International: All stories
Shareholders call for Rio Tinto to make stand
11 May 2020
Shareholders in global miner Rio Tinto have rebuked the company over its climate stance, with 37 per cent voting at a meeting in Australia for a resolution that would require it to set binding emissions targets.
How will we fly, drive, commute and ride?
11 May 2020
Social distancing rules will kill cities, experts warn – and the future of mass transit hangs in the balance.
We must save economy and climate together
11 May 2020
There’s growing agreement by economists and scientists: Covid-19 needs the world to rescue both economy and climate together.
Covid sees bikes pushing cars out of cities
11 May 2020
Curfews paralysed traffic as the covid-19 pandemic hit many cities, but now the cities have started to promote the bicycle revolution and ban cars.
Don't count out batteries in the future
11 May 2020
The clean energy sector of the future will need both batteries and electrolysers, says a new International Energy Agency report.
Judge rules feral horses must go
11 May 2020
The Australian federal court has ruled that feral horses can be removed from the Victorian high country.
Trump reverses nearly 100 green rules
8 May 2020
After three years in office, the Trump administration has dismantled most of the major climate and environmental policies the president promised to undo.
Infectious disease rates are skyrocketing
8 May 2020
A catastrophic loss in biodiversity, reckless destruction of wildland and warming temperatures have allowed disease to explode.
South Korea backs $2b bailout of coal company
8 May 2020
The South Korean government is backing a $2 billion bailout of the country’s biggest coal plant manufacturer, despite promises to end coal financing.
Virus hasn’t killed globalisation - it shows we need it
7 May 2020
Examining where the world went right or wrong in its covid-19 response might help to mitigate another global crisis, climate change.
Businesses see climate and virus recovery as one
7 May 2020
A leading Australian business group is calling for the two biggest economic challenges in memory – recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and cutting greenhouse gas emissions – to be addressed together, saying it would boost growth and put the country on a firm long-term footing.
Struggling farm workers face worsening heat
7 May 2020
Life is already bad enough for underpaid and overworked crop pickers in the US, but as lethal heat levels rise they will render outdoor labour in the harvest season increasingly impossible.
We’ve all had a taste of disrupted food supplies
7 May 2020
When our reliance on supermarkets is seriously disrupted – for example, by spikes in demand due to flooding of distribution centres panic buying or the flooding of distribution centres – we are left with few alternatives.
In 50 years, some cities will be too hot to handle
6 May 2020
Unless steps are taken to check global warming, up to three billion people will find themselves in areas too warm for human comfort, a new study finds.
How Dutch were forced into emissions cuts
6 May 2020
Last month, the Dutch government announced a bold set of climate policies designed to reduce annual carbon emissions by nearly 10 megatons.
Inside gas cookers are making us sick
6 May 2020
Gas cookers are making people sick and exposing tens of millions to air pollution levels that would be illegal if they were outside.
Living in the Rainbow Tree with 30,000 plants
6 May 2020
Assuming the Rainbow Tree is actually built, the greenery-covered timber tower will rise to an impressive height of 115 m in Cebu, the Philippines.
Westpac to stop funding coal for power
5 May 2020
Westpac says it will stop funding mining projects for coal to be used for power generation by 2030, as part of a broader commitment to reach a net-zero emissions business model by 2050.
Trump-friendly fuel firms get millions in aid
5 May 2020
US fossil fuel companies have taken at least $50m in taxpayer money they probably won’t have to pay back, according to a review of coronavirus aid meant for struggling small businesses.
Coal industry uses enough water for 5 million people
5 May 2020
Coal mining and coal-fired power stations in New South Wales and Queensland use the same amount of water as 5.2 million people, or more than the entire population of Greater Sydney, says a new report.
Warren Buffett dumps US airline stocks
4 May 2020
Legendary American investor Warren Buffett has sold his firm’s entire holdings in the four major US airlines, warning that the world has changed for the aviation industry because of the coronavirus crisis.
Global energy markets in unpheaval
4 May 2020
The world’s energy markets are in upheaval, as experts report an historic fall in global fossil fuel demand.
Morrison offers $300m to boost hydrogen
4 May 2020
The Morrison government will change the investment mandate of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, directing it to make up to $300m available for a new Advancing Hydrogen Fund as part of the national hydrogen strategy.
Shopping online better for planet, says Bezos
4 May 2020
Amazon chief Jeff Bezos says that shopping online is “inherently” more efficient, from a carbon emissions perspective, than going to the store.
Auckland air pollution quickly back in business
1 May 2020
Auckland’s air pollution is higher than ever, suggesting any cut in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the covid-19 pandemic shutdown will be short-lived.
North America’s fracking boom flounders
1 May 2020
The shale industry made the US a major producer once again. But Covid-19 looks likely to ruin many prospectors.
Germany offers 20 years of climate lessons
1 May 2020
Twenty years ago, before climate change was as widely seen as the existential threat it is today, Germany embarked on an ambitious program to transform the way it produced electric power.
Threats to the insect world are growing
1 May 2020
The Earth’s land-based insects are in steady decline, their numbers falling by around a quarter every three decades.
VW set for Dieselgate legal showdown
30 Apr 2020
Germany’s main court for civil and criminal matters will hear a diesel emissions scandal case for the first time next week.
Germany defends €10 billion airline bailout
30 Apr 2020
Germany’s environment minister has defended a planned bailout of the country’s largest airline to protect jobs in the short term, insisting the next phase of post-coronavirus recovery will be green.
Michael Moore film dangerous, say campaigners
30 Apr 2020
A new Michael Moore documentary that takes aim at the supposed hypocrisy of the green movement is “dangerous, misleading and destructive” and should be removed from public viewing, according to climate scientists and campaigners.
