Share
The Earth Journalism Network (EJN), a project of Internews, and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security are pleased to announce that 20 journalists from low- and middle-income countries have been awarded fellowships to cover the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) as part of the Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) program.
The 2022 CCMP fellows will attend and report on COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from November 6–18, 2022. Hosted this year by the government of Egypt, COP27 is also known as the African COP, where discussions are expected to focus on the urgent actions needed to address the mounting impacts of climate change—especially on frontline communities in Africa and vulnerable countries around the world. COP27 represents the first COP since the full operationalization of the Paris Agreement, which now enters an implementation phase.
This year, the CCMP’s global open call for applications drew a record number of more than 500 applications from climate journalists around the world. The 20 selected fellows will receive support and guidance from seasoned climate journalists affiliated with EJN’s global network of trainers. The fellows will also participate in orientation activities, daily briefings, interviews with high-level officials, and other interactions organized by the Stanley Center and EJN to inform and facilitate quality reporting on developments at the African COP.
“The CCMP program team is excited to see so many impressive climate journalists interested in covering the COP,” said James Fahn, EJN’s Executive Director. “This talented group of 2022 CCMP fellows will have the opportunity to report on decisions—or the lack thereof—at the international summit that will affect everyone, in particular the more than three billion people highly vulnerable to climate change.”
While African countries only account for 2-3% of global emissions, these and other countries that have contributed the least to the global climate crisis are shouldering a crushing burden of climate impacts. This year’s Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability section of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report warns that losses and damages will continue to escalate with every increment of global warming and that climate adaptation is more urgent now than ever. Reporting on negotiations at the African COP is one important way to hold governments to account, especially those of wealthier nations, who have contributed more to global emissions.
“Several CCMP fellows will be traveling from countries that have experienced severe impacts of climate change this year, including disastrous flooding and drought,” said Devon Terrill, Program Officer for Journalism and Media at the Stanley Center. “Contextualizing this local devastation with global accountability helps reporters make the critical connections their audiences seek.”
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will continue to pose a challenge for delegates attending the UN climate summit, though Egypt’s government has stated a goal to make COP27 inclusive and accessible.
EJN, along with Panos London and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), formed the CCMP in 2007 to enable developing country journalists to attend and report from the annual UN climate summits. Since launching in 2007, the CCMP has supported more than 400 journalists from low- and middle-income countries to report on location from the annual UN climate summit. This is the fourth time that the Stanley Center and EJN have teamed up on the CCMP fellowship program.
The 2022 CCMP fellows are:
- David Casimir, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (Mauritius)
- Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh, Power FM/TV (Liberia)
- Tharushi Weerasinghe, Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)
- Juan Fernando Lara Salas, La Nación (Costa Rica)
- Narantungalag Enkhtur, Uzeg Agency and China Daily (Mongolia)
- Kalain Hosein, Guardian Media (Trinidad & Tobago)
- Cristiane de Azevedo Prizibisczki, O Eco (Brazil)
- Killian Chimtom Ngala, Timescape Magazine (Cameroon)
- Zoha Tunio, Inside Climate News (Pakistan)
- Pauline Ongaji, Nation Media Group (Kenya)
- Xilena Pinedo, Ojo Público (Peru)
- Paul Omorogbe, Nigerian Tribune (Nigeria)
- Lyse Mauvais, The New Arab (Iraq)
- Anita Roberts, Vanuatu Daily Post (Vanuatu)
- Nihar Gokhale, The Morning Context (India)
- Mehedi Al Amin, The Business Post (Bangladesh)
- Daniel Gutman, Inter Press Service (Argentina)
- Rezza Aji Pratama, Katadata.co.id (Indonesia)
- Melody Chironda, allAfrica Global Media (South Africa)
- Xuewan Chen, Caijing (China)
The 6 trainers from EJN’s global network who will support and guide these fellows are:
- Fermín Koop (Argentina)
- Joydeep Gupta (India)
- Imelda Abaño (Philippines)
- David Akana (Cameroon)
- Florence Armein (Indonesia)
- Kiundu Waweru (Kenya)
The 2022 CCMP program is co-organized by Internews’ EJN and the Stanley Center. Financial support for EJN has been provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Marisla Foundation, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Commonwealth Foundation and the Flora Family Foundation.
About the Earth Journalism Network
Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) empowers and enables journalists to cover the environment more effectively. With a mission to improve the quantity and quality of environmental coverage and over 15,000 members from more than 180 countries, EJN trains journalists to cover a wide variety of topics, supports the production of a wide variety of environmental media content—including investigative stories—and develops ground-breaking digital media sites. EJN also establishes networks of environmental journalists in countries where they don't exist, and builds their capacity where they do, through workshops and development of training materials, fellowship programs, support for story production and distribution, and dispersing small grants. For more information, visit earthjournalism.net.
About the Stanley Center for Peace and Security
The Stanley Center for Peace and Security partners with people, organizations, and the greater global community to drive policy progress in three issue areas—mitigating climate change, avoiding the use of nuclear weapons, and preventing mass violence and atrocities. The center was created in 1956 and maintains its independence while developing forums for diverse perspectives and ideas. To realize its vision of a secure and enduring peace, the center designs and implements programming activities through projects and partnerships that span the globe. The center values independent, accurate journalism and the role journalists and the media play in building better-informed societies, more accountable institutions, and effective global governance. To learn more, please visit stanleycenter.org.
