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The climate crisis accelerates every minute

... and yet media coverage is declining. Many newsrooms lack the time and financial resources to dig deeper. With our lunchtime climate briefings, we are offering journalists a shortcut to high-level experts and to the most important stories to be told. Five briefings, every Tuesday at 11:55 CET time. Sign up below to receive the Zoom invite.

For the first time, we are organizing briefings in English with high-ranking international speakers. Plus: live events in Munich and Vienna for our community. This is made possible by a small grant from Journalism Fund Europe – and anyone who supports our network with a donation 💚

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29.9. | Climate Diplomacy: What Really Happens Behind Closed Doors
with Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the German Climate Ministry (BMUKN)

The deals that actually shape the outcome of a global climate summit like COP31 are often negotiated without journalists present. Jochen Flasbarth, German State Secretary and longtime climate negotiator, joins us to discuss how geopolitics and fossil fuel interests intersect at the negotiating table. A briefing for all colleagues who want to understand the structures behind the summit, not just the final communiqué.

06.10. | Electrification: What to Expect from the COP31 Agenda
more infos coming, to be confirmed!

13.10. | Big Oil's Playbook: How Disinformation Crossed the Atlantic
with Amy Westervelt, Investigative Journalist, Drilled.Media

The US fossil fuel industry has delayed climate action for decades. Investigative journalist Amy Westervelt has traced how the same tactics, messages, and personnel now shape the debate in Europe. In our press briefing, she'll explain how corporate influence campaigns adapt across borders, and what to watch for in your own reporting. A briefing for all colleagues who want to recognize industry playbooks before they set the news agenda. Find out more about Amy's work.

20.10. | Climate Futures: Reading the Warning Signs
with Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General World Meteorological Organization

This summer's wildfires and heat records dominated headlines across Europe, but most media outlets failed to make the climate connection. WMO chief Celeste Saulo explains the underlying patterns and how the climate phenomenon El Niño will shape future extreme weather events. In our press briefing, she will unpack what current climate indicators suggest about the scenarios ahead, and the underreported risks she's watching most closely. A briefing for all colleagues who want to move past “hottest summer on record” and ask what this means for society in the years to come.

27.10. | High-Impact Climate Action: What Matters Now
with Kimberly Nicholas, Professor at Sustainability Centre, LUND University

”What can I do about the climate crisis?” This is a question we often get – and for years, the go-to answer has been recycling and reusable straws. Climate scientist Kimberly Nicholas says the data tells a different story: voting, she's found, can carry up to 162 times the climate impact of recycling. In our press briefing, she'll share which high-impact actions the research backs – and which ones journalists can stop recommending. A briefing for all colleagues who want their climate coverage to help people take better decisions. Find out more about Kimberly's work.

You want to learn more about our work? Visit our websites at Netzwerk Klimajournalismus Deutschland and Netzwerk Klimajournalismus Österreich.

What is 5vor12?

It is not too late – never too late – to shift the discourse on the biggest story of our lives. Each briefing is crafted to decode complexity, expose systemic links, and spark stories that go beyond the news cycle — from fossil fuel subsidies and greenwashing to the EU’s role in global climate finance.

Since its launch in 2023, the „5vor12“ briefing format has established itself as a

trusted knowledge hub for German-speaking journalists seeking to strengthen

their climate expertise. We have conducted over 20 lunchtime briefings – and with more than 1,300 journalists subscribed, it is the largest climate-briefing in the German-speaking area.

„5vor12“ has evolved to be an important network opportunity for colleagues across all beats.

By giving journalists curated access to world-class experts, data, existing publications, story leads and peer exchange, we strengthen the role of journalism as a watchdog in environmental affairs.