
Matteo Civillini
Reporter
Matteo Civillini has been a reporter at Climate Home News since February 2023. He specialises in accountability journalism on climate finance and carbon markets, while also covering UN climate diplomacy and the nexus between plastics and fossil fuels.He previously worked at BBC World News and at Irpimedia, a non-profit investigative journalism outlet in Italy. He has reported on everything from mafia money laundering to songbird smuggling for publications including National Geographic, the Observer and OCCRP. His investigations have been shortlisted for several international awards - with the occasional win, including the Amnesty International Media Award in 2021.When he is not working, he can most likely be found in nature. He especially enjoys orienteering, climbing and skiing. He is also known for his risottos and for buying Parmesan by the kilogram.
Jul 4, 2025
US comes out against plastic production limits in UN treaty at deadlocked talks
US officials outlined their new position at a meeting in Nairobi, where key divisions persisted ahead of August talks to agree a global plastics pact
Jul 1, 2025
Coalition set sights on taxing luxury air travel to fund climate action
A group of eight countries is pledging to tax premium flying in a bid to find new money for resilience-building
Jun 26, 2025
Brazil’s environment minister suggests roadmap to end fossil fuels at COP30
Brazil’s environment minister Marina Silva suggests this year’s COP30 climate summit could result in a roadmap to guide a “planned and just transition”
Jun 25, 2025
Bonn bulletin: Waiting for a plan to rescue COP28 breakthrough
While in Bonn countries remain deeply divided over how to implement the responses to the global stocktake, Brazil seeks inspiration in London
Jun 20, 2025
How ‘sophisticated’ climate misinformation gets to the heart of power
The fossil fuel industry and right-wing populists are increasingly targeting key policy-makers through backdoor channels, according to a new report
Jun 18, 2025
Is the world’s big idea for greener air travel a flight of fancy?
Suspicions of fraud, ‘ridiculous’ data and a dearth of supplies – our investigation exposes the flaws in the airline industry’s big green hope: sustainable aviation fuel
Jun 17, 2025
Bonn Bulletin: Slow start to climate talks fails to reflect urgency
A bitter row over the agenda ended with a compromise on adding finance and trade measures, while COP30 host Brazil sold off oil blocks to fossil fuel giants
Jun 11, 2025
Over half of countries push for plastic production cuts in new UN pact
Ahead of hard-fought negotiations due to resume in August, 95 countries have issued a “wake up” call for an “ambitious” plastics treaty
May 21, 2025
Global forest loss hits “frightening” record high with climate-fuelled fires
Brazil and Bolivia led forest destruction in 2024 as drought worsened fires and land was cleared for large-scale agriculture and cattle-farming
May 9, 2025
Brazil calls on local groups to “inspire” governments in boosting climate action
With 90% of countries yet to produce updated climate plans, the COP30 presidency is encouraging grassroots organisations to lead the way
May 7, 2025
First carbon credit scheme for early coal plant closures unveiled
Proponents hope carbon markets can offer new funding for costly transition from coal to renewables. But concerns have been raised over the risk of low-integrity credits
Apr 25, 2025
Trump throws lifeline to Canadian deep-sea miner, setting scene for international clash
US president’s executive order looks like a victory for Vancouver-based The Metals Company (TMC) and other industry advocates, but fierce environmental and international opposition still stands in the way of ocean floor mining
Apr 24, 2025
Xi commits China to full climate plan but emissions-cutting ambition still unclear
The Chinese president told fellow global leaders that the country’s updated climate plan would cover all economic sectors and greenhouse gases
Apr 11, 2025
Loss and damage fund to hand out $250 million in initial phase
The fund’s board has agreed a plan for the start-up phase of the UN mechanism to help developing nations tackle the consequences of climate disasters
Apr 10, 2025
Power-hungry AI data centres seen driving demand for fossil fuels
Big Tech’s data centres are expected to use twice as much electricity by the end of the decade – mainly due to the global AI boom, the International Energy Agency says
Mar 28, 2025
African banks back oil export pipeline despite climate commitments
Lenders including Afreximbank are backing Uganda’s EACOP project, while publicly talking up their support for a just energy transition.
Mar 25, 2025
Carbon credit auditors suspended for failures in sham rice-farming offsets
Verra has taken unprecedented action against four certification bodies that overlooked integrity problems with the projects. But the worthless credits still need to be compensated
Mar 24, 2025
Electricity demand surges, expanding renewables and fossil fuels in 2024
Cooling demand as a result of record temperatures was a significant driver of power generation last year, according to the International Energy Agency
Mar 14, 2025
US approves multi-billion-dollar loan for troubled Mozambique gas plant
The US export credit agency has unlocked key funding for TotalEnergies’ massive LNG project which was halted after militant attacks
Mar 10, 2025
Brazil’s COP30 president: Climate summits must move from words to real action
In a letter outlining his vision for Brazil’s climate summit, Corrêa Do Lago calls for a “new era” with collective work on implementation
Mar 7, 2025
Most cookstove carbon credits ruled out of quality scheme in integrity push
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market has rejected widely used rulebooks for cleaner cooking, which will require projects to switch to more rigorous methods
Mar 3, 2025
Countries fail again to decide timing of key IPCC climate science reports
China, Saudi Arabia and India pushed back against a proposal to align the IPCC flagship reports with the timeline of the global stocktake of climate action
Feb 21, 2025
In Trump’s shadow, IPCC set to make key decision on timing of climate science review
With the US not expected to show up at the IPCC meeting, countries have a final chance to agree whether assessment reports could inform the next UN scorecard of climate action
Feb 21, 2025
After US retreat, countries clash over who should make up Green Climate Fund shortfall
At this week’s board meeting, Germany and Sweden encouraged wealthier developing nations to step up – an idea rejected by Saudi Arabia