Jonathan Watts

About Jonathan Watts

Jonathan Watts is the Guardian's global environment editor.

19 Articles

Bolsonaro’s ministers trashed the government agencies responsible for protecting the forest, nature reserves and indigenous territories. Photo by Jonny Lew/Pexels

Seven reasons to be cheerful about the Amazon in 2023 — and three to be petrified

The electoral defeat of Jair Bolsonaro by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is good news for the world’s largest rainforest, but the situation remains perilous.

Race to a Safer World

News | January 3rd 2023

Canada is trying to water down forestry trade regulations, leaked letter alleges

Weeks before the United Nations biodiversity conference, COP15 in Montreal, the host nation sent a letter to the European Commission asking for a reconsideration of “burdensome traceability requirements” within a proposed EU scheme that aims to eradicate unsustainably sourced wood products from the world’s biggest market.

Negotiating survival

News | December 2nd 2022

Johns Hopkins Glacier. It is one of more than 1,000 glaciers located within the boundaries of Glacier Bay national park, south-east Alaska. Photo by Chris Larsen/Operation Icebridge/NASA

How will Earth handle the global glacial meltdown?

Mountain glacier melt contributes more than a quarter of extra volume to the world’s oceans, disrupting ancient cycles of creation.

Race to a Safer World

News | May 11th 2021

Five post-Trump obstacles standing in the way of a global green recovery

U.S. president-elect Joe Biden’s win gives the globe a better chance of averting climate catastrophe, but major obstacles remain.

Analysis | November 13th 2020

Alarms sound as Arctic sea ice remains unfrozen at latest date on record

Delayed freeze in Laptev Sea could have knock-on effects across polar region, scientists say

Race to a Safer World

News | October 23rd 2020

Microplastic pollution devastating soil species

Researchers in China saw big reductions in organisms that play a crucial role in recycling carbon and nitrogen

News | September 9th 2020

Cracked clay on a drying lake bed, India. Author: L. Shyamal / CC BY-SA 3.0

One billion people will live in insufferable heat within 50 years: study

Human cost of climate crisis will hit harder and sooner than previously believed, research reveals

Race to a Safer World

News

Australia, burning, forests, animal species, koala,

Delay is deadly: what Covid-19 tells us about tackling the climate crisis

Rightwing governments have denied the problem and been slow to act. With coronavirus and the climate, this costs lives

Coronavirus in Canada

News, Politics | March 26th 2020

Oil Storage Tanks, Belfast. Photo: Copyright Rossographer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Fossil fuel companies have had even worse impact on climate change than you thought

Study indicates human fossil methane emissions have been underestimated by up to 40%

Race to a Safer World

News, Politics | February 21st 2020

Oil firms to pour extra 7m barrels per day into markets, data shows

Projected production surge in next 12 years to be led by Shell despite climate crisis.

Race to a Safer World

News, Energy | October 17th 2019