Announcing the five winners of the 2023 Climate Journalism Award

The European Journalism Centre is pleased to share the winners in the five categories of the 2023 Climate Journalism Award (#ClimateAward). Congratulations!

Climate Journalism Award Funding

The winners of the award were announced at a Ceremony at the News Impact Summit: Elevating Climate Journalism (#NISLIS) in Lisbon on 12 October. Hosted by Lars Boering, European Journalism Centre, and Vincent Ryan, Google News Initiative, and attended by Award juror Stella Levantesi, it recognised outstanding climate journalism that adopted an original or innovative approach.

Submissions included 181 eligible entries from countries based in 46 countries across the European continent, with many excellent examples of journalism that engaged with audiences and decision-makers. Thank you to everyone who submitted their work to the attention of the jury, your effort has made the selection process an inspirational journey.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to the 2023 Climate Journalism Awards winners

The dark trace in the water of the cheap meat big business 

DATADISTA

The judges found this entry to strike a difficult balance: cutting-edge data collection and complex analysis conveyed in an interactive format that made challenging scientific content engaging, accessible and relevant to the general public. This commitment to not just dazzle, but also explain, is a rare feat in high-level data-driven reporting and much needed to prompt wider public understanding, awareness and action on mounting environmental catastrophes.

-Eva Constantaras, jury

The country trailblazing the fight against disasters 

Catherine Davison for BBC - Future Planet

Among a broad range of submissions showcasing the sheer depth and creativity in European media today, the winner clearly stood out as [solutions] journalism of the highest quality. Crammed with original reporting and centred around personal testimonies, it tells the story of how disaster-hit Bangladesh became a trailblazer for the world to learn from in a fair yet critical tone, at the same time upturning traditional media narratives about the country.

-Peter Yeung, jury

So haben Sie den Gletscherschwund noch nie gesehen 

Tages-Anzeiger

An article that delivers on the promise of its title — you’ve never seen glacier retreat like this before. The judges were impressed with how this article took the latest academic research and delivered it in a compelling, meaningful format for a wider audience. Great visuals and a smart use of animation. The interactive element — toggling on/off climate protection — highlights the importance of policy decisions that lie ahead.

-Alan Smith, jury

"Carbon pirates": why offsets are not working

The Guardian, with  Die Zeit and Source Material

Despite the fierce competition in this category, it was difficult for the judges to look beyond this brilliant, confidently-delivered investigation. The team of journalists devastatingly and forensically picked apart the façade of carbon offset schemes, an issue of global relevance, and presented the findings via a compelling blend of text, visuals and audio. In terms of impact, it was second to none: the reporting sent shockwaves through the industry.

-Peter Yeung, jury

The Sinking Cities Project 

Unbias the News

Ambitious and well-executed, this project immediately stood out as a compelling and powerful project in the emerging talent category. It explores how sea level rise is impacting major cities around the world and how governments are responding, and shows how the climate crisis intersects social, political and historical contexts. The Sinking Cities Project is an important example of climate journalism through a collaborative, cross-border approach with local voices and reporting, and has the potential for relevant, global impact.

-Stella Levantesi, jury

The Climate Journalism Award consists of a 2.000 EUR prize and a certificate.

You should also dive deeper into these other amazing Award entries

• Trafic et pollution, Atmosphère lourde en mer du Nord, La Libre
• Tech Tonic: climate tech to save the planet,  podcast, FT
• Gas flares could help resolve Europe’s energy crisis – instead it’s fuelling a health emergency,
• Environmental Reporting Collective
• Collagen craze drives deforestation and rights abuses, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism 
• România arde (I) [Romania burns], Press One

For visuals of the Ceremony and News Impact Summit, please visit the event page and learn more in this dedicated blogpost from our partners Google News Initiative.

About the Award

The Climate Journalism Award is managed by the European Journalism Centre in partnership with Google News Initiative and is supported by a group of partners, including the Solutions Journalism Network. The goal of the award is to celebrate climate journalism and to encourage journalists to prioritise reporting on climate-related issues.