International: All stories
Antarctic sea ice shrinks for second straight year
7 Mar 2018
Sea ice cover in Antarctica has dropped to its second-lowest on record, Australian authorities said, adding that it was not yet clear what was driving the reduction after several years of record-highs.
Ontario permits sell out at first auction
7 Mar 2018
Ontario has participated in its first auction of carbon allowances as part of the Western Climate Initiative, selling 23,743,316 current-vintage allowances at a price of $C18.44 ($NZ19.66).
Sustainable eating will remain a minefield
7 Mar 2018
Millions of people probably feel confused, conflicted or downright overwhelmed by their eatging habits.
How America's clean coal dream unravelled
6 Mar 2018
Kemper power plant in the US promised to be a world leader in ‘clean coal’ technology but Guardian reporting found evidence top executives knew of construction problems and design flaws years before the scheme collapsed.
Half of world's oceans now fished industrially
6 Mar 2018
Data gathered from more than 70,000 vessels shows commercial fishing now covers a greater surface area than agriculture.
Paris aside, the health benefits are huge
6 Mar 2018
Health savings from cutting greenhouse gas emissions outweigh the cost of implementing the Paris Agreement, scientists say.
BRANCHING OUT: When Lego says green, it means green
6 Mar 2018
Fans of Lego can rest assured that when they come to use tree, leaf or bush pieces they will now more closely resemble the real thing.
Ban on bee-killer pesticide likely after new study
6 Mar 2018
A new study from the EU has found that the widespread use of a controversial pesticide on crops is harmful to the bee population.
Rio Tinto faces $84 billion shareholder revolt
5 Mar 2018
Australia’s second-biggest miner, Rio Tinto, faces a shareholder revolt over the role it plays in the country’s climate and energy debate.
Only one country to blame if Paris deal fails
5 Mar 2018
The Paris Agreement’s challenges should not be painted as a collective global failure: the US, with its malignant politics, is the only country that truly matters.
Climate change fallout no quick threat, says Chevron
5 Mar 2018
Climate change is critical to future energy markets but its effect on Chevron Corp’s oil and gas business will be minimal for decades to come, says a company report.
'Crazy' Arctic temperatures alarm scientists
5 Mar 2018
An alarming heatwave in the sunless winter Arctic is causing blizzards in Europe and forcing scientists to reconsider even their most pessimistic forecasts of climate change.
These people know climate change is real, it's deadly and it's here right now
5 Mar 2018
Are you driving around and flying on airplanes and ordering things to be shipped by truck and making money off oil stock like there’s no tomorrow? We are here to tell you there is a tomorrow and we are living in it.
How Scotland plans to meet climate change targets
5 Mar 2018
The Scottish government's new climate plan includes measures to significantly cut emissions from transport, buildings and industry to meet its target of a 66 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions.
Canada pledges $1 billion to protect nature
2 Mar 2018
The Canadian Government plans to invest $1.3 billion to preserve the country’s land, oceans and wildlife.
SKIP THE DIP: It could be a good idea to stay on the beach
2 Mar 2018
People who swim in the sea are at significantly higher risk of stomach bugs, ear problems and other illnesses than those who stick to the sand.
Three NZ cities get high world ranking for renewable energy
1 Mar 2018
Three New Zealand urban areas are among 101 global cities getting more than 70 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources.
King penguins find their icy southern realm is shrinking
1 Mar 2018
King penguins – one of the most charismatic species of the Southern Ocean – are under threat from climate change.
Acid in oceans will soon get to work on reefs
1 Mar 2018
Many of the world’s coral reefs could begin to erode within 30 years as a result of increasing ocean acidity, according to new research.
Lloyd’s under pressure to get out of coal
1 Mar 2018
Lloyd’s of London, is under increasing pressure to back away from supporting the coal industry.
Southern Ocean has history of storing carbon
1 Mar 2018
The Southern Ocean – the 20 million-square kilometre stretch of sea that encircles the earth south of the 60th parallel – released vast amounts of carbon dioxide the last time the Earth warmed, scientists say.
Tokyo admits rainforest timber used for stadium
1 Mar 2018
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics organising committee has confirmed that 87 per cent of the plywood panels used to build its new national stadium come from southeast Asian rainforests.
Brussels eyes free transport on bad air days
1 Mar 2018
Brussels has moved to make the city’s public transport and bike share system free on the smoggiest days in a bid to drive down pollution levels.
Terrifying phenomenon is pushing species to extinction
28 Feb 2018
Scientists are alarmed by a rise in mass mortality events – when species die in their thousands. Is it all down to climate change?
