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Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. Its impact is far-reaching, affecting ecosystems, weather patterns, sea levels, and human livelihoods. As global temperatures continue to rise, the need for effective climate change mitigation strategies becomes increasingly urgent. Addressing climate change requires a multifaceted approach and collaboration among governments, businesses, communities, and individuals. This is essential to drive meaningful improvements.
On the occasion of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development’s (CJID’s) Media and Development Conference (#MDC2024) in Abuja, Nigeria, Ms Audrey Quarcoo, Director of Corporate Affairs at Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), emphasised the critical need for collaborative efforts in environmental funding and community empowerment in the fight against climate change.
She was part of a panel on “Mobilising Climate Finance for Loss and Damage: Africa’s Pathway to Resilience and Equity in the Global Climate Agenda.” Ms Quarcoo explained the importance of recognising the unique circumstances of different countries while coming together to address shared environmental responsibilities.
“We are all different countries, but we must unite in our commitment to sustainable development,” she stated.
She highlighted the dual approach needed for funding—seeking support from international agencies while leveraging local private sector resources.
A significant part of her message focused on enhancing transparency and accountability in environmental projects. She called for establishing robust financial mechanisms, including effective reporting, auditing, monitoring, and evaluation processes.
“We must build the capacities of our local institutions and train them to manage these responsibilities effectively,” she urged.
Ms Quarcoo also discussed the existing policies in Ghana, such as the national adaptation strategy, which provides a strong foundation for action. However, she stressed that policies are not enough; the key lies in empowering local communities to implement these strategies.
“We need to ensure that people understand the financial mechanisms and feel a sense of ownership over the projects that affect their lives,” she said.
To achieve this, the EPA is focusing on community-level training initiatives. These programmes aim to equip local stakeholders with the skills to prepare project proposals and collect relevant data.
“By engaging communities directly, we can address their specific needs and ensure that funding is directed where it is most needed,” she explained.
Ms Quarcoo also shared insights into ongoing projects to restore land and improve agricultural practices. These initiatives involve collaboration among various government institutions and are designed to empower communities to tackle environmental challenges effectively.
The panellists–Dr Mariama Ndow Jarju, Director Central Project Coordinating Unit, Loss and Damage Lead, The Gambia; Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, Director General Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency; Dr Abiola Awe, Director Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria and Dr Tobi Oluwatola, CEO TAO Energy, highlighted key barriers.
Some of the challenges identified include limited network access for rural women, insufficient real-time flood data, and challenges maintaining infrastructure due to low purchasing power. The authors emphasised the need to stimulate demand and advance equitable climate solutions to enhance resilience across communities.
Representative of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria, Mercy Awe, said, “Most of the time when we have issues of flooding, we don’t have real-time data to say the amount of land that has been submerged.”
Dr Tobi Oluwatola also enumerated the challenges that have attended the Public-Private Partnerships, especially in the power sector, and how they can be mitigated. He said that under such arrangements, value is created, but the purchasing power to take advantage of that value is always a problem, which then leads to issues of lack of maintenance. “
So it is important to always stimulate demand at the local level,” he suggested.
The climate discussion, moderated by Adeolu Adekola, Project Manager, Centre for Investigative Journalism, London, was part of the plenary sessions of Day One at the CJID Media and Development Conference 2024, which also coincided with the CJID’s 10th Anniversary celebration.
The three-day conference was titled “Navigating Global Shifts: Media and Technology for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Africa.” It highlighted salient issues, including AI in Industry and Society, AI and the future of the media, Funding democracy initiatives, Sustainable Media Practice, and balancing profit with Public Interest.
In what was the conference’s crowning glory, the CJID organised an awards night to acknowledge and reward media, fact-checking, and journalism excellence.
