(OPINION) Demystifying Net Zero and Climate Reporting in the Philippines

What are the biggest challenges in tackling the climate crisis?

Most people would probably give the following answers: lack of accessible financing, lack of political will, tensions between countries, and many others. These are undoubtedly important factors to take into account, but there is one issue that is just as important, but not as emphasized: communicating them to the public.

The role of the media is critical to effectively inform millions of Filipinos about the climate crisis and empower them to take action. As Lloyd Cameron, Economic and Climate Advisor at the British Embassy in Manila, eloquently summarized why this is the case: “People will never take action unless they care. People will never care unless they understand.”

Yet effective climate communication is a puzzle that is still being solved to this day. Media practitioners are faced not only with the crucial task of how to report this to their audiences, but also with the problem of being well-versed in the language used to discuss this issue.

Learning the language

On April 16, the first-ever “Net-Zero 101 Media Training” was held in the Philippines by the Net Zero Carbon Alliance, Eco-Business and the British Embassy in Manila. More than 40 media and corporate communications professionals gathered to improve their understanding of net-zero and how to report this topic to a wider audience.

One of the biggest issues raised by this event is the difficulty in understanding the terms used in the climate discourse. For example, the term “net zero” is often used interchangeably with “carbon neutrality” in communications. Although they cover similar outcomes (i.e. emissions offset by removal), they differ in the scale of emissions and the way a country or company approaches greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Still, “the learning never stops,” says Ping Manongdo, Philippines Country Director for Eco-Business. She emphasized that there are resources available to build knowledge and capacities on understanding the climate crisis, such as the global assessments by the IPCC and local scientific studies.

Manongdo added that it is the mandate of journalists “to deepen their knowledge on climate neutrality and climate change, report accurately and tell the story behind the story.”

This uncovering can be done by knowing what a “science-based” approach entails. For example, the media must be equipped with the right knowledge about whether a business plan is truly in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, in particular by limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Understanding both how to assess a ‘science-based’ approach and the intersectionality between business and climate issues is critical to good reporting on these issues. This would empower practitioners to ask the right questions, find the right angles, and write compelling stories that go beyond just numbers and technical terms.

“When that happens, it is our job as media to investigate and dig further. They may not have science-based goals, but what if they do have a transition plan? It’s still worth a story,” said Hannah Fernandez, Eco-Business’ chief Manila correspondent.

Changing the culture

The conversations during the media training show that there are plenty of stories to tell about the climate crisis. Ranging from corporate sustainability and low-carbon transition plans to communities’ struggles in dealing with local impacts, there are many ways the media can highlight how different sectors and regions in the Philippines are affected by this issue.

Yet the current structure of the media landscape in the country falls short in drawing attention to the climate crisis. Although stories on this topic are often filed under the heading of “environmental,” reporters have also tried to make their pitches by emphasizing the elements of their articles that align with beats that are traditionally more appealing to readers, such as business and politics.

The creation of ‘climate agencies’ or units within media chambers that focus on climate issues is slowly gaining ground worldwide. The Guardian, Reuters and The Independent, for example, have their own climate bureaus, while hundreds of other media outlets form various partnerships designed to produce more compelling climate reporting for different audiences.

However, setting up climate agencies in the Philippines would not be so easy. Biena Magbitang, director of Climate Tracker for Southeast Asia, noted that factors in determining this include insufficient budgets and the lack of reporters to form such units.

Despite these challenges, she emphasized that journalists can still make climate issues more relevant. Citing her experiences covering the global climate negotiations with other reporters, Magbitang said Philippine media can still turn the outcomes of a conference abroad into locally relevant stories.

“Every time we bring journalists to COPs, you should not start your reporting where the COP is, but from home,” she added.

It is also up to the Philippine media to access available grants to improve their coverage of climate stories, said Megan Rowling, editor of Climate Home News. She referred to major news agencies in the Global North tapping philanthropic funding to cover specific issues while taking steps to ensure their independence from financiers.

“Most newsrooms I know have pretty strict criteria for accepting this money, so the organization providing the money is not allowed to interfere in editorial decisions,” she said.

While having climate desks would help improve reporting on a crisis that is becoming more urgent by the day and public awareness is increasing, both Magbitang and Rowling pointed to a higher priority: the need for local media to be able to effectively convey climate stories to everyone to bring.

“You don’t have to be a specialized climate change reporter. No matter what beat you make, climate change is everything now,” Rowling said.

“We need every reporter as a climate reporter,” Magbitang added. – Rappler.com

John Leo is the National Coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and the Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines. Since 2016, he has represented Philippine civil society at UN climate and environment conferences. He has been a climate and environmental journalist since 2016.