German court rules cities can ban vehicles to tackle pollution
28 Feb 2018
Germany’s highest administrative court has ruled that diesel and other vehicles can be banned from some city streets as part of efforts to improve air quality,
China must sign up to climate rules, says EU
28 Feb 2018
EU foreign ministers have set a collision course with China in a statement calling for the same rules to bind all countries under the Paris climate deal.
Mangroves making way for fish farms
28 Feb 2018
Deforestation – often to make way for fish farming – has seen the global area of mangroves decline by 2 per cent between 2000 and 2012.
OIL MYTHS: Seven tales the fossil fuel industry loves to tell
27 Feb 2018
In the past month, major fossil fuel players have made big announcements regarding climate change. But the idea of a “green” oil company producing “clean” fossil fuels is a dangerous myth.
China could become a leader in green finance
27 Feb 2018
Experts gathered in London have argued over whether China could dominate the green financing market in years to come.
Ireland to pump €22b into low-carbon economy
27 Feb 2018
The Irish Government has announced plans to spend €22 billion over the next four years to aid the country’s journey to a low-carbon economy.
How media framing limits public debate on oil exploration
27 Feb 2018
Some of the most important societal changes have been made because of direct action, but this isn’t always the story the mainstream media reports.
DiCaprio in deal to save chunk of Indian Ocean
26 Feb 2018
A foundation set up by actor Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the investors that worked on a deal that has led to the Seychelles creating protected areas "the size of Great Britain" in the Indian Ocean.
DO THE GRAPH: What's the weather future for your kids?
26 Feb 2018
Want to compare the average global temperatures you and your mother knew with those your children will experience? Make your own graph.
Take your brolly to Broome ... it's had 1.5m of rain this year
26 Feb 2018
It has been a soggy start to the year in the Western Australian town of Broome. In the two months of 2018, 1.5 metres of rain has fallen,
Climate will push European cities to breaking point
23 Feb 2018
A new study highlights the urgent need to adapt urban areas across Europe to cope with floods, droughts and heatwaves.
Ban Ki-Moon to lead global green growth push
23 Feb 2018
Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will take over as head of a global organisation promoting sustainable economic growth.
Perfumes and soaps rival vehicles as smog source
23 Feb 2018
Everyday items such as soaps, perfume, paint and pesticides contribute as heavily to certain sorts of air pollution as cars and trucks.
Recyclability is the name of the plastics game
23 Feb 2018
The plastics industry is changing fast, and the way our food and products are packaged could look totally different in just a few years.
The world's loneliest tree tells secrets of the Anthropocene
22 Feb 2018
The Anthropocene began in 1965, according to signs left on Campbell Island by the world’s loneliest tree.
Common insects face growing threats
22 Feb 2018
The Earth’s largest animal group faces a new threat. Insects – not just rare species, but common insects, too – might become less genetically diverse.
Climate could change cricket
22 Feb 2018
Climate change is thundering down the pitch and could seriously affect the way cricket is played in the years ahead.
We're stuck with 1.2m sea level rise, say scientists
21 Feb 2018
The world is now locked into sea-level rise of up to 1.2 metres – and the number goes up 0.2m for every five years that emissions cuts are delayed, scientists say.
German carmakers nervous on eve of court's diesel ban ruling
21 Feb 2018
A court will decide tomorrow whether German cities can ban heavily polluting cars, potentially wiping hundreds of millions of euros off the value of diesel cars on the country’s roads.
Australia has a role for coal, says Shorten
21 Feb 2018
Labor Party leader Bill Shorten has declared there is a role for coal in Australia, and characterised the controversial Adani coalmine as just “another project”.
OECD urges nations to tax dirty energy
21 Feb 2018
The OECD has encouraged governments to start taxing CO2 emissions more aggressively while warning that current taxation levels are not enough to fight climate change effectively.
Singapore will charge carbon tax from next year
21 Feb 2018
Singapore will charge carbon polluters a new carbon tax from 2019.
Scotland aims to be renewables powerhouse
20 Feb 2018
Scotland is making progress towards becoming a world leader in renewable energy.
Canberra gives carbon emitters the go-ahead
20 Feb 2018
Nearly 60 Australian industrial sites have been given the green light to increase crbon emissions, cancelling out cuts paid for by the Coalition governmet using public money.
Meet the woman who defined the greenhouse effect
20 Feb 2018
Eunice Foote’s career highlights the subtle forms of discrimination that have kept women on the sidelines of science.
Ammonia emissions rise in Britain
20 Feb 2018
Emissions of ammonia have been on the rise in the UK even while the amount of other pollutants entering the atmosphere has fallen.
“There was so much death.” A toxic algal bloom is ravaging Australia’s southern coast – warming waters are to blame
Today 10:45am
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?
Today 10:45am
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.
