Climate Solutions Reporting Guide

The guide argues that climate coverage must move beyond focusing solely on the problem to show that the crisis is solvable, emphasizing evidence-based solutions journalism. It outlines a framework for reporting on government policies, business practices, technological mitigation and adaptation, civil society actions, and cultural influences. The document warns reporters to prioritize the political and economic battles over 'techno-fixes' and to highlight the urgency for marginalized communities who suffer disproportionately from climate impacts.

• To prevent catastrophic temperature increases, global emissions of heat-trapping gases must be reduced by approximately 50% within the next decade and reach "net zero" by 2050, requiring a rapid phase-out of coal, oil, and gas, the reversal of deforestation, and a shift to climate-friendly agriculture.
• The guide advises journalists to avoid over-emphasizing technological solutions ('techno-fixes') and instead focus on the political and economic conflicts that determine if those technologies are actually implemented.
• Climate solutions are most urgent for marginalized groups—including the poor, people of color, Indigenous people, women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities—who have contributed the least to pollution but face the most severe impacts and have fewer resources to cope.
• Technological solutions are divided into mitigation, which reduces heat-trapping gases through emission cuts and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), and adaptation, which increases resilience to unavoidable impacts through measures like underground power lines, sea walls, and cooling centers.
• In the United States, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has provided approximately $369 billion in incentives for clean energy and created over 110,000 clean energy jobs, though the guide notes it fails to limit the use of oil, gas, and coal.

APA

CCNow (2023). Climate Solutions Reporting Guide. Covering Climate Now. https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/cheat-sheet-climate-solutions-reporting-guide/

Chicago

CCNow. Climate Solutions Reporting Guide. Covering Climate Now, 2023. https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/cheat-sheet-climate-solutions-reporting-guide/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CCNow |title=Climate Solutions Reporting Guide |publisher=Covering Climate Now |date=10 April 2023 |url=https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/cheat-sheet-climate-solutions-reporting-guide/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ccnow2023climate, author = {CCNow}, title = {{Climate Solutions Reporting Guide}}, institution = {Covering Climate Now}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/cheat-sheet-climate-solutions-reporting-guide/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }