International: All stories
What was agreed and why did it take so long?
17 Dec 2018
Fractious UN climate change talks in Poland ended with a deal on putting the Paris agreement into practice – but much else left unresolved
Sydney and Melbourne vow to ditch coal power
17 Dec 2018
Sydney and Melbourne have committed themselves to phasing out coal, in a move at odds with the Australia’s aggressively pro-coal national government.
London mayor unveils climate change plan
17 Dec 2018
London mayor Sadiq Khan has outlined his new climate change plan, designed to protect people from floods, fires and political upheaval.
Meet the Australian farmer with 240 million trees to his name
17 Dec 2018
Through the cacophony of the UN’s global climate talks, an Australian farmer is quietly spreading his plan to reforest the world.
That small patch of bush might be saving a species
17 Dec 2018
It might not look like a pristine expanse of Amazon rainforest or an African savannah, but the patch of bush at the end of the street could be one of the only places on the planet that harbours a particular species of endangered animal or plant.
Shaw has high hopes for Katowice success
14 Dec 2018
Climate minister James Shaw is confident a Paris Agreement rule book and agreement about limiting warming to 1.5deg will come out of bogged-down talks in Poland.
China says it's open to ‘uniform’ climate rules
14 Dec 2018
China has signalled it is open to following “uniform” global climate change rules, shifting from its usual push for a clear division of responsibilities for rich and poor countries.
Instead, let’s focus on the cost of avoiding climate change
14 Dec 2018
As delegates at the UN climate summit in Poland discuss the possibility of restraining global warming to 1.5deg, it might sound like a reasonable question to ask how much money it will cost if they fail.
Better land use could slash emissions
14 Dec 2018
US scientists have found a new way to cut or offset 22% of the greenhouse gas emissions from American factory chimneys, car exhausts and power stations -- better land use.
SILENT REVOLUTION: It's all power to the e-bus in this city
14 Dec 2018
All 16,000 buses in the fast-growing Chinese megacity of Shenzhen are now electric, and soon all 22,000 taxis will be, too.
Why Whyalla faces a bright new future
14 Dec 2018
Whyalla’s death notice has been written a number of times but the South Australian industrial town's future took a big step forward in 2017 when British-based industrialist Sanjeev Gupta bought the steelworks.
UN chief in bid to revive flagging talks
13 Dec 2018
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has made a dramatic intervention to revive flagging climate talks in Poland by flying back to the conference and preparing a personal call to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Saudi falls foul of developing countries
13 Dec 2018
Competing visions of climate justice have alienated Saudi Arabia from other developing countries at UN climate talks in Poland.
They're trying to save us, so why do we punish activists?
13 Dec 2018
Green activists are fighting to save us all – so why do their sacrifices warrant punishment?
We're making progress - towards 3deg warming
12 Dec 2018
If all governments achieve their largely insufficient climate targets, the world will see 3deg of warming by 2100, twice the 1.5deg limit they agreed in Paris three years ago, says the Climate Action Tracker’s annual update, delivered today at the climate talks in Katowice.
Indigenous peoples clinch climate deal
12 Dec 2018
Indigenous peoples clinched a deal in Poland that will give them a voice in global climate change negotiations, but only after conceding to a push to put national sovereignty above their rights.
Vietnam milk boom leads to billions of cartons on beaches
12 Dec 2018
More than eight billion Tetra Paks are sold every year in Vietnam – and only a few percent are recycled. It’s having a devastating effect on the environment.
Patagonia gives $10m tax cut to the cimate cause
12 Dec 2018
Outdoor clothing company Patagonia will be giving to the planet the $10 million it made as a result of President Trump's tax cuts.
Australia's silence shocks delegates
11 Dec 2018
Australia has been accused of tacitly supporting oil allies’ rejection of the UN's latest science report at the climate summit in Katowice.
US is still very much in the game
11 Dec 2018
Forget Donald Trump’s rejection of the Paris Agreement. The US is still very much in and zealously setting the tone of international climate change negotiations.
Bolsonaro appoints 'beef caucus' minister
11 Dec 2018
Brazil’s far right president-elect Jair Bolsonaro has named Ricardo de Aquino Salles, a 43-year-old lawyer and a staunch ‘beef caucus’ ally to lead his environment department.
Climate plans pushed to 2041 in UN draft
11 Dec 2018
The start date of an important element of the Paris Agreement would be set 23 years in the future under a proposal from major emerging economies.
Global investors call for more action
10 Dec 2018
The largest-ever group of institutional investors has called on governments around the world to urgently increase their efforts to meet the Paris climate change agreement goals.
Oil producerrs scrap over UN climate report
10 Dec 2018
Four big oil and gas producers blocked UN climate talks from welcoming the most influential climate science report in years, as a meeting in Poland descended into acrimony.
California plans coastal retreat as sea starts swallowing homes
10 Dec 2018
Ocean-front homes could be demolished along California's coastline under a groundbreaking proposal to preserve the state's made-for-movies beaches before they're destroyed by rising seawater.
War hero president MIA in early climate battles
10 Dec 2018
Among the tributes paid to former US president George H.W. Bush has been plenty of reflection on his war record – but less on how he handled himself during the early skirmishes of the climate battle.
Climate control could save millions of lives, says WHO
7 Dec 2018
Beating climate change would save at least a million lives a year, the World Health Organisation has told the UN climate summit in Poland, making it a moral imperative.
Indonesia manages to fly below the radar
7 Dec 2018
International leaders are in Katowice debating the world's warming climate - but seldom mentioned is Indonesia, one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases.
Parched world watches as water vanishes
7 Dec 2018
This parched world’s landlocked basins – they make up a fifth of the Earth’s surface – have lost at least 100 billion tonnes of water every year since the century began.
