Advancing Climate Communication
Our Mission
We empower journalists and other communicators to tell stories about climate change. We do that through training that amplifies science, elevates communities, and engages audiences.
The Annenberg Approach
Communication is
our specialty
Our work is situated within a world-class journalism and communication school at an R1 research university.
Training is
our priority
We focus on the application of research to support journalists, communication professionals, and students in the advancement of their climate-related work.
Community is our core
Training Opportunities
The Center for Climate Journalism and Communication works with organizations of all sizes to provide training that enhances journalists’ climate literacy and climate reporting skills.
Certification
Certificate in Sustainability Communication
A first-of-its-kind certificate program designed to support professionals from various backgrounds who wish to include more climate change narratives and storytelling in their work.
Our next session begins in January 2027
Sign up now to become a certified climate communicator!
Fellowship
Health and Climate Change Reporting Fellowship
USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism and Center for Climate Journalism and Communication welcomes journalists to apply for its inaugural reporting fellowship focused on the intersection of the environment, public health, and the Los Angeles fires. This weeklong program on USC’s campus will introduce participants to leading experts across disciplines and will advance ethical reporting in climate disaster zones.
Training
Media Training for
Climate Communicators
The Center also offers communications training online and in USC Annenberg’s state-of-the-art media facilities to equip climate experts of all kinds, including scientists and other researchers, to tell the biggest story of our time.
Best practices for
Climate Journalists
Sessions on topics ranging from climate science to ethical AI, for groups small and large.
Bespoke Sessions
Addressing regional or thematic issues and delivered upon demand.
Electric Futures Podcast
In 2025, the Electric Futures team arrived in the Imperial Valley after learning that a data center was slated for development in the region. Most residents had no idea. While following the story from the early days until the public outcry that followed, data centers exploded as a national topic of debate.
In a fractured political context, recent polling suggests there is at least one issue Americans seem to agree upon – they do not want a data center in their backyard. Through the Understanding America Study, the Center for Climate Journalism and Communication surveyed nearly 3000 people in the country to get to the bottom of it. Were energy rates and water use really behind the upheaval, or was it something more? We find out in season four of Electric Futures: AI, Data Centers, and Trust.
Public Programs
Our online and in-person programs offer opportunities for students across disciplines to learn from the best climate communicators in the world.
Tom Steyer offers tips on making the climate war “Cheaper, Faster, Better”
On March 3, climate investor and former Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer joined USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay and student panelists Anahita Mehra and Michael Kittilson for a
A Fresh Take on Climate Advocacy: Wise Words from the Iconic Jane Fonda
Recently, I have been sensing from my peers through conversations that climate change and climate activism has started to feel like “old news” to them. Being an active
Featured news
Electric Futures Season 4 Launches Episode 1 on November 2, 2026
The USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication is pleased to announce that Season 4, Episode 1 of the Electric Futures podcast, a series that explores the transition to greener energy, is dropping on November 2, 2026. Season 4,
We Want to Hear From You! Take Our 2026 Temperature Check Survey
How are shifting policies, artificial intelligence, misinformation, and emerging technologies changing the way we communicate about climate change? The USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication invites climate communicators to participate in our annual Temperature Check survey, which explores
The AI Conversation We’re All Having
It started last spring, and by the time fall semester began it was in full swing – the majority of my conversations with students and colleagues are now about the intersection of AI and sustainability. Students wondered out loud about
Meet Stevie Gray: Turning Climate Communication into Action
Stevie Gray was a member of the second cohort of our Sustainability Communication certificate program. We are excited to take a peek behind the curtain at his new job at the Producers Guild of America, where he is the Outreach
Insights
Through interdisciplinary partnerships with scientists, policymakers, and communication leaders, the Center provides unique insights and innovative strategies for more effective communication about the complexities of climate science, policy, and public opinion.
ESG Narratives and Social Media
Reporting regulations from the Securities and Exchange Commission will be finalized soon to address the comparability and reliability of corporate climate related disclosures — gain an enhanced understanding of the narratives — and narrators — gaining traction in the ESG conversation.
