International: All stories
Climate change greatest threat to humanity, say experts
22 Apr 2020
A new group of eminent Australian policy experts and academics have warned that climate change is one of the greatest threats to the long-term survival of human society.
Halve the farmland, save nature, feed the world
22 Apr 2020
If we farm efficiently, scientists say, we can cut climate change, slow extinction and feed the world even as it asks for more.
France, Germany join call for green recovery
21 Apr 2020
Paris and Berlin have added their names to a growing list of EU capitals asking for the European Green Deal to be placed at the heart of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery plan.
Norway's a-ha moment made electric cars the answer
21 Apr 2020
Norway, a country fuelled by hydropower, has become the world’s electric vehicle leader.
BoE under fire for deal with oil companies
20 Apr 2020
The Bank of England has been accused of failing to live up to its tough talk on the climate crisis after it revealed it would buy debt from oil companies as part of its coronavirus stimulus programme.
Everything points to a megadrought
20 Apr 2020
Climate change could be pushing the US west and northern Mexico towards the most severe and most extended period of drought observed in a thousand years of US history, a full-blown megadrought.
Their world is wasted veges and empty shelves
20 Apr 2020
Climate change and covid-19 are testing a food system that critics say has lost its resilience.
South Korea to implement Green New Deal
17 Apr 2020
South Korea is on track to set a 2050 carbon neutrality goal and end coal financing after its ruling Democratic Party won an absolute majority in the country’s parliamentary elections on Wednesday.
TEXAS OIL: We will disappear as an industry
16 Apr 2020
Texas just did something that only recently might have been unthinkable. The state whose name is synonymous with American oil took the unusual step of formally considering statewide production cuts.
Greenland sheds ice at record rate
16 Apr 2020
The Greenland ice sheet melted at a near-record rate in 2019, and much faster than the average of previous decades, scientists have revealed.
Here’s why soil smells so good after it rains
16 Apr 2020
That smell you detect after it rains is part of a chemical language between bacteria and animals.
EU hires BlackRock to advise on green bank rules
15 Apr 2020
BlackRock, one of the world’s largest investors in banks and fossil fuel companies, has been hired by the EU to work on potential new environmental rules for banks.
Paris failure carries costs in the trillions
15 Apr 2020
Failing to meet the Paris Agreement could cost the world hundreds of trillions of dollars this century, a new report says.
SHIFTING GEARS: Protest in the age of coronavirus
15 Apr 2020
For more than a year, just about every Friday at noon, Invaliden Park in downtown Berlin was transformed into a vivacious, noisy, swarming hubbub with teenage speakers, bands, and live dance acts — as well as Germany’s top climate scientists — all sharing a makeshift stage and a microphone.
Have humans evolved beyond nature?
15 Apr 2020
Our society has evolved so much, can we still say that we are part of Nature? If not, should we worry – and what should we do about it?
Biden must convince climate voters he's a believer
14 Apr 2020
Bernie Sanders’ departure from the US presidential race left hardcore climate change activists in mourning—and wondering where former vice-president Joe Biden stands.
It's positively alpine!: Cities taste fresh air
14 Apr 2020
Many of the world's major cities are enjoying improved air quality since restrictions were introduced due to the covid-19 coronavirus.
Chile sets new target of peak emissions by 2025
14 Apr 2020
Chile has committed to peaking its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, in an updated national plan presented virtually to the UN.
Whole ecosystems could fail within 10 years
9 Apr 2020
Global warming is about to tear big holes into Earth's delicate web of life, pushing temperatures beyond the tolerance of thousands of animals at the same time.
Hamilton wants covid cash for raft of projects
8 Apr 2020
Hamilton is going after a $1.5 billion share of the Government’s covid-19 recovery package with a suite of environmental projects.
Atmospheric methane increase greatest in five years
8 Apr 2020
The average level of methane in the atmosphere increased last year by the highest amount in five years, according to new data.
Australia closes in on hydrogen economy
8 Apr 2020
Australia says it is a step closer to a hydrogen economy, with new research into a “nanobelt” catalyst for breaking down water.
Tropical forest damage spreads catastrophically
8 Apr 2020
Human inroads into tropical forests stretch far beyond oil plantations or the edge of cattle ranches and are a wider threat to conservation.
Oceans could rebound in 30 years — if we act now
7 Apr 2020
The glory of the world’s oceans could be restored within a generation, according to a major new scientific review.
Poles attract marine life avoiding rising heat
7 Apr 2020
In a warming ocean, some species will swim, others sink. But all agree: the poles attract marine life without exception.
We need not fear ancient methane timebombs
7 Apr 2020
The Arctic is predicted to warm faster than anywhere else in the world this century, perhaps by as much as 7deg.
