What was your biggest challenge working on this project?

Abhaya: The biggest challenge was to choose a time where everyone could come online at the same time to discuss the project. Communicating with the team member in China, Catherine, was not as easy as messaging platforms don’t work there.

Amar: I mostly write stories about the issues related to people at the grassroots level. During this project the biggest challenge for me was to understand how regional cooperation and trade is changing the lives of communities at the grassroots level. Also, the lack of data at the government level was another challenge.

Karthikeyan: Understanding how politics affects international trade was quite complicated and challenging. The general understanding is that India has done exceptionally well in meeting its NDCs by improving its solar capacity. While this is true, it is not the full picture. Finding resources challenging that narrative was difficult.

Catherine: Getting quotes from several stakeholders was tricky. At first, I planned to illustrate the achievements and difficulties that solar companies met in both domestic and overseas markets by telling the story of Jinko, the largest solar company in China, or of Zonery, an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, which runs solar stations in Pakistan. By negotiating with their management head and their PR teams, my interview requests to Jinko and Zonery were pending for two months and finally got rejected. They were reluctant to take interviews and gave excuses such as they are in the process of listing, which is a sensitive moment to make any comments. Zonary rejected when finding out it was a cross-border project.

The poor network was another issue. For technical reasons, the Virtual Private Network (VPN) I used failed for several weeks when we were doing the project. So I could not contact my team members through our WhatsApp group, Facebook, Gmail etc. When it finally got fixed, I could only access the VPN on my PC but not via phone, so there were always delays in messages.

How did you overcome this?

Abhaya: We overcame it by organising meetings with whoever was available and assigned someone to brief the members who could not make it to the meeting. 

Amar: I visited a remote village and profiled a lady about how the solar panel that she purchased by selling her goat had changed her life. For the data, I talked to so many departments and finally got the data from a Photovoltaics (PV) dealers association. 

Karthikeyan: I spoke to at least 20 sources, read extensively on the different policies India had implemented that could deter its expansion plans. Through conversations with each other, we put together the larger picture. 

This also helped me frame my interviews and ask the right questions. 

Catherine: I asked three other solar giants including Yingli, Longi, and JA Solar while waiting for comments from Jinko and Zonery. At the same time, I went to Hangzhou and Beijing to interview other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Commerce, China’s solar Photovoltaic Industry Association, banks, SinoSure, NGOs, research centers, lawyers, etc. and gathered plenty of information to illustrate the achievements and difficulties that solar companies faced in both the domestic and overseas market after the ‘531 Policy’, by which the Chinese government announced subsidy reductions for photovoltaic power generation. And why solar projects seem to be a small part of the whole Belt and Road Initiative map. 

In order to solve the technical network problems, I asked my team members to get a WeChat account so that we could make group chat and phone calls.

How did working in a cross-border collaboration deepen your understanding of your subject?

Abhaya: Before working on the collaboration, we had reported on various facets of the issue with only one perspective in mind. We did not know the bigger picture of our story and how global forces were at play there. But after working on the story, we got to know how global policies and events shape local events.

Karthikeyan: I was surprised to learn how Indian solar panel manufacturers are years behind China. Not just in government policies to promote renewable energy, but also in R&D and investments. Indian solar growth was largely supported by imported panels.

Catherine: In China, the media mainly report the perspective of Chinese actors while sidelining the voices of local communities in countries where Belt and Road projects are developing. Media outlets outside China also tend to approach the topic with their own firmly held world views, often without engaging with Chinese stakeholders, so it is a valuable opportunity for us to work together and get all stakeholders on board.

Some media reinforced the false rumor that China enters coal-fired power plants to developing countries in their Belt and Road projects while simultaneously restricting new coal investments domestically - but that is not the case. According to data from Greenpeace, Chinese investors’ ratio of coal to solar is now the same at home and abroad — both are still six-to-one coal. Solar now presents a serious rebuttal to any pattern of Chinese overseas pro-coal bias. Since 2014, Chinese equity investment has supported a total of 12,622 megawatts of wind and solar PV projects combined along the Belt and Road. Before 2014, only 454.8 megawatts of solar PV and not a single watt of wind had gone online through such equity investments.

