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The Co-operative and Policy Alternative Centre (COPAC), a vibrant partner of the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign (SAFSC), has initiated a process to develop a Climate Justice Charter for South Africa. A crucial part of this process has been an engagement with the media to #endclimatedenialism. In March this year, COPAC, SAFSC partners and representatives of drought-affected communities protested outside Times Media, SANEF and the Press Council to raise their concerns about the media’s silence on one of the most important issues affecting human and non-human life: the climate crisis. As a direct outcome of these protests, SANEF agreed to further engagements with COPAC and allies.
 
This took the form of a round table discussion with SANEF and journalists on the 18th of July. A Climate Justice perspective on the climate crisis was shared by COPAC with participants. Moreover, it was acknowledged we are not starting from scratch to report on the multi-faceted nature of the climate crisis. Courageous and pioneering journalists such as Leonie Joubert, Sipho Kings and Kevin Bloom also shared their experiences and reflected on their practices. All media can learn from these examples. It was generally agreed that climate reporting needs to be mainstreamed in newsrooms and in media reporting. This is about raising awareness about the science, climate shocks, climate justice activism and attempts to decarbonise our societies as part of the deep just transition.
 
A key outcome of the discussion is a deepening of relationships between the media and climate justice organisations. In particular, SANEF has agreed to set up a project to raise climate awareness in the media. This will be supported by climate justice journalists, COPAC and Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education.
 
We will continue our activism to ensure that the media mainstreams climate crisis reporting and that we build a powerful climate justice alliance in South Africa, as we advance the development of a Climate Justice Charter. Central to our efforts is to ensure South Africa appreciates the climate crisis is not an environmental issue, but fundamentally a socio-ecological problem that has its roots in carbon capitalism.
 

Issued by The Co-operative and Policy Alternative Centre and The South African Food Sovereignty Campaign