International: All stories
New climate threatens heritage sites
19 Oct 2018
More powerful storms, flooding, desertification and the melting of permafrost are already destroying important heritage sites at an alarming rate.
Fracking protesters set free on appeal
19 Oct 2018
Three protesters jailed for blocking access to a UK fracking site have walked free after the court of appeal quashed their sentences, calling them “manifestly excessive”.
Rice gene bank wins survival funding
19 Oct 2018
The world’s largest collection of rice varieties has secured indefinite funding in what officials say will be crucial for the development of seeds resilient to the effects of climate change.
ANGKOR'S END: Did floods speed the end of ancient city?
19 Oct 2018
A series of floods that hit the ancient city of Angkor would have overwhelmed and destroyed its vast water network, according to a new study that provides an explanation for the downfall of the world’s biggest pre-industrial city.
Leaders move past Trump to protect the world
18 Oct 2018
Far more must be invested in adapting to warming, says a new global commission that aims to rebuild political will after the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
Banks and insurers must have plans, says BoE
18 Oct 2018
The Bank of England has told Britain’s banks and insurers they must come up with credible plans for protecting themselves against risks from climate change and that they might need to hold more capital.
Judge rules youngsters can sue the state
18 Oct 2018
A lawyer for a group of young Americans suing the federal government over climate change said a judge’s decision to allow the suit to move forward should clear the way for a trial to begin this month.
CLIMATE CASE: The fact is we just don't have enough data
18 Oct 2018
Climate researchers must understand the past before they can understand the future. But across huge swaths of the world, scientists simply don’t have the data they need.
Greens big winners in European elections
18 Oct 2018
The Greens have been the big winners at the weekend elections by attracting new voters in Belgium, Luxembourg and Bavaria.
Change ‘laboratories’ open up in EU
18 Oct 2018
Stark warnings from the United Nations ahead of a make-or-break summit in Poland in December have propelled climate change up the political agenda in Europe.
Australia should be 'exporting sunshine, not coal'
17 Oct 2018
Economist Jeffrey Sachs has criticised successive Australian governments for “defending a 19th or 20th century industry” rather than taking decisive action on climate change, saying Australia should be “exporting sunshine, not coal”.
UK steps towards zero-carbon economy
17 Oct 2018
The UK is taking a tentative step towards a radical "green" future with zero emissions of greenhouse gases.
There's something there, says Trump
17 Oct 2018
US President Donald Trump, speaking during a hurricane recovery briefing in Georgia, said he believes "there is something there" when asked about climate change, but once again cast doubt on the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is caused by human activity.
We're cutting down the tree of life, warn scientists
17 Oct 2018
More than 300 mammal species have been eradicated by human activities, say researchers.
TROUBLE BREWING: Climate could cause beer shortages
17 Oct 2018
Trouble is brewing for the world’s beer drinkers, with climate change set to cause dramatic price spikes and supply shortages, according to new research.
IPCC report too soft, say some scientists
16 Oct 2018
The IPCC 1.5deg report wasn't strong enough and downplayed the full extent of the real climate threat, some scientists believe.
Fracking part of the deal, says UK minister
16 Oct 2018
As she considers setting a date for the UK emissions to hit net-zero, UK energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry said fracking for new gas resources remained “pragmatic policy”.
Australia needs a plan, says chief scientist
16 Oct 2018
Australia’s chief scientist Alan Finkel says the question facing the nation’s energy future is not about renewables versus coal but how best to create “a whole-of-economy emissions reduction strategy”.
It's time to put away the mower and let the front lawn run wild
16 Oct 2018
The lush green lawns surrounding many homes, businesses, parks and other outdoor spaces might not be the greatest idea, according to scientists.
Top climate scientist blasts fracking plans
15 Oct 2018
One of the world’s leading climate scientists, James Hansen, has launched a scathing attack on the UK government’s fracking programme, accusing ministers of aping Donald Trump and ignoring scientific evidence.
