Carrington will join the site from the Financial Times, where he is currently interactive editor.
He was previously editor of the New Scientist website for seven years, during which time he was awarded the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) Online Editor of the Year award.
Prior to this position Carrington, who holds a PhD in earth sciences, was a science reporter for BBC News Online.
"Damian is one of the most experienced and imaginative online journalists in the country and is the perfect person to take our green web offering to a new level," said Ian Katz, the Guardian's executive editor in charge of environmental coverage, in a press release.
The appointment of Carrington precedes plans for a major revamp of the environment site with the area slated as one of the next Guardian.co.uk areas to undergo a redesign with an emphasis on increasing user interaction.
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