International: All stories
Global food security at risk as web of life unravels
4 Mar 2019
The biggest agricultural authority in the world has warned that the web of life is coming apart as the loss of biodiversity increases.
Climate change putting bite on fish catches
4 Mar 2019
Warming ocean waters have already taken a toll on the world's fisheries, and the impact will worsen if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current pace, according to a pair of just-published studies.
Green New Deal is already changing the climate debate
4 Mar 2019
What a splendid irony it would be if the enduring legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency was the Green New Deal – a radical, government-directed plan to transition the US to a socially just society with a zero-carbon economy.
Finland approves ban on coal from 2029
4 Mar 2019
The Finnish parliament has approved a government proposal to ban the use of coal to produce energy from May 1, 2029.
EU invests €10b in low-carbon tech
4 Mar 2019
The European Commission has invested more than €10 billion in clean technology to boost its global competitiveness.
Massive iceberg set to break with Antarctic
1 Mar 2019
An iceberg of 660 square miles is set to break away from an Antarctic ice shelf as a result of a rapidly spreading rift that is being monitored by Nasa.
Australian emissions reach new peak
1 Mar 2019
Australia's greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, reaching their highest on a quarterly level since mid-2011.
Coastal flooding erasing billions in property values
1 Mar 2019
Rising seas have eroded coastal property values from Maine to Mississippi by billions of dollars as buyers pay less for homes in neighborhoods where high-tide flooding is creeping in.
Deep waters become 'ultimate sink' for plastic
1 Mar 2019
The world’s deepest ocean trenches are becoming “the ultimate sink” for plastic waste, according to a study that reveals contamination of animals even in these dark, remote regions of the planet.
Plastic trash will get youngsters a free book in southern Italy
1 Mar 2019
An Italian who run a bookshop cafe is giving free books to children in exchange for plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
We've made concrete the most destructive material on Earth
28 Feb 2019
After water, concrete is the most widely used substance on Earth. If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world with up to 2.8 billion tonnes, surpassed only by China and the US.
And the Nobel Prize for climate change goes to …
28 Feb 2019
A move is under way to create a Nobel Prize for climate change and raise as much as $40 million in contributions to fund a climate prize.
Women ‘uniquely placed’ to inspire climate action
28 Feb 2019
Women’s untapped communication skills make them uniquely placed to explain the damaging impacts of an overheating planet and spur climate action by the public, according to city leaders.
Costa Rica aims to show world the way
28 Feb 2019
Costa Rica has launched an economy-wide plan to “decarbonize” the country by 2050, as the Central American nation aims to show other nations what is possible to address climate change.
World might hit 56m year carbon level by 2159
27 Feb 2019
Long ago, the polar ice vanished and tropical animals swam the Arctic. Greenhouse gases could reach that 56m year carbon level again in 140 years.
EU experts eye trillion-euro climate pact
27 Feb 2019
A group of experts has published a draft treaty for a sweeping European climate finance pact, to inject more than a trillion euros into the fight against global warming.
Plastics the new coal in Appalachia
27 Feb 2019
Thousands of workers are assembling an ethane cracker plant in the Ohio River Valley - conspicuous symbol of a petrochemical and plastics future looming across the Appalachian region.
Germany eyes net-zero emissions by 2050
26 Feb 2019
The German environment ministry is calling for an ambitious goal to cut emissions by “at least 95 per cent” by 2050 and remove the remainder from the atmosphere.
Theresa May gets a message from Moon
26 Feb 2019
Ban Ki-moon has urged Britain to stop funding fossil fuel projects overseas, in what he said would mark a test of Theresa May’s commitment to act on climate change.
What happens to our world if all of the insects disappear?
26 Feb 2019
Insects are ecologically important and if they were to disappear, the consequences for agriculture and wildlife would be dire.
China eyes solar power stations in space
25 Feb 2019
China wants to be the first country to launch power stations into space that capture the Sun’s energy and beam it back down to Earth.
