As Trellis Group's editorial director, Heather Clancy shapes global conversations about corporate climate action through investigative reporting and policy analysis. Her work sits at the intersection of technological innovation and environmental stewardship, with particular emphasis on:
Clancy seeks stories that demonstrate:
Heather Clancy has established herself as a leading voice in climate-focused business journalism over her 25-year career. Her work traces the evolution of corporate sustainability from niche reporting to boardroom imperative, with a particular emphasis on technological innovation and measurable environmental impact.
Clancy's deep dive into B Lab's updated certification standards reveals how the framework now requires large corporations to demonstrate year-over-year improvements across worker equity, community engagement, and environmental stewardship. Through interviews with 18 certification auditors and analysis of 200 corporate disclosures, she exposes the growing rift between performative sustainability claims and verifiable action. The piece has become essential reading for ESG officers, cited in 37 corporate policy documents since publication.
This data-driven analysis tracks how tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft are reshaping energy markets through power purchase agreements (PPAs). Clancy decodes complex financing structures while highlighting unintended consequences - including grid congestion in renewable-rich regions. Her inclusion of suppressed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) data, obtained via FOIA requests, revealed a 22% gap between reported and actual PPA executions.
For the World Economic Forum, Clancy examines corporate water stewardship programs through case studies of beverage companies and semiconductor manufacturers. The piece introduces her concept of "watershed ROI," quantifying how $1 invested in wetland restoration generates $3.20 in operational risk mitigation. This framework has been adopted by 14 multinationals for water strategy disclosures.
Clancy prioritizes stories with verifiable metrics and third-party validation. Successful pitches demonstrate how technologies or policies achieve measurable emissions reductions (e.g., "Our carbon capture retrofit reduces Scope 3 emissions by 18% as verified by DNV"). She frequently rejects vague net-zero roadmaps lacking interim targets. Recent coverage of Hafslund Oslo Celsio's waste-to-energy project exemplifies this preference, highlighting their 31.6% capture efficiency rate validated by independent auditors.
Stories exploring unusual corporate partnerships resonate strongly. The Microsoft/Philips hospital emissions reduction piece succeeded by detailing shared R&D investments and joint IP agreements. Pitches should clarify governance structures and conflict resolution mechanisms in collaborations, particularly between competitors. Avoid superficial "partnership announced" announcements without implementation details.
Clancy excels at translating complex technologies into business value propositions. Her breakthrough coverage of LanzaTech's carbon recycling tech worked because sources provided clear OPEX comparisons to traditional manufacturing. Effective pitches include:
"Our modular direct air capture units reduce per-ton costs by 40% versus legacy systems, validated in pilot projects with 3 Fortune 500 manufacturers."
With her exclusive access to draft EU sustainability regulations, Clancy often reports on pending legislation 6-12 months before enactment. Successful sources provide internal impact assessments showing how proposed rules would affect operations. A recent scoop on battery recycling mandates came from a supplier's analysis of SEC disclosure requirements.
While most journalists focus on mitigation, Clancy increasingly covers climate resilience initiatives. Her Mercado Libre forest restoration piece succeeded by linking carbon sequestration metrics to supply chain continuity plans. Pitches should connect adaptation investments to financial risk reduction, preferably with SASB-aligned metrics.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Climate, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
