COP30 Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship

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.

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.

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.

Benefits

• 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.
  • Opportunities for interviews: Fellowship organizers will arrange group interviews with high-level officials and subject matter experts on Zoom when possible.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from a low-and middle-income country.
• 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.
• Journalists applying for the virtual fellowship must report from these Pacific countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.
• Journalists originally from the Pacific Islands now living in New Zealand or Australia are eligible to apply, as long as they are reporting for media outlets whose audiences are in the Pacific Islands.
• Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio). They 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.

Judging Criteria

• Have demonstrated experience covering climate change, climate policy and other environmental topics;
• Have reported recently on climate change and can provide two work samples focused on climate change themes that were published in the last year;
• Have developed a clear and well-researched reporting plan for the COP, including potential story ideas. Please review past COP programmes and agendas and ensure your reporting plan is as specific and detailed as possible;
• Are able to provide an estimated number of stories they’ll produce during the Fellowship;
• Have a relationship with an established media house and a signed letter of support from an editor agreeing to publish or broadcast work produced at the COP.

For more information, visit EJN.