Today, the National Geographic Society and The Climate Pledge announced a new cohort of five National Geographic Explorers who will document the global climate crisis through funding provided by the Society’s Global Storytellers Fund. This is year two of a three-year partnership in which the Society and The Climate Pledge support a global community of storytellers including photographers, writers, filmmakers, cartographers and multimedia artists. (Read about our year one cohort here). Between 2022 and 2024 we will empower a total of 15 National Geographic Explorers to document the global climate crisis through visual storytelling, illuminate the world’s most critical challenges, and identify long-lasting solutions to protect the health and wonder of our world.

For 2023, the five Explorers to be supported through this collaboration include:

Lynsey Addario, a U.S. photojournalist who will use photography, video, and archive to record the reality of climate migration.

Pablo Albarenga, a Uruguayan visual storyteller who will research Brazil’s food paradox through documentary photo stories about the country’s food production and its connection to climate change.

Malin Fezehai, an Eritrean and Swedish photographer, filmmaker, and visual reporter, who will examine human adaptations to sea level rise by documenting the experiences of people permanently living on water.

Gab Mejia, a Filipino conservation photographer, environmental storyteller, and engineer, who will dig deeper into the interconnected complexities of the Philippine forests by illuminating the lives of environmental forest defenders.

Davide Monteleone, an Italian visual artist and researcher, who will focus on the geopolitical, social, and environmental implications of skyrocketing demand for critical minerals necessary to achieve renewable energy’s goals.

“These five National Geographic Explorers are driven by curiosity to know more about the world and to share their newfound knowledge with others. The National Geographic Society is proud to partner with The Climate Pledge for the second year in a row to spotlight the remarkable stories of these profound Explorers who are using the power of storytelling to inspire global audiences to learn and take action for climate issues.” — Kaitlin Yarnall, Chief Storytelling Officer, National Geographic Society.

This National Geographic Society x The Climate Pledge collaboration will advance both early-career and established storytellers with the funding, training, and exposure necessary to bring their stories about the global climate crisis to the forefront. This collaboration will also support up to 45 mentees as part of the Society’s Second Assistant Program, which empowers early-career women and storytellers of color through training and field placement with Explorers.

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org.