In the story alone, I realised energy poverty and electricity accessibility are tough issues in some places, including China and the other three economies when we were doing this project. But solar power could be an economically sustainable solution to solve both poverty and accessibility problems in terms of its cheap marginal price and its clean power attributes. The effects of Chinese solar product exports to the three South Asian countries prove that this solar power model is economically and environmentally effective to solve the energy poverty and electricity accessibility problems in these countries.

Amar: It was really surprising for me that all of our major neighbouring countries of South Asia are so connected and at state level all of our nations are somehow connected to each other. But media outlets do not consider this relationship. It was a great learning experience.

Was it difficult to get your editor on board for this collaborative cross-border project?

Abhaya: It wasn’t difficult. My editor encouraged me to do more such stories.

Karthikeyan: No, it wasn’t difficult. 

Catherine: Not at all, my editor is very supportive of this project to let me go ahead.

Amar: No, she was so helpful.

How did you coordinate the work of four busy journalists based across different countries in South Asia?

Abhaya: We used messaging apps, as calling from one country to the other is not easy. We used Google docs to share drafts.

Karthikeyan: We set up an online meeting at least once a month to ensure everyone was on the same page and report on what we had worked on. 

Catherine: We arranged meeting times on social network platforms and tried to make it work for everyone. When it didn’t fit for everyone, Abhaya would be the coordinator who would talk to each of us.

What's your one piece of advice for a team of journalists keen to do a joint cross-border story for the first time?

Abhaya: My advice would be to choose a project leader and to get all members to commit a certain portion of their time towards completing the story.

Karthikeyan: Cross-border stories require a lot – much more than the usual stories we do – of time and effort. The key is to start early and use fellow reporters to broaden your understanding of the issue.

Catherine: Get to know your team members well before you decide to start a joint cross-border story. Luckily, all our team members know each other well and already built trust among each other.

Amar: First know the subject you are going to work on and your team members, and establish your understanding of the dynamics of cross-border issues. Then write the story in simple way for your reader or viewers. Using data in cross-border journalism is good, but try to include human interest in the story as well.

Read the stories published by team PANIC:

“531”新政后，光伏“出海”能否涅槃重生？

By Catherine (Cai Yixuan) for Energy Observer Magazine

Abhaya Raj Joshi, Karthikeyan Hemalatha and Amar Guriro contributed to this article. 

China’s solar panel policy at the core of energy transition in South Asia

By Abhaya Raj Joshi, for Online Khabar

Catherine Cai, Karthikeyan Hemalatha and Amar Guriro contributed to this article. 

Individual stories by the team members

Pakistan

Villages in Sindh light up with solar power

By Amar Guriro for Geo News

India

[Interview] India needs to tweak its policies to promote solar energy growth: Tim Buckley

By Karthikeyan Hemalatha for Mongabay

Nepal

 'Chinese PV price drop has enabled us to sell power at cheaper rate than national grid’

By Abhaya Raj Joshi for Online Khabar

China

原商务部副部长：中资企业依赖银行贷款“走出去”的风险在加大

By Catherine (Cai Yixuan) for Energy Observer Magazine

For many years, it seemed to me the German business community and their associated lobby groups were dragging their heels in the shift to a renewable energy future, delaying or even blocking progress every step of the way. Policymakers had to push grudging companies toward this future, while business leaders noisily complained the energy transition was leading the country down a blind alley.

But now, the tables appear to have turned. By and large, it is companies that suddenly lead the way, while reluctant policymakers have to play catch-up. Countless new emission-cutting business ideas and innovations are popping up – both in young companies and industry behemoths – but are restrained by outdated regulation. An ever larger part of the business community is now concerned that Germany is falling behind in the global race to a low-carbon future.

The transition itself – and my perception of the shift – was subtle and gradual, but a few key moments stand out. Obviously, the tone of the debate had started to shift noticeably after the Paris agreement, when it finally dawned on many companies that Germany’s energy transition was not an isolated phenomenon, but had morphed into a global trend. Secondly, the landmark “Climate Paths” study by the powerful and in my view rather hesitant – to put it mildly! – Federation of German Industries (BDI) stated in early 2018 that the energy transition is good for the German economy. I vividly remember a seasoned and visibly stunned colleague whispering to me during the presentation: “Wow – Do I get this right? The industry now wants the energy transition!?”

