International: All stories
Poland will push forest agenda as climate host
1 Oct 2018
Poland will ask all nations to agree on forests’ central role in the fight to curb climate change when they host UN talks in December, a leaked document has revealed.
Factory chemicals spell death for half of the world's orcas
1 Oct 2018
More than half of the world’s orcas are threatened by a group of toxic industrial chemicals that accumulate in their blubber and can be passed on from mother to calf.
UN recruits Bloomberg to lead green finance push
28 Sep 2018
The UN has appointed billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg to spur private sector investment into clean energy and resilience to climate change.
What the Chinese people think about climate change
28 Sep 2018
Ninety-four per cent of the public think China should be in the Paris climate deal, although many don’t know exactly what that means.
How the world has warmed ... and could continue to warm
28 Sep 2018
Carbon Brief has combined observed temperature changes with projections to show how the climate has changed and how it might change in the future.
PM ticks off leaders over Paris pact inaction
27 Sep 2018
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has told world leaders they will have to compromise their country’s positions if the Paris Agreement is to come into force.
Marshalls vow to be carbon neutral by 2050
27 Sep 2018
The Marshall Islands have released a comprehensive climate strategy to go carbon-neutral by 2050, becoming the first island nation to do so.
Countries pull UN funding over Solheim travel
27 Sep 2018
Two countries have halted their funding to the UN Environment Programme following sharp criticism of its leader Erik Solheim's frequent flying.
Climate proposals terrify Polish unionists
26 Sep 2018
Polish trade unionists see EU and international climate action as terrifying and a threat to their way of life.
Car industry demand for copper could skyrocket
26 Sep 2018
New research has found there could be a rise in the demand for copper to improve efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of the automotive industry.
MOVING OUT: America's era of climate mass migration is here
26 Sep 2018
By the end of this century, sea-level rises alone could displace 13 million Americans. Many states will have to grapple with hordes of residents seeking dry ground.
What's causing Antarctica's ocean to warm up?
26 Sep 2018
The Southern Ocean around Antarctica is warming at an alarming rate - twice that of the rest of the world's oceans.
World waste could grow 70% as cities boom
26 Sep 2018
Global waste could grow by 70 per cent by 2050 as urbanisation and populations rise, the World Bank says.
Rubbish is powering Sweden’s electricity and buses
26 Sep 2018
At a power plant in Sweden, a municipal government company is burning rubbish to turn waste into energy.
OPEC EXPECTS MASSIVE RISE IN OIL PRODUCTION
25 Sep 2018
World oil production will soar to new records over the next five years as a dramatic expansion in demand from airlines offsets the arrival of electric cars, says a report from Opec.
WHY US STANDS TO LOSE THE MOST
25 Sep 2018
The United States stands to lose a lot more from climate change than it realises.
WE'RE BEING HELD HOSTAGE, SAYS FLANNERY
25 Sep 2018
Five years since the Abbott government scrapped the Climate Commission, the environmentalist Tim Flannery says Australia's energy policy remains hostage to lobbyists, political self-interest and “mad ideologues”.
EXPECT THREE METRES OF SEA-LEVEL RISE, CITIES HEAR
25 Sep 2018
California coastal cities should be prepared for the possibility that oceans will rise more than three metres by 2100, the state Coastal Commission warns.
CLIMATE CHANGE WAS NEWS EVEN IN THE DAYS OF OLD
25 Sep 2018
Back in the 19th century, when tractors were still pulled by horses and the word “computer” meant a person hired to carry out tedious calculations, climate science made frontpage news.
Environment chief faces flak over frequent flying
24 Sep 2018
The globe-trotting travels of UN environment chief Erik Solheim have been sharply criticised in a draft internal audit as “contrary to the ethos of carbon emission reduction”.
Amazon floods have increased fivefold
24 Sep 2018
New data suggest that flooding in the Amazon River has dramatically increased by as much as five times in both intensity and frequency in the last 100 years.
Switzerland's 'eternal' snow is melting faster
24 Sep 2018
Parts of Europe’s alpine mountain chain are undergoing accelerating melting, as the “eternal” Swiss snow thaws ever faster, threatening both the skiing industry and the nation’s water supply.
Investors voice concern at lack of risk disclosure
21 Sep 2018
Investors are calling on Australian businesses to lift their game in the wake of a report showing they are failing to disclosure their carbon exposure to the market.
Business lobby plans to veto EU emissions cuts
21 Sep 2018
A leaked memo shows that BusinessEurope is preparing to resist a stronger EU 2030 emissions target, ahead of the climate summit in Poland later this year.
Dutch recycling plant does the 'impossible'
21 Sep 2018
A Netherlands recycling plant is doing what many in the industry have labelled impossible - recycling household packaging and making a financial success of it.
Just where on Earth is China's climate highway leading us?
20 Sep 2018
Triumph or catastrophe? Where will China’s climate path lead us all? So far there are both hopeful moves and warning signs, a new book says.
Campaign aims to name plastic polluters
19 Sep 2018
A global call has gone out to combat plastic pollution with plans to name and shame the most pervasive polluting companies.
