ABU DHABI: Collaboration between the media and think tanks is vital in order to address the climate crisis, experts told Global Media Congress delegates on Tuesday.
A debate about climate change and appropriate policy response to rising global temperatures and the impact it has on children's physical and mental well-being.
Cooperation is especially important when it comes to children’s rights and the loss of biodiversity, they added.
During the past six years more than 43 million children were displaced due to weather-related disasters, according to a report from UNICEF.
“Children are the most impacted by the climate crisis, 90 percent of the diseases related to climate change are concentrated in children who are under 5 years old,” Pedro Hartung, executive director of the Alana Foundation, told Arab News. “It was for those reasons — as well as to secure a better world for children, protect the future and control climate change — that the Alana Foundation was founded in Brazil,” he added.
Alana comprises of three impact groups that work hand in hand: a think tank, a production company called Maria Farinha Films, and a philanthropic institution that invests in research and technology. Each aims to tackle climate change.
“We want to bring children and their families to the center of the global discussion,” said Hartung. “We get reliable data, policies, regulations and solutions for the problems that we are facing through think tanks. But, in the end, we need to convey the message not only to policymakers but to people.”
Alana produces fictional series, reality shows, documentaries and even horror movies to convey important messages on climate change, child protection and development to a broader audience.
“From behavioral economics research on how humans behave, we know that people are mobilized through hidden messages. They are sensitized by positive messages. As a think tank we need to integrate good messages and dreams so people can dream of a better world, hope we can solve the challenge we are facing right now and be inspired to take action. We cannot dream of something we cannot envision is possible,” Hartung explained.
As COP28 approaches, the UAE is sharing research on climate change by posting videos on different media platforms.
Ebtesam Alteneiji, director of community services at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, told Global Media Congress attendees: “The key is for our outcomes at ECSSR to be recognized and our analysis and papers to be read and heard by a wider audience, not just policymakers. That’s why we created our in-house creative hub.”
ECSSR produces short, simple videos that are published on social media and YouTube. They simplify the science to the public.
“The human attention span today is shorter. I consume a lot of videos on social media, so we came up with our two-minute videos about our climate change research and analysis,” said Alteneiji.
