Climate Journalism as Climate Action - Swissnex in Boston and New York

Despite growing public concern about climate change, climate philanthropy remains less than 2% of overall philanthropic giving. At the same time, millions of people continue to receive limited, inconsistent, or highly polarized information about climate risks and solutions. As funders seek the highest-leverage opportunities to accelerate climate action, an important question emerges: Is strengthening climate journalism one of the most underinvested climate solutions available today?

This discussion will bring together philanthropic leaders, climate journalists, and media innovators to explore the role of journalism in shaping public understanding, informing decision-makers, and creating the conditions for durable climate progress. Panelists will examine how philanthropic investments can expand high-quality climate reporting, reach audiences beyond traditional environmental circles, elevate local and community-based stories, and counter misinformation without compromising journalistic independence. The conversation will also explore what funders can learn from successful investments in media and narrative change, where the greatest funding gaps exist today, and how strategic support for journalism can help unlock progress across climate mitigation, resilience, public health, economic development, and environmental justice. Following the panel discussion, leaders of five journalism non-profits in the climate space will deliver concise, high-impact pitches tailored to philanthropists and philanthropic advisors interested in supporting essential climate reporting and communication.

For funders looking to maximize impact, this session will consider whether supporting climate journalism is not simply a communications strategy, but a critical investment in the infrastructure of climate action itself.

Program

8:45am – Doors Open
9:00am – Welcome Remarks:
—Philippe Roesle, CEO and Consul, Swissnex in Boston and New York
—Randall Kempner, Executive Director, Climate Philanthropy Catalyst Coalition
9:15am – Panel Discussion
10:00am – Climate Journalism Solutions Showcase
11:00am – Networking
12:00pm – End

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Event start time

New York
9:00AM

Speakers

Panelist

Nikhil Swaminathan

CEO, Grist

Nikhil Swaminathan is the chief executive officer of Grist. He was appointed CEO in September 2022 after leading Grist's newsroom for more than four years and establishing Grist as a leader in solutions-based climate reporting while positioning climate as a social justice issue.

Panelist

Sean Harder

Senior Communications Officer, MacArthur Foundation

Sean is a Senior Communications Officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, where he leads strategic communications around some of the most urgent issues of our time — from supporting climate change solutions, to revitalizing local journalism across the United States, and centering humanity at the intersection of AI, the economy, and the workforce.

Panelist

Emily Holden

Founder, Floodlight
Co-Chair, Climate News Task Force

Emily founded Floodlight in 2021, after more than a decade as an environment reporter in Washington, D.C. She reported for The Guardian, Politico, E&E News and CQ Roll Call. Her work has also been published in The Arizona Republic, the Baton Rouge Advocate, the Houston Chronicle and Gannett newspapers. She is a winner of the 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award.

Moderator

Paula Dupraz-Dobias

International Journalist & Producer

Paula Dupraz-Dobias is an award-winning investigative journalist and news and documentary producer with over 30 years of experience in all forms of media in Europe, North America and South America. She is based in Switzerland, but works regularly in Peru and the United States.

Showcase Presenters

Sentient

Sentient is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that publishes stories and solutions to explain factory farms and their effect on climate, animals, public health, politics and more.

Ana Bradley, Executive Director

Green Philly

Green Philly is a digital media publication that connects people to sustainable solutions through our resources and events. Our mission is to make sustainability local, accessible, and affordable; while growing the sustainability community.

Julie Hancher, Co-Founder & Editor

Canary Media

Canary Media is an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. We report on how the world is decarbonizing — from electricity to transportation, buildings and industry — with a critical focus on finding out what works and what doesn’t.

Nicholas Rinaldi, General Manager

Mongabay

Mongabay publishes news and information on tropical forests and related topics. Mongabay seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development.

Rhett Butler, Founder and CEO

Assembly

This event is part of Assembly, the main Swiss stage at Climate Week NYC 2026. As world leaders gather in Midtown Manhattan, Swissnex assembles Swiss and global voices – from private sector innovators and researchers to artists and policymakers – in the East Village for three days of communal climate thinking and action. Assembly speaks to deliberation and democracy – the idea that communities must collectively define their futures – as well as the ongoing, creative, improvisational process of constructing those futures from the pieces of our present.

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Partners

This event is presented in collaboration with the Climate Philanthropy Catalyst Coalition (CPCC), with the support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.