North Pole may be clear water by mid-century
30 Apr 2020
Within 30 years, there could be clear blue water over the North Pole – not good news for most of the planet.
Developers might find spare land is drying up
30 Apr 2020
Developers might struggle to find enough land to offset the biodiversity impacts of future development, scientists say.
Unexpected breather offers sport a chance
30 Apr 2020
AROUND THE WORLD, athletes are taking a forced break and wondering what the future holds for their sports.
Germany and Britain call for green recovery
29 Apr 2020
Germany and Britain say that efforts to revive the global economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic must ensure a ‘green recovery’ that helps the world to tackle climate change.
Trump wants to mine Grand Canyon
29 Apr 2020
The Trump administration, seeking to restore America’s “competitive nuclear advantage,” wants to mine uranium on land bordering the Grand Canyon.
Big Plastic asks Congress for $1b bailout
29 Apr 2020
The plastics industry is asking Congress for $1 billion to bail out plastic recycling during the coronavirus crisis.
Dutch to act on emissions after court ruling
28 Apr 2020
The Dutch government has announced measures including huge cuts to coal use, garden greening and limits on livestock herds as part of its plan to lower emissions to comply with a supreme court ruling.
'We need to hear these poor trees scream'
28 Apr 2020
New studies show drought and heat waves will cause massive die-offs, killing most trees alive today.
It’s a galloping goodbye to Europe’s coal
28 Apr 2020
The energy that has powered Europe for several hundred years, driving its industry, fighting its wars and keeping its people warm, is on the way out, fast.
Michael Moore takes a swipe at green A-listers
28 Apr 2020
A new film from the Michael Moore stable takes a pop at green, liberal A-listers such as Al Gore – but doesn’t dare criticise Greta Thunberg.
Indonesia puts new jungle capital on hold
28 Apr 2020
The Indonesian government’s plan to relocate the country’s capital from Java to the jungles of Borneo has hit a wall.
Climate fighter Gore throws weight behind Biden
24 Apr 2020
Climate champion and former US vice-president Al Gore has endorsed Joe Biden's presidential candidacy.
Our e-waste mountain is an outrage
24 Apr 2020
Unrepairable phones and laptops are one of the scandals of our throwaway society. But the pushback is building – and the coronavirus crisis has added more pressure for change.
UK plutonium stockpile is a costly headache
24 Apr 2020
For 70 years Britain has been dissolving spent nuclear fuel in acid, separating the plutonium and uranium it contains and stockpiling the plutonium in the hope of finding some peaceful use for it, to no avail: all it has to show today is a UK plutonium stockpile.
Economic rescue could take path to decarbonisation
23 Apr 2020
As states contemplate how to restart the global economy after the pandemic, it’s important to remember that we’ve been here before.
Will climate change end waterfront living?
23 Apr 2020
Developers are creating waterfront homes in Boston with innovative seawall defences but is this a model for other cities? Or a sign of climate gentrification?
'Horrible hybrids' give plastics recyclers nightmares
23 Apr 2020
From singing birthday cards to baby food pouches, a growing trend of mixing materials is making recycling even harder.
France wants public buildings to be 50% wood
23 Apr 2020
The French Government is set to require that all new public buildings must be made at least 50 per cent from wood or other sustainable materials from 2022 as it pushes for sustainable urban development.
How are negative oil prices even possible?
22 Apr 2020
It’s hard to believe that the price of any commodity, let alone oil, can dip into negative territory. But that’s just what’s happened to oil prices.
“There was so much death.” A toxic algal bloom is ravaging Australia’s southern coast – warming waters are to blame
Fri 29 Aug 2025
Three ingredients are required for an algal bloom to get going – temperature, the right conditions and food. South Australia had all the preconditions necessary, thanks to climate change.
We used to stash gold in Fort Knox. What if we did the same with carbon?
Fri 29 Aug 2025
If we could convince the masses that waste carbon dioxide is sacred and worth hoarding — like gold — one of our most existential problems might solve itself.
China's carbon market to introduce absolute emissions caps from 2027
Wed 27 Aug 2025
China will tighten its carbon trading market by introducing absolute emissions caps in some industries for the first time starting by 2027.
Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds
Thu 28 Aug 2025
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
What happens to net zero if the trees don’t survive?
20 Aug 2025
When climate change undermines the climate plan.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
Singapore seals carbon credit deal with Thailand, its first South-east Asian partner
Thu 28 Aug 2025
The agreement, the eighth for Singapore, helps both nations meet climate targets under the Paris Agreement, directing finance to Thai projects.
Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say
13 Aug 2025
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga among the worst affected amid warning the disease and others will become ‘more common and more serious’ as the planet warms.
Iconic Antarctic species at risk amid 'regime shift', with 'rapid and self-perpetuating changes'
22 Aug 2025
Scientists say there is emerging evidence of abrupt and potentially unstoppable changes in the Antarctic environment.
Is Africa about to see the solar energy boom it needs?
Thu 28 Aug 2025
African countries imported a record number of solar panels in the past year, which could be the beginning of a green energy boom on the continent.
Lessons from the Incas: How llamas, terraces and trees could help the Andes survive climate change
Thu 28 Aug 2025
New research suggests solutions may lie in environmental knowledge that the Incas and their predecessors developed centuries ago.
Brazil issues last-ditch plea for countries to submit climate plans ahead of COP30
20 Aug 2025
Only 28 countries have submitted carbon-cutting proposals to the UN, with some of the biggest emitters yet to produce plans.
