When representatives from nearly 60 countries met in Santa Marta, Colombia, in April to discuss pathways for accelerating climate action and shifting away from fossil fuels, it represented one of the most significant multinational efforts in recent years to address the climate crisis. It also highlighted the critical role of journalism in helping the public understand complex environmental challenges at a time of intense news cycles, shrinking newsroom resources, and growing disinformation.
This 90-minute, interactive webinar, organized by Covering Climate Now and UNESCO, examined what emerged from Santa Marta, explored the implications for journalists covering climate and environmental, and discussed what lies ahead for environmental journalism. The session drew on UNESCO’s and OSCE RFoM’s new manual, “Reporting the Environment: A Practical Manual for Journalists” supported by UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), highlighting practical tools and approaches for reporting on climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, disinformation, science and environmental accountability. The manual was released June 5, on World Environment Day.
Panelists
- Christina Chan-Metoo, University of Mauritius, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication
- Elena González, CCNow, Engagement Manager
- Keisuke Katori, Asahi Shimbun, Senior Staff Writer
- Saorla McCabe, UNESCO, Advisor on Communication and Information Strategy and Policy
- Phil Newell, Climate Action Against Disinformation, Communications Co-Chair
Resources
- Reporting the Environment: A Practical Manual for Journalists, produced by UNESCO and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (published: June 5, 2026)
- Journalist Field Guide: Navigating Climate Misinformation, produced by CAAD (published: 2022)