Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Marco Magrini

Born in Florence, Italy, Marco claims to be a descendant of Giovanni Villani, a chronicler of medieval times. He has been writing on newspapers since the age of 20, mostly about science and technology, with a focus on energy and (un)sustainability. He has been covering the United Nations conferences on climate change since COP11 in Montreal, in 2006. His semi-serious book ’The Brain: A User's Manual' (published by Short Books) has been translated into ten languages and it is probably the most intelligent thing he has ever produced in life. Apart from authoring Geographical’s monthly ClimateWatch column, of course.

concept art of a wooden door in a barren field opening up to a lush green landscape

Doors are closing on solutions, argues the Climate Crisis Advisory Group

Apr 18, 2024
The four Rs – reduce, resilience, repair & remove - are now considered to be the keys to tackling the climate crisis, reports Marco Magrini
Wind turbines, Xinjiang, China

Climatewatch: The politics of net zero needs to move as fast as the technology changes

Mar 25, 2024
Marco Magrini points out that climate technology is racing ahead of climate politics in finding much-needed solutions
Food production generates the equivalent of 31 per cent of all greenhouse gases

Food for thought: feeding the world accounts for a third of human-made carbon emissions

Mar 18, 2024
For Marco Magrini the agricultural transition is as important and urgent as the energy transition
1.5 climate threshold graphic climate change

Climatewatch: 1.5°C? It’s now impossible

Feb 9, 2024
Marco Magrini explains why he fears the 1.5°C warming target is going to be impossible to meet 
Glacier melt in Greenland

Climatewatch: Probability problems

Dec 22, 2023
Rather than scaremongering, Marco Magrini argues, scientists have, in fact, erred on the side of caution when predicting climate outcomes
Aerial view of coal power plant high pipes with black smoke moving up polluting atmosphere at sunset

Will the COP28 pledge to ‘transition’ away from fossil fuels be enough?

Dec 14, 2023
Marco Magrini considers whether this really is the beginning of the end for carbon energy and we can keep to climate targets
Sultan Al Jaber

COP28 update: can a conflicted president deliver on fossil fuel reduction?

Dec 10, 2023
As the haggling in this year's COP gets to the final stages, Marco Magrini, wonders what it will deliver on fossil fuel reduction
Graphic of seasons in a row with summer the biggest

Climatewatch: changing seasons

Dec 6, 2023
Marco Magrini on implications of the changing length of the seasons as a warming world brings longer summers and shorter, hotter winters
COP28 preview: time to take stock

COP28 preview: time to take stock

Nov 28, 2023
Marco Magrini, Geographical's Climatewatch columnist, looks at the challenges for the COP28 in Dubai
COP28’s president, Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, is also CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

Climatewatch: COP28 predictions and fears

Nov 8, 2023
Marco Magrini fears the only success of the forthcoming COP28 is going to be in obfuscation and diplomatic double talk
Statue of Adam Smith in Edinburgh

Climatewatch: Can the market get us to net zero?

Oct 2, 2023
Marco Magrini considers whether markets alone can get us to net zero
A map showing heatwaves across europe and north africa in summer 2023

2023 Europe heatwave showed off the charts climate anomalies

Sep 7, 2023
Marco Magrini warns that we shouldn’t assume that dramatic change can’t suddenly happen
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