Reality bites for Australian farmers
15 Oct 2018
A new study shows that 43 per cent of Ausralian farmers accept climate change poses a risk to their region, compared with just 32 per cent five years ago.
BBC to show first climate film since 2007
15 Oct 2018
A 90-minute film with the working title Two Degrees will be shown on BBC television next March. It will be the first time BBC One has aired a primetime documentary dedicated to the topic of climate change since 2007.
And the worst plastics polluter is ... Coca-Cola
12 Oct 2018
Sugary drinks giant Coca-Cola, a company valued at $US56.4 billion, has emerged as by far the most common brand in audits of plastic debris found on beaches and in waterways, parks and streets.
Why we must drastically cut amount of meat we eat
12 Oct 2018
A major study finds huge changes to farming are needed to avoid destroying Earth’s ability to feed its population.
Climate strategy has Trudeau firmly on back foot
12 Oct 2018
When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swept into power in 2015, he pledged to make fighting climate change a top priority for his government.
‘Disappointed’ EU ministers agree on CO2 cuts
12 Oct 2018
Some EU environment ministers admitted they were disappointed with the outcome after they voted to agree on a 35 per cent cut in car and van CO2 emission for 2030.
Vehicle made from recycled plastic to explore the ice
12 Oct 2018
A vehicle powered by the sun and made out of plastic waste is set to explore Antarctica.
Trump says he'll have a look at IPCC report
11 Oct 2018
US President Donald Trump says he ‘will be looking at’ the UN report warning that unprecedented changes are needed to avoid extreme heat, floods and poverty.
Now near 100m bpd, when will oil demand peak?
11 Oct 2018
Sometime in the next few weeks, global oil consumption will reach 100 million barrels per day - more than twice what it was 50 years ago - and it shows no immediate sign of falling.
Likely Brazil leader is full of climate threats
11 Oct 2018
No more Paris Agreement. No more ministry of environment. A paved highway cutting through the Amazon. That's what Jair Bolsonaro will bring to the presidency of Brazil.
ROBOBEES: Scientists say they can make drones to take over
11 Oct 2018
Dutch scientists say they can create swarms of bee-like drones to take over if the insects die out.
Dutch court shoots down government appeal
11 Oct 2018
The Dutch government must stick to a tougher climate target, after an appeals judge upheld a historic court ruling.
Global energy sector's emissions keep growing
10 Oct 2018
Carbon emissions from the energy sector are on track to grow for the second year running, in a major blow to hopes the world might have turned the corner on tackling climate change.
Australia rejects IPCC call to dump coal
10 Oct 2018
The Australian government has rejected the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report’s call to phase out coal power by 2050, claiming renewable energy cannot replace baseload coal power.
TIMELINE: How the climate panel got to 1.5deg threshold
10 Oct 2018
Five reports and an agreement ... the IPCC has been raising the climate alarm for 30 years.
Nobel goes to father of 2deg warming limit
10 Oct 2018
A Nobel Prize has been awarded to American academic William Nordhaus who originated the idea of a 2deg global warming limit but last year cast doubt on our ability to reach it.
OPINION: We've all been set a very clear target
9 Oct 2018
By NICHOLAS STERN | The authoritative new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sets the world a clear target.
Little-known 2016 treaty could help delay climate catastrophe
9 Oct 2018
From the beginning of next year, a global pact will take effect that could have a profound impact on climate change, cutting harmful greenhouse gas emissions by amounts that could help stave off some of the worst impacts predicted by the IPCC.
Morrison says no more money for climate fund
9 Oct 2018
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has resisted conservatives’ calls to withdraw Australia from the Paris Climate Agreement but ruled out providing more money to the global climate fund.
Palm oil giant vows to cut deforestation
9 Oct 2018
The world’s largest palm oil company has unveiled a plan to cut deforestation and labour abuses out of its supply chain within two years.
IPCC: Farming and tourism put on notice
8 Oct 2018
The International Panel on Climate Change’s 1.5deg report delivers a wake-up call for two of New Zealand’s biggest industries – agriculture and tourism.
