Climate Politics

The document argues that climate change is a scientific imperative that should be central to all levels of political reporting, regardless of party affiliation. It encourages journalists to hold candidates accountable for their climate records, explore the implications of the Green New Deal and similar global investment programs, and humanize the crisis by focusing on local impacts and environmental justice. Additionally, it highlights the influence of youth activists and the importance of tracking campaign financing from fossil fuel interests to reveal a candidate's true environmental allegiances.

• Journalists are encouraged to treat climate change as a defining issue in all elections and levels of government, arguing that the scientific necessity of slashing greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 requires an "unprecedented" transformation of energy, transportation, agriculture, construction, and finance sectors.
• The guide advises reporters to avoid "false equivalence" when covering the partisan divide in the US, stating that if one party offers credible climate policies and another does not, journalists should report this reality rather than waiting for the lagging party to catch up.
• The document highlights the Green New Deal as a de facto position of the US Democratic party and notes that similar green investment-and-jobs programs have been adopted by the European Union, India, and South Korea to revive pandemic-stricken economies.
• Reporting should prioritize environmental justice by centering the voices of the poor and communities of color, who the document states "will tend to bear the worst of climate change’s impacts."
• The guide suggests that tracking campaign contributions, particularly from fossil fuel companies and "dark money" groups, provides essential clues about how a candidate will actually govern regarding the environment.

APA

CCNow (2022). Climate Politics. Covering Climate Now. https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/climate-politics/

Chicago

CCNow. Climate Politics. Covering Climate Now, 2022. https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/climate-politics/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CCNow |title=Climate Politics |publisher=Covering Climate Now |date=2 February 2022 |url=https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/climate-politics/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ccnow2022climate, author = {CCNow}, title = {{Climate Politics}}, institution = {Covering Climate Now}, year = {2022}, month = feb, url = {https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/climate-politics/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }