By Hatem Hussein
SHARJAH, 13th September, 2023 (WAM) — Abdullah Abdulkarim, Acting Executive Director of the Editorial Department at Emirates News Agency (WAM), urged climate change content creators to use their platforms to raise awareness of the burning issue and to inspire people to take action.
Abdulkarim’s remarks came as he addressed the World Media Seminar, organised by WAM as part of the International Government Communications Forum that started in Sharjah today.
Abdulkarim started by sharing a tweet by a German minister on climate change that made waves in Italy and sparked the ire of the Italian Minister of Tourism.
Abdulkarim said, “‘An era is coming to an end. Will tourism in Italy end?’ This is how German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wondered in a tweet he recently posted while visiting the Italian city of Bologna as a tourist. His tweet made waves in Italy and sparked the ire of Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, who responded by saying that her government is well aware of the effects of climate change and that sustainability remains a fundamental element in the development of the country's tourism industry. Santanchè also quipped that Italy still looks forward to welcoming Lauterbach back as a tourist.
“In his tweet, the German minister expressed his amazement at the unprecedented rise in temperature, saying: ‘The heat wave is spectacular here. If it continues like this, these holiday destinations will have no future in the long term. Climate change is destroying southern Europe. An era is coming to an end.’"
Abdulkarim cited statistics from various sources underlining the significant impact of climate change on people’s lives.
“According to the International Organisation for Migration, future forecasts vary from 25 million to 1 billion environmental migrants by 2050, moving either within their countries or across borders, on a permanent or temporary basis, with 200 million being the most widely cited estimate. This figure equals the current estimate of international migrants worldwide.”
From this perspective, Abdulakrim discussed the important role that should be played by content creators, including in shaping public opinion on climate change.
”The content creation market is anticipated to record a CAGR of 12.4% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2033. The market is expected to be valued at US$ 1,66,11.5 million in 2023 and is likely to reach US$ 5,36,23.3 million by 2033, according to a report by the Future Market Insight,” explained Abdulkarim.
He in this regard highlighted the work of some leading climate change content creators, including environmentalist Jimmy Doyle; Swedish activist Greta Thunberg; and actress Natalie Portman.
He argued that these creators can use their platforms to inform and inspire people, and to help create a more sustainable future.
He cited a study by Unilever indicating that “influencers have the greatest influence on people's sustainable choices, with 78% of participants agreeing. This influence was greater than that of TV documentaries (48%), news articles (37%), and government campaigns (20%).”
Describing content creators as key players in the fight against climate change, Abdulkarim concluded by calling upon influencers to focus on the following three key areas to ensure engaging their audience on issues relevant to climate change:
-Accuracy and completeness: Content creators should strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information about climate change, and to highlight the latest research on the issue.
-Awareness: Content creators should help people understand the risks of climate change and its potential impacts.
-Action: Content creators should inspire people to take action to address climate change, such as reducing their carbon footprint.
Abdulkarim's speech is a timely reminder of the important role that climate change content creators can play in enhancing awareness and inspiring action.
By focusing on accuracy, awareness, and action, these creators can help make a real difference in the fight against climate change.