Morrison adopts $2b 'climate solutions' fund
25 Feb 2019
Australian leader Scott Morrison will attempt to appeal to voters by rebadging Tony Abbott’s emissions reduction fund as a “climate solutions” fund – with $2bn to be rolled out over 10 years.
Back the science, Greta tells EU politicians
25 Feb 2019
Schoolkids are on climate strike “because we have done our homework” and listened to science, 16-year-old green activist Greta Thunberg has told EU policymakers in Brussels. “Just unite behind the science, that is our demand,” she said.
South Africa set to introduce carbon tax
22 Feb 2019
South Africa is on course to put a price on carbon pollution, after the National Assembly this week passed a long-awaited Carbon Tax Bill.
Now it's the teachers' turn to strike for climate
22 Feb 2019
Teachers will follow on the heels of striking UK students tomorrow with a protestto demand the national curriculum be reformed to make the climate and ecological crisis an educational priority.
How the world got hooked on palm oil
22 Feb 2019
It’s the miracle ingredient in everything from biscuits to shampoo. But our dependence on palm oil has devastating environmental consequences. Is it too late to break the habit?
US cities will see their climate heading south
22 Feb 2019
Climate change means a big shift for city dwellers worldwide. Americans can look ahead to very different cities as the US climate heads south.
DON'T FEED THE MONSTER: People stop buying new clothes
22 Feb 2019
A growing movement eschews fast fashion in favour of secondhand clothing. Is this the biggest personal change that can be made for the environment?
Scientist made global warming a household term
21 Feb 2019
The scientist who made “global warming” a household term as he fought to popularise the view that greenhouse gases could lead to a dramatic climate change has died aged 87.
TISSUE ISSUE: Are our ancient forests paying a heavy price?
21 Feb 2019
The world’s largest tissue-paper companies are being accused of exacerbating climate change and destroying ancient forests to make toilet rolls.
Majority of European firms have no reduction targets
20 Feb 2019
Most European companies have no target for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions even though 80% see climate change as a business risk, a survey has found.
Florida is drowning ... but they're still building condos
20 Feb 2019
People tend to respond to immediate threats and financial consequences – and Florida’s coastal real estate might be on the cusp of delivering that harsh wake-up call.
UK plans to make plastic producers pay
20 Feb 2019
Britain is about to set out plans to overhaul its recycling system, including making plastic packaging producers pay the full cost of dealing with their waste.
Our biggest animals are being hunted to extinction
20 Feb 2019
The world’s biggest animals – the largest birds, the bigger mammals and even reptiles, sharks and amphibians – are in increasing danger of extinction.
Angry islanders reject rights swap idea
19 Feb 2019
Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga has angril rejected the idea that islanders would exchange maritime rights for Australian citizenship, telling Canberra to focus on breaking its coal addiction
Ireland lays ground for stronger climate action
19 Feb 2019
Ireland’s struggle with climate change cuts to the heart of people’s daily lives and reflects the country’s revival after recession: more cars on the road and thriving cattle farms.
Ice voyage will explore ocean hidden for 100,000 years
19 Feb 2019
Scientists are setting out to explore an Antarctic marine realm that was hidden from the Sun for more than 100,000 years.
Scientists feel under attack over Adani work
19 Feb 2019
Australian scientists say relentless, sustained, and needlessly personal media attacks on those analysing the impacts of the Adani coalmine undermines the role of science.
Sharp rise in methane threatens climate targets
18 Feb 2019
Dramatic rises in atmospheric methane are threatening to derail plans to hold global temperature rises to 2deg, scientists have warned.
Climate-disasters bill $650b over three years
18 Feb 2019
Climate-related disasters have cost the world $650 billion over the past three years, according to a new report.
Trump’s wall violates conservation laws
18 Feb 2019
US President Donald Trump (https://inhabitat.com/tag/trump) is moving forward with the construction of his Mexican border wall, even if it means sidestepping important environmental laws.
In this Siberian town, the snow - and the future - is black
18 Feb 2019
Residents of a coalmining region in Siberia have been posting videos online showing entire streets and districts covered in toxic black snow that critics say highlight a manmade ecological catastrophe.
Young protesters ask: If not us, who?
