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Eugene Tang

Dear Reader,
Today marks the fourth annual World News Day, a global campaign to support journalists and highlight the value of fact-based journalism in making the world a better place.
This year, World News Day focuses on journalism’s critical role in providing trustworthy information about an urgent issue that will define our lifetime – climate change.
Because Hong Kong is so prone to typhoons, covering climate change has become a natural imperative for the South China Morning Post. A history of covering typhoons has given SCMP a proclivity for reporting on weather disasters ever since this newspaper first put a front-page story on a typhoon’s devastation of the city in 1906.

Since then, the drastic changes in our climate has made it impossible for us to ignore the crisis that is escalating by the day. Ever since the Hong Kong Observatory started tracking meteorological data in 1884, the city’s weather pattern has experienced significant shifts.
In just under a century, the annual mean temperature in Hong Kong has risen by more than 2 degrees Celsius, which has seen rising sea levels and the number of “very hot days” reach a record of 47 last year.
The unprecedented weather and natural events of the past have signalled the significant impact of the climate on our lives and livelihoods, and the Post is committed to give the climate change crisis the attention it deserves.
As our understanding of climate change evolves, so has the new playbook for our reporting. Changes in the environment affect our world in countless ways, and we believe that having a robust interdisciplinary approach can bolster the quality, impact and trustworthiness of our coverage.

Establishing a team of journalists from a variety of backgrounds can synthesise and explain the latest climate stories and provide comprehensive fact-based coverage on this urgent topic.
An example of this cross-desk collaboration is evident from our coverage on China and climate change. As the most populous country in the world and the global leader in manufacturing output, our coverage includes necessary reportage from the front lines of business, politics and international relations.
China’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2060 is an ambitious target, and Beijing’s success or failure depends heavily on its climate change diplomacy to reshape a global approach to the carbon economy. We are committed to unpacking all the ramifications with the strength of our international bureaus to examine the role climate plays on other critical issues.

It is increasingly important to cover the business of climate change as governments, corporations and institutions proactively drive a more inclusive “green recovery” by incorporating “Environment, Social, and Corporate Governance” (ESG) and sustainability goals.
As more companies consider the environmental consequences of their actions, we are closely tracking the impact of new business innovations and trends that drive more public and private investment into ESG initiatives.
For instance, green financing is reshaping the investment strategies of banks and institutions; green bonds are altering our relationship with fossil fuels; while carbon trading and investments in renewable resources are now increasingly part of corporate business strategies to reduce a company’s environmental footprint.
Science and technology forms an important foundation of our climate coverage that helps make sense of climate change initiatives. Innovation is powering the rise of entire new green industries that are spearheading climate conscience initiatives and transforming industries.
SCMP will continue to report on the latest research on green technologies in China and across Asia to keep you informed on the latest advancements shaping the future of global climate engagement.

Finally we will also cover lifestyle topics on green living to help readers make better-informed choices and live more sustainably.
Every individual plays a pivotal role in protecting the environment, and we aim to provide readers with invaluable information to reduce their environmental impact. This includes insights into ways of living that contribute to carbon reduction for individuals, families and communities.
News organisations around the world today are covering climate change more than ever, simply because it affects us all wherever we are around the world.
We know readers care deeply and passionately about climate change and it remains one of the most pressing issues in our newsroom because informing our readers about climate change is the first step towards driving a conversation that creates an engaged public that takes action – part of our mission to lead the global conversation about China.

Our commitment to keeping readers informed on climate news goes beyond World News Day, and readers can experience our vast array of reporting at our climate change page to stay updated on the latest stories. As the climate story crosses news beats in the newsroom, you can also expect more enriching stories through our infographics, videos explainers and evergreen content.
We will continue to provide reliable and up-to-date climate reporting with the rigour and urgency it deserves, and we invite you to sign up for a subscription to better understand the ongoing climate crisis.
Your support is important as it underlines the value of our journalism and by subscribing, we can continue producing more stories that cover climate change issues that matter most to you.
We believe that only a well-informed and multidisciplinary approach can truly make a difference in making sense of the changing climate landscape. We hope our coverage will help inform the decisions and actions that the world now desperately needs.
With regards,
Eugene Tang
SCMP Business Editor


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SCMP

Why the story of climate change needs you on World News Day

Smoke from an unauthorised steel plant on November 4, 2016 in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region. Photo: Getty Images.

Hong Kong's hot and cold days, 1885 - 2020

graphic for online a Hong Kong green bonds How the government is using proceeds from its first offering Development of waste-to-energy incineration facilities Amount allocated HK$4.04 billion (US$519 million) Building green government offices HK$2.16 billion (US$276 million) Upgrading sewage HK$1.13 billion facilities (US$144 million) District cooling system at Kai Tak Development HK$501 million (US$64 million) 57.67% 27.53% 74.4% 6.4% Total HK$7.83 billion (US$1 billion) First green bonds totalling US$7 billion issued in May 2079, fund allocation as of 30 June 2020 Source: Hong Kong government SCMP

graphic for online The world's major carbon dioxide emitters in 2020 China United States Europe India Russia Japan Rest of the world Total Emission (million tonnes) 9,899 4,457 3,597 2,302 1 ,482 1 ,027 9,520 32,284 Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy Per cent 31 14 11 7 5 3 29 100 SCMP

The original South China Morning Post building located on the waterfront in Central is seen here during the 1906 typhoon. More than 11,000 people lost their lives and 41 merchant ships were driven ashore. Photo: Hong Kong Museum of History

graphic for online Change in global surface temperature relative to 1850-1900 (degrees Celsius) 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 1850 1900 1950 Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2000 2019 SCMP

Low water level at Hong Kong’s Tai Tam Upper Reservoir amid an unprecedented heat wave on 29 May 2018, exposing the yellow earth of the reservoir bed. Photo: Winson Wong.

Study of sediment finds climate cycles may have caused the rise and fall of Tibetan dynasty

Researchers have found that unusually weak solar activity around 600AD brought more rain and snow to the Tibetan plateau, creating an era of plenty. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Climate records from the Angrenjin Co lake contain new clues about the rise and fall of the Tibetan empire. Photo: Chinese Academy of Sciences

climate change and the history of the Tibetan empire. Photo: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Climate change: Hong Kong utility CLP scales up zero-emissions goal, says ‘impact on electricity price won’t be as much as people fear’

CLP’s Castle Peak power station. The first four units at the facility are expected to be closed by 2023 under an agreement with the government. Photo: Martin Chan

Boris Johnson says world must ‘grow up’ on climate change and stop trashing planet

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the 76th session UN General Assembly, warning of desertification, droughts, crop failures and mass movements of humanity if action is not taken to reduce rising temperatures. Photo: AFP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to address the 76th session UN General Assembly on September 22, 2021, in New York. (Photo by EDUARDO MUNOZ / POOL / AFP)

China should stop building more coal power plants soon, climate change think tank says ahead of Glasgow summit

A coal power plant in China’s Inner Mongolia region. Photo: Getty Images

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This year’s World News Day focuses on journalism’s role in providing trustworthy information about an urgent issue that defines our lifetime – climate change
Ever since Hong Kong’s observatory started tracking meteorological data in 1884, the city’s weather pattern has experienced significant shifts



The unprecedented weather and natural events of the past have signalled the significant impact of the climate on our lives and livelihoods, and the Post is committed to give the climate change crisis the attention it deserves.
