By Eddah Waithaka
The eighth edition of the Africa Climate Change and Environmental Reporting Awards has been announced, recognizing excellence in reporting on environmental issues. Launched by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) in 2013, the awards aim to support and reward journalists who report on climate change and environmental issues in Africa.
The awards also aim to celebrate journalists who influence public understanding and policy by bringing critical environmental stories to the fore, raising awareness and driving change.
stories, raising awareness and driving actionable change across the continent.
In his opening remarks, Dr Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA, emphasized the pivotal role that courageous climate change and environmental reports have played since the first edition.
Through accurate, concise and fact-based reporting, these reports have influenced policies and conversations.
“Each iteration of the awards has built upon the last, pushing the boundaries of what it means to excel in reporting on climate change and strategically positioning African media to advance narratives on climate change,” stressed Dr. Mithika.
This year’s theme, ‘Advancing Accountability in Climate Finance for Climate Justice and Equity’, invites
invites journalists to investigate the management and allocation of climate finance.
Underscoring the urgency in the face of unprecedented climate impacts, Julius Karanja Mbatia of ACT Alliance said, “Climate finance remains the only solution that needs to be clearly addressed in Africa. We want stories that show how much money is reaching climate finance at different levels and highlight the significant gap in meeting the climate finance pledges made by the Global North a decade ago.”
Since its inception in 2013, the ACCER Awards has received over 7,600 applications from across Africa and has
recognised 112 recipients from 33 countries.
The first edition of the awards paved the way for the establishment of the Pan Media Alliance for Climate Change (PAMACC), which has since promoted in-depth coverage of climate change issues in Africa, raised awareness and facilitated knowledge sharing and skills development through the efforts of PACJA..
The 2024 ACCER Awards will be presented at a ceremony in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on the sidelines of the 12th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA XII).
The awards will recognize winners across seven categories, including Best Climate Change Coverage in Print Media, Best Climate Change.
