Unity for Sustainability: Working together is no longer optional, it’s a compulsion

Nepal is in the process of fast-track development and wants to achieve economic prosperity as earliest as possible. Media is the only platform from which in a small period of time we could amplify the message and communicate with larger communities to make awareness and educate on diverse issues. As a media social responsibility, Annapurna Media Network On 24th November 2021 declared its commitment to the climate change and sustainability agenda through the UNITY FOR SUSTAINABILITY- UFS program. This is a two-year campaign that will be working in a collaborative effort between AMN and climate stakeholders through green partnerships. The campaign’s aim is to enhance the meaningful dialogue among the stakeholders and foster interactions on critical climate change issues. UFS believes in a sustainable development framework that strikes a balance between development and environmental protection. UFS mainly covers the four key areas that are Green partnership, Behavioral change communications, Audit and alert, and Climate stories. With adequate media spaces with additional editorial priority, each AMN member media working on a specialized theme: Climate Change & Policies, Climate Change & Youth, Climate Change & Local Government, Climate Change & Livelihood, Climate Change & Natural Disasters. Annapurna Media Network has announced the campaign to ‘lead the climate change dialogue’ working closely with all stakeholders particularly focusing on climate-change issues and its cross-cutting issues.

UFS is the first of its campaign in Nepal that aims to bring key climate stakeholders together to fight the effects of climate change and create sustainable development through media sensitization. Inaugurating the campaign, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba applauded AMN initiatives to create awareness of climate change issues. PM Deuba added that the media can play a vital role in highlighting issues of climate change and contribute to an enhanced dialogue. “I believe we can contribute to clean and green nature-based solutions to the prevailing climate change and environmental issues. I also strongly raised the issue in the recent COP26 Summit,” said PM Deuba. He was informed of the initiatives taken by the Nepal government to mitigate the effects of climate change. 

Three former prime ministers—KP Sharma Oli, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and Madhav Kumar Nepal—through their video message appreciated the AMN initiation as well. They also underlined the need to work together to fight climate change. AMN Chairman Capt. Rameshwar Thapa said the world was passing through a climate crisis so all stakeholders must unite and work in collaboration. “I am confident that this initiation will add one more brick towards green minds, thereby green behaviors,” Thapa said. Thapa added that as a media house it is AMN’s duty to make people aware and alarmed about this life-and-death issue. “The issue of climate change concerns me. This is the time to give back to the environment and society,” he said. AMN’s Group Chief Executive Officer Mr. Sanat Neupane formally asked for more and more climate partners to support the UFS initiative. He said, “Join us or please make us join you, all that matters are a partnership and doing something more.” Neupane further added, “Climate change, we thought, was a distant ghost but now it is knocking on our doors.” During the campaign, high-level government officials, climate activists, leaders of civil society, and national and international media representatives are continuously informed and are in touch in depth.  In spite of fighting climate change, individual steps are not enough and all stakeholders need to work together. AMN hopes to change this state of affairs by bringing together climate stakeholders and fostering meaningful interactions between them. It wants to highlight the issue of a sustainable development approach that takes care of the planet and addresses the challenges posed by the effects of climate change. So the core of the campaign is to unite all stakeholders to work on sustainability.  “For a country like Nepal, the awareness level is still not mature. Several focused campaigns and targeted programs are still necessary to elevate the general conscience. Broad participation from government, development agencies, the private sector, and civil society is necessary for a meaningful impact of this initiative. A Green Society is the next milestone of Human Evolution. It is just a matter of how slow or how fast. With joint intervention, we may reach there with less social pain. We are equally happy to let our wonderful ideas cross out the borders of the classroom and touch the general public.” - Dr. Biraj Singh Thapa Associate Professor, Kathmandu University, Nepal.  While providing interviews to the Annapurna Express on February 19 2022, as a Green Ambassador for our campaign, Erik Solheim is a well-known global leader in environment and development. He served as Norwegian Minister of Environment and International Development from 2005-12, and provided a specific message to Nepal and Nepali politicians on climate action. “Please focus on the positive. How agriculture in Tarai can give better yields to the farmers by going green. How the Nepali valleys can be hubs for hydro and solar energies, How the Himalayas can attract more tourists, but with less impact on vulnerable nature. I am so excited to be a part of this Unity for Sustainability campaign.”  “As a Green Partner of Unity for Sustainability Campaign, an initiative of Annapurna Media Partner working jointly against climate change issues, our efforts will be focused on generating and transferring scientific knowledge to the society on green growth and sustainable development for building a climate resilient country.”- Dr. Sunil Babu Shrestha, Vice Chancellor -Nepal Academy of Science and Technology “Nepal is among the most vulnerable nations to climate change with the country’s fragile topography, climate-sensitive livelihoods of the people, and their limited adaptive capacity. As a Least Developed Country (LDC) with an insignificant contribution to past and current global emissions and limited financial resources, Nepal has suffered for ages from climate change.  AEPC greatly appreciates the effort of Annapurna Media Network (AMN) for the initiation and continuation of the campaign on Unity for Sustainability. Moreover, AEPC is happy to be a part of it. We have already signed MoU to work together in the campaign.”- Dr. Madhusudhan Adhikari, Executive Director, Alternative Energy Promotion Center “We believe in Green Partnership to tackle climate change -Thank you for pouring in so much love and guidance towards our campaign that will help our campaign as well as to save our mother earth. Where it all began! So, in a climate action working together is no longer optional- It is a matter of compulsion. We are still confident that our green partnerships with the multi-stakeholders will definitely help us fight against climate change.” Chiranjibi Neupane, Program Manager, Unity for Sustainability.