Deadline: July 23, 2024
Applications are open for the EJN Virtual Media Workshop on Net Zero in Africa 2024. The journey to net zero requires a pivotal shift away from fossil fuels and traditional polluters towards a more carbon-neutral way of living. Africa is a continent home to an abundance of sun, sea, and wind; its renewable energy potential is vast.
This reality provides a blueprint of hope for mitigating climate change and climate injustice—but also raises many questions: Who is and should be funding net zero initiatives and is how are these money flows tracked? How does the power dynamic between the Global North and the Global South shape narratives and realities? Which countries are paving the way as leaders in renewable energy, and which are falling behind?
To help answer these questions, EJN’s Pathways to Net Zero project aims to build capacity and deepen journalists’ understanding of net zero—including the potential for green growth and social transformation and the barriers that are inhibiting its potential. With support from the European Climate Foundation, EJN is pleased to announce a virtual media workshop on net zero for up to 40 journalists from Africa this August.
Themes
The workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of the net zero target, including its history, pathways to achieve it, key terminology and why it is an essential topic for every climate and environmental journalist to be covering. Over the course of three days, participants will have the opportunity to strengthen their thematic and technical understanding of Africa’s energy landscape, from net zero finance and policy measures to an analysis of different African nations’ energy mix.
Participants will also hear from thematic experts and fellow journalists on the successes and challenges at regional and country levels as well as the dynamics of global conversations and negotiations. The workshop will discuss topics relevant for Africa as a continent but will spotlight examples and case studies from different African regions and contexts. The final agenda of the workshop will be shared with selected participants in August.
Benefits
- For journalists who lack access to a stable, strong internet connection, they can provide a limited number of communications stipends to enable participation.
- All participants who attend the full three days will also receive a certificate of completion from EJN.
Eligibility
- Applicants can be from any country in Africa; applicants from South Africa, Nigeria, and Algeria, and Morocco are particularly encouraged to apply.
- For the purposes of this grant opportunity, they will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, they do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must have a working understanding of English to participate in the workshop.
- Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other expert media practitioners with professional reporting experience and a history of covering environmental and net zero issues. They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations—international, national, local and community-based.
- Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their proposals. EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, submitting AI-generated content as their own.
Application
- All applicants are required to provide a signed letter of support from their editor, explicitly stating that they can participate in the workshop.
- Applicants will also need to submit two samples of stories or links to relevant work.
For more information, visit EJN Virtual Media Workshop.
