International journalists discuss covering climate on the frontlines

People worldwide are deeply affected by the crises and emergencies climate change creates, such as fires, floods, heat waves, air pollution, and crop failure. These events can seem abstract — until you hear the stories of people who have lived through them.

The journalists of the Climate Disaster Project make it real by bringing you those stories from survivors worldwide. And during 2024’s UN Climate Change Conference, COP29, they brought compelling survivor stories to the pages of The Guardian, in the series “This is climate breakdown”.

On Nov. 28, 2024, three of these reporters, as well as The Guardian’s assistant environment editor, joined the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), the Climate Disaster Project (CDP), and the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) to discuss covering climate on the frontlines of its disasters — and telling the stories of its survivors with empathy, solidarity, and impact. You can watch the full event above, or on YouTube.

The event was moderated by Ian Mauro, PICS’ executive director, and and Sean Holman, CDP’s founding director. CAJ President Brent Jolly offered a welcome and joined the webinar’s question-and-answer period.

The event’s panelists:
Bibi van der Zee, assistant editor, environment, The Guardian (United Kingdom)
Kristin Engel, journalist with the Daily Maverick’s Our Burning Planet (South Africa)
Ricardo Garcia, independent environmental journalist and journalism trainer (Brazil and Portugal)
Aldyn Chwelos, managing editor, Climate Disaster Project