Climate Investigations Course: ECOSINT
ECOSINT: Environmental and Climate Open-Source Intelligence
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is now a fixture in many newsrooms and can be applied to a wide range of investigative objectives. However, in many ways it is particularly useful when researching climate and environmental stories.
Searching social media and other online sources for connections between companies, politicians, and business figures is useful in almost any investigative research, but satellite imagery analysis and mapping can be especially useful in understanding land use, deforestation and the impact of extractive industries. It is also hugely important for identifying the impacts of climate-influenced natural disasters. Similarly, shipping and logistics tracking have clear applications when digging into fossil fuel and other industries. OSINT is also an important tool for verification and fact-checking. In a subject area like climate change – which is awash with mis- and dis-information – this practice is crucial.
Through best practice guidance, demonstrations and hands-on exercises, this module introduces participants to a wide range of digital tools and methods that can take environmental and climate investigations to the next level.
There is an urgent need for greater public understanding of the looming climate crisis, and journalism has an integral role to play in this.
However, while environmental and climate reporting is crucial, there is an equally critical need for investigative journalism around these topics. While the public needs to know what is happening to our planet, they also need to understand why it is happening.
Why, despite decades of warnings and research into mitigation and solutions, is the situation worsening?
Where are promises and commitments being broken?
What is hindering the process of building new systems to avert the worst of the coming crisis?
And who, ultimately, is profiting from this situation?
This course will help you dig into the people, organisations, governments and companies that can provide you and your audience answers to these questions.
Technical Requirements
This course will need you to have the following software/apps/tools on your computer:
- Zoom app
- Camera and audio
Introduction to ECOSINT
Recommended resources to set up or install ahead of the session:
- X (formerly Twitter) Account
- Instagram Account
- Linkedin Account
- Invid Chrome Browser extension – https://www.invid-project.eu/tools-and-services/invid-verification-plugin/
- Register with Open Screening https://resources.linkurious.com/openscreening
Satellite Imagery and Mapping
Recommended resources to set up or install ahead of the session:
- Sentinel Hub EO Browser (free, web-based & sign in optional) – https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser/
- NASA FIRMS Active Fire Data (free, web-based & sign in not required) – https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/active_fire/
- Google Spreadsheet download link for Active Fire Data India (May 1-31, 2024). Participants will follow the same process to access data – https://t.ly/DpFSV
- Global Forest Watch (free, web-based & sign in optional) – https://www.globalforestwatch.org/
- Google Earth Pro (free & desktop version that requires installation on the PC) – https://www.google.com/earth/about/versions/
- Google Sheets (free, web-based and requires Gmail sign-in) – https://sheets.new/
- Google Earth Engine (free, web-based & sign in not required) – https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/
- Jimpl (free, web-based & sign in not required) – https://jimpl.com/
This course will be hosted on Zoom. To find out more about how we use Zoom, please check out our Zoom InfoSec page.
Course Structure
Exercises and additional resources will be provided to supplement the training between sessions.
Important
Our training is not recorded: if you miss a session, it is lost – you cannot watch a recording of it, nor will you be allowed to attend that session at a later date.
Ready to dive into ECOSINT? Please see the booking form below.
Note that you can get a 20% discount on the total applicable fees by booking the full ‘Climate Investigations Course’ instead here which ‘ECOSINT’ is a part of.
Trainer Biographies:
Guy Porter
Arun Karki
Aditi Tandon
Sam Leon
Booking Form
- 3 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
- 4 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
- 5 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
- 6 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
One ticket per person.
In line with our non-profit mission, our pricing operates on a sliding scale, ensuring large organisations pay more to subsidise places for smaller newsrooms, freelancers and students.
*Students places for this course are capped, due to limited capacity. Anyone registering as a student will be asked for a photo/scan of their student ID ahead of the course.
**Employed individuals who cannot have their employers pay for the course are entitled to the freelancer rate. Note that we are a small charity and rely on your honesty so please do not register as a freelancer if your employer is reimbursing you for the course.
We have a strict policy of No Refund and No Transfer of bookings.