COP26: Reports from frontline of climate change to feature in The Scotsman during Glasgow summit under partnership

Now readers of The Scotsman will have a unique opportunity to hear directly from journalists living in some of these countries, through a special partnership set up as part of the publication’s coverage of the United Nations climate summit COP26.

Reporters from Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Philippines, India, Nepal, Ghana and Kenya will be among those writing in print and online for The Scotsman during the event, which is taking place in Glasgow from November 1 to 12.

The initiative has been organised in partnership with the Earth Journalism Network (EJN), a project run by international non-profit organisation Internews to help journalists from developing countries cover environmental issues more effectively.

The Scotsman editor Neil McIntosh said: “The Scotsman is delighted to partner with Internews’ Earth Journalism Network to help amplify the work of journalists from around the world covering the COP26 conference.

“We know the impact of climate change is being felt globally, so enabling an array of voices to be heard – and for coverage of events in Glasgow to reach around the world – is vital.

“I’m also confident coverage supported by the project will be of huge value to Scotsman readers, who will benefit from a global perspective on the conference.”

Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive (Europe) at Internews, said: “We’re excited to work with the Scotsman for COP26 to help amplify the voices and experiences of those who are at the brunt of the current climate crisis.

“Climate change is already having a devastating impact on many communities globally and this partnership means more people will have a chance to hear about those challenges first hand.”

James Fahn, executive director at EJN, said: ‘Not only do journalists and media outlets play a crucial role in explaining the causes and impacts of climate change, which otherwise might seem obscure to many members of the public, but they play an invaluable role in spreading news and information about solutions and ways to address the climate crisis.”

This year’s COP (Conference of Parties) is considered the most important since the Paris Agreement was set out in 2015, with nations due to set out greenhouse gas emissions targets to limit global warming to 1.5C.

COP26, which is being staged by the UK Government, was due to take place last year, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organisers have said the event will go ahead in person this November, but on a smaller scale than originally planned.

But the decision has attracted criticism from climate justice campaigners, who fear representatives from lower-income countries will struggle to get to Scotland – not just for financial reasons, but also because of Covid-related travel restrictions.

Around 30,000 delegates, including US president Joe Biden, the Pope, the Queen, TV presenter and naturalist Sir David Attenborough and youth climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, are expected to attend.

EJN, with support from the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, is bringing journalists from developing countries to the conference in person while also helping remote reporters gain better access to information from the talks.