About Climate Tracker
Climate Tracker (CT) is an international non-profit organization, aiming to support, train and incentivise better climate journalism globally. We believe in the power of journalism, but recognise that many young journalists don’t have the training, resources or support to identify and tell the climate stories they want to. We also recognise that this challenge is often greatest in the countries hardest hit by climate change.
Our mission
Our mission is to support, train and incentivise young journalists in developing countries to tell better climate stories.
Our model
- Provide training and fellowships for young journalists around the world to tell better climate stories locally.
- Conduct action-oriented media research to better understand the biggest challenges, trends, and obstacles to powerful climate reporting around the world.
- Fund young journalists to report on the world’s most pressing issues and cover the world’s biggest moments, UN negotiations and conferences
- Support global collaborations between young climate journalists, newsrooms and NGOs around the world.
Our core values
At Climate Tracker, we want to support better climate journalism around the world. To achieve that, our core values include:
Trust:
We trust our journalists to tell stories that match their local audiences. We also trust our team to work remotely, in a task-based manner that works for them.
Equality:
All of our team members are paid the same, regardless of their location. So are all of our journalism fellows. are c We offer benefits that can be customised based on what our team members want. When one person does well, we all succeed.
Empowerment:
Our mission is to support journalists who can’t otherwise get the support they need to produce great stories. We aim to create a platform for great storytellers to reach national audiences with climate stories that matter. We also aim to create a work environment that empowers our team, so that they can better support others.
Diversity:
Climate change is a global story and we need global storytellers. Its impacts are felt everywhere, but everyone is impacted differently. Our staff will always be representative of the communities we serve.
OUR FOCUS
We believe that young journalists are critical influencers in the global climate debate. The climate crisis is a global communications challenge that needs to be told with local audiences in mind. Investing in young journalists to tell accurate, informative, human stories, is one of our most powerful tools in shaping the global climate debate. It is also an investment that can help shape national climate conversations for years to come.
Focus On Journalists In Under Resourced Geographies
Climate change is a global issue, and many journalists and newsrooms report on it incredibly well. However, there are too many powerful stories being untold, and too many young journalists who don’t receive the support they deserve. Our fellowships and training is most valuable in languages and geographies where this kind of support isn’t easy to find.
Invest In Young Journalists
We believe that young journalists are critical influencers in the global climate debate. The climate crisis is a global communications challenge that needs to be told with local audiences in mind. Investing in young journalists to tell accurate, informative, human stories, is one of our most powerful tools in developing in shaping the global climate debate. It is also an investment that can help shape national climate conversations for years to come
Support Better Climate Stories
Our work is always focussed on supporting better stories for local audiences. To do that, we need to be able to better understand national media trends and support powerful local journalists to tell stories that resonate. Supporting better climate stories, also means supporting a broader range of storytellers.
OUR HISTORY
Climate Tracker was founded in 2015, and has delivered cutting edge training, innovative media campaigns, and supported incredibly talented teams of young reporters around the world ever since.
The organisation was founded in the lead-up to the Paris Climate talks, but the idea was born years before. In 2009, a global coalition of climate-focused NGOs called the GCCA, believed that innovative young climate bloggers might be able to influence their national negotiators at the UN climate talks. This idea was known as Adopt a Negotiator.
The Adopt a Negotiator became an infamous element of the annual UN climate talks, pushing the boundaries of climate reporting at the time. Its reporters influenced front-page stories around the world, and supported dozens of powerful young reporters between 2009 and 2015.
After co-managing the Adopt a Negotiator project for 2 years alongside Joshua Wiese, Chris Wright wanted to build on this success, and create a global platform to support young climate journalists around the world. That is how Climate Tracker was born.
Since then, Climate Tracker has engaged more than 15,000 young journalists with fellowships, opportunities, and training around the world. Our network of journalists have published articles across more than 114 countries and in 24 different languages.
Our team
Finance Manager
Has now managed funds across more than 65 countries and grants from every continent. Queen of Climate Tracker’s Karaoke competitions. Working from the Philippines. Also speaks Tagalog and Visayan.
Francisco Parra Galaz
Latin America Regional Manager
After covering 3 COP’s he’s now passionate about sharing his experience with journalists from across Latin America. Passionate drinker of Fernet and Terramotos. Working from Chile. Also speaks Spanish.
Biena Magbitang
Asia Regional Manager
Became the youngest news manager in a media giant in Manila. Has produced documentaries on Climate Change, Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction recognized by international award-giving bodies. Working from the Philippines. Also speaks Filipino.
Itzel Gomez
Lead Media Researcher – Latin America
A science, health and environment journalist with a passion for research and traditional African (from Mozambique) dance. She is a native to Tulyehualco, at south-east of Mexico City, is a coffee lover, and also speaks French.
Latin America Journalism Mentor
A science and environmental journalist who loves animals, especially “non-charismatic” species. Passionate about biodiversity and oriental dance. Lives in Santiago, Chile. Also speaks German.
