Resourcing Caribbean journalists in covering energy transitions in the region

For three months this year I worked with Climate Tracker in curating innovative workshops engaging Caribbean journalists in covering the Caribbean energy transition. Each week, nearly 30 outstanding journalists from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana gathered virtually to have deep, powerful conversations with seasoned insightful voices in environmental journalism, science, business and activism, learn more about their work and share their own experiences and knowledge.

It was a new topic for me and I found it eye-opening to go beyond climate change generally to focus on the frontier of how our deeply vulnerable islands are approaching the fight for our lives and livelihoods from different angles. Working with the journalists was also enlightening as they all approached the topic from their own backgrounds, interests, and brought unique perspectives to the conversations - for example some were deeply interested in the innovative science coming out of the region, some were looking at international partnerships more closely and others were very invested in community-first, grassroots approaches to tackling energy problems across the region.

The speakers I selected are regional leaders who were able to support the journalists in expanding the range of perspectives they are able to engage with the topic from. Veteran journalists, scientists, entrepreneurs and economists and activists all came together to support the journalists and from the robust discussions we had it’s clear the knowledge flowed both ways.

I was sad to leave Climate Tracker’s small but powerful team to transition into a new role but I was overjoyed to read the stories the journalists produced and I look forward to the COP reporting and climate justice fellowships upcoming and everything Dizzanne and Johannes have coming!

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