Investigative Environmental Journalism Grants

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GRID-Arendal awards grants to investigative journalists working on various issues related to environmental crime. There is a pressing need to put environmental crime in the spotlight of international attention, and this is where investigative journalism can make a difference. The grant money is intended to support investigative journalists by covering costs related to an investigation (travel, document retrieval, interviews etc.).

The first grants were awarded in 2015, creating awareness on specific environmental crime issues through stories posted in international media. In 2021, four investigations were supported and published by GRID-Arendal's Investigative Environmental Journalism Grants programme. Investigations covered topics such as deforestation in Papua, coal mining in Zimbabwe, environmental activists in Colombia, and the export of charcoal and rosewood from Nigeria. Read about the impact of their investigations here.

In 2022, GRID-Arendal awarded six grants of 20,000 NOK each. Here is an overview of the latest stories produced, with more to come:

The Mercury Route: “A Divine Mess” and “Mercury Fever” (Daniel Wizenberg and Alejandro Saldivar). This two-part investigation shows the mercury route from Mexico to hundreds of indigenous lands in Peru and Bolivia. Why, despite being banned worldwide, is this product so readily available in Latin America?
The Argentine Chaco: Initiatives to Save One of Latin America's Most Threatened Ecosystems (Julián Reingold and Ignacio Conese). This investigation is about the Argentine province of Chaco, where the largest forest extension of what was once the Great Chaco Forest is still preserved. However, reports of illegal clearing have been among the highest in recent years.
Pakistan’s pangolins need more than armour (Shabina Faraz). This story investigates the issue of illegal wildlife trade which poses a serious threat to pangolin in Pakistan. It unveils different networks, markets and people involved in this trade and sheds light on the scale of the issue.

Status: In progress

Type: Global

Programme: Transboundary Governance & Environmental Crime

Tags: Africa Bolivia climate change forests Kenya Latin America mining mountains rainforests transboundary governance water wildlife Colombia chemicals toxics and heavy metals environmental crime

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GRID-Arendal's activities support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Related publications

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The snare of the Sumatran tiger trade - Investigative Environmental Journalism Grant 2022

23 Nov 2022 Environmental Crime

A hidden harvest - Investigative Environmental Journalism Grant 2022

This investigation is about how criminal trade thrives re-exporting sea cucumber via Colombo.

05 Oct 2022 Environmental Crime

Pakistan’s pangolins need more than armour - Investigative Environmental Journalism Grant 2022

27 Sep 2022 Environmental Crime

The Argentine Chaco: Initiatives to Save One of Latin America's Most Threatened Ecosystems - Investigative Environmental Journalism Grant 2022

Chaco is the Argentine province where the largest forest extension of what was once the Great Chaco Forest is still preserved.

08 Sep 2022 Environmental Crime

The Mercury Route - Investigative Environmental Journalism Grant 2022

Why, despite being banned worldwide, is this mercury so readily available in Latin America?

04 Aug 2022 Environmental Crime

The Illegal Trade in Chemicals

Chemicals provide important benefits to society and play a vital role in the global economy, but they also carry risks for the environment..

22 Mar 2020 Environmental Crime

Related press releases

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GRID-Arendal announces seven winners of 2023 journalism grants

08 Feb 2023

GRID-Arendal announces six journalism grants to support investigation of environmental crime

05 Oct 2022

Six journalists win GRID-Arendal grants to support investigative environmental journalism in 2022

01 Feb 2022

Call for grant applications for investigative journalism on environmental crime 2022

01 Nov 2021

Journalist investigation supported by GRID-Arendal grant yields concrete results in fight against "wood pirates"

12 Oct 2021

Four journalists named as winners of GRID-Arendal grants to support investigative environmental journalism

01 Mar 2021

Grants for investigative journalism on environmental crime

25 Nov 2020