Ahead of 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) on climate change, scheduled for Antalya, Turkey, youths and Journalists on environment have sharpened their knowhow on the intricacies of COP deliberations.
About 25 environment journalists, bloggers, and communicators and over 20 youths from civil society organisations participated in a two day capacity-building workshop July 29-30, in Yaoundé.
The workshop was organized by the NGO Young Volunteers for the Environment (JVE Cameroon), with support from the Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) and several partners. Over two days, participants deepened their understanding of carbon market mechanisms, climate governance, transparency, climate finance, and international negotiations in order to improve the quality of media coverage of COP31.
A few months before the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) on climate change, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Turkey, 25 Cameroonian journalists, bloggers, and communicators participated in a capacity-building workshop in Yaoundé. The workshop was organized by the NGO Young Volunteers for the Environment (JVE Cameroon), with support from the Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection, and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) and several partners.
Over two days, participants deepened their understanding of carbon market mechanisms, climate governance, transparency, climate finance, and international negotiations to improve the quality of media coverage of COP31.
One of the key sessions focused on the workings of the carbon market, a mechanism that allows states and companies to trade carbon credits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing concerns raised by many stakeholders about Cameroon’s lagging progress in this area, the experts sought to qualify these criticisms.
According to Robert Pismo, a member of the Roster of Experts for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the government is currently undertaking fundamental work to establish a credible framework before the market is fully opened.
For Maxime Nguemadji Moussa, a technical assistant at the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED), this preparatory phase is essential. It involves defining a robust regulatory framework, clarifying ownership of carbon credits, establishing revenue-sharing arrangements between the government, project developers, and local communities, while ensuring the system’s transparency. He also noted that several pilot projects have not yet achieved the expected carbon sequestration results, justifying a cautious approach before the market’s large-scale deployment.
Beyond the technical aspects, the workshop allowed journalists to better understand the links between climate, human rights, and climate justice. The discussions emphasized the need to document the realities experienced by affected communities, with particular attention to women and youth. Timothée Kagonbe, the UNFCCC National Focal Point and National Coordinator for NDCs and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED), stressed that this initiative aims to equip media professionals with reliable information to combat misinformation surrounding climate negotiations. “A well-prepared and well-informed journalist is better able to cover climate issues and provide useful information to citizens,” he stated.
For Blondel Silenou, coordinator of JVE Cameroon, this training is part of the preparation of the various Cameroonian delegations for COP31. By strengthening the technical capacities of journalists, bloggers, and communicators on climate governance mechanisms, climate finance, transparency rules, and the key issues to be debated in Antalya, the organizers hope to contribute to more rigorous, educational, and nationally grounded media coverage.