2014 Climate Change and Environmental Reporting Awards launched

The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, PACJA, has launched the second edition of the African Climate Change and Environmental Reporting (ACCER) Awards in Dakar, Senegal.

The launch was held on the Island of Goree, off the Senegalese coast, on the sidelines of a five-day African Civil Society Post-Warsaw and Post-2015 strategic meeting.

Secretary General of PACJA, Mithika Mwenda said, “the event will honor African journalists who have excelled in reporting on issues of climate change and the environment and whose stories are impacting policy decisions and livelihoods on the continent”.

The awards is designed to reward exemplary journalists and media houses whose reporting and analysis practically influence national policy formulation and implementation processes on climate change issues – and towards accelerated access to public service delivery.

Identification of recipient of the awards will be through a mass public-driven and interactive process and an independent panel of eminent professionals will carefully review the various nominations to determine deserving winners.

The maiden edition of the Awards, held in Nairobi Kenya in June 2013, attracted over 100 entries from print and electronic journalists across the continent.

Mr. Mithika however noted that PACJA was not impressed by the number of entries obtained from Francophone countries and thus urged journalists in Senegal and other French-speaking countries to show interest by sending in many entries in the forthcoming Awards.

He added, “I am very confident that the ACCER Awards will drive environmental reporting across Africa for sustainable development”.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/ in Dakar-Senegal