IPCC: Reaching 1.5deg is no easy task
8 Oct 2018
Keeping global warming to no more than 1.5deg is possible and sensible, but it will not be easy, the International Panel on Climate Change says.
Frozen Arctic moves seawards in hectic melt
8 Oct 2018
Once trapped in a Russian ice cap north of Siberia, the frozen Arctic is moving fast, racing in decades from metres to kilometres a year.
Labour’s low-carbon plan is a good start
8 Oct 2018
The UK Labour Party’s plan for a low-carbon Britain breaks new ground and could offer a lifeline to a clean energy sector hit by the withdrawal of subsidies.
Protesters celebrate German forest's reprieve
8 Oct 2018
Thousands of demonstrators have descended on Germany’s Hambach forest to celebrate an unexpected court victory over a coal mine.
I sued the state of Washington because I can't breathe there
8 Oct 2018
Summers in my home city of Seattle didn’t use to be smoggy to the point that they make me and my friends sick. Now they are – and that violates our rights.
Labor says Australia can remain energy 'superpower'
5 Oct 2018
Australia is in a position to replace thermal coal exports with the export of renewable energy technologies if the parliament can settle an energy policy and end a decade of policy chaos, Labor frontbencher Pat Conroy says.
Denmark ban plan includes hybrid cars
5 Oct 2018
Denmark has proposed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and hybrid from 2035.
New pact bans fishing across much of Arctic
5 Oct 2018
Commercial fishing will be banned across much of the Arctic under a new agreement just signed in Greenland.
US critique sets stage for Incheon showdown
4 Oct 2018
Confidential US comments on a landmark global warming report raise doubts about the science behind it, warn that it risks crimping economic development and advocate for carbon-catching technologies.
Australian rainforests no longer a carbon sink – study
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Australia's tropical rainforests are among the first in the world to start emitting more carbon dioxide than they absorb, scientists said Thursday, linking the "very concerning" trend to climate change.
States sue to stop Trump cancellation of $7 billion solar grant program
Today 11:00am
Nearly two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its cancellation of a $7 billion grant program aimed at expanding solar energy in low-income communities, according to court papers.
In China, climate litigation starts with the state
Thu 16 Oct 2025
With thousands of dedicated courts and more than a million recent cases, environmental and climate litigation is booming in China, but it often looks different to the trend seen elsewhere.
How one country’s Russian gas crisis became a green energy boom
Today 11:00am
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova quickly empowered its small towns to produce their own renewable energy so no one could push it around.
UK Prime Minister will attend Brazil climate summit
Today 11:00am
Keir Starmer will travel to the Amazon rainforest for the COP30 United Nations climate summit next month, Downing Street has confirmed, after weeks of speculation that he would not.
Renewables are a global economic engine, not a culture war threat
2 Oct 2025
Energy companies are learning this lesson faster than Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Indonesia restarts international carbon trade after four years
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has issued a new decree to restart international carbon emission trading after a four year hiatus.
Mystery heatwave warms Pacific Ocean to new record
Today 11:00am
The waters of the north Pacific have had their warmest summer on record, according to BBC analysis of a mysterious marine heatwave that has confounded climate scientists.
Scientists discovered something alarming seeping out from beneath the ocean around Antarctica
13 Oct 2025
Planet-heating methane is escaping from cracks in the Antarctic seabed as the region warms, with new seeps being discovered at an “astonishing rate".
Angola lowers climate ambition in blow to spirit of Paris Agreement
14 Oct 2025
Angola has scaled back its targets for reducing emissions in its new national climate plan, saying it chose “realism and implementability” over the Paris Agreement's calls for governments to set progressively more ambitious goals.
Four Brazilians to watch at COP30
Wed 15 Oct 2025
Influential Brazilians, from government figures to Indigenous activists, will take center stage during UN climate talks in the Amazon next month.
New UN carbon market rules could reshape how investors value nature
Mon 20 Oct 2025
A debate over carbon permanence – how long CO2 must stay stored to count towards offsetting emissions – is reshaping global carbon markets and could determine whether nature remains investable.
