Dataharvest 2026 - the European Investigative Journalism Conference

This session will focus on one of the most underreported actors in climate reporting: the billion-dollar shipping industry. We bring together two investigations into pollution from shipping to show how journalists can follow the environmental harm caused by this global industry.

From illegal fuel practices in the North Sea to the hidden ecological costs of scrubber systems in the Mediterranean, the session will focus on how maritime pollution remains largely unpunished and how the industry keeps on avoiding consequences. The journalists will walk you through their methodologies; combining OSINT, data journalism, and FOIA requests with scientific research and regulatory analysis. They will show you how to track emissions, identify regulatory loopholes, and connect datasets.

The session also offers practical insights into building cross-border environmental investigations, working with technical data, and collaborating with scientists to uncover complex pollution systems. The journalists will discuss how a holistic approach —following pollutants across sectors and geographies— can reveal accountability gaps and expose the true environmental cost of global shipping.