11 July 2024, Singapore – Singapore non-profit EB Impact has launched the third season of its flagship programme, the Sustainability Media Academy, with applications for journalists and editors to join this three-day fellowship opening today.

Launched in 2021, the Academy is a first-of-its-kind platform that enables journalists and editors across the Asia-Pacific region to upskill in the critical field of sustainable development reporting.  

In the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risk Report, misinformation and disinformation were highlighted by business leaders across the globe as the biggest short-term risks, while extreme weather and critical change to Earth systems were the greatest long-term concerns. The Academy is well positioned to help prepare media professionals to guard against such risks, by providing the tools, resources and network required to deepen their understanding of these important issues.

Furthermore, a report by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism showed that nearly two thirds of respondents from 8 countries surveyed believe that news media play a significant role in influencing climate change decisions, actions by large businesses, government policies, and public attitudes.  

The role of media in decision-making and driving meaningful change remains critical in our collective pursuit of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

The Sustainability Media Academy leverages expert guidance from seasoned professionals in the media industry and has trained over 100 journalists across the region since inception, solidifying its role as a robust knowledge and resource centre, committed to empowering journalists and editors who are passionate about raising the level of discourse and deepen the reporting of sustainable development issues in the region.

This year, the Sustainability Media Academy aims to broaden its impact and reach, empowering professionals in the media and communications industry to give voice to essential topics such as data journalism, diversity in climate reporting, artificial intelligence, and Asia’s sustainable development transition.  

The Sustainability Media Academy has onboarded new strategic partners this year, including Tara Foundation, RGE, Vero, and the April Group, to expand the programme’s reach across the region.  

“We are delighted to welcome even more strategic partners to this year’s edition of the programme who are all equally passionate and committed to raising the quality of debate and deepen media coverage of these critical sustainable development issues which will define the future of Asia,” said Jessica Cheam, founder and Chair of the Board, EB Impact.  

“We are proud to collaborate with the Sustainability Media Academy in its mission to empower journalists across Asia. As the region undergoes a rapid energy transition, it is crucial to equip journalists with the tools to report rigorously, assertively, and impartially on these changes, promoting meaningful dialogue toward an equitable and inclusive energy transition,” said Jamie Choi, CEO of Tara Climate Foundation.

“At RGE, our purpose is to improve lives by developing resources sustainably. Our businesses aim to achieve our purpose through doing good and creating value and impact for the Community, Country, Climate, Customer and Company. Supporting EB Impact’s Sustainability Media Academy aligns perfectly with this ethos. We recognise that responsible journalism is crucial in driving sustainable development and positive change. We are delighted to contribute to this important initiative that equips media professionals with the knowledge and skills to understand complex sustainability challenges and deliver informed, impactful reporting, which are essential in our shared journey towards a sustainable future,” said Bey Soo Khiang, Vice Chairman of RGE.

Lin Kuek, Managing Director at Vero Singapore and Head of Sustainability Communications in Southeast Asia shares: “Given the immense role that the media and communications industry plays in advancing our collective journey towards a more sustainable future, it is instrumental that media professionals are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver factual stories, and hold corporate entities accountable for the information they put out. We are thrilled to leverage our long-standing relationships and extensive media networks in Southeast Asia to reach even more journalists in the region, to contribute to a community of informed, skilled and engaged media professionals.”

Lucita Jasmin, Director for Sustainability & External Affairs at APRIL Group added, “Partnering with EB Impact through Sustainability Media Academy allows us to empower our media partners with the knowledge and skills to drive impactful sustainability journalism, which can help drive a collective movement to achieve scale and impact,”

Strategic partners will contribute to shaping some aspects of the curriculum for the programme’s Singapore Masterclass and satellite workshops.  

The Singapore programme will be hosted over three days from 10-12 September 2024, and for the first time, be co-located with Eco-Business’s flagship sustainable finance summit, Unlocking capital for sustainability 2024 held in partnership with United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and a wide range of partners.

Journalists and editors will participate in workshops over two days, with the third day allocated to being part of and covering the Singapore summit of Unlocking capital for sustainability at ParkRoyal Collection Marina Bay.

“We decided to co-locate the programme with our premiere sustainable finance and business summit to provide an opportunity for journalists and editors to apply the concepts and skills they have learnt, and to be immersed in the foremost conversations in business and policy in Asia,” said Cheam.  

This season, the Sustainability Media Academy will expand into Thailand with its first satellite workshop held in September. A satellite workshop in Indonesia will also be held this coming October.

EB Impact is pleased to announce that the third Season of Sustainability Media Academy is also supported by the Earth Journalism Network Media Grant to Strengthen Infrastructure Reporting in Southeast Asia 2024.  

This grant, one of only seven awarded by the Earth Journalism Network, underscores the team’s commitment to empowering journalism focused on infrastructure development and its environmental and human rights implications. EB Impact is grateful for the opportunity to advance critical reporting in this crucial area within the Asia-Pacific region. The grant is a part of the STRIDES project that supports environmental reporting on infrastructure development and its impacts with an aim to empower Southeast Asian journalists with expertise on infrastructure investment, human rights, environmental impacts, and more, enhancing their reporting skills on these issues.  

