The Global South Climate Database is a publicly available, searchable database of scientists and experts in the fields of climate science, policy and energy.
The project, set up by Carbon Brief with the support of the Reuters Institute’s Oxford Climate Journalism Network, aims to ensure that journalists from all over the world can contact climate experts from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
Learn more about why the database was launched here.
The database lists each person’s area of expertise, institutional affiliation, contact details and other relevant information. The experts cover many different languages from around the world, but all speak English too.
You can use the search bar to filter by research expertise, nationality, institution, pronouns etc.
The database was last updated on 31 July 2024.
The Oxford Climate Journalism Network – a programme at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford – is supporting Carbon Brief to promote and maintain the list.
“Every climate, environment and science reporter should have this database bookmarked and saved.”
– Madeleine Finlay, The Guardian, Science Weekly podcast
“The database is public service journalism at its best. It’s an invitation to widen our apertures and find scholars to help us tell richer, fuller stories on the most profound challenge of our time.”
– Somini Sengupta, New York Times
“The Global South Climate Database is an important starting tool in the battle to decolonise climate knowledge and expertise.”
– Prof Farhana Sultana, professor at Syracuse University
“Adding my name to the database has already increased my visibility. It is also a great networking tool to connect with fellow scientists and experts from the Global South. Use it!”
– Prof Regina Rodrigues, professor of physical oceanography and climate at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
English-speaking climate experts from the global south are invited to fill out the form below, so that reporters and outlets from around the world can get in touch with you.
Add your details to the database
If you are a journalist, please do not add your details to the database. Instead, you are invited to use the database in your reporting.
When filling out the form, questions marked with a star are required, but all other questions are optional. Your details will be added to the public database following verification of your identity.
Feel free to forward the form to climate experts from the global south who you think might be interested in joining the database. However, please do not fill it in on anyone else’s behalf, as the form asks for personal details (such as contact information).
If you wish to amend or remove your details from the list, please email [email protected].
Have you used the database? Please click here to give feedback
The database currently lists 1,139 experts from 103 countries. The map below shows the nationalities of the respondents, where larger circles indicate a greater number of experts.
All experts on the database are nationals of at least one global south country. Some experts have dual nationality and so are counted twice on this graphic.
There are currently 90 languages represented on the database. Spanish, Hindi, French and Portuguese are the most commonly spoken languages by experts on the database, after English.
Around 60% of respondents to the database use he/him pronouns, while 37% use she/her. Meanwhile, 0.01% of respondents identify as they/them.
To learn more about the database, please watch our webinar below:
Each person submits their own details to the database and their entries are verified by the database’s verification team. The database includes English-speaking climate science, climate policy and energy experts, who are nationals of global south countries.
The database does not include:
Our team checks each submission, to ensure that:
We use the applicant’s webpage for and other publicly available information to do this. If important details are missing or unclear, the team will email the expert for clarification.
New responses to the database are verified every few months. However, it could take longer if the team needs to clarify anything with you.
If you submitted your details over 3 months ago and are still not on the website, please check your emails (also check your spam folder). We may be waiting for a response from you.
If you wish to amend or remove your details from the list, please email
[email protected]
All experts on the database are nationals of at least one global south country. However, some experts have dual nationality, and are affiliated with both a global north and a global south country. Experts with dual nationality are shown twice on the map.
The database includes a section for experts to list their media experience. This will allow journalists to see who has experience, and look at past media appearances to make your own judgement.
Self-submission means that only people interested in being contacted by the media are included in the database. It also limits any biases that might arise from the Global South Climate Database team selecting experts for the database.
Experts must also submit their own details to the database for data protection reasons. This ensures that everyone on the database has given permission for their personal data to be shared publicly. To keep this extra work to a minimum, the form is very quick to fill in.
You can help promote the call for submissions, and spread the word to journalists about the database by using our social media toolkit: https://bit.ly/GSCD-Tooklit.
The database is hosted by Carbon Brief with the support of the Reuters Institute’s Oxford Climate Journalism Network (OCJN).
It is managed by Ayesha Tandon, science journalist at Carbon Brief, and Diego Arguedas Ortiz, the associate director of the OCJN.
Katherine Dunn – content editor at OCJN – helps maintain the database. Fermín Koop – an environmental reporter from Argentina and regional editor at Dialogo Chino – helped maintain the database in its first year, supported by funding from the OCJN.