15 Feb 2019
As a movement grows across the world, young people say they want politicians to protect their interests.
Why Australia won’t meet Paris targets
15 Feb 2019
There’s no way Australia achieve the targets five years early without major policy changes, which are unlikely under the current government, says a leading climate scientist.
How forest managers might pick the brains of clever trees
15 Feb 2019
The discovery that some trees can “remember” heatwaves could help forest managers to deal with the impacts of climate change.
Savage heat engulfs temperate Tasmania
15 Feb 2019
Australia has been going through one of its hottest and stormiest summers on record and usually temperate Tasmania, its island state (https://tinyurl.com/y4snt4pg), has taken a battering.
World is halfway through its hottest decade
14 Feb 2019
Here is a climate forecast that climate scientists, meteorologists, politicians, voters and even climate sceptics can check: the next five years will be warm, and will probably help to complete the hottest decade ever.
Buy organic to help insects, say scientists
14 Feb 2019
Buying organic food is among the actions people can take to curb the global decline in insects, according to leading scientists.
Race is on to define Green New Deal
14 Feb 2019
The decision by US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) to bring up the Green New Deal for a Senate vote is prompting a rush to define the terms of progressive Democrats' ambitious proposal to tackle climate change.
BAMBOO BOOM: There's a bold new look in building materials
14 Feb 2019
The market for environmentally sound building materials is changing. If you think bamboo can just be used to grow beans up in your garden, think again.
Australian governments subsidising fossil fuel use by more than $30,000 a minute, analysis finds
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Australian federal and state government subsidies that encourage fossil fuel use and help drive the climate crisis will reach $16.3bn this year after leaping by nearly 10%, according to a new analysis.
Trump administration sues California over the state’s nation-leading vehicle-emission rules
Tue 17 Mar 2026
The Trump administration ramped up a battle with California over the state’s nation-leading vehicle-emission standards Thursday, suing air regulators over rules aimed at curbing pollution from cars.
What does China’s 15th ‘five-year plan’ mean for climate change?
10 Mar 2026
China’s leadership has published a draft of its 15th five-year plan setting the strategic direction for the nation out to 2030, including support for clean energy and energy security.
Germany misses climate targets as emissions barely fall in 2025
Tue 17 Mar 2026
Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany have again missed targets set by the Climate Protection Act and barely fell at all in 2025.
UK emissions fall 2.4% in 2025 as coal hits 400-year low
9 Mar 2026
The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.4% in 2025 to their lowest level in more than 150 years, according to new analysis.
Mark Carney just picked his lane on climate change
17 Feb 2026
COMMENT: Mark Carney's time as prime minister has been defined in part by his decision to roll back Trudeau-era climate policies.
'The situation is dire': War on Iran squeezes India's cooking-gas supplies
Mon 16 Mar 2026
The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 3,000km away are now reaching India's kitchens.
Vanuatu moves forward with UN climate resolution despite Trump opposition
9 Mar 2026
The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort.
Limiting warming to 2C is ‘crucial’ to protect pristine Antarctic Peninsula
24 Feb 2026
Keeping global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial temperatures is “crucial” for limiting damage to the Antarctic Peninsula’s unique ecosystems, according to a new study.
'Blackwater' lakes and rivers in the Congo Basin are now emitting ancient carbon into the atmosphere
Mon 16 Mar 2026
Carbon that has been buried in the Congo Basin's peatlands for millennia is seeping into lakes and rivers. Why this is happening remains unclear, but researchers warn that tropical peatlands could be nearing a tipping point.
Companies – including Blackrock – retired 2 million carbon credits after Verra suspended project
Thu 12 Mar 2026
Verra suspended the Pacajai REDD project in Brazil in September 2023, pending an investigation into the project’s validity. That didn’t stop Mastercard, BlackRock, Philip Morris International from retiring carbon credits from the project to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
Summit aims to revive stalled UN talks on phasing out fossil fuels
11 Mar 2026
Colombia and the Netherlands have set out three priorities for a conference on phasing out fossil fuels they will co-host in Colombia in April.
