without stripping Africans of their humanity and dignity.

The conference is hybrid. To join online please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cmSbmwPyStq5xEzNOUmugw

The program is hosted by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) together with Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) and Angelina Davydova, a renowned climate journalist who is also a member of the World Future Council and has been an observer in the UN Climate Change negotiation process since 2008.

The conference is realised with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as the Stiftung Mercator, the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), and the Friedrich- Ebert Foundation.