The Independent | Climate Correspondent

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

The role

The Independent is looking for a dynamic climate correspondent to play a key role in an exciting new editorial project on the impact of the climate crisis, with a focus on low and middle-income countries.

The successful candidate will be knowledgeable about the key issues affecting the climate debate and be experienced in bringing them to life through a mix of story-telling techniques.

You will be a highly organised self-starter with a genuine passion for reporting on climate issues and telling them in engaging ways. You will be comfortable writing straight news, longer-form features, deep dive investigations and insightful analysis. You will also have experience of working with data and using graphics tools to bring stories to life.

The project will also look at the impact of international aid money on mitigating the climate crisis. You will either have direct knowledge of those issues – or the ability to get quickly up to speed in the planning of coverage.

Experience of reporting on the ground in foreign countries will be an advantage – as will experience of appearing on camera.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

About you

• Proven track record reporting on the climate crisis working for a major news title.
• Ability to write a wide variety of different stories – including sharp new, longer features and analysis.
• Experience of using data tools to bring stories to life in a variety of formats
• Contacts across the beat allowing access to key experts and thought leaders
• A self-starter who can generate ideas, plan coverage and deliver impactful journalism
• Experience of reporting on the climate crisis in lower income countries and knowledge of how international aid money is used to mitigate its impact

Essential skills and experience

• Climate reporting experience working in a similar role at a newspaper, magazine or website
• Deep knowledge of the major issues affecting the climate change debate
• Experience using data tools to tell stories
• Ability to generate ideas, plan coverage and deliver copy to a high standard
• Strong familiarity with The Independent and our coverage
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to multitask

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.