The two-day training for journalists across Africa put together by the Africa Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP) Coalition on climate change reporting has ended with a call for sustained coverage of the climate crisis from an Afrocentric perspective.
The coalition also renewed its call for just climate reparations for Africa and the Global South, which bear the most brunt of the climate crisis. The virtual event, which was held between April 22-23, featured no fewer than 51 climate journalists from at least eight African countries, in addition to resource persons from Nigeria, Togo, The Gambia, the United States and India.
Themed, “Communicating Climate Change: Realities, Impacts, and the Need for Action,” the training was organised by the MBPP Coalition and hosted by Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in partnership with Corporate Accountability (CA) with a focus on equipping journalists with the knowledge and skills necessary for promoting environmental justice and accountability.
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Day one featured presentations and remarks by leading environment and climate change experts, including the Executive Director Health of Mother Earth Foundation, (HOMEF), Corporate Accountability’s Managing Director Elvis Méndez, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice, Togo Kwami Kpondzo, CAPPA’s Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi and CAPPA’s Senior Climate Change Programme Manager, Olamide Martins.
The training also addressed the disparities in contributions to global climate change, particularly between the Global North and African nations.
Dr Bassey, whose presentation was titled “Loss and Damage Fund, Climate Finance: Where is Africa,” harped on the importance of climate finance for both reducing emissions and helping African communities adapt to the changing climate.
Story was adapted from Tribune.
