Got a climate, environment, or sustainability story you want to pitch, but not sure whoâd actually pay for it?
Good news! Today weâre sharing 50 publications currently commissioning climate, environment, and sustainability writing. These opportunities span major outlets, right through to specialist nonprofits, and some are even paying as much as $2/word (with quite a few hitting the $1/word range).
For each outlet, youâll find what it covers, roughly what it pays, and a direct link to its pitching or submission guidelines where available.
And if youâve written about climate, the environment, or sustainability before? Well, these subjects touch everything: the food on your plate, the policies shaping your city, the industries reshaping the economy.
Whether your interest is conservation, energy, climate justice, or the everyday mechanics of sustainable living, thereâs very likely a publication here looking for exactly that story.
And if you have insights into specific pay rates, or if you've been offered different terms than those listed here, please let me know by replying to this email or by messaging me on Substack.
50 Publications Paying for Climate, Environment and Sustainability Writing
FERN provides independent, non-profit journalism at the intersection of food, agriculture and environmental health. It commissions in-depth, investigative and explanatory reporting, working with other media outlets to co-publish stories. Story budgets depend on the complexity of the project, but writer reports suggest rates of around $1â$2 a word, plus agreed reporting expenses. Pitch details here.
Sierra is the storytelling arm of the Sierra Club, the United Statesâ oldest grassroots environmental organisation. Combining features on green living and outdoor adventure with reporting about threats to the environment, *Sierra* brings together journalists, photographers and filmmakers to convey the ideals at the heart of the Sierra Clubâs mission. Pay is typically around $0.50/word for shorter online stories, $1/word for longer essays and $1.50/word for features. Pitch guidelines here.
High Country News covers the West in all its complexity. It seeks diverse narratives and original reporting that illuminate the wonders and challenges of living in the Western U.S., particularly stories at the intersection of social and environmental issues. Its main coverage areas are climate change; land, waters and wildlife; Indigenous affairs; justice and equity; and Western life, culture and politics. HCN pays $1/word for reported content and $0.50/word for essays and reviews, whether published online, in print or both. Full guidelines here.
Mother Jones is a nonprofit investigative news organisation covering subjects including climate change, environmental justice, corporate wrongdoing, food policy and science. It commissions revelatory, dynamic stories that teach readers something new, from hidden forces affecting communities to undercovered solutions. Print rates start at $1.75/word and online rates start at $0.75/word. Writer guidelines here.