Former BBC and New York Times journalists among new team, with ex-Newsnight correspondent Meirion Jones acting as a consultant

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Greenpeace has hired a team of investigative journalists as part of plans to make investigations one of three pillars of its environmental campaigning.

Former Newsnight and Panorama correspondent Meirion Jones is a consultant on the project, which will be staffed by journalists including former BBC reporter Damian Kahya, New York Times and Vice stringer Lucy Jordan and Maeve McClenaghan, formerly of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

About half a dozen core team members will be supplemented by a network of freelancers, field researchers and specialists based around the world. The unit will also use technology such as satellite imaging and drones to build investigations.

Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven said investigative journalism would sit alongside direct action and mobilising public opinion as the organisation’s core activities.

“Those three areas are where our resources are going and where people are going,” he said. “We’re totally committed to that so that gives us a significant budget [for investigations], not just in terms of hiring people on permanent contracts here but getting freelancers.

“It shows our intent about how serious we are taking it. We’ve put some of our best people on it and we will give it all of the resources that are needed to make it work.”

The team have been told funding is available to take on big stories.

Sauven said the aim of the investigations was to put pressure on corporations and governments to change. Priorities for the team will be oceans and fishing, deforestation and climate change, in particular the undermining of climate agreements and funding of climate change deniers.

“What we can do with investigations is change the dynamic around an issue,” he added. “It’s increasingly important in a world that is full of greenwash and empty promises but not much delivery on the ground.”

Greenpeace’s first major foray into journalism to date has been Energy Desk, a website set up four years ago employing journalists to deliver news on climate and energy issues.

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The unveiling of the investigative team coincides with the launch of a documentary about how Greenpeace was formed in the 1970s called How to Change the World, which premiers on Wednesday.