Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will ramp up support for journalists to enhance climate reporting as the country prepares for pivotal international environmental negotiations, including the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil and mid-year UNFCCC meetings in Bonn.
The pledge follows a meeting between EPA Chief Executive Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse and the Climate Journalists Network Ghana (CJN-Ghana) in Accra, where she outlined plans for media capacity-building programs, streamlined access to EPA resources, and facilitated accreditation for journalists covering global climate forums.
“The media is a strategic ally in Ghana’s climate action efforts,” said Prof. Browne Klutse. “We are committed to equipping reporters with specialized training, real-time data, and direct access to our technical teams to improve public understanding of complex environmental issues.”
Key initiatives include workshops to sharpen journalists’ skills in interpreting climate science and policy, simplified processes for obtaining credentials to major events like COP30, and a new digital portal providing open access to EPA research, emissions data, and progress reports on national climate targets.
The EPA chief acknowledged longstanding frustrations over delayed responses to media inquiries, pledging to establish dedicated channels for rapid expert consultations. “We’re restructuring our communications protocols to ensure journalists can efficiently reach our specialists—this is non-negotiable for effective public education,” she stated.
Emmanuel Ameyaw, co-founder of CJN-Ghana, welcomed the commitments as “a watershed moment for environmental journalism,” noting that over 80% of Ghanaian climate reporters face hurdles in accessing technical sources. “Timely data and training will transform how stories on deforestation, renewable energy transitions, and coastal erosion are told,” he said.
Prof. Browne Klutse urged media outlets to broaden environmental coverage beyond extreme weather events, emphasizing underreported issues like wetland conservation, green job policies, and climate-smart agriculture. “Every community’s resilience depends on informed dialogue—journalists must spotlight both challenges and solutions,” she added.
The collaboration aligns with Ghana’s revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which prioritize public engagement to drive climate policy compliance. With COP30 expected to focus on Global South financing needs, the EPA stressed that robust media coverage will amplify Ghana’s advocacy for equitable climate finance.
CJN-Ghana, founded in 2022, has trained over 120 journalists through partnerships with international agencies, producing award-winning investigations on illegal mining impacts and renewable energy gaps. The network now seeks EPA input to launch a regional fact-checking hub targeting climate misinformation.
As Ghana faces escalating climate risks—from drought-prone northern farmlands to flood-threatened coastal cities—the EPA’s media strategy signals a recognition that public mobilization is as critical as technical negotiations in the race to curb environmental degradation.
