AFP appoints Ivan Couronne to new role as 'Future of the Planet' editor-in-chief

Ivan Couronne

The new position aims to anticipate major events and trends, as well as further develop coverage of the “Future of the Planet,” which has been a key editorial priority at Agence France-Presse for several years already.

“The creation of this new position underlines the importance of this topic for AFP in recent years, but more importantly, our commitment to expanding this coverage for the years ahead,” said Sophie Huet, AFP's global editor-in-chief. 

“Every day, current events remind us of the urgency to address climate change in all our coverage, from politics to economics, lifestyle, and misinformation, through education and on-the-ground reporting,” she added. 

In his new role, Ivan Couronne will oversee dynamic news coverage, anticipate major events and trends, and help coordinate consistently and effectively across the network in text, photo, video, graphics and podcasts. 

The new position will also allow AFP to contribute to several initiatives around the world aimed at reinforcing climate coverage. Additionally, the “Future of the Planet” Editor-in-Chief will guide the Agency’s training policy for journalists.  

AFP had already established in 2022 a dedicated hub at its headquarters in Paris, bringing together journalists covering environmental and climate change issues, alongside those reporting on energy, transport, agriculture and industry, to comprehensively address all aspects of the energy transition. 

Two journalists responsible for coordinating photo and video content have joined this hub to ensure that coverage is accompanied by highly impactful visuals. 

A position for a journalist specialising in digital investigation was also created to combat the substantial wave of misinformation regarding climate change. Additionally, new training programs were offered to the editorial team on climate change and greenwashing. 

Thanks to its global network, AFP has significantly expanded its climate change coverage worldwide, receiving multiple awards for breaking news, major international events, in-depth reports and investigations focused on the impact on humans and the actions they undertake.  

Specialized positions have been created in Europe and Asia, complementing the existing team in the United States. 

Couronne, aged 44, served as a correspondent in the United States for 10 years, initially as a video journalist and later as a correspondent covering the American Congress, science and the environment. He was appointed deputy head of the Planet Hub when it was established in 2022.