Damien Carrington

The world’s nations claim they still aim to hold global heating to the internationally agreed 1.5C rise in global temperatures. But, the Guardian revealed, the vast majority of most informed people on the planet believe that is now impossible, with a “semi-dystopian” super-heated future most likely. Environment editor Damian Carrington surveyed every contactable lead author and review editor of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since 2018. There was a huge response, with 380 out of 843 scientists taking part, which reflects the strength of their alarm. The unique survey reveals what global temperature they anticipate (77% think it will reach at least 2.5C above pre-industrial levels), what they think is preventing action on the climate crisis (politics, primarily), what action they take in their personal lives and the emotional toll of years of presenting both warnings and solutions only to be ignored. Carrington undertook in-depth interviews with many of the scientists in order to highlight their personal lives and feelings, as well as the science itself, which helped the story resonate with readers. It represents a major intervention on the debate over 1.5C from the people who have dedicated their lives to understanding and fighting the climate emergency, and was widely praised in environment circles - for example, James Murray, editor of Business Green, said it was “an exceptional piece of public service journalism”.

In the middle of Cop28 in Dubai last year, Carrington broke an exclusive that caused shockwaves through the climate conference. The Guardian, working with the Centre for Climate Reporting, revealed comments made by Sultan Al Jaber, the Cop president, claiming that there is “no science” indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5C. Al Jaber also said a phase-out of fossil fuels would not allow sustainable development “unless you want to take the world back into caves”. The comments were seized on by scientists, who said they were “incredibly concerning” and “verging on climate denial”. In the following days, Al Jaber was forced into a fierce defence of his views at a hastily arranged press conference. The scoop reflects Carrington’s long and deep history of reporting on the climate crisis and attempts by the fossil fuel industry to prevent the action needed to stem global heating.

Carrington, who is a former geologist, visited Greenland with a team of scientists to witness a pioneering mission exploring how the glaciers there could slow future sea level rise. The article is an example of Carrington’s ability to translate complex science into a readily accessible story for general audiences, as well as his attempt to highlight solutions to the climate crisis as well as its causes. As one scientist said in response to the piece, it is "one of the best adventure stories of science, risk, awe, danger and urgency I’ve read in a while".