CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting

The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce its shortlist for the annual CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting that celebrates a journalist or team of journalists whose work shines a spotlight on climate change and innovative solutions. The award is open to work      in Canadian print, broadcast or online media.

CJF thanks the generosity of founding award sponsor Intact Financial Corporation for providing the award’s $10,000 prize.

“At Intact, helping people is at the root of our purpose and heart of our strategy,” says Mel Wright, Vice President Communications, Intact Financial Corporation.  “We are committed to empowering the communities we serve to become more resilient, helping them adapt to the impacts of extreme weather events. In the context of ongoing economic and climate uncertainties, the role journalists play in uncovering and reporting on climate solutions has proven to be crucial. We want to thank all journalists whose work has informed and empowered communities so they can thrive amidst these challenges.”

The five finalists for this year’s award and their stories or series shortlisted are:

Darius Snieckus of Canada’s National Observer for Big Green Build, a series of deeply reported stories on Canada’s housing construction crisis and the generational opportunity to build greener and better to meet the country’s climate targets. The series explored deep retrofits for high-rise buildings in Toronto, affordable upgrades to century-old residential and office spaces in Montreal, and a state-of-the-art EV residential project in London, Ont. It also analysed innovations in materials, from low-carbon cement and concrete to engineered wood, which offers net-zero benefits but faces questions over the sustainability of mass timber. Observers jury member Naresh Fernandes, editor of Scroll.in and consulting editor for National Geographic Traveller India “this series does an excellent job reminding us of the challenges new buildings pose to planet – but also the opportunities new technologies and design offer for mitigating the problem. It draws attention to a problem whose enormity is underestimated and to green innovations that could be used not just in Canada but across the world.”  For a subject that is potentially dry, the case is grippingly made and presented.

CBC Radio, for Quirks & Quarks: Overheated produced by Amanda Buckiewicz with host Bob McDonald and senior producer Jim Lebans, host, a 54-minute radio program exploring the urban heat island effect: the science behind it, its health implications to humans and ecosystems and finally solutions. Jury member Nicole MacAdam, Vice-President Communications, WWF Canada, praised the episode for its “strong journalism, clarity of presentation, and commitment to solution-oriented storytelling,” adding “It successfully translates cutting-edge research into practical insights, making a persuasive case for cities to become laboratories of climate resilience.”

The Globe and Mail for Unsettled — Old traditions fuse with innovation as Labrador Inuit adapt to changing sea ice conditions by Ryan MacDonald, senior editor; reported by Jenn Thornhill Verma with photography and video by Johnny C.Y. Lam; digital presentation by Mackenzie Lad; photo editing by Clare Vander Meersch, video editing by Melissa Tait, graphics by Murat Yükselir and digital design and development by Chris Manza. Jury member Wendy Freeman called the article an “outstanding piece of digital journalism,” highlighting the accompanying glossary and praising the piece for offering “real solutions to real problems.”

Magazine Québec Science for Précieuse chaleur (print version)/Tout un quartier chauffé par la chaleur « perdue » d’une usine (online version) by Raphaelle Derome. Derome, with editor-in-chief Marine Corniou, assistant editor-in-chief Bruno Lamolet, artistic director Danielle Sayer, photographer Jessica Deeks and digital publisher Annie Labrecque, explains how Quebec can reclaim wasted industrial heat in order to heat other buildings, proposing an interesting, inexpensive climate solution, that jury chair Bob Ezrin noted is “hiding in plain sight.” Noted Ezrin of the article: “this is all about solution.”

Adds MacAdam: “this article is insightful, well-researched, and informative. It clearly articulates both the promise and the challenges of thermal waste recovery, making it a compelling example of climate solutions journalism that empowers readers with knowledge of what’s possible — and already underway.”

Matt Simmons  of The Narwhal, with photographer Marty Clemens; editors Sarah Cox, Michelle Cyca and Lindsay Sample; director of audience Arik Ligeti and audience engagement editor Karan Saxena, for The healing power of fire, which explores how Indigenous fire stewardship presents a path towards tackling one of the biggest climate emergencies facing humanity: wildfires. “Simmons brings depth and accuracy through firsthand reporting, grounded in relationships with Gitanyow Elders and careful attention to language and protocol,” says MacAdam. “The piece is particularly strong in its immersive storytelling and ethical approach to covering Indigenous climate leadership. It is a respectful, deeply contextualized narrative that makes a clear case for cultural burning as a replicable, scalable climate adaptation strategy — one that Canada must take seriously.”

Commenting on all the entries, Ezrin says: “With attacks on climate science coming from every imaginable direction, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of shining a light on climate in every way that we possibly can. This year’s short-listed teams are doing the vital work of not only showing us the grave state of our climate emergency but also reminding us that real solutions and mitigations are within reach.”

All finalists’ story submissions are available on our awards page.

The winner will be announced at the CJF annual awards ceremony on June 12 at the Royal York Hotel. For tickets, tables and sponsorship opportunities, see contact information below or visit the CJF Awards page.

The jury members are:

  • Bob Ezrin, O.C.(chair), Music and entertainment producer, educator, serial activist and CJF board member;
  • Naresh Fernandes, editor, in;
  • Wendy Freeman, former CTV News president; and
  • Nicole MacAdam, vice-president communications, WWF-Canada.

CIBC is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 CJF Awards.

