By Lenah Bosibori
Kenyan journalists are set to receive specialized training aimed at enhancing their reporting on climate change, mostly in relation to global discussions such as the Conference of Parties (COP) that are global events which happen every year.
Speaking in Nairobi during the ‘Climate Finance Thought Leadership Meeting, titled “Climate Change and Development Finance,’ organized by the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), Ambassador Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s Climate Envoy said that one matter that can be prioritized going forward is to provide training sessions on what COPs are.
“I do hear the concerns and challenges that you all face in covering multilateral processes, be it in the COPs on climate or on other issues, one matter that we can prioritize going forward is to provide training sessions and capacity building opportunities on what the COP is all about,” said Dr Mohamed.
The Conference of Parties (COP) refers to a series of annual international meetings organized under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the supreme decision-making body for the UNFCCC, which is an international treaty aimed at addressing climate change and its impacts.
Further Dr Mohamed highlighted that training sessions are important to journalists as they help them to break down climate change, biodiversity, chemicals and plastics which have implications to everybody in different ways.
“Climate, biodiversity, desertification, chemicals and plastics are very important issues that have direct implications for all of us in different ways, unless you as journalists break them down for all of us as a global community and society, we can not get to understand them,” said Dr Mohamed.
Mohamed further urged Kenyan journalists to participate actively in these conferences, despite the financial and logistical challenges involved in attending events held across different countries.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure that African voices are heard in the global climate discourse, which has often been dominated by foreign narratives. Previously, KEG has collaborated with various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment and Development organizations like GIZ, to develop a comprehensive training manual that addresses various facets of climate change reporting.
The training initiative represents a significant step towards empowering Kenyan journalists to tell compelling and accurate stories about climate change.
Additionally, Zubeidah Kananu KEG president in her opening remarks highlighted that the media has a critical role to play in bridging the gap between climate change, finance, and development. “Let us commit to empowering ourselves and our audiences with the knowledge and tools needed to drive equitable progress,” said Kananu.
Earlier December, KEG launched a Manual on Climate Change Reporting, which will soon be incorporated into the training programs of academic institutions. “This is a step toward equipping journalists with the tools they need to inform the public effectively,” added Kananu.