Earth HQ harnesses the power of mass media to raise awareness of the planetary emergency and to increase public demand for action. The agency serves as the media arm of the Global Commons Alliance, a coalition of scientific, philanthropic, conservation, and business organizations working to protect the global commons, and a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA).

Tim Kelly is the executive director of Earth HQ. Previously, during his 30-year tenure at National Geographic, he oversaw its transformation into a leading multimedia force, engineered the launch of the National Geographic Channel, and eventually served as the organization’s president. Kelly spoke with RPA to explain the origins of Earth HQ, the role of collaborative funding, and the importance of climate communication and storytelling.

Tim Kelly: I had a great 30-year adventure at National Geographic, an organization with a mission of inspiring people to care about the planet. When I joined, the magazine was the main focus. I got to help them launch into television, film, and digital—and eventually, the National Geographic Channel. It was a real honor to work with writers, scientists, photographers, and filmmakers to tell the epic story of the planet from all angles, and to do so as the media world transformed.

Read the full article about environmental journalism at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.