RE Royalties Steps Up for Solutions Journalism on the Energy Transition

This is a guest blog post by Mitchell Beer, publisher at Energy Mix Productions, on behalf of Small Change Fund’s Climate News for Climate Solutions project.

Independent, trusted news reporting, focused on solutions and rooted in communities, is one of the most important tools in the response to global climate change.

But now, mis/disinformation and greenwashing are threatening our understanding of the climate emergency and its practical, proven solutions. That makes solutions journalism in the climate and energy space a key bulwark protecting democracy, and even in helping to safeguard Canadian sovereignty. But journalism only succeeds when readers, viewers, and listeners have confidence in the knowledge and, even more important, the unfailing honesty and integrity that a news organization brings to its work.

That’s why it’s so important that RE Royalties is stepping up this year with a generous donation to Small Change Fund’s Climate News for Climate Solutions project. We’re so grateful for their support, and for the vote of confidence it conveys.

Why Climate Journalism Matters

Reliable information and solid evidence are the cornerstones of the effort to get climate change under control. But in a moment when online platforms and AI-generated fakes make it hard to separate fact from fiction, it’s an everyday chore to know who or what to trust.

That’s where Climate News for Climate Solutions comes in. For this project, Small Change Fund is partnering with Ottawa-based Energy Mix Productions, a leading news outlet on climate change, energy, and the shift off carbon. Their flagship publication, The Energy Mix, has been appearing regularly since May 2014, building an indexed research archive of more than 30,000 news stories. Some of their latest hits have included:

• Continuing, expert coverage of Canada’s shift toward climate disclosure and sustainable finance;

• Early analysis—seven months ahead of most other news outlets—showing that Donald Trump’s climate-busting “Drill, Baby, Drill” agenda won’t likely receive the investment it needs to succeed;

• Leading analysis of the global natural gas surplus that will likely undercut Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson’s pledge to ship LNG to Germany in “as little as five years”;

• The first major news coverage of a proposed $15-billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal off the Newfoundland coast, and the shocked reaction from local residents who only heard about it through media;

• Revelation that the daily car commute costs Canadian families more than housing as the quest for affordable homes drives them farther out of town;

• Analysis of the deep, recurring shortage of operating funds driving Canadian transit agencies into crisis.

More Than Just a Donation

We know that RE Royalties prides itself on taking a steady, smart, strategic approach to energy transition investing. Their donation to Climate News for Climate Solutions tells us that they see us in that picture…which is one important measure that, if our first, essential goal with this project is to earn trust, our job here is done.

Except that it’s not. Not until we see solid, accelerating momentum to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving the climate crisis, backed by community-based energy solutions that leave no one else behind. That’s exactly the kind of work we see RE Royalties supporting with its investment strategy. It’s humbling, and a joy, to see that they see their own goals reflected in ours.