A few months later, I wrote a deep-dive analysis for Clean Energy Wire with the headline “German industry embraces Energiewende transformation challenge.” At the time, I was seriously concerned about going out on a limb with this title – was this not going too far?

Thankfully, the events unfolding in the months to follow substantiated my interpretation. Industry now appears largely united in its vocal call for a price on CO2 emissions; VW announced its ambition to turn from dieselgate pariah to zero-carbon pioneer; chemical giant BASF plans to lead the way towards a low-carbon future, Thyssenkrupp sketched its path to hydrogen-based steel production, Lufthansa will start sourcing renewable fuel, and so on.

Obviously, many of those companies still have to put serious money where their mouth is. But it’s a start, and we see increasing evidence that a rapidly increasing number of company commitments to decarbonise now go well beyond greenwashing.

The idea has now firmly taken root in much of the business community that decarbonisation is an irreversible phenomenon – and that you can make good money when you take the lead. Visiting start-ups like Lumenaza, Thermondo and ubitricity for our ongoing series of portraits was also a revealing experience in this regard - their overall dynamism, optimism, ambition and confidence is infectious.

My impression is that both environmental journalism and business journalism still need to adapt to these new realities, and I can’t wait to discuss these issues at the Global Energy Transition Journalism conference #GETJO19.

Next week, I’ll be heading to the world’s largest industry fair in Hanover. I can’t wait to see how the fight against climate change is reflected there. Let's see whether there is even more evidence of a tectonic shift.

Andreas Kuhlmann, head of the German energy agency, dena, and Scott Clavenna, co-founder and chairman of Greentech Media, will kick-off #GETJO19 with first-hand insights from shaping the energy transition and keeping a close eye on the companies involved. Their keynotes will set the scene for two days of discussions and lively debate with some 100 journalists and a growing list of first-rate expert speakers from media, business, NGOs and science. For the grand finale, Sparknews founder Christian de Boisredon will tackle how solutions-oriented journalism can make a difference, and present impressive examples of the international media cooperation his initiative has triggered. [Click for full programme and list of speakers. Sign up.]

Andreas Kuhlmann and energy agency dena are household names in the debates about the Germany’s Energiewende, never shy of taking a clear position on why businesses should get stuck in to the transition and why government should listen to their needs. As a governmental organisation, dena has positioned itself as the "agency for the applied energy transition", working with policymakers and companies alike on market instruments and innovative business models. Andreas is plugged in to the capital’s energy politics through his previous work in parliament and government, as well as for energy industry lobby BDEW, and will give #GETJO19 insight into the business landscape of the energy transition and the trends to watch out for.

Greentech Media founder Scott Clavenna, meanwhile, will offer ideas on how journalism can best cover the rapidly changing business landscape. Launched as a digital provider of integrated news and research, Greentech Media now is part of energy research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie. With his experience as a media entrepreneur and previous work as an analyst, Scott can not only shed light on the major trends, he also has compelling ideas for how journalists can report on the rise of a new industry and contribute to a new business model without becoming entangled in business interests themselves.

On Monday, Sparknews founder Christian de Boisredon will suggest a different approach to making journalism part of the solution to global problems. Inspired by his own travels, Christian wrote a book about the solutions to the world’s big challenges. He has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious media on solution-oriented stories, creating a cross-border drive to break with the media’s traditional, problem-focused approach. His inspirational experiences also raise questions about journalistic ethics and professional standards.

These keynotes are just the icing on an exciting line-up at the #GETJO19: Top climate economist Ottmar Edenhofer, former editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Global Andreas Kluth, BIZZ-energy magazine founder Joachim Müller-Soares, head of the Berlin office of Germany’s KfW bank Sabrina Schulz, and Kerstin Rippel from grid operator 50Hertz are just a few of the names who will bring a whole range of views to the debate. Last but certainly not least, our fellow journalists from across the globe will be able to voice their ideas, over what we are looking forward to as an inspiring and fun two days.