Journalist Training on Climate Change and Green Economy Reporting in Zambia

This three-day workshop introduces working journalists to climate science and economics. It offers a framework of knowledge to help them understand how the climate and an economy work and the underappreciated role the natural world plays in humanity’s well-being.

Day One looks at how the climate works, the importance of natural cycles, the threat posed by global warming and the international response.

Day Two looks at the market economy through the lens of human need, explores the unintended consequences of the Industrial Revolution and the 20^th-century Green Revolution, the importance of ecosystems and ecosystem services and examines what is different about the Green Economy.

Day Three looks at how a national economy works, at some of the fiscal and monetary tools policy makers use to manage it and at different financing options for the emerging Green Economy. Day Three also includes a session on multimedia storytelling.

Date and Venue

The workshop will take place from 5th to 7th May 2026 at 9h00 to 17h00.

The sessions will take place at the Urban Hotel (Lusaka, Zambia)

Learning Objectives

After the workshop, participants will be able to:

Explain the mechanisms of climate change and global warming, including the role of key greenhouse gases, and describe their relevance in Zambia.
Identify the main human activities and economic sectors contributing to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
Differentiate between climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation
Identify the roles of key international bodies leading the response to and coordinating climate action.
Explain how economic systems have evolved to meet human needs
Define ecosystem services and analyze their contribution to livelihoods, communities, and economies.
Distinguish between macroeconomics and microeconomics and identify different fiscal and monetary tools for managing a national economy.
Explain the difference between the traditional market economy and the emerging Green Economy
Identify at least three financing or investment options for green economy
Apply effective communication techniques to report on climate change and green economy topics for a general audience.
Evaluate and select credible data sources for climate and environmental reporting.

The Trainer

Nicholas Phythian works with professional journalists around the world to develop their reporting and analytical skills, and deepen their knowledge of specialist subjects. He has developed training programmes or delivered workshops on subjects ranging from rural development and climate change to investigative reporting with a focus on extractive industries or illicit finance. He is a firm believer that independent, evidence-based reporting can stimulate and feed informed public debate and offer ordinary people an opportunity to influence decisions made in their name. He worked for Reuters for more than 20 years as a reporter, sub-editor, bureau chief or editor with news editing and management responsibilities. Before that, he worked for Agence France Presse. He runs workshops in both English and French.

Agenda

The workshop is based around a nominal working day from 09:00 – 13:00 (morning session) and 14:00 to 17:30 (afternoon session). There will be refreshment breaks of 15 minutes in both the morning and afternoon sessions.

Download the detailed agenda here.

Day 1: Tuesday, 5 May 2026

Time	The Changing Climate
08:30	Registration
09:00	Session 1: Welcome and Introduction
10:30	Session 2: Module 1: A Question of Climate
11:00	Coffee/Tea Break
11:15	Module 1 Part 2: Q&A PPT “Global Warming”
11:45	Module 1 Part 3: Exercise 1: A climate story
12:30	Module 1 Part 4: Q&A PPT “The International Response”
12:45	Session 3: Module 2: Climate Change and its Impacts on Zambia
13:00	Lunch
14:00	Journalists engage with a panel of guest speakers. Topic: “Impact of Global Warming & the changing climate in Zambia”
15:00	Coffee/Tea Break
15:15	Exercise 2: Where’s the story? Who cares?
15:45	Module 2 Review
16:00	Session 4: Big Quiz and Day 1 Evening Review
17:00	Day One Review

Day 2: Wednesday, 6 May 2026

Time
09:00	Session 5: Morning Review
09:15	Session 6: Module 3: The Market Economy
10:30	Coffee/Tea Break
10:45	Module 3 Part 2: Q&A PPT “Unintended Consequences”
11:45	Module 3 Part 3: Q&A PPT: “A Green Economy”
12:45	Session 7: Module 4: Zambia’s Emerging Green Economy
13:00	Lunch
14:00	Journalists engage with a panel of guest speakers. Topic: “Opportunities & Challenges posed by the emerging Green Economy for different businesses & communities in Zambia”
15:00	Coffee/Tea Break
15:15	Exercise 6: Where’s the story? Who cares?
15:45	Module 4 Review
16:00	Session 8: Big Quiz and Day 2 Evening Review
17:00	Day Two Review

Day 3: Thursday, 7 May 2026

Time	Innovation & Opportunity in a Green Economy
09:00	Session 9: Morning Review
09:15	Session 10: Managing an Economy
10:45	Coffee/Tea Break
11:00	Module 5 Part 2: Q&A PPT “Funding the Green Economy”
11:30	Exercise 9
12:00	Session 11: Multimedia Storytelling Module 6: Multimedia storytelling
12:45	Session 12: Opportunity and Innovation in Zambia’s Green Economy Module 7 “Over to You”: Introduction
13:00	Lunch
14:00	Journalists engage with a panel of guest speakers. Topic: “Innovation & doing business differently in Zambia’s Green Economy”
15:00	Coffee/Tea Break
15:15	Exercise 10: Where’s the story? Who cares?
15:45	Module 7 Review
16:00	Session 13: Final Quiz and Training Workshop Closing
17:15	Closing Ceremony

Certification

Participants will take a final quiz at the end of the workshop and a certificate of completion will be issued to those who pass the quiz with a grade of 70%. Participants who fail the quiz but attended at least 75% of the workshop are eligible to receive a certificate of participation.