“One of our main goals with the STRIDES project is to work with journalists in underrepresented communities reporting on stories that haven’t received widespread attention,” said Philip Gassert, STRIDES Project Manager with EJN. “We’re really excited to work with EB Impact on the Sustainability Media Academy because of their strong track record of working with community-level journalists and producing stories with national and regional impacts. Their application perfectly fit what we’re trying to accomplish with STRIDES.”  

Since its launch in 2021, the Sustainability Media Academy has fostered a community of over 100 journalists and editors across the Asia-Pacific region, equipping them with essential knowledge and skills to tackle reporting complex environmental and social issues rampant in the world today.  

For detailed insights into our past achievements, please refer to our Impact Report here.

Applications open

Sustainability Media Academy starts accepting applications today! Interested practicing and aspiring journalists and editors are invited to apply for ‘Sustainability Media Academy Season 3’ from now till the application closes on 3rd August 2024.  

It is highly recommended that interested applicants submit their application as soon as possible as there are a limited number of spaces. Successful applicants will be notified of the subsequent steps via their registered email.  

To apply, please click here.  

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-Ends-

Note to Editors:

All media coverage on the event should include a mention of Sustainability Media Academy, an initiative by EB Impact, in partnership with Tara, RGE, Vero, APRIL Group, and Earth Journalism Network.

View the full programme here.

For media inquiries, interviews, and photos, please contact:

Diana Ratih
diana.ratih@ebimpact.org  
Partnerships & Programme Manager
EB Impact
(+65) 8768 4187
1 Rochester Park, #03-01, Rochester Commons, Singapore 139212

About EB Impact
EB Impact is a Singapore-registered nonprofit and sister organisation of Eco-Business, focused on delivering youth and education programmes to Asia Pacific’s underserved communities with a focus on youth to generate positive sustainable development impact. All our initiatives are designed to directly generate positive environment and social impact for society.

About Tara Foundation

Tara Climate Foundation is a regionally based philanthropic foundation, directing funds towards climate mitigation in Asia. Our mission is to support a diverse group of partners to accelerate Asia’s energy transformation.

About RGE – www.rgei.com

Headquartered in Singapore, RGE is a group of resource-based manufacturing companies with global operations. We produce sustainable natural fibres, edible oils, green packaging and clean natural gas used to create products that feed, clothe and energise the world. We help improve billions of peoples’ lives through sustainable products they use every day. With more than US$35 billion in assets and 80,000 employees, we are creating a more recyclable, biodegradable and lower carbon future.

Committed to sustainable development, conservation and community development, we strive towards what is good for the community, good for the country, good for the climate, good for the customer, and good for the company. With operations spanning across Indonesia, China, Brazil, Canada, Spain and Malaysia, we continue to expand and engage new markets.

About Vero

Vero is an award-winning communications consultancy advising some of Southeast Asia’s leading brands, corporations, and non-profit organisations. Listed among the Global Top 250 Agency Ranking by PRovoke Media and the winner of numerous Southeast Asia Consultancy of the Year awards, Vero designs integrated marketing and communications strategies that resonate within and across this vibrant region’s digital ecosystems and fast-growing economies. Vero is the first agency in Southeast Asia to sign the clean creative pledge.

About APRIL Group

Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) Group is a leading manufacturer in the paper and pulp industry, which also provides sustainable forest management efforts in Indonesia. APRIL employs around 14,000 people directly and provides indirect employment to 90,000. Today, the residential townsite in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, houses up to 7,000 employees and their families.  

About Earth Journalism Network

Founded in 2004, Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is now a truly global network of reporters and media outlets in virtually every region of the world. Our mission is to strengthen local journalism that serves communities and policymakers on the frontlines of climate and environmental crises, enabling them to shape solutions, hold power to account and demand action.  

About Sustainability Media Academy
The Sustainability Media Academy is a knowledge platform for practicing journalists and editors to deepen their understanding and reporting of sustainable development issues. The Academy upskills media professionals with the tools and resources to produce high quality, credible content to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

APPENDIX

The Academy has set out three strategic objectives:  

1. Inspire and upskill journalism professionals in sustainable development reporting and to establish themselves as voices of authority on critical issues shaping the region.
2. Raise the level of trust and the quality of debate on sustainable development issues in the region.
3. Fight misinformation and disinformation around sustainable development topics that are prevalent in public discourse.  

Applications for the programme will open on 11th July 2024 and will close on 3rd August 2024. This programme is provided to successful applicants at no cost. All applicants will be required to commit to the full three-day programme.

Alumni continue from the academy to produce high-quality media content focused on sustainable development. Some of our notable alumni include Shihan Fang, who founded Regen Supply, Asia’s first and only podcast dedicated to regenerative finance, and occasionally hosting podcast sessions with a fellow alumnus, Marla Lise.  

Others include Uzmi Athar, who is currently the Chief Correspondent at the Press Trust of India (PTI) and was part of the Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship (Earth Journalism Network and Stanley Center for Peace and Security) covering COP28 in Dubai. Lastly, Denia Isetianti Permata, who is a practicing lawyer and the owner of Cleanomic, a Jakarta-based media brand that highlights local sustainable businesses and lifestyles.