The triple planetary crisis of climate, nature, and pollution is exacting heavy losses on individuals, communities, and economies and threatens all forms of life on our planet. There is an urgent need to address the knowledge gaps that can help make sense of the environmental challenges to halt and reverse the damage done to the natural world. Media professionals and journalists are at the forefront of efforts to communicate key messages to the public. As United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted in his message to the World Forum for Democracy in 2020, “We have the solutions to the triple planetary emergency and know what to do to reconcile humankind with nature.”
Following warnings from the scientific community on the rapid degradation of planetary resources, ecological overload, and erosion of nature-based global economies, efforts are underway to tackle the environmental crisis through Global Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
But huge knowledge gaps still exist among those whose livelihoods are closely linked to the environment. Environmental journalists and media organizations play a pivotal role in shaping society’s attitudes towards the environment through advocacy, awareness, and communicating effective solutions for the human dimension of environmental change to achieve a sustainable future.
Translating these global agreements into actions on the ground requires empowering change-makers to disseminate environmental messages to those at the forefront of the environmental crisis.
On 6 July 2021, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) capacity building programme for MEAs in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries (ACPMEAs), launched a new program to train journalists on environmental issues.
The first edition was delivered in collaboration with the Africa Network of Environmental Journalists (ANEJ), for environmental journalists in Africa on environmental governance. The session focused on chemicals and waste management and related MEAs for safe and better environmental management while promoting knowledge sharing.
The briefing brought together almost 100 participants from 48 countries in Africa, along with the Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, and senior officials from Mauritania.
Participants were briefed on the implementation of MEAs related to chemicals and waste – the Basel, Rotterdam and Minamata conventions- (BRS) - and the Conference of the Parties (COPs) in 2021 and 2022.
In her opening remarks, Minister Soudan-Nonault underlined the link between human health and the environment; damages caused by the mismanagement of hazardous chemicals and waste, loss of biological diversity, and climate change. She also acknowledged the unprecedented destruction of the ecological systems and called for international solidarity and cooperation to manage chemicals and hazardous waste.
Minister Soudan urged journalists to fulfil their civic duties by raising public awareness on the sound management of chemicals and waste to address urgent planetary challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and gross inequalities affecting human rights.
Addressing the session, Menesia Muinjo, ANEJ Vice-President, reaffirmed ANEJ’s commitment to tackling some of the challenges plaguing our planet, posing a real threat to human and planetary health.
She noted that capacity building, including awareness briefing sessions on key environmental issues, is critical to keep ANEJ abreast of emerging environmental issues, is critical to keep ANEJ abreast of emerging environmental issues, especially regarding the follow-up on COP negotiations.
The ACP MEAs 3 Programme will continue to engage with ANEJ and other networks in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to strengthen the capacities of media and journalists. The next briefing session with ANEJ will be held on 7 September 2021, focusing on ocean governance issues.
The ACP MEAs programme is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Union, the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific States, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It aims to build the capacity of 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific to fulfill their obligations to multilateral environmental agreements. In the last decade, the programme has helped states to fully engage in the implementation of environmental accords. It is now in its third phase.
For more information contact: Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati, Programme Manager, ACP MEAs 3 Programme, Law Division, UNEP. E-mail: Balakrishna.pisupati@un.org or Ladu Lemi at Ladu.lemi@un.org
