The Guardian has been Covering Climate Now’s lead media partner since our founding in April 2019. That October, Katharine Viner, the Guardian’s editor-in-chief, announced a climate pledge that would further strengthen the paper’s already strong commitment to the story. “The climate crisis is the most urgent issue of our times,” Viner wrote, and it required “immediate action to avoid a catastrophe for humanity and for the natural world.” The Guardian would do its part by “delivering powerful reporting on the climate emergency,” among other measures.
This week, the Guardian updated that climate pledge, and its new statement deserves consideration by every journalist and every newsroom that wants to be a leader in climate journalism. Here, we highlight four aspects:
First, the Guardian will continue “to relentlessly report on the crisis each day,” the statement declared, citing 4,000 pieces of climate journalism produced over the past year that were “projected highly visibly on our website, our apps, and our newspapers” and reached 65 million readers. Playing the story big like this — producing lots of coverage and presenting that coverage prominently so readers understand that this is the most urgent story of our time — is a hallmark of strong climate journalism.
Second, the Guardian will “publish up-to-date indicators that point to the urgency of the situation.” In 2019, the Guardian was the first major news organization to regularly employ the term “climate emergency” and the first CCNow partner to sign our subsequent statement declaring that “journalism should reflect what the science says: the climate emergency is here.” Some journalists have challenged using the term “climate emergency,” calling it “activist-y.” But scientists, not activists, chose that term— some 14,000 of them, in fact. An open letter in the peer-reviewed journal BioScience explains that “emergency” is the correct word because action is needed immediately to prevent irreparable harm to the climate. Following the science is another hallmark of strong climate coverage.
Third, the pledge says, the Guardian will report the words and actions not only of the powerful — the government and corporate officials spotlighted in most news coverage — but also of those people “whose homes have been devoured by wildfire, or obliterated by flash flooding. Those whose harvests have failed, whose livelihoods have dissolved. Those who have lost everything apart from their ability to speak of their loss.” Centering the profound injustice and inequalities at the heart of this crisis is a hallmark of strong climate coverage.
Fourth, the Guardian pledges to walk the walk — to “eliminate two-thirds of [its heat-trapping] emissions by 2030” and “decouple” its finances from fossil fuel companies. The paper said in 2019 that it would no longer accept advertising from fossil fuel companies. Now, it has also eliminated them from its pension fund investments.
Not mentioned in the pledge, but a final bonus: The Guardian’s climate coverage is driving audience engagement, because readers say it’s what they want.
From Us
Burning Questions. Watch a preview of our one-hour TV special that takes an unprecedented look at the climate story today through the work of the 2022 CCNow Journalism Awards winners. Tune in Tuesday, October 25, at 8pm US Eastern Time on the WORLD Channel and stream live from our site.
We’re hiring! Covering Climate Now is looking for an energetic, experienced managing director to oversee its day-to-day operations and provide strategic leadership for the organization. Learn more.
Local reporting. “As everyone else has said, there’s a huge appetite among our audience for climate news, and I think good climate reporting begets more climate reporting,” said Maine Public Radio reporter Murray Carpenter during our Twitter Spaces this week. Journalists Alex Harris of the Miami Herald, Ezra Romero of KQED, Sabrina Shankman of The Boston Globe, and James Shiffer of the Star Tribune offered insights on finding local story angles, engaging with audiences, reporting on solutions, and more. Listen.
Noteworthy Stories
Coal revival. Despite pledges to the contrary at COP26, nearly half of the global coal industry is expanding, led by China, a reversal that could lead to a “breakdown of our climate systems,” according to a new study. By John Ainger at Bloomberg…
***Note: This Sunday, China’s president Xi Jinping is expected to be named to a third consecutive five-year term. Given China’s role as a climate change superpower, we encourage newsrooms to report on what Xi’s consolidation of power could mean for climate action in China and around the world.
Egypt’s prisoners. COP27 takes place next month in Egypt, where an authoritarian government has imprisoned thousands of human rights activists, including Alaa Abd El-Fattah, a pro-democracy leader now wasting away from a hunger strike. Abd El-Fattah’s sister, a fellow activist, has blasted global green groups and world leaders for looking away. By Naomi Klein at The Intercept…
Tax and save. How can we slash greenhouse gas emissions from air travel? One creative approach is to tax frequent flyers who rack up dozens of flights each year and use the proceeds to subsidize the development of climate-friendly jet fuel. By Shannon Osaka at The Washington Post…
Under water. The United Nations is warning that a serious debt crisis is unfolding in an estimated 54 countries, representing more than half of the world’s poor. The UN is calling for immediate debt relief to keep these countries from sliding deeper into poverty and to deal with climate change. By Marc Jones at Reuters…
Still uncounted. Last year, a CCNow award-winning LA Times investigation found that California was chronically undercounting heat deaths even as heatwaves become more severe and common. Despite promises to improve monitoring, the state still struggles to account for heat-related illnesses and deaths. By Hayley Smith at the LA Times…
Unintended consequences. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act’s provisions aimed at reducing methane emissions could have the opposite effect in New Mexico if regulations are not better enforced. Part of a four-part series. By Jerry Redfern at Capital & Main…
Free to Publish
Visit our Sharing Library to see stories that are free to publish by CCNow partners.
Events
The Clean Water Act marks its 50th anniversary on October 18. For journalists who plan to cover this milestone, the US Water Alliance has background information and interviews with water sector leaders. Learn more.
Climate Central will hold a media briefing to discuss where COP26 left off, what’s on the agenda for COP27, and how discussions will affect local communities. October 18. RSVP.
The World Resources Institute will hold a webinar about what’s at stake for Africa at COP27. Topics will include how to restore forests, protect food supplies, and build in a climate resilient way. October 18. RSVP.
Clean Energy Wire will host a webinar on “How to Report on COP27 in an Energy Crisis.” October 20. RSVP.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will hold a ‘Climate Conversation’ on extreme heat. October 20. RSVP.
The Peasant and Indigenous Press Forum will hold a press event, “Beyond Carbon: Food Systems, Climate and Greenwashing at COP27.” October 25. RSVP.
Industry News
Solutions reporting. Solutions Journalism Network has extended its deadline for applications for the Climate Beacon Newsroom Initiative to October 14. The initiative, which includes a $20,000 newsroom grant and a $5,000 grant for a Climate Fellow in each newsroom, will help five US media organizations to expand their climate coverage. Learn more.
SI Climate. Sports Illustrated has launched a new ongoing series about sports and global heating. First up, how extreme heat is leading to more deaths in high school football.
Jobs, etc
Jobs. CNN is recruiting an international climate editor. The Washington Post is looking for a deputy health and science editor. Scientific American is hiring a news intern.
Grant. Clean Energy Wire is offering cross-border reporting grants for teams of journalists looking to cover company climate claims. Learn more.