Climate Tracker Asia celebrated World Environment Day on June 5 with the graduation of its second cohort of Content Creators Hub fellows. 

The program, supported by Oxfam International, equipped aspiring storytellers with the knowledge and skills to craft engaging and informative content on climate change. 

Nine fellows from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines completed the program, designed to empower a new generation of communicators to reshape the narrative surrounding the climate crisis. 

“You’re at the leading edge of a global effort to decolonize and decentralize how we communicate about environmental and social challenges,” said Chris Hufstadter, a senior writer and editor at Oxfam America. 

“I appreciate the way you’re bringing your perspective and the perspective of people in your communities out into the media in these inclusive and diverse ways,” he added. 

Nani Afrida, secretary general of the Alliance of Independent Journalists in Indonesia, expressed her hope for more grassroots stories and encouraged storytellers to be more collaborative. 

“Collaboration is a must right now,” Afrida said. “And we cannot fight this alone, especially a big issue like climate change.”

Making climate change accessible

The program featured interactive workshops and practical exercises covering climate science, storytelling techniques, and effective social media strategies. 

In January 2024, Climate Tracker Asia hosted a three-day in-person workshop in Manila. During this period, fellows exchanged ideas, brainstormed approaches, produced engaging social media content, and forged friendships 

“Each moment brought us together to become more effective climate advocates. We learned a lot about how to really get the message out there and not just talk to echo chambers,” Malaysian journalist Ashley Yeong said.  

Experienced journalists and content creators, such as TikTok Changemakers Celine Murillo, served as resource speakers and mentors and provided personalized guidance. Murillo was a fellow of the first installment of the Content Creators’ Hub. 

Yeong, who produced a cooking video discussing the climate-resilient crop pumpkin, stressed the importance of making climate change-related content “more relatable and accessible to a wider audience.”

Mukhriz Hazim, a photojournalist from Malaysia, said visual media is another tool for making complex climate change concepts easily understood. 

“Using images, infographics, videos and animations, [visual media] can show the actual impact of climate change. It can evoke emotions and it inspires action better than words,” Hazim said. 

Filipino visual artist Bricx Martillo Dumas echoed this. “The importance of visual arts is to make these stories and problems be easily digested and communicated.”

Hazim produced a video on an innovative and eco-friendly farming technique, while Dumas created a video highlighting the unappreciated seagrass.

Indonesian science communicator Anggrita Desyani Cahyaningtyas produced a social media series unpacking the environmental and climate impacts of Israel’s war on Gaza.

“I hope more and more people will understand the impacts of genocide, not only in Gaza, and how it intertwines with the climate crisis. Because when we use our resources not very wisely, we actually put our future in danger,” she said. 

Other fellows include Malaysian journalist Satpal Kaler who broke down the urban heat island effect, Indonesian motion graphic artist Alief Aurum who investigated the finances of DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency, Suciati Agustin who reported on how rising sea levels threaten the livelihood of Indonesian women, Filipina climate advocate Nikka Gerona who delved into the climate impact of milk tea, and Filipina climate activist who explained the various forms of climate activism.