Pollution particles found in mothers' placentas
19 Sep 2018
New research shows direct evidence that toxic air – already strongly linked to harm in unborn babies – travels through mothers’ bodies.
France plans to go big on bikes
19 Sep 2018
France plans to launch a major endeavour to triple the amount of cyclists on its streets within the next seven years.
Pay more for your clothes, workers tell fashion brands
19 Sep 2018
Garment workers in Bangladesh have rejected an increase in the minimum wage, urging global brands to pay more for the clothes they buy.
CONCRETE FACTS: Why cement emissions matter for the globe
18 Sep 2018
If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world.
Financial watchdog chases big firms over climate risk
18 Sep 2018
Budget airline EasyJet and three other major companies have been reported to the UK’s Financial Reporting Council for failing to adequately report to shareholders on their climate change exposure.
New tree named ... in time for its headstone
18 Sep 2018
A tree species discovered in Cameroon nearly 70 years ago has been named -just in time to etch that name on its headstone.
Australian emissions soar over Paris targets
17 Sep 2018
New studies show Australia is on track to miss its Paris Agreement emissions target by nearly a billion tonnes.
Europe must cut meat and dairy by 2050, says expert
17 Sep 2018
Europe’s animal farming sector has exceeded safe bounds for greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient flows and biodiversity loss, and urgently needs to be scaled back, according to a new report.
HOME INVASION: It's time to move away from the coasts
17 Sep 2018
For an increasing number of people, coastal flooding and erosion is a real threat to property, the local economy and, in some cases, life.
Nations face bottom-up pressure to act
17 Sep 2018
Cities, states and business from around the world called on national governments to redouble their efforts to fight climate change, as a summit in San Francisco ended at the weekend.
MEMO AUSTRALIA: The Kiwis have a good plan
14 Sep 2018
As Australia prepares for another climate policy reset, it's easy to look to New Zealand and wonder what might have been.
Australia stuck in the slow lane on transport
14 Sep 2018
Australia is stuck in the slow lane on transport pollution as one of the only OECD countries without greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles, says a new report.
Court orders Frankfurt to ban diesels
14 Sep 2018
The German city of Frankfurt has received a court-ordered ban on diesel after regularly exceeding pollution limits.
$6 TRILLION: That's how much Big Oil will not now be banking
13 Sep 2018
The funds committed to fossil fuel divestment now total more than $6 trillion with almost 1000 institutional investors having made the pledge, according to a new report.
Poland plans to leave its mark on climate talks
13 Sep 2018
Declarations on forests, electric vehicles and the impact of climate action on coal workers will be a central legacy of this year’s talks in Katowice.
Europe air pollution killing 1000 a day
13 Sep 2018
Governments are failing to tackle an air pollution crisis that causes 1000 early deaths a day, says a damning EU report.
UN chief calls for urgent stand against fossil fuels
12 Sep 2018
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the world is facing “a direct existential threat” and must rapidly shift from dependence on fossil fuels by 2020 to prevent “runaway climate change”.
EPA loses 1600 employees under Trump
12 Sep 2018
The US Environmental Protection Agency lost 1600 employees in the first 18 months of the Trump administration, including 260 scientists and 185 specialists. Fewer than 400 people have been hired.
How Australia could be 100% renewable by 2030s
12 Sep 2018
Australia could reach the equivalent of 100 per cent renewables for its electricity needs by the early 2030s by doing nothing more than maintaining the current pace of wind and solar development, a new report has found.
End nuclear power war, says France’s new minister
12 Sep 2018
France’s new environment minister François de Rugy is calling for an end to what he called the “religious war” on nuclear power and pleading for a more pragmatic approach to environmental policy.
California governor ups the clean-energy game
12 Sep 2018
California solidified its role as a world leader on climate action as Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to shift the state to 100 per cent carbon-free electricity by 2045.
Sylvia tackles Australia in her Tesla ... and look what it cost
12 Sep 2018
Sylvia Wilson, a 70-year-old retired farmer, drove around Australia in an electric car. It cost her $150.90.
Rich countries out to weaken Paris rules, say critics
11 Sep 2018
Complaints are growing that the United States and other wealthy countries are trying to manipulate the Paris Agreement rules to protect polluters and weaken their own commitments.
Darwin methane leak ‘covered up’ by gas companies and regulators
Today 11:30am
At the heart of the project that heralded northern Australia’s gas boom — Darwin’s first liquefied natural gas plant — was a storage tank that operators hailed as a major feat of engineering.
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.
EU’s record wildfire emissions highlight threat to forest carbon sinks
Mon 1 Sep 2025
As carbon emissions from forest fires spike in Europe, experts warn that wildfires pose a growing risk to national efforts to meet climate goals.
UK Conservatives pledge to get all oil and gas out of North Sea
Today 11:30am
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has said her party will remove all net zero requirements on oil and gas companies drilling in the North Sea if elected.
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.
Liberia has a new plan to protect its rainforests. Can it work?
Today 11:30am
Half of West Africa’s remaining rainforests are in Liberia, but in 2024, it lost more than 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres) of humid primary forest, according to Global Forest Watch.
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.
