Agência Pública and Conectas release grants for reports on Energy and the Climate Crisis
Four grants of R$8 thousand will be given to reporters interested in investigating the effects of energy production
Burning fossil fuels in order to produce energy is one of the chief culprits of greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Switching to an energy model based on renewables is fundamental in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing down global warming. However, this transition must also take into account the socioenvironmental impacts caused by the construction of hydroelectric plants and wind farms, among others.
Click here for regulations and registration
In Brazil, there are many examples of infrastructure projects for renewable energy generation which have led to negative socioenvironmental impacts, such as the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant. Agência Pública and Conectas Human Rights want to tell stories that illustrate the impact on the human rights of workers and the communities affected by fossil-based energy production and also by the process of substituting this supply with renewable sources.
In the 17th edition of Agência Pública´s traditional micro-grant programme four grants of R$8 thousand will be given, along with mentoring for carrying out the reporting. Registration will be open until 15 March and should be done using this form. Reporters interested in doing investigative reporting on this theme can apply from anywhere in the country. Grants are principally for proposals that draw attention to the need for a fair energy transition that is committed to tackling environmental racism. If most of our energy sources are renewable in Brazil but there are human rights violations along the supply chain, is this energy really ´clean´? Do the communities whose lives are affected by the construction of hydroelectric plants and wind farms have the same degree of access to energy as the country´s large centres? Is the energy transition fair to workers in the fossil fuel industry? Are the groups impacted by new energy projects heard and consulted by the institutions that fund, approve and implement them?
It is this type of question that we would like to see investigated through the Energy and Climate Crisis Micro-Grant. We are seeking proposals that take the point of the people and the defence of human rights, values shared by Agência Pública and Conectas.
In order to apply you must send a pre-approval, a proposal outline, a timeline and a budget. The grant must be used to fund the reporting however the reporter chooses. Any queries should be sent to contato@apublica.org.
The results of the Energy and Climate Crisis Micro-Grant will be published between the end of March and the beginning of April. The reports should be published by July 2023.
