“Climate Change Media Symposium 2025” to Discuss the Role of Media in Addressing Climate Change
This year, we are honored to welcome the UN Under-Secretary-General from New York as a special guest, with cooperation from the United Nations Information Centre!
■ Press Release <PR TIMES>: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000019.000128060.html
■ View Press Release in PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lN4t6-0ZZISxexYrh89-KST-AiF8rgFB/
In Japan, while awareness of “decarbonization/carbon neutrality” exceeds 90%, the proportion of people taking action remains limited at 22.7%* to 33.6%. Although climate change is an issue that affects everyone, it is difficult for people to personalize. In recent years, there has been a notable decline in awareness among Japanese people, with “sustainability fatigue” becoming widespread.
“Beyond mere awareness, what role is expected of the media when aiming for a society that can solve climate change? What kind of reporting and media approaches are needed?” This symposium brings together media professionals, audiences, businesses, the United Nations, and diverse stakeholders to discuss mechanisms for sustained climate change reporting.
*1 Hakuhodo Incorporated: Survey on Consumers’ Decarbonization Awareness & Actions
*2 DENTSU INC. : Consumer Survey on Carbon Neutrality
*3 Ipsos: Survey on Japanese Awareness Decline Regarding Climate Action Measures (Ranking Lowest Among 32 Countries)
<<Outline >>
[Climate Change Media Symposium 2025]
■ Date:5/28/2025 (Wed) 3:00PM-6:00PM (6:00PM-7:00PM Networking)
■ Venue: Hibiya Sky Conference Room B
@1-1-1 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 11F *In-person event only
■ Registration Form: https://forms.gle/vnSrz7zSic4nk5hk9 *Registration will close when capacity is reached
■ Host: MEDIA IS HOPE Inc.
■ Cooperation: United Nations Information Centre
■ Content (Stay tuned for the announcement of all speakers)
Keynote speech by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.
[Session 1] UN Under-Secretary-General Fleming, UNIC Director Nemoto, Media Representatives <Restoring integrity to an information space where social division is deepening. What role can media play?>
Utilizing the “UN Global Principles for Information Integrity,” we will explore with media professionals how to establish trusted media through perspectives on fact-checking and reporting that includes solutions.
[Session 2] Media Representatives, Member Companies/Secretariat of Japan Climate Initiative(JCI), Climate Scientists <Expectations from leading climate action companies/organizations – Revealing the “Awareness Survey on Climate Change Reporting”>
First public release of a survey targeting the Japan Climate Initiative (a network of companies, municipalities, organizations, and research institutions working on climate change measures). Unraveling what is expected of the media and what kind of reporting is desired.
[Session 3] Media Representatives, Advertising Agencies, Company <Co-creation idea meeting for “developing mechanisms to sustain climate change reporting” that tackles new value creation>
“Engagement” and “behavioral change” that aren’t reflected in ratings or page views. How can we create and systematize these newly identified value axes? We will explore this with media pioneers, advertising agencies, and companies leading in climate action.
■ Speakers:
Media professionals from NHK and commercial TV stations, companies addressing climate change, advertising agencies, Japan’s largest climate change network, and climate scientists will be speaking! Detailed announcements to follow.
Melissa Fleming (UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications)
She leads the UN Department of Global Communications, working to deepen people’s understanding of global issues and gain interest and support for UN initiatives and goals. She develops UN strategic communications including multilingual and digital communications, outreach activities, and campaigns. Led the development of the “UN Global Principles for Information Integrity,” which serves as a blueprint for a healthy information ecosystem.
Kaoru Nemoto (Director, United Nations Information Centre)
She graduated from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law. After working in mass media and obtaining a master’s degree in the United States, she served at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from 1996 to the end of 2011. Also served as a Public Information Officer for the World Food Programme(WFP) and the Executive Director of the Japan Association for UNHCR. She assumed current position in August 2013. She received the 2021 Japan PR Grand Prize “Person of the Year Award” for her continued advocacy of the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
■ Press Release <PR TIMES>: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000019.000128060.html
■ View Press Release in PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lN4t6-0ZZISxexYrh89-KST-AiF8rgFB/
■ Event Objectives:
We will explore communications that can dispel “sustainability fatigue” and give audiences hope.
We will hold a discussion on the following topics:
● Solution journalism that includes solutions within reporting.
● Participatory projects and engaged journalism that nurture audience self-efficacy.
● Collaborative efforts for a healthy information space, including fact-checking.
● An approach that demonstrates one’s own initiatives to empower people and regain trust.
● Methods for media to proactively advance measures through co-creation with stakeholders as companies.
As with last year, we hope to make this a fruitful opportunity for both speakers and participants. We hope that the importance of media collaboration will be recognized and lead to new practices with stakeholders in various positions.
*Archive video of last year’s “Climate Change Media Symposium” is available here↓
Released Archive Videos of All Sessions from [Climate Change Media Symposium]
■ Host:
A non-profit organization that provides various support to strengthen climate change reporting in order to realize a society that can solve climate change. Aiming to fundamentally solve climate change, it acts as a bridge to build co-creative relationships between media, citizens, companies, and all other stakeholders. It also operates a media collaboration platform that transcends media and affiliations.
HP：http://media-is-hope.org/en
Media is Hope also provide spaces for various stakeholders to connect and co-create, such as by hosting the Climate Change Media Symposium, where media professionals, international organizations such as the United Nations, experts, practitioners, citizens and young people discuss the type of reporting required to solve climate change, and “Let’s Make It Together! Renewable Energy Day” supported by the Ministry of the Environment.
■ Contact：contact@media-is-hope.org（MEDIA IS HOPE Co-Lead Yoshizo Nishida / Yuka Natori）