A painting of a man tuning into a radio, featured on the wall of Eye Radio's premises. Credit: Tom Dai/Eye Radio

This week, South Sudan will join the world in celebrating World Radio Day 2025, focusing on the vital role radio plays in addressing climate change and its power to educate, inform, and empower listeners worldwide.

Celebrated every February 13, World Radio Day was established by UNESCO in 2011.

With 2025 being a crucial year under the Paris Agreement — when greenhouse gas emissions must peak to restrict global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius  — UNESCO urges radio broadcasters to prioritize fact-based, climate-focused coverage as part of their service to the public.

“Radio possesses a distinct ability to shape listeners’ perceptions of climate change,” stated UNESCO Chief of Media Development and Media in Emergency Mirta Lourenço.

“By providing verified independent information, radio can influence public understanding and motivate action, all while preserving editorial independence.”

UNESCO encourages broadcasters to evaluate the reliability and diversity of their information sources, prompting questions such as, “Are our sources credible?” and “Do they offer the necessary breadth to report on climate issues effectively?”

Utilizing UNESCO’s World Radio Day 2025 resource list, stations can improve their capacity to conduct analyses, verify figures and illuminate facts that might otherwise remain overlooked.

The impact of local radio

According to UNESCO, local radio stations in particular, amplify the voices of those most affected by climate change, including rural communities, Indigenous Peoples and those concerned by environmental disasters.

Their narratives provide a personal perspective on the realities of climate change, aiding in the demystification of complex issues and motivating practical solutions. Programming can include interviews, vox pops and documentaries, ensuring a variety of perspectives and formats to engage audiences.

Radio’s effectiveness during crises — when other distribution platforms such as broadband and cable networks often fail — underscores its significance in emergencies. Collaborations among broadcasters across borders can enrich climate change reporting, allowing for the sharing of resources, investigations and stories.

Lourenço further noted, “Climate change hazards are usually cross-communities or even transnational, and these collaborations allow for resilient and sustainable delivery to the audiences.”

UNESCO urges stations to weave climate change into their regular programming while exploring innovative formats to maintain audience interest and serve their needs.

“Engaging communities meaningfully — by incorporating marginalized voices and highlighting practical solutions — can also help broadcasters by shedding light on the human aspect of the climate crises.”

Ensuring safety of those in frontline

The safety of environmental journalists is also a key concern, given the escalating threats faced by those covering climate issues. More than 70% of journalists surveyed by UNESCO in 2024 reported encountering threats, harassment or attacks.

These incidents include online harassment, physical attacks and legal threats, all of which pose significant mental health challenges for media professionals.

“Protecting journalists is synonymous with protecting the public’s right to know,” Lourenço emphasized. “Transparency and accountability are key for environmental reporting, which is why the safety of those on the front lines of this work is crucial.”

UNESCO advocates for stronger protections and support for journalists who cover climate-related matters to ensure the provision of accurate, independent information to the public.

As misinformation and disinformation proliferate, radio remains essential to counter false narratives and promote media literacy due to its near-universal reach.

By recognizing broadcasters’ efforts to inform and empower citizens, World Radio Day 2025 urges the global radio community to be aware of how they shape climate change perception and mindful of the sources used to back their stories.

“Radio stations are close to their listeners, among which there certainly are decision-makers,” Lourenço stated. “Through credible reporting and compelling storytelling, radio can catalyze for the changes citizens may voice, and representatives may listen to.”