African governments have to do more to clearly and effectively communicate climate science to the public, to get the citizenry to take action against the risk of climate change.
According to the President of the CCLG-Africa and convener of the Africa Climate Communication Conference and Exhibition (ACCCE) 2023, Kofi Don-Agor, there is little evidence of coordination amongst government, government agencies and public bodies on communicating climate science, despite policies at the national and regional level to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Speaking ahead of the opening of the conference slated for Tuesday, September 26 at the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMac GIJ) campus in Dzorwulu Accra, he said “Climate policy touches on many aspects of government policy, it is important, therefore, that there is a consistent message across the whole of Government on the issue. The mandate to act on climate can only be maintained if the electorate is convinced that the Government is acting based on strong scientific evidence so Ministers need to do more to demonstrate that is the case.”
“All Ministers need to acquaint themselves with climate science and clearly and consistently reflect the Government approach in all their communications, especially with the media.”
He also noted that the African governments must work with the learned societies and national academies to develop a source of information on climate science that is distinct from policy delivery, comprehensible to the general public, and responsive to both current developments and uncertainties in the science.
“To achieve the necessary commitment from the public, the Governments must demonstrate a coherent approach to communicating both the scientific basis and the proposed solutions to climate change. The current lack of a clear narrative from the government reflects a lack of leadership on the issue.”
Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity, and Africa, in particular, stands at the forefront of its impacts. The continent is experiencing a wide array of climate-related issues, including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, desertification, water scarcity, and loss of biodiversity, which significantly affect vulnerable communities and ecosystems. It is crucial to strengthen climate change communication and foster collective action among all stakeholders to combat these challenges.
The one-day round table conference on the theme “From Vulnerability to Resilience: Towards Effective Climate Change Communication Strategies for Africa” is being organized to address the critical need for improved climate change communication across the continent. The conference seeks to create a unique platform for constructive dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange by bringing together key stakeholders, experts, policymakers, and communicators to build capacity towards climate change communication strategies for Africa.
Mr. Agor hopes that the African Union will adopt this conference as part of its activities given the imperative of climate issues.
The round table conference will centre its discussions around the following main themes: Communicating Climate Resilience in African Rural and Urban Areas, Media and Communicators’ Role in Climate Change Mitigation and Expected Outcomes.
Comprising about 17 per cent of the world’s population, Africa contributes just 4 per cent of global carbon emissions at 1.45 billion tonnes, according to available data.
