There Can Be No Media on a Dying Planet

In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a report warning about the damage global warming could cause to life on Earth.

The report stressed that the rise in global temperatures had to be limited to a maximum of 1.5°C within the following 12 years. In addition, the International Labour Organization (ILO) predicts that heat stress caused by extreme temperatures could lead to the loss of 72 million jobs by 2030. Considering all these facts, global warming can be described as one of the greatest threats to life on Earth.

One of the reasons this crisis has grown so rapidly is that biased information and disinformation about climate change have prevented action for decades. As a result, we are now facing a serious crisis that threatens life on Earth itself.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that major action and change are possible when there is political will. It has also shown how propaganda and fake news can spread widely among the public, mainly through social media networks. Around the world, democracy has become weaker due to right-wing, authoritarian and nationalist governments that seek to take advantage of these situations.

In this context, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has established a working group dedicated to developing specific measures to address the climate crisis. The group focuses on two main areas.

First, it aims to introduce internal measures to reduce the IFJ’s ecological footprint. Second, it seeks to improve media coverage of the climate crisis and strengthen the response of trade unions.

Climate change is one of the most serious and urgent challenges of our time. As journalists, we have a special responsibility to report the facts about climate change and its impacts. As trade union activists, we demand a Just Transition for all workers affected by the shift towards an economy with zero carbon emissions.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), a Just Transition means making the shift to a greener economy as fair and inclusive as possible for everyone involved. Its aim is to create decent jobs and ensure that no one is left behind.

A Just Transition means making the most of the social and economic opportunities created by climate action while carefully and effectively managing the challenges that may arise. This includes promoting meaningful social dialogue among all groups affected by these measures and respecting fundamental labour principles and rights.