Why UNEA Matters for Journalists
At the heart of global environmental diplomacy lies Nairobi - home to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the stage for the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). Here, world leaders, diplomats, and negotiators gather to confront the urgent realities of the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
UNEA is not just another international meeting. It is the only universal body on the environment, where every UN Member State has a seat at the table, making it a unique forum for multilateral action. Decisions taken in Nairobi influence policies, industries, and communities across the world - shaping the solutions that can determine our collective future.
For journalists, UNEA offers more than headlines about negotiations. It is an opportunity to:
- Report on how global decisions are made and why they matter for ordinary people.
- Explore stories of solutions and challenges that connect international policymaking to local realities.
- Examine how cooperation - or its absence - will define responses to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution in the years ahead.
In short, covering UNEA means opening a window for audiences worldwide to see how international decision-making works in practice and why it matters to their lives, livelihoods, and environment.
GRID-Arendal, in collaboration with UNEP Communications, hosted a webinar for journalists ahead of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7): Why UNEA Matters for Journalists Webinar
The webinar offered an engaging introduction to the themes and decision-making processes of UNEA-7, helping participants prepare to cover this important global forum. It explored ways to report on environmental issues through a solutions-focused lens, highlighting how global decisions connect to local realities. Participants also had the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts and ask questions to strengthen their understanding and reporting approach.
UNEA-7 Travel Grant – Journalists Selected
Eight journalists have been selected to receive the GRID-Arendal Travel Grant to cover the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi this December.
This year saw a record 139 applications from dedicated environmental journalists across Africa, Asia, and South America. The quality, insight, and passion reflected in these applications made the selection process both inspiring and challenging.
The eight selected journalists will report directly from the world’s highest-level environmental decision-making forum, sharing perspectives and stories from their regions with global audiences. Through their work, they will help amplify voices and solutions that respond to the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
We’re grateful to everyone who applied and for the important work you do to raise awareness about environmental issues and solutions.
The UNEA-7 Travel Grant supports journalists in reporting directly from the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi. The grant is designed to cover travel-related expenses, enabling journalist to participate in and report on this important global event.
Through this initiative, journalists are encouraged to produce constructive journalism that highlights solutions, examines challenges, and provides balanced coverage of UNEA-7. The aim is to help audiences better understand not only what is being discussed, but also why these discussions matter and how their outcomes can be put into practice.
A central focus of the reporting will be on multilateralism - countries working together through international cooperation and negotiation to tackle global challenges that no single nation can address alone. Issues such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss will be at the forefront of UNEA-7, and through their coverage, journalists can shed light on how international decision-making affects people and societies worldwide.
By supporting independent, solution-oriented reporting, the UNEA-7 Travel Grant contributes to greater public understanding of both the process and the impact of global environmental governance.
Key Dates for Journalists, that wants to cover UNEA-7:
· Open Call Announced: 19. September
· Webinar for Journalists: 8. October
· Deadline for Call Applications: 13. October
· Announcement of Travel Grant Winners: 20. October
· Press Registration for UNEA-7 Closes: 31. October
· Follow-up with Grant Winners: Early November
