Here’s where journalists come in to bridge the gap between complex sustainability issues and the general public. They provide the information and motivation needed to drive positive change at individual, societal, and global levels.Â
To show appreciation for their work, we used NewsWhip Spike to identify some of the top journalists covering sustainability this year. Here’s what we found.
Laura Paddison
Laura Paddison is a climate, environment, and social inequality journalist whose articles have been published on multiple news outlets such as CNN, The Guardian, and HuffPost. As of 2023, she is working as an international climate editor at CNN.
Paddison’s success this year is credited to her publication of a variety of stories that underscore the significant impact that climate change has on the environment. Her top story spotlighted the potential risk of ocean current collapse (10.6k+), emphasizing the need for swift planet-heating pollution reduction. Her second top story focuses on July 2023 breaking records as Earth’s hottest recorded temperature (6.4k+), followed by a story on how the severe heat waves across the US and Europe were made significantly worse by the human-caused climate crisis (2.4k+).Â
Sarah Kuta
Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor who contributes to numerous well-known platforms like Smithsonian Magazine, MSN (US), and National Geographic. Her coverage extends to a wide range of subjects, encompassing history, science, travel, and sustainability.
Kuta’s recent sustainability-focused articles garnered notable attention, with her coverage of the discovery of a new extinct penguin species in New Zealand receiving over 38.8k interactions and the adorable behavior of squirrels during hot days amassing more than 7.7k interactions. These achievements highlight her skill in effectively communicating her dedication to environmental awareness in a fun, engaging, and impactful way.
Cara Buckley
Cara Buckley is a 2018 Pulitzer-winning climate reporter who writes articles on individuals working toward solutions and off-the-beaten-path tales about responses to the crisis. As of 2023, she is working as a climate reporter at The New York Times.
Through her work, she communicates stories highlighting a greener future and pragmatic measures to tackle the challenges posed by climate change. Her top story highlights scientists’ creation of an ultra-reflective white paint that aims to cool building surfaces and possibly cut energy use, which generated more than 18K in engagements. The next top article, which discussed the environmental reasons to embrace a plant-based diet, garnered over 7.3k engagements. In third place, Buckley’s piece on strategies to assist birds during heatwaves received more than 2k engagements.
Nathaniel Meyersohn
Nathaniel Meyersohn is a journalist whose work has been featured in BuzzFeed, The Mercury News, and CNN. Right now, in 2023, he works at CNN Business as a consumer reporter.
He recently wrote an article that drew deserved attention to President Joe Biden’s $750 billion climate law that resulted in a surge of clean energy projects and job creation (3.2K+). After a year of the Inflation Reduction Act, it has led to the creation of 270+ clean energy projects, securing $132 billion in investments and generating over 86,000 jobs. The law also targets a 40% carbon emission reduction by 2030 and has driven clean energy growth, though public awareness remains limited.
Jarrett Renshaw
As of 2023, Jarrett Renshaw is a White House reporter for Reuters. Recently, Renshaw published a story that focused on the Biden administration’s introduction of new labor reform, with Kamala Harris endorsing these pro-union changes (3.1k+). The administration is striving to enhance wages and protections across industries, notably in green energy. This investment in clean energy production holds the potential to create a brighter future for our planet.
To read more about how brands are approaching sustainability in 2023, check out our report here.