Spain obeys, but others drag the chain
7 Apr 2020
The Spanish government has submitted its energy and climate plan for 2030 to the European Commission, three months after the deadline, while five EU countries, including France, still need to turn in their strategies.
A second Dust Bowl would hit world food stocks
6 Apr 2020
The next time the fertile soils of North America turn to dust, the consequences will hit food stocks worldwide.
San Francisco bans reusable shopping bags
6 Apr 2020
San Francisco is banning reusable shopping bags to prevent outside germs from entering grocery stores.
UN postpones COP26 climate talks in Glascow
3 Apr 2020
Green campaigners vowed to keep up the pressure on governments to make stringent new commitments on the climate crisis, as the COP26 climate summit was delayed until next year.
Will this coronavirus kill off the oil industry?
3 Apr 2020
Analysts say the coronavirus pandemic and a savage price war means the oil and gas sector will never be the same again.
Obama urges voters to 'demand better'
3 Apr 2020
Former US president Barack Obama has urged voters to "demand better" of the government after the Trump administration rolled back a key Obama-era fuel standard intended to combat climate change.
Barclays bows to investor pressure
2 Apr 2020
Barclays has bowed to investor pressure over its climate track record and announced plans to shrink its carbon footprint to net zero by 2050.
Australia has 'probably the worst year in a century'
2 Apr 2020
Record heat and drought across Australia delivered the worst environmental conditions across the country since at least 2000, with river flows, tree cover and wildlife being hit on an unprecedented scale, says a new report.
Asia Pacific degradation worries UN
2 Apr 2020
A surge in Asia Pacific carbon emissions and the degradation of its environmental resources is alarming, says the UN.
Australian academics call for survival strategy
1 Apr 2020
A group of Australian scientists, business leaders, public servants and academics is calling for nations to work together to develop a strategy for humans to survive climate change, pandemics and other looming threats.
What will the world be like after coronavirus?
1 Apr 2020
From an economic perspective, there are four possible futures post-covid-19: a descent into barbarism, a robust state capitalism, a radical state socialism, and a transformation into a big society built on mutual aid.
Report reveals massive plastic pollution of drinks firms
1 Apr 2020
Four global drinks giants are responsible for more than half-a-million tonnes of plastic pollution in six developing countries each year, enough to cover 83 football pitches every day, according to a report.
Our war with the environment is leading to pandemics
31 Mar 2020
The Global covid-19 crisis and the climate and biodiversity crises are deeply connected, health experts say.
Campaigners attack Japan's 'shameful' climate plans
31 Mar 2020
Japan has laid out its plans to tackle greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris agreement in the run-up to UN climate talks this year, becoming the first large economy to do so.
Trump throws lifeline to oil industry
31 Mar 2020
The Trump administration's unprecedented decision to suspend enforcement of US environmental laws amid the covid-19 crisis throws a lifeline to the oil industry.
Pandemic recovery needs green strings attached
30 Mar 2020
Governments and financial institutions are under growing pressure to make economic bailouts designed to counter the coronavirus pandemic dependent on climate action in the longer term.
Scientists seek signs of economic shock on CO2 levels
27 Mar 2020
Scientists are monitoring the atmosphere at a mountaintop in Hawaii for clues that the coronavirus will be the first economic shock in more than 60 years to slow a rise in carbon dioxide levels that are heating the planet.
Pandemic leading to huge drop in air pollution
27 Mar 2020
The coronavirus pandemic is shutting down industrial activity and temporarily slashing air pollution levels around the world, satellite imagery shows.
Earth's deepest ice canyon vulnerable to melting
27 Mar 2020
East Antarctic's Denman Canyon is the deepest land gorge on Earth, reaching 3500m below sea level. It's also filled top to bottom with ice which has a significant vulnerability to melting.
Too early to predict impact, says WMO
26 Mar 2020
The World Meteorological Organisation says it’s too soon to predict the impact the covid-19 pandemic will have on climate change.
Oil eyes $10 as world runs out of storage space
26 Mar 2020
The world might soon run out of space to store its extra oil as Saudi Arabia prepares to increase fossil fuel production.
Smoke from bushfires killed hundreds
26 Mar 2020
Smoke from Australia’s recent bushfires killed hundreds of people and sent thousands to hospitals and emergency rooms, according to a new study.
Shell to slash $9 billion from spending
25 Mar 2020
Royal Dutch Shell plans to slash $9 billion from its spending plans to weather the collapse in oil market prices in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Pensacola plays host to a climate killer
25 Mar 2020
Ten miles north of Pensacola, Florida, an aging chemical plant, its tanks, smokestacks and stainless steel pipes sprawling across hundreds of acres, is a climate killer hiding in plain sight.
“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.
