Islamabad (TDI):Â As Pakistan grapples with deadly monsoon floods and a projected $1.2 trillion cost of climate inaction, the British High Commission has launched a nationwide climate journalism training initiative to empower media professionals to drive awareness and action.
Deputy Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy, Sneha Lala, said the cost of inaction on climate change in Pakistan is $1.2 trillion by 2050.
Within that figure is countless lives lost, countless numbers of people pushed into poverty, and countless livelihoods lost. It can be a bleak picture, but climate journalism is at the heart of showing us that there is another option.
Climate journalism can incentivize action, spotlight solutions, and create change. I look forward to seeing the stories journalists go on to produce.
The training will spotlight the crucial role journalists play in encouraging climate action. Journalists can spotlight climate change solutions, encourage climate action, and can help their readers and viewers to understand how climate change affects them.
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Having delivered trainings to the Express Group (Express Tribune, Express News and Daily Express), Geo News, Daily Jang, The News, The Nation and Nawa-e-Waqt in Islamabad, the High Commission will now travel to Lahore and Karachi, to continue their training program.
British High Commission will be joined by a number of Chevening alumni, who honed their climate expertise through the prestigious scholarship where they studied a master’s qualification in the UK.
This includes:
- Syed Muhammad Abubakar, Environmental Journalist and PhD Scholar at George Mason University, US
- Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF Pakistan; and Sana Munir, Director of Local Government Audit.
- Muhammad Talal, senior sub-editor of Samaa digital, alumni of the High Commission’s Chevening climate mentorship program
- Muhammad Asim Siddique, General Manager Samaa digital, both alumni of the High Commission’s Chevening climate mentorship program
The trainings so far have been supported by Adil Shahzeb, who has shared his insights on integrating climate stories into Dawn’s primetime show, Live with Adil Shahzeb.
Leo Hickman, editor and director of the Carbon Brief, is supporting the training program. The High Commission will run a competition for all training participants. Journalists will submit their best climate story, and the winner will receive mentorship from Hickman.
Sohail Majeed
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