The 2025 CJF Awards are also supported by Google News Initiative, Labatt Breweries of Canada, McCain Foods, Intact, TD Bank Group, CBC/Radio-Canada, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, Canada Life, Sobeys, Scotiabank, RBC, FGS Longview Communications, KPMG, Canadian Bankers Association, Canadian Medical Association, Accenture, Aga Khan Development Network, Apple Canada News, Bennett Jones LLP, Blakes, Canadian Women’s Foundation, CPP Investments, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Maple Leaf Foods, OLG, Rishi Nolan Strategies, TD Securities, Uber, WSP. In-kind sponsorship is provided by Beehive Design, The Canadian Press, Bespoke Audio Visual, MLSE and Porter Airlines.

Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF.

The CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting

ABOUT THE AWARD

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. The impacts of global warming and extreme weather events are already being felt in Canada and are forecast by scientists to become more severe and more frequent. Beyond environmental and physical impacts, climate change is also expected to have significant economic and social impacts.

Climate change demands to be a constant and significant part of Canadian conversation and the media has a vital role to play in providing accurate, contextual information that creates the foundation for civic discourse about its scope and potential solutions being considered or implemented. The CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting recognizes excellence in reporting on what is being done in Canada and beyond to address the impact and threat of climate change – the policies, practices and people that could potentially be part of the solution to this global crisis.

The CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting celebrates innovative work done by Canadian journalists to shine a light on adaptive solutions being tested and implemented to address the environmental challenges affecting the world today and in the future. The award will aim to inspire broader, more prescriptive coverage of the climate crisis we all face by raising awareness about the challenges themselves and the work being done to meet them.

Judges will consider the following criteria in adjudicating this award:

  • How does this work highlight responses and solutions to climate change? Does it shift the narrative from the problem to solutions that empower positive change?
  • Does the application describe the creative reporting techniques that were used to explain complicated elements in terms an average reader would understand?
  • How does the work demonstrate the success, significance, and/or importance of the specific climate solution being featured?
  • What evidence is there to show that the solution is working? In what ways is it not or might it not? What metrics are used and why in assessing this solution?
  • What data supports the problem and the solution?
  • Is the overall climate data cited accurate and is there sufficient evidence of verification? Is there a sufficient scope and diversity of sources cited?
    • Judges will note that false balance can be the enemy of accuracy and truth in reporting on climate change. Trying to balance scientific consensus on climate change with views from climate deniers or others who disagree with scientific findings risks misleading news audiences.
  • Is the climate research and data presented in a relatable, understandable manner that news audiences can easily follow?
  • Is the work well-written, and does it respect the principles of good journalism?

FORM OF THE AWARD

The award recipient will receive a $10,000 prize.

ELIGIBILITY

Climate change is a story that matters in many spheres – an all-encompassing issue with a wide scope that can include not just the environment but also science, health, the economy, business, public policy, migration, politics and people on a local, national and global scale.

This award will be presented to a working journalist or team of journalists (employed full-time or freelance) who have been judged to have done the most to shine a spotlight on climate change and innovative solutions in Canadian print, broadcast or online news reporting in 2024.

Entries involving more than one contributor are welcome and will be judged as a single submission. Submissions are welcome in the following formats: article, column, online piece, editorial, op-ed, radio program, podcast, television program or documentary film.

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 

About Intact Financial Corporation

 

Intact Financial Corporation is the largest provider of Property & Casualty insurance in Canada, a leading specialty lines insurer with international expertise, and a leader in commercial lines in the U.K. and Ireland. The Company has approximately 30,000 employees delivering best-in-class service through over 350 offices across Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland.

Intact exists to help people, businesses and society prosper in good times and be resilient in bad times. Our social impact and climate priorities sit alongside our financial goals and are embedded in the Company’s strategic roadmap. Intact has established and is delivering on ambitious objectives to be a leader in building resilient communities, achieving Net Zero by 2050 and halving our operations emissions by 2030.

PAST WINNERS

  • 2024Tobie Lebel of CBC/Radio-Canada’s Découverte team, consisting of director Sylvie Mallardand project team members Nicholas ChentrierFrançois Genest and François Dubuc, for, Hydrogène : révolution ou mirage?, exploring the role that hydrogen might play in the energy transition.
  • 2023The Narwhal’s team of climate journalists, which includes Emma GilchristJimmy Thomson, Carol Linnitt, Shawn Parkinson, Arik Ligeti, Ashley Tam, Stephanie Kwetásel’wet Wood, Lindsay Sample, Taylor Roades and Jesse Winter for their narrative-shifting stories on Indigenous-led conservation efforts to show how Indigenous nations are declaring protected areas based on their own sovereignty.
  • 2022: The Globe and Mail‘s team of climate journalists, which includes Ryan MacDonaldKathryn Blaze BaumJeffrey Jones and Adam Radwanski, for their narrative-shifting stories on how to re-engineer the economy to adapt to and capitalize on climate change.
  • 2021: The team of journalists behind the CBC Radio series What on Earth was the inaugural recipient of the new CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting. The winning CBC team members were: Laura Lynch – host; Joan Melanson – executive producer; Manusha Janakiram – senior producer; Lisa Johnson – producer; Molly Segal – producer; Rachel Sanders – associate producer; and Mathias Wolfsohn – engineer. View the acceptance speech by Laura Lynch, host of What on Earth.

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For inquiries:
Natalie Turvey

President and Executive Director

The Canadian Journalism Foundation
E-mail: nturvey@cjf-fjc.ca