Karl Mathiesen
Karl Mathiesen is Climate Home News' editor. He has written for national newspapers, newswires and magazines in Australia and the UK. Before joining Climate Home News in 2016, he worked mostly with the Guardian’s environment desk. He is based in London.
Crib notes: Jan 20, the inauguration of Donald J Trump
This week’s top climate politics and policy stories. Sign up to have our Friday briefing and Monday’s crib notes sent to your inbox
Fiat, Renault, VW scams will hasten rise of electric car
Emissions rigging scams are the “beginning of the end” of the diesel car, opening the door for electric vehicles
As it happened: Tillerson tells senate climate science “very limited”
As the former Exxon boss is grilled by the senate, Karl Mathiesen captures the key exchanges. Watch the full hearing live here
At State, Tillerson could get Exxon off human rights charges
As secretary of state the former Exxon CEO could influence long-running case that alleges company is responsible for murder and torture committed by its employees
Kerry criticises ‘vested interests’ as he steps aside for oil man
Secretary of state set to be replaced by Exxon boss Rex Tillerson said US faces ‘resistance from combination of doubters and people making a lot of money’
Obama: ‘I didn’t kill coal, gas did’
Donald Trump has accused Barack Obama of waging a “war on coal”, but the current president says it was “market forces”
Coral bleaching to hit reefs every year from mid-century, says UN
Report finds that even if pledges to Paris agreement are exceeded, most coral reefs worldwide will be bleached every year by 2070
Kerry warns Trump against nixing climate progress
Outgoing secretary of state’s final memo to president Obama outlines his department’s successes, but warns that “the months and years ahead will be critical”
Into the abyss: oil states face turmoil as climate policies bite
A transition to green energy sources threatens the stability of oil-rich states like Venezuela, Russia and Saudi Arabia
Can Saudi Arabia’s regime survive in a greener world?
The race is on for Saudi Arabia to find new sources of income before the oil age peters out
Our climate heroes of 2016
Climate Home writers pick some of the defiant optimists they came across in 2016
Australian climate sceptics may form new party
A right wing government backbencher with ties to mining magnate Gina Rinehart has registered a website for a new political brand, Australian Majority
2016: the year climate change came home
During the hottest year on record, Karl Mathiesen travelled to Tasmania and found his home irreparably changed
Turkish gas companies with corrupt past get World Bank loan
Businessmen who have secured contracts to build massive gas pipeline linking EU and Azerbaijan were convicted for tender rigging and bribery
BP looking to sell off Great Australian Bight interests
Correspondence with the federal regulator reveals oil major is in discussions with others to offload drilling rights in environmentally sensitive region
Kosovan villagers to take coal mine woes to human rights court
After the World Bank ducks responsibility for harm caused by botched coal mine expansion, community leaders plan to sue at human rights court in Strasbourg
India to halt building new coal plants in 2022
Draft government plan finds no need for new coal stations beyond those already under construction, calls for massive renewable energy push
Green groups get ‘unprecedented’ Trump bump in donations
The Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth are among US NGOs benefitting from surging support to fight Donald Trump’s anti-green agenda
US solar power smashes records in 2016
A record glut of large scale projects saw solar capacity jump enough to connect one home every 11 seconds in the third quarter of the year
Conservation zones exclude indigenous people, drive deforestation
Without their traditional land managers, reserves in Central America are left vulnerable to corporate interests, report finds