Write for the Greenpeace website

Greenpeace UK welcomes article pitches from freelance writers and journalists, and we offer competitive rates for contributors. Here’s how to pitch to us.

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We’ve temporarily closed our call for pitches so we can evaluate and improve the programme. Please check back soon for updates.


What we’re looking for

The environment isn’t just about whales and pandas – it touches practically every aspect of our lives. The way it feels to cross the street, how often you stay late at work, or what you see when you walk into a supermarket – those are all environmental stories waiting to be told.

We’re looking for writers who can tell stories like these with flair and conviction; to help people see familiar things in a whole new way and reimagine what it means to be an environmentalist. We’re open to a range of formats, from features to personal essays, profiles, case studies or even quizzes.

Doing this right means bringing in lots of different perspectives. So we’re especially keen to receive pitches from disabled and neurodivergent people, people of colour, LGBTQIA+ people, people from working class backgrounds, and others who’ve typically not been well served or represented by the mainstream environmental movement.

Why write for Greenpeace?

If you want your writing to help change the world, there’s no better place to do it. Greenpeace attracts curious, engaged people that want to be part of the solution to the world’s most pressing problems.

Greenpeace’s radical roots and specialist focus means we can cover topics and stories that might not get a look-in at other publications, and people will read your work on a website that’s specifically designed to help them take action.

Our base rate is £350 for a standard article (800-1200 words; 1-2 interviews).

Themes

We’re currently inviting pitches on the following themes. Feel free to interpret these loosely, or bring us an angle we haven’t thought of.

Mobility and identity

The way we move around has environmental consequences, but culture, power and identity shape these decisions in ways that are often ignored by the mainstream debate. We’re looking for stories from the places where these issues collide. Think walking and personal safety, experiences of a disabled cyclist, or the hidden forces keeping people reliant on cars.

Nature and the city

Where can we find nature in urban spaces? What does it mean to the people who coexist with it? What can we learn from the plants and animals that live alongside us, often hidden in plain sight?

The just transition

How do we move to a low carbon world without leaving people behind? Don’t be afraid to pitch something outside the conventional hard-hats-and-solar-panels understanding of the topic. Countless aspects of our lives are built around fossil fuels and unsustainable consumption –  how do we untie those threads in a way that’s fair? What does a just transition mean for car owners, pig farmers, or football clubs sponsored by airlines?

Invisible frontlines of the climate crisis

Who’s feeling the effects of climate change – or building the solutions – outside the spotlight? These stories should challenge narrow conceptions of climate change as a distant environmental threat and show how climate touches everyone and everything, often in unexpected ways.

Food, culture and climate

What can marginalised food cultures teach us about tackling climate change and fixing the food system? How is climate change altering our relationship with food, and the traditions and connections that form around it?

Activism and identity

Greenpeace campaigns follow a rich tradition of peaceful protest and creative confrontation, but even conventional activism is widely misunderstood. Your pitch might address questions like: What are things we don’t think of as activism, but actually are? What do you wish more people understood about activism? How are activism and privilege connected? How is activism changing, and who’s leading the change?

Ideas of nature and wildness

Pitches on this theme could explore ideas of nature and wilderness beyond the mainstream British ideas of conservation and the ‘green and pleasant land’. Who defines and controls our natural spaces, and who is welcomed or excluded from those spaces? In what ways do we rely on nature, or take it for granted?

Conflict and the environment

We’re looking for stories that shine a light on how war, peace and conflict are connected to the environment.

Short stories

Tell us a story (fictional or not) that’s connected to the environment.

Hidden histories

Show us how something familiar came about in a way some people might not expect. Eg women’s contribution to climate science, how cars came to dominate cities, the links between mainstream environmentalism and colonialism, or overlooked environmental activism from marginalised communities.

The new climate denial

These days it’s rare to see mainstream politicians or companies explicitly challenge climate science, but they’ll still act as if it’s not real. Think councils that declare a climate emergency but won’t restrict car parking, or supermarkets relentlessly pushing meat sales. Give us pitches that bring especially interesting or serious examples of this to light, and help people spot it in the wild.

General guidelines

  • You’ll be writing for a general audience based in the UK. Assume curiosity, intelligence and passion for a better world. Don’t assume higher education, expert knowledge, or familiarity with environmental or social justice jargon.
  • We normally prefer stories that are told through characters and events, rather than pure issues or ideas.
  • Stories don’t need to be directly focused on active Greenpeace campaigns, but it should be clear how the story relates to our mission.
  • We like articles that motivate, inspire or equip people to help build a better world, but you don’t need to have a specific call to action or proposed solution to the issue you’re writing about.
  • We welcome international stories, but if you can find a UK angle, all the better.
  • We’re receptive to pitches that are constructively critical or challenging of some aspect of Greenpeace’s work or history, or that of the wider environmental movement, particularly from a social justice perspective.
  • While we don’t have a huge budget, we’ll consider funding travel and extended reporting for truly exceptional pitches.
  • Personal essays should draw out a wider argument or lesson from the personal experience they’re describing.
  • Green lifestyle articles (eg energy saving tips, low carbon holidays, ways to reduce plastic) should have an original angle, and shouldn’t be unreflectively written from the perspective of a homeowner with plenty of disposable income. We’d prefer to see pieces that amplify the overlooked expertise of marginalised groups.

What to include in your pitch

  1. A summary of your story, idea or argument (please don’t send fully-written articles).
  2. Some specifics on how you see the piece coming together: key points, characters, sections etc.
  3. A hook – tell us what will make this piece relevant or interesting, or how your perspective will fill a gap in the debate.
  4. A brief personal introduction and a couple of links to your published work.
  5. If you need any reasonable adjustments or special considerations to help you work with us, mention these here too.

We’ve temporarily closed our call for pitches so we can evaluate and improve the programme. Please check back soon for updates.