Sky News has appointed its first dedicated climate change correspondent to “continue to set the agenda” on what it described as a “crisis”.
Hannah Thomas-Peter moved from her role as US correspondent at the broadcaster to concentrate on the topic from this week.
She will remain based in New York and offer a global view on the issues surrounding climate change, which has gained traction in recent months.
Thomas-Peter said: “I am delighted to take on this role at such a critical time. Climate change is going to touch all of our lives in myriad ways, and it may come to define the way our children and grandchildren live.
“I’m tremendously grateful to serve our viewers as they continue to seek high quality, hard hitting journalism on the issues that matter most to them.”
Media organisations like the Guardian, Times, Mirror and the BBC have environment correspondents, but no other UK title currently has a dedicated climate change journalist.
In May, an update to the Guardian style guide told journalists to stop using the phrase “climate change”, instead favouring “climate emergency, crisis or breakdown” in a push for “stronger language to describe the situation we’re in”.
Head of Sky News John Ryley said the broadcaster planned to give “full weight and support to continue to set the agenda on the crisis of climate change”.
“Sky News recognises the growing jeopardy and significance of climate change and this newly created role is another demonstration of how serious we view the subject,” Ryley said.
“Hannah is perfectly suited to tackle the issues head on, she brings a wealth of experience from her current role in the US and has won several awards for her excellent journalism and reporting.
Thomas-Peter has worked for Sky for the past nine years, joining as a politics producer in London before moving to become New York correspondent in 2010 and US correspondent in September 2017.
She has reported on the Trump presidency, the #MeToo movement and the opioid drugs crisis stateside and was named Young Journalist of the Year by the Royal Television Society in 2009.
Sky News said its “significant record” on reporting environmental issues includes its recent five-part series A New Climate, the Sky Ocean Rescue campaign launched in 2017, and Green Week in 2007.
Picture: Sky News
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