Podcast launched to amplify African narratives on climate change and sustainability

Dubbed Sustainably Speaking-Africa, the podcast will seek to reclaim the narrative, amplify the groundbreaking solutions emerging from across the continent, and shift the global conversation.

Speaking during the launch of the podcast in Nairobi, KCIC Communications Director Tobias Belle said there has been the notion that Africa is a continent that continuously needs aid, and that is time that changes.

“This podcast will be looking at amplifying the narratives of change, the opportunities that are in the continent, amplifying the stories of innovators, entrepreneurs and the great innovations that are coming from this continent and the action that is required of us as a people to collectively move towards greener transition,” Belle said. 

The launch brought together stakeholders in the climate sector, with a panel discussion themed "Beyond the Headlines: Reshaping Africa's Climate Narrative," giving speakers a chance to reflect on how to shape the podcast into a space where Africa’s progress, creativity, and innovation can shine, without being drowned out by crisis-driven narratives, or jargons and technical terms. 

There were rich discussions on the existing gaps in Africa’s climate narratives, and the cost of this incomplete perspective. The discussion also delved into the future of the platform: the voices to spotlight, the kind of stories that resonate across different African contexts, and how to keep every conversation simple, human, and relatable.

“At the heart of it is a clear intention: to bring climate conversations closer to everyday people, to amplify African narratives of change, and to tell our stories in a real, grounded, and powerful way,” Belle added.

There was a unanimous agreement that it’s time Africa told its own success stories and the programmes available to not only tackle climate change but also sustainable financing around climate change. 

Entrepreneurs, experts and a curated audience from across the climate action ecosystem agreed to mobilise more voices for the podcast, with everyone called up to speak up achievements and challenges in climate action.

So far more than 80 episodes of the podcast have been recorded. The podcast will be available in all streaming platforms, among them Spotify, Amazon, Youtube, Apple Podcast, and will be done in multimedia formats.