To commemorate Earth Day, observed annually on April 22, ARIJ hosted a webinar on Friday, April 18, 2025, titled “The 89% Campaign: Media and Climate Change”, in collaboration with Covering Climate Now. This webinar was held at the initial phase of a global campaign that will run until the end of the year, with ARIJ joining dozens of newsrooms around the world to exchange and publish investigative reports and in-depth stories on climate change.

The session featured a distinguished lineup of speakers: Mark Hertsgaard, Co-founder and Executive Director of Covering Climate Now; Giles Trendle, a veteran media professional and member of the organization’s board of directors; and Ahmad Ashour, investigative journalist and coach. The discussion was moderated by Farah Jallad, editor and coach.

Bringing together over 75 journalists from more than 20 countries across the Arab region and beyond, the webinar spotlighted the 89% Campaign, which highlights findings from a new international survey showing a striking yet underreported fact: between 80% and 89% of the world’s population wants their governments to take stronger action on the climate crisis.

Despite representing a clear majority, this public sentiment remains largely invisible in media coverage. The campaign seeks to bridge this gap by encouraging the production of stories that amplify public voices and illustrate the real-world impacts of climate change at both local and global levels.

Additionally, ARIJ will soon publish a report titled “Gaza and Climate” in multiple languages, documenting the impact of Israeli bombardments that target not only people but also nature, infrastructure, and the environment.

Participants expressed strong engagement and appreciation for the session’s content and the diversity of perspectives shared. Some reflections included:

• “The webinar was rich in content and enhanced my understanding of journalism’s role in climate issues.” – Mohamed Giri, Egypt
• “I learned about Covering Climate Now and the 89 Percent Project; it’s important to explore such initiatives.” – Fatima Gharib, Lebanon
• “An important and valuable experience, especially with the stories presented from multiple places.” – Mohamed Halees, Yemen
  

For more information on the 89 Percent Campaign, visit the official Covering Climate Now website:
🔗 https://coveringclimatenow.org/projects/the-89-percent-project/

To download the Climate Justice Through an Investigative Lens guide for free, visit ARIJ’s website:
🔗 https://arij.net/materials/climate-justice-through-investigative-journalism/