Media should tell the climate story louder

By Juliah Kibochi

The question on everyone’s mind is how the new government will solve the crisis of our time: the runaway cost of living.

Kenyans are at the mercy of sky-rocketing expenses. But even though the issue gets fair media coverage, there seems to be a missing link between the challenges and how they are affected by the climate crisis.

The media seem to be forgetting to give much-needed attention to this bigger catastrophe—one that affects us all but Africans the most.

Numbers don’t lie, and science backs the data. A February report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that we have a slim chance to act on global heating to avoid its worst effects yet.

And at the launch of last year’s IPCC report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a ‘Code Red’ for humanity.

In under a month, Africa will host COP27, which is an opportunity for the media on the continent to tell their stories and change the narrative.

But why is the climate emergency making headlines as often as it should, at home?

Among local communities in Africa, where these impacts are felt the most, the level of awareness on what causes the climate crisis and how to tackle it is alarmingly low.