Jonathan Watts, currently the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, has been appointed global environment editor. A hugely experienced journalist, for the past 21 years, Jonathan has reported for the Guardian from locations as varied as Tokyo, Beijing and Rio de Janeiro.
Sandra Laville and Matthew Taylor, currently senior reporters in the Guardian’s UK newsroom, will join the team as environment correspondents.
All three new team members will be based alongside environment editor Damian Carrington, environment correspondent Fiona Harvey and natural history writer Patrick Barkham in the Guardian’s London office.
The expanded London team will collaborate closely with Guardian Australia’s environment correspondent Michael Slezak and Guardian US’s environment correspondent Oliver Milman as, together, they investigate what could be the defining issue of our time, says the Guardian.
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief, Guardian News & Media, said: “I’m delighted to be able to announce these appointments to our award-winning, continent-spanning environment team. There is mounting evidence that the extreme weather events of recent years are linked to man-made climate change which is already underway. This, coupled with the fact that 2016 was the hottest year on record, are just two examples of why there is a greater need than ever before for the kind of serious and innovative environmental journalism that the Guardian is renowned for.”