Hipolito Novelo
Caribbean Journalism Mentor
Hipolito is a journalist for News 5 and Love FM, in Belize. He’s currently the newsroom supervisor/news director for Love FM. In 2015, Hipolito was chosen to participate in the Toronto PanAm Young Reporters Program to cover the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.
Gaea Katreena Cabico
Asia Journalism Mentor
A young journalist based in the Philippines. Writes about the planet and its people. Believes that EXO is the best K-pop group. Also speaks Filipino.
Esteban Tavera
Media Researcher – Latin America
Journalist, university professor and researcher with seven years of experience in academic and journalistic activities. Passionate podcaster. Based in Medellín, Colombia.
Genesis Méndez
Latin America Audiences Editor
Venezuelan journalist with 5 years of experience in digital communications. She is also a member of the Latin American Network of Young Journalists promoted by Distintas Latitudes. Currently based in Santiago, Chile.
Rio Tuasikal
Communications Manager
Has been a broadcast journalist for 7 years covering the environment and current affairs. Has started his career in Jakarta before being assigned to Washington DC and finishing his postgraduate studies in London. Currently working from Indonesia. Also speaks Indonesian.
Vaishnavi Rathore
Copy Editor
Vaishnavi Rathore is an environmental journalist based in India. She has been covering environment for The Bastion for the last three years, and her words are also found in Mongabay India, Behanbox, Climate Tracker, and IndiaSpend. When she is not sitting facing her laptop, Vaishnavi treks, swims, and most recently, started sailing.
Ashley Siagian
A Batak engineer with a passion in degrowth and energy sovereignty. She is from Yogyakarta, Indonesia and speaks Javanese, Indonesian, English, and French. Her primary hobby is adding too many chilis to any dish.
Johannes Damodar Patak
Caribbean Programme Officer
Johannes has 6+ years experience as writer. He has covered many topics, including climate and the environment, having completed national and international courses in the area. Johannes is currently finishing up his studies in law and volunteers with various organisations, working with people and animals. He believes in the power of growing together and loves to sing.
Dizzanne Billy
Caribbean Regional Director
A climate communications and digital marketing specialist with a passion for nature, gardening, and smoothies. She was one of Climate Tracker’s fellows in Paris and now she works from Trinidad (and sometimes Tobago). Dizzanne speaks Trini Creole, Italian, and little Spanish, and is a Swiftie with a Coldplay obsession.
Chris Wright
Amateur Ultra Runner, Perpetually “learning Python”, Professional Coffee Drinker. Australian working from Borneo. Also speaks Malay and Spanish.
Super star journalist
With the help our partners, we’re proud to have helped in training and molding award-winning and nominated journalists around the world! Here ‘s a highlight of just a couple of these shining stars.
Rahma Diaa, Egypt
An independent Egyptian journalist who is particularly interested in covering women’s issues and the environment. Rahma participated in our Climate Change New Media Mentorship programme and our COP26 Journalism Fellowship.
Alice de Souza, Brasil
Alice de Souza is a journalist with a postgraduate degree in Human Rights and a master’s degree in Creative Industries. She is an editor at Énois Laboratório de Jornalismo, curator at Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo (Abraji) and also contributes as a reporter freelance to Uol Tab and Portal Lunetas.
John Leo Algo, Philippines
Deputy Executive Director of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines and a member of the interim Secretariat of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas. John covered COP26 with us!
Saadeqa Khan, Pakistan
Saadeqa regularly contributes with major media outlets of Pakistan including but not limited to Dawn, Express Tribune, ARY, and Jang. She won the National Science Award 2019, awarded by Ministry of Heritage, Goverment of Pakistan and has credited three science books.
Hezron Kimari, Kenya
Intergovernmental Authority on Development – Climate Prediction and Applications Centre’s East Africa Climate Award Winner
Hezron is a professional journalist interested in reporting on climate change and how the changes affect interaction between people and environment. He’s worked in various media houses in an array of capacities, from script writing and video production.
Shorai Muriwira, Zimbabwe
An African Zimbabwean journalist, passionate about gender equality through climate justice in developing countries. “Africa’s most vulnerable community of women and children largely continue to suffer the brunt of climate change, unless policy makers focus on Africa’s women & children, the pursuit for Climate Justice will remain a mirage.”
Jeremy Gwao
Media Association of Solomon Islands’ Excellence Award for Climate Change reporting 2022
A photographer recognised as one of the top 100 young journalists by the British Council in 2019. Gwao is also one of nine directors on the short Documentary Award Winning film Sky Aelans. He is passionate about being a vessel to amplify the voice of those whose stories are not often heard.
Raqib Naik, Kashmir
An Independent Multimedia journalist based out of Kashmir and New Delhi. Currently, he works as the Pro bono News Director at TwoCircles.net. Before this, he worked as an International correspondent with the US-based The Globe Post. Raqib participated in our Climate Change New Media Mentorship programme.
Monika Mondal, India
Monika is an independent environment journalist, from India. She’s passionate about reporting on sustainability, people, energy, environment, and science. Monika is one of our COP26 Journalism Fellows!
