RAED Presents its Media–Civil Society Partnership Experience within the “Our Country Hosts the Climate Summit” Initiative

The fourth session of the Arab Media Conference concluded its proceedings in Baghdad, Iraq, held from 20 to 24 May 2025 under the theme “The Role of Media in Addressing Climate Change.” The event was organized by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) in cooperation with the Iraqi Media Network. The conference culminated in a series of practical recommendations aimed at strengthening the role of Arab media in confronting growing environmental and climate challenges. A strong call was issued for collective action to tackle climate change.

The event witnessed high-level participation from ministers, ambassadors, heads of Arab and international media delegations, as well as prominent media professionals, experts, and researchers. Among the participants was the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED), represented by its General Coordinator, Dr. Emad Adly. The conference took place at a time when environmental and climate challenges are intensifying, no longer posing as mere natural phenomena but as serious threats to water, food and health security, as well as to the region’s social and economic stability.

RAED presented its pioneering experience in promoting partnerships between the media and civil society. Dr. Adly highlighted the “Our Country Hosts the Climate Summit 27” initiative, launched by RAED in cooperation with the Arab Office for Youth and Environment (AOYE), in preparation for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), hosted by Egypt in late 2022. The initiative brought together dozens of NGOs from across Egypt and led to the establishment of the “Journalists for Climate” network, which includes media professionals from across Egyptian press and broadcasting institutions.

Dr. Adly also discussed RAED’s broader efforts to advance environmental media throughout the Arab region, including the launch of “Environment Forum Magazine”, a leading publication in the field since its inception in 1989, and the establishment of “Jusour 2030” in early 2018, the first digital platform dedicated to tracking progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Egypt and the Arab region.

The conference agenda featured two key workshops: one on “Early Warning for All”, and the other on “The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Climate Media”. Scientific sessions explored the current state of environmental media, the role of media in climate awareness, partnerships with international organizations and the importance of training and capacity-building for media professionals.

Participants agreed on the need to develop a unified environmental media narrative that reflects the concerns of citizens and enhances collective awareness. They emphasized that Arab media has the potential to be an active partner in addressing climate challenges, provided it receives adequate support, training and strategic direction. They also highlighted the urgent need to modernize media tools, expand coverage of climate issues, simplify scientific terminology for public understanding and spotlight human stories and innovative solutions.

Key Recommendations Issued by the Conference:

To Governments and National Institutions:

• Integrate climate change issues into national media strategies and facilitate access to accurate environmental data.
• Support scientific research on climate-related topics and adopt unified systems for issuing environmental alerts across Arab countries.
• Incorporate environmental awareness into school curricula and promote the use of AI in analyzing environmental data.
• Enact legislation to support media in combating climate misinformation and provide incentives for media outlets producing environmental content.

To Media Institutions:

• Expand scientific coverage and human-interest storytelling related to climate issues and develop awareness programs on environmental disasters.
• Strengthen collaboration with experts and scientists and adopt investigative journalism to confront misinformation.
• Invest in training journalists on climate-related topics and utilize AI technologies in media production.
• Establish an Arab platform for climate-specialized journalists and launch awards recognizing excellence in environmental journalism.

To Civil Society Organizations:

• Support local initiatives that showcase innovative climate adaptation solutions.
• Empower citizens with access to reliable environmental information and organize awareness activities involving youth and children.
• Launch joint media campaigns with specialized organizations and build grassroots capacity for early response to environmental disasters.