Applications Invited for COP30 Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship

Follow us@ngobox

About the Organization

Created in 2004, EJN is now a truly global network of reporters and media outlets in virtually every region of the world.

Environmental and climate change reporting is now more urgent than ever, but journalists face myriad and mounting challenges in covering these topics. The media industry is in crisis, and misinformation is on the rise. Reporters working for cash-strapped news agencies often don't have the resources to research a story properly; freelancers, even less so. That’s where EJN comes in.

About the Fellowship

The Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP), led by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, is pleased to announce the COP30 CCMP Reporting Fellowship Program for journalists from low- and middle-income countries interested in covering the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30). Hosted this year by Brazil, the conference is scheduled to take place in the city of Belém from November 10-21, 2025, with the World Leaders’ Summit on November 6-7.

Overview:

Now in its 18th iteration since its launch in 2007, the CCMP has brought more than 500 journalists from low- and middle-income countries to attend and report on the annual UN climate talks. This has enabled journalists from around the world to cover the climate negotiations for their home audiences, while benefiting from working alongside knowledgeable media trainers and gaining a multifaceted understanding of how nations are responding—or failing to respond—to climate change's global impact.

This year, the COP organizers are anticipating logistical challenges and potentially a shortage of accommodation for conference attendees as the annual climate summit is hosted for the first time in a relatively small city situated in the Amazon rainforest.   

Given the uncertainties around accommodation, the COP30 CCMP Reporting Fellowship will invite applications from journalists from low- and middle-income countries* to report in-person during COP30, with the exact dates and number of selected fellows to be confirmed by September. Some elements of the CCMP fellowship program may be adjusted to match realities on the ground. Journalists interested in this opportunity should be comfortable with the possibility of shared housing and/or attending in person for only part of the two-week summit.

In addition, this year the fellowship program will support at least four CCMP virtual fellows from the Pacific Islands* to report on COP30 remotely, with daily support and guidance from a media trainer in Belém, Brazil.

Fellowship logistics:

In-person CCMP Fellows will travel to Belém to attend the UN climate negotiations in November 2025, with specific arrival and departure dates to be determined. Fellowship support includes:

• Operational and logistical support: The CCMP will cover non-refundable economy-class airfare, accommodation, meals, travel medical insurance and ground transportation costs related to Fellowship participation. Organizers will also facilitate the press accreditation process and provide logistical support relating to the trip. Please note that the process of obtaining any necessary visas is the fellow's individual responsibility, though the CCMP will reimburse visa costs.
• Accommodation: Given the uncertainties around accommodation, applicants should be comfortable with the possibility of shared housing.
• Financial support: Selected fellows will be provided a small stipend to offset the cost of meals and other incidental expenses related to the fellowship.
• Reporting resources and editorial support: Fellows will be guided by EJN trainers, who are senior journalists with experience covering UN climate summits. Prior to the start of COP30, fellows will receive informational resources and technical support to help prepare for reporting at the conference, including a pre-COP virtual workshop to meet the trainers, discuss reporting opportunities, and ask any questions. Once in Belém, fellows will participate in an in-person orientation session with seasoned climate journalists and experts on the key issues at this COP and specially designed activities on the ground, including daily briefings and 1-1 discussions with mentors. They will have access to a Trello board for ease of access to resources on-the-go and be part of a group chat to share information, discuss and ask questions on a safe and secure platform. Fellows will also be encouraged to seek feedback from EJN trainers on story ideas and drafts throughout the fellowship.
• Opportunities for interviews: Fellowship organizers will arrange group interviews with high-level officials and subject matter experts.
• Opportunities for networking: Fellows will be encouraged to attend networking mixers with other journalists and participate in cohort-building activities including group meals and/or local excursions. Selected fellows may also be invited to participate as speakers or moderators at official and/or unofficial side events taking place during the summit.

CCMP virtual fellows will cover the COP remotely from their home countries and will participate in program activities primarily on Zoom. Fellowship support includes:

• Financial support: Virtual fellows will be provided with a communications stipend to ensure they are able to maintain a stable internet connection throughout the fellowship.
• Reporting resources and editorial support: Fellows will be guided by an EJN trainer, who is a senior journalist with experience covering UN climate summits. Prior to the start of COP30, Fellows will receive informational resources and technical support to help prepare for reporting about the conference, including a pre-COP virtual workshop to meet the trainer, discuss reporting opportunities, and ask any questions. The CCMP will provide access to livestreams, recordings, and other resources to enable virtual fellows to watch COP proceedings and report effectively virtually. Fellows will participate in other specially designed virtual activities, including regular briefings and 1-1 discussions with mentors. They will have access to a Trello board for ease of access to resources on-the-go and be part of a group chat to share information, discuss and ask questions on a safe and secure platform. Fellows will also be encouraged to seek feedback from EJN trainers on story ideas and drafts throughout the fellowship.
• Opportunities for interviews: Fellowship organizers will arrange group interviews with high-level officials and subject matter experts on Zoom when possible.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the fellowship, the applicant must:

• Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from a low-and middle-income country in the list.
• Must not have attended a UNFCCC climate COP before—either self-funded or as part of a fellowship.
• Those applying for the in-person fellowship must be available and willing to travel to Belém to attend COP30 in person.
• Have a good command of the English language.
• Have previous experience reporting on climate change issues and clearly indicate the kinds of stories you might pursue during the conference.
• Commit to participate in all fellowship activities.
• Share an up-to-date resume/CV.
• Share a video, no more than 2 minutes in length, explaining what you will be reporting on at COP30.
• Provide a letter of support from an editor, producer, or supervisor who can confirm that your news reports will be published or broadcast in an established media outlet. Freelancers are welcome to apply but must provide a signed letter of support from a media outlet for which they intend to report, which commits to publishing the stories they produce as part of this fellowship. Applicants should carefully consider their chosen outlet’s reach, article format, audience and publication schedule to ensure it aligns with the rigorous and fast-paced nature of reporting from COP30.
• Provide recent, relevant and journalistic work samples on climate change topics that were published between 15 July 2024 to 15 July 2025, which can be uploaded as documents or web links. Stories should be focused on specific climate change topics relevant to the applicant’s country—broad or general stories will be less competitive. Stories can be in any language as long as they are accompanied by a short English synopsis.

For the purposes of this opportunity, we will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must be able to participate fully in an English-language Fellowship to be awarded.

Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio). We encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations—international, national, local and community-based.

Journalists who attended climate COPs in the past with or without EJN’s support are not eligible for this opportunity.

The CCMP reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, plagiarism and submitting AI-generated content as their own.

How to Apply

Applications for the COP30 CCMP Reporting Fellowship will be accepted from June 16 to July 15, 2025. Decisions will be communicated in early September. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted, so please consider submitting at least one day before the deadline to avoid any issues.

Click the 'Apply now' button at the top of this page.

If you have an existing account, you'll need to log in. If you don’t have an account, you must register by clicking “Log in” on the top right of the page and then the “Sign up” link at the bottom of the page that opens. Click here for detailed instructions on how to create an account, and here for detailed instructions on how to reset your password.

If you start the application and want to come back and complete it later, you can click 'Save Draft.' To return to the draft, you'll need to go back to the opportunity and click 'Apply now' again to finalize the application.

For more information please check the Link

Join us for the 12th Edition of India CSR & ESG Summit 2025 | Register Now

Tags Research Journalism/ Reporting Others