Organised from December 18 to 20, 2025, the workshop opened with an in-depth examination of just transition in the African context. Participants analysed how climate change is already reshaping jobs, livelihoods, food security and public health and they discussed why these realities should be central to media coverage. The discussions emphasised that when journalism fails to clearly explain climate policies and actions, the result is weakened accountability, limited participation and increased vulnerability among workers and communities.
The gathering of senior African journalist leaders was addressed virtually by Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, who underscored the indispensable role of professional journalism in protecting the integrity of the global information ecosystem. She highlighted that, at a time of widespread misinformation and growing public distrust, credible and ethical journalism is central to sustaining informed societies and effective climate action. She further emphasised the importance of advancing solutions-oriented journalism that informs the public, counters false narratives and supports constructive engagement without compromising independence or professional standards.
A core focus of the programme was climate justice reporting through a labour lens, reflecting the dual identities of FAJ affiliates as journalists and trade union organisations. Sessions explored how journalists could more effectively reflect the role of trade unions in defending rights, securing decent work and advancing inclusive climate action through social dialogue. Participants agreed that linking climate action to work, wages and working conditions makes just transition tangible and meaningful to the public rather than abstract or technocratic.
Addressing the workshop, FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman underscored the responsibility of African journalists at a defining moment for the continent. "Journalists are not passive witnesses to the climate crisis but active actors in shaping public understanding and accountability. Our responsibility is to translate complex climate decisions into clear and accessible information, particularly around the just transition pathways Africa has chosen. Trust from workers and communities already bearing the impacts of climate change depends on journalism that explains how these decisions affect their lives in practical and honest terms. Preserving information integrity is therefore essential, because without accuracy and credibility, both quality journalism and effective climate action are undermined."
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Information integrity was addressed as a core pillar of the workshop, in line with growing global concern that climate action is inseparable from the integrity of the information environment. A dedicated session drew on perspectives from the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General for Global Communications and UNESCO to address the rising threat posed by climate misinformation and disinformation. Prominent UN speakers highlighted that false or misleading narratives undermine informed public participation, weaken trust in institutions and obstruct timely and effective climate responses. They emphasised that African journalists play a vital role in safeguarding the information space by upholding professional standards of verification, strengthening media and information literacy and ensuring that climate reporting is accurate, evidence-based, transparent and firmly rooted in the public interest.
The workshop also examined regional trends in climate justice reporting and the escalating safety risks faced by journalists covering environmental and climate issues. Participants from all five regions of Africa shared experiences of physical threats, digital harassment and legal pressure, often linked to powerful interests seeking to suppress scrutiny of environmental harm. The discussions reaffirmed that journalist safety is inseparable from the public's right to know and that protecting reporters is essential to maintaining reliable and independent climate coverage.
The final day focused on building a coordinated African roadmap for just transition reporting and strengthening FAJ's climate justice programme. Participants adopted the Nairobi Declaration, which further consolidates FAJ's commitment to climate justice, just transition and the protection of information integrity. FAJ confirmed its commitment to support reliable and fair climate journalism in Africa and collaborate with partners like the United Nations, the African Union, trade unions and similar organisations to help the media play a positive role in promoting fair transitions and inclusive climate action for all African people, especially those in vulnerable communities.
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Following the continental workshop, the FAJ-dedicated Working Group on Climate Justice held a focused planning meeting to agree on priority activities for the next twelve months. During this meeting, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, veteran journalist and Immediate Past President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), was elected President of the FAJ Climate Justice Working Group, marking a key step in strengthening coordination and follow-up across the continent.
