Most commissions for magazines/newspapers relate to environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics and have answered the following questions, among many:

  • Inventions that could change the planet
  • Innovative ways to invest in projects that impact housing, energy, social welfare and environment (impact investment)
  • Gaps in financial/corporate reporting on social and environmental issues, and why they matter
  • Why low-income African/Asians agree to a greener/healthier lifestyle

Many articles have introduced topics for the first time to a particular group of readers. A few examples are listed below.

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In 2023 investors reading the FT became aware of a new fund launched by the UK government the following year. This combined government and private sector finance to encourage investment in conservation. The article is linked here.

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Before the publication of another agriculture story, farmers had been unaware of potential income they could gain from biogas (energy made from farm waste). Following this launch feature in newsstand title Farmers Weekly: Farmers Weekly: Green Cash Cow to Exploit biogas became a widely discussed topic across the UK popularised by scriptwriters of British radio soap opera ‘The Archers’.

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In 2008, prominent UK weekly The Spectator published an article drawing attention for the first time to a new carbon tax. This was written by Elisabeth Jeffries and linked here. It was one of several articles contributed by Elisabeth Jeffries on a range of similar themes. The tax became a significant policy in the 2010-2015 UK coalition government.

In 2016, investment institutions had no idea of the ESG transparency rules that were about to sweep across the finance sector in the EU and UK. However, Elisabeth Jeffries published this article (p.40) in trade journal European Pensions alerting them to the coming storm, which continues to grumble over the continent.

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The Non-Financial Reporting Directive eventually evolved as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which major companies have to comply with.

The (UK) Times: in 2007, Elisabeth Jeffries published three articles in The Times on two pioneering wave power schemes. This emerging sector had never been covered by the newspaper but became a major renewable energy development. Times articles linked here:  The Times Pelamis Wave Power 1.

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