For release: October 16, 2025
Press contact: editors@coveringclimatenow.org
Covering Climate Now is thrilled to announce that the renowned investigative newsroom ProPublica is joining our global journalistic collaboration as a part of ProPublica’s effort to expand its focus and reach on climate reporting.
The winner of eight Pulitzer Prizes, ProPublica has long distinguished itself for deeply reported, rigorously sourced exposes of government, corporate, and institutional wrongdoing across a range of subjects, from climate change and environmental harm to health care, immigration, pollution, hate crimes, and tax evasion. The nonprofit newsroom won its second consecutive Pulitzer Prize in Public Service this year, for the “Life of the Mother” series exposing the fatal consequences of state abortion bans.
“As world leaders prepare to gather in Brazil for a landmark United Nations climate summit, sharper and stronger climate reporting is more important than ever,” said Covering Climate Now co-founder and executive director Mark Hertsgaard. “ProPublica’s powerfully told investigative reporting can empower the public to hold accountable the powerful interests trying to block solutions.”
Staffed by more than 150 journalists, ProPublica is both an independent publisher and distributor of its stories via co-publication with its partners, including the New York Times, The New Yorker, PBS Frontline, NPR, and dozens of others. Joining Covering Climate Now, whose 500-plus partners reach a total audience of billions of people around the world, is a part of ProPublica’s efforts to expand the scope of its climate investigations, by adding staff, broadening partnerships, and extending the reach of its stories.
“Climate change is consequential for everything we cover — equality and health and national security and economic stability, and it isn’t happening by accident.” said Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica’s editor-at-large leading the newsroom’s climate coverage. “We’re focused on the harm, corruption and failures that continue to exacerbate what is now a well-understood crisis. And we are thrilled to do this alongside CCNow and its network of newsrooms with a shared mission of keeping this critical issue at the forefront of news around the world.”
This announcement comes as Covering Climate Now partners are preparing for the next phase of the 89 Percent Project. Launched last April, the project has been exploring the surprising scientific finding that a super-majority of the world’s people — 80 to 89% of them, according to numerous peer-reviewed studies — want their governments to “do more” about climate change. But this super-majority does not realize it is a majority, blunting its political and social force at a time when stronger climate action is imperative.
News organizations around the world are invited to join Covering Climate Now and to participate in the 89 Percent Project. There is no financial cost and no editorial line to follow, except respect for climate science. Inquiries should be sent to editors@coveringclimatenow.org.