Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines the systemic biases, colonial legacies, and representational risks associated with depicting Indigenous peoples and forests in the context of climate change. It proposes a shift toward 'Indigenous Media Presence,' characterised by self-presentation, 'deep ethics' rooted in territory, and the recognition of Indigenous science and spirituality. The document highlights the risks of 'scenification,' 'audio-visual extractivism,' and the invisibility of Afro-descendant forest communities, while showcasing the work of Indigenous photographers and independent media as tools for resistance and planetary healing.

The introduction outlines the development of eight principles to improve the media representation of Indigenous Peoples in Central and South America. It warns against the risks of sensationalism and stereotyping in climate crisis narratives and emphasizes the need for Indigenous self-determination in how their environmental and cultural priorities are communicated.

The document outlines eight principles for Indigenous media presence, aimed at content producers and publishers to ensure imagery regarding climate solutions and conservation is transformative and sustainable. It defines Indigenous media presence as the demand for these communities to be seen and heard by the international community via local and global platforms, arguing that adopting these principles can empower those preserving primary forests.

The document outlines eight principles designed to transform how indigenous and forest communities in Central and South America are represented in local and global media. It argues that adopting these principles allows the media economy to effectively tell stories of climate action and empower those protecting primary forests and nature.

The document argues that Indigenous knowledge keepers must have the freedom to control how their stories are communicated, as external media coverage often perpetuates invisibility or basic imagery. It advocates for the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples in content production and the capacity-building of Indigenous media professionals—such as photographers and filmmakers—to ensure the Indigenous worldview is accurately represented. The text emphasizes that content produced within these communities should be shared back with participants and that platforms should be provided for Indigenous communicators to define their own priorities.

The document advocates for a 'slower and deeper' approach to storytelling and fieldwork when working with Indigenous communities, particularly in the context of forest preservation and climate change. It warns that prioritizing short-term gains increases the risk of misrepresentation. To illustrate the value of long-term commitment, it highlights the work of Claudia Andujar with the Yanomami in Brazil since 1971, whose sustained engagement led to the co-founding of the Pro-Yanomami Commission and the 1992 demarcation of their lands. It also references Josué Rivas's coverage of the Standing Rock protests and Pablo Albarenga's work with Sonia Guajajara to emphasize that meaningful imagery is a result of genuine human encounters rather than a primary goal.

The document argues against the exoticization and stereotyping of Indigenous peoples in media, urging a shift toward representing their actual diversity, self-determination, and contemporary realities. It highlights the danger of 'purity' narratives and 'White Saviour' tropes, advocating instead for the promotion of specific individuals and diverse forest ecosystems beyond the Amazon.

The document advises media to avoid generic 'location' labels and tourist-centric 'spectacular sites' when depicting Indigenous lands. Instead, it advocates for imagery grounded in a community's familiar understanding of their land, focusing on everyday life and the material, sensory, and experiential details that convey deeper meaning and cosmology.

The document outlines eight principles for 'indigenous media presence,' aiming to empower indigenous and forest communities in South and Central America. It encourages media professionals to adopt transformative and sustainable visual practices to effectively tell stories about climate action, nature preservation, and land use.

The document introduces a set of eight principles designed to guide content producers and publishers in creating transformative and sustainable visual representations of Indigenous and forest communities in Central and South America, specifically regarding climate solutions and land use.

The document argues that individual and systemic changes are interdependent, noting that individual actions drive social shifts and influence government, while governments must empower individuals for systemic change to occur.

The document asserts that the Paris Agreement's success is hindered by a failure to recognize that a public mandate is essential for reducing emissions and transforming personal behaviors. It highlights the neglect of Article 12 and Article 11 of the Paris Agreement, which mandate climate education and public participation. The author notes that while the UK's Committee on Climate Change now acknowledges that net zero is impossible without engaging people, central government ministries still lack a dedicated strategy or budget. The document calls for a 'step change' in public engagement leading up to COP26 in Glasgow, proposing the launch of a Climate Engagement Initiative to ensure citizens' rights to understand climate impacts are upheld.

The document outlines the technical requirements and operational steps for using a set of 16 'golden questions' and associated Excel calculators to segment audiences into seven specific value-based categories in Britain. It specifies that all 16 questions must be answered in a precise order to ensure accuracy and provides guidance on using both 'single response' and 'bulk' classification tools.

Prof. Michael Taylor of the University of the West Indies conducts 'climate SMART workshops' for technocrats from various small island nations to bridge the gap between global climate science and local decision-making. These workshops employ interactive methods, such as games and role play, and utilize local science and simplified messaging to make IPCC findings relevant and actionable for sector workers.

Dr Aïda Diongue Niang utilizes a non-formal, conversational approach to bridge the gap between local observations of weather changes and scientific explanations for climate change in Senegal. By replacing traditional presentations with community-led discussions and expert 'conversation shops', she helps farmers and fishing communities integrate climate information into their decision-making to mitigate risks. While these methods have built trust and fostered the co-design of climate services, scaling this process across all needy communities and sectors remains a challenge.

Dr Paola Arias, an author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, details a 2019 community meeting in Bogotá where a ceiling collapse caused by heavy rains served as a real-time example of climate risk. She argues that interpreting scientific evidence through the lens of social impacts and daily local issues—such as Bogotá's flood plain construction and landfill collapse—is more effective for public engagement than traditional presentation protocols.

Dr Svitlana Krakovska, an author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, utilizes local examples and health analogies to communicate climate science to the Ukrainian public, with a particular focus on educating young people to prepare them for future climate challenges.

Dr Samuel Morin explains the importance of 'unpacking' the IPCC SROCC's Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) by using concrete, local examples—such as ski tourism, sea level rise, and mountain gravitational hazards—to make global findings relevant to French national policy-makers. He emphasizes that spending significant time clarifying basic climate principles and scenarios is a prerequisite for effectively discussing specific risks and impacts.

Dr Alex C. Ruane, an IPCC author, details his method of translating complex climate data into accessible information for community groups in Manhattan. He emphasizes moving from abstract metrics, such as CO2 concentrations, to tangible impacts on food and cities, and utilizes specific analogies—such as comparing sea level rise to raising a basketball court floor—to make scientific uncertainties and risks more comprehensible to non-experts.

Dr. Intan Suci Nurhati, an author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, emphasizes the importance of adapting scientific delivery to the specific needs and language of different audiences. Her approach includes providing strategic support to government negotiators, using financial metaphors for CEOs and influencers, and utilizing social media to reach high school students. She notes that these interactions, particularly with the media, have influenced her own scientific direction.