Some things I’ve learned as a climate journalist

I’m writing to you from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where I have been covering the biggest climate conference of the year: the United Nations’ “Conference of the Parties” — COP28.

I’ll start by letting you in on a little open secret: This year (and in past years) the only Canadian media outlet to send reporters aside from the CBC was Canada’s National Observer.

A recent email from a subscriber, Joe, confirmed the value of that coverage.

“With the only other Canadian English language media there being the CBC (who pulled a lot of their punches), having John hold those in power's feet to the fire was essential in the battle for our world's future. I could consistently count on turning to his coverage for an accurate representation of what was happening in the plenaries, on the ground, and behind the scenes.”

Thanks to your financial support, I've been able to cover these vital UN climate change negotiations from ground zero for the past three years.

Some may pan these conferences off as a glitzy photo-op for politicians, but I couldn’t disagree more. These summits are the new arena for geopolitics. They’re where the trillions of dollars that decide how the energy transition will unfold are negotiated.

And without critical journalists here to reveal how the fossil fuel influences are affecting the talks, you would be in the dark about the new world that’s being built. So if you have the means, will you support my COP reporting with a donation to CNO today?

Now, back to Ottawa…

Since becoming a political journalist, one of the distressing things I’ve learned about Canadian politics is just how little policymaking is about evidence.

Decisions are too often based on who has influence, what the risks of not doing something are, and what gives the powers that be the best chance of remaining in power.

While that might sound like stating the obvious, I don’t mean this in an especially cynical way. I point it out to say this is the reality of politics, and it’s against this backdrop that we are witnessing climate policies unravel.

To build new, effective and meaningful climate policy, the public has to be better informed about what works and what doesn’t. That is why financially supporting independent, critical journalism like Canada’s National Observer is more important than ever.

We need journalism that calls out greenwashing, holds those responsible for the climate crisis to account, and uncovers the type of information that helps move our country to a genuinely sustainable future.

I work every day to uncover all the ways rising temperatures are changing Canada and affecting people. But to continue doing this, I need you to back my work.

Longtime supporters have seen my reporting, made possible through your donations.

I’ve revealed how UN Ambassador Bob Rae helped a Canadian oil company forge ahead in Namibia despite international backlash to its ecocidal plans; uncovered the extent of Big Oil lobbying on federal policy and its rebrand to deceive Canadians; and brought you an exclusive about Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault travelling to China to participate in climate change and biodiversity talks that set the news cycle buzzing from coast to coast. I was also fortunate enough to travel to Haida Gwaii to do a three-part series on the First Nation’s intersecting fights to protect nature, fight climate change and assert sovereignty over its territory.

I try my best to infuse coverage of what’s going on today with an analysis of the future consequences — something I believe is an important part of responsible climate journalism. Sometimes this means identifying an issue (for example, carbon capture) and unpacking what it involves, like a recent piece that looked at devastating CO2 pipeline leaks in the United States and asked if Canadian policymakers were even aware of the safety risks posed by our developing carbon capture plans.

Investigations and analysis like this are why your support matters so much. It takes time and resources for journalists like me to pull these off, but it’s these types of pieces that move the needle on climate action.

Long-lasting influence comes from the steady stream of articles that inform our national conversations about climate change. I want Canada’s National Observer to be the go-to source for every person interested in understanding Canada’s response to climate change. To achieve this, CNO needs to continue growing our reach, hiring more reporters, editors, photojournalists and more. To do this, we need your financial help.

I’m in this for the long run, and I know Canada’s National Observer wants to be, too.

I hope you will make a donation and help ensure CNO remains Canada’s top source for climate-focused journalism. I ask that you please support our campaign to raise $125,000 by the end of 2023. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far — we’re getting closer, but we still have more than $80,000 left to go to reach our goal.

Your continued dedication to supporting independent Canadian media means a lot to me. Every donation funds reporting that readers like you can feel proud of.

Warm regards,

John Woodside

Senior climate reporter