Greenland ice melt is in overdrive
7 Dec 2018
Melting on Greenland's ice sheet has gone into overdrive, with meltwater runoff increasing 50 per cent since the start of the industrial era and continuing to accelerate, new research shows.
To feed 10 billion people we'll have to lay off the steak meals
7 Dec 2018
People in rich nations will have to make big cuts to the amount of beef and lamb they eat if the world is to be able to feed 10 billion people, says a new report.
Emissions jump to all-time high in 2018
6 Dec 2018
Global carbon emissions will jump to a record high in 2018, says a report released at the Katowice climate summit, dashing hopes a plateau of recent years would be maintained.
Why we can’t trust finance with the planet
6 Dec 2018
Private finance and large investors will play a central role at the COP24 in Katowice. But before we pin our hopes on finance to solve climate change, there are some things we need to ask ourselves.
Four things that must be done at Katowice
6 Dec 2018
The urgency for decisive action is the imperative for COP24. The UN must press on with four major strands for meeting the Paris 1.5deg target.
World Bank to invest $200b in climate fight
6 Dec 2018
The World Bank will make about $200 billion available to fund action on climate change from 2021-25, helping countries to adapt to the effects of warming and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Australia eyes role as clean-energy exporter
6 Dec 2018
Politicians around Australia are proposing ambitious plans to export renewable energy from Australia, using high-voltage power lines laid under the oceans.
Pure electrics shine as China shows off cars of the future
6 Dec 2018
China has seen a bumper year for electric car sales, so it’s no surprise that a number “new energy vehicles”, as EVs are referred to in China, were the stars of the Guangzhou Auto Show.
Macron move likely to be felt at Katowice
5 Dec 2018
French leader Emmanuel Macron’s defeat by the gilets jaunes movement over a proposed eco-tax rise is likely to come as a painful lesson for environmental policymakers at UN climate talks in Katowice.
Climate leader running short on power
5 Dec 2018
The coalition that built the Paris Agreement has broken down, leaving UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa with few powerful friends to call on to secure a deal in Katowice.
You're acting like children, child tells leaders
5 Dec 2018
Action to fight global warming is coming whether world leaders like it or not, school student Greta Thunberg, 15, has told the UN climate change summit, accusing them of behaving like irresponsible children.
Adani will fund mini-version of its mega-mine
5 Dec 2018
Indian mining multinational Adani has announced that it will self-fund a significantly smaller coal mine in Queensland, after failing to secure finance from more than 30 domestic and international banks and lenders.
Rising tides bring threat to Pacific military readiness
5 Dec 2018
On a Pacific archipelago 2400 miles southwest of Hawaii, the United States' enormous military capability collides with the accelerating climate risk that threatens to erode it.
Stella McCartney makes eco-fashion charter
5 Dec 2018
Eco-friendly British fashion designer Stella McCartney has announced a United Nations charter for Sustainable Fashion.
NZ will take agriculture lead role at Katowice
4 Dec 2018
New Zealand will lead discussions at international climate talks in Poland on upping emissions reductions from farming.
Attenborough: Collapse of civilisation is on the horizon
4 Dec 2018
The collapse of civilisation and the natural world is on the horizon, Sir David Attenborough has told the UN climate change summit in Poland.
Kiwi sitting at the Katowice top table
4 Dec 2018
New Zealander Jo Tyndall is one of the most influential people at international climate talks in Poland.
Host calls for solidarity with coal workers
4 Dec 2018
Polish leaders have delivered a clear message that climate change must be tackled, but not at the expense of the coal workers who built the industrial city that is hosting this year’s Cop24 summit.
Cheap drainage nets keep water pollution at bay
4 Dec 2018
The Western Australia city of Kwinana is using a somewhat obvious, simple and cost-effective system of nets to prevent waste from entering its waters.
Asia's media ignores air pollution shocker
4 Dec 2018
It's a public health crisis that kills almost five million people in Asia every year. So why isn’t air pollution a bigger story?
Climate watchdog calls on NZ to show the way
3 Dec 2018
New Zealand is on a list of countries being called on to cut emissions as an example to the world.
Oil refinery fire at key Victoria facility
16 Apr 2026
Explosions and towering flames were reported as a significant fire broke out at one of Australia’s major oil refineries.
Trump takes a ‘wrecking ball’ to independent scientific advisory board
Thu 30 Apr 2026
Without the impartial oversight of its board, the National Science Foundation is now “fully at the behest of the White House,” experts warn.
China’s leadership calls for ‘strict control’ of fossil fuels
Tue 28 Apr 2026
Chinese government leaders published a policy document on 22 April – Earth Day – calling for stricter controls on fossil-fuel consumption and greater oversight of heavy emitters.
EU faces ‘China shock’ as EV imports drive Beijing’s record surplus with bloc
Fri 1 May 2026
The EU is experiencing a prolonged “China shock” as a flood of Chinese EVs into Europe helped push Beijing to a record surplus with the bloc.
UK scientists to fire salt water into the sky in bid to tackle climate crisis
Fri 1 May 2026
Government supporting new geoengineering techniques as race against unregulated companies seeking to capitalise on need for climate cooling tech heats up.
Canada, Alberta close in on carbon price agreement, sources say
Wed 29 Apr 2026
Canada and Alberta are expected to strike a deal in the next two weeks that will increase the price on carbon for the province's industrial emitters, but a broader agreement to tackle oil sands greenhouse gases and green-light a new crude oil export pipeline remains elusive.
India submits new climate action pledges to UN body, flags condition to fulfil promise
Wed 29 Apr 2026
India has formally submitted its pledge to the UN climate body, underline importing conditions noting the developing countries' committments cannot be fulfilled without adequate support in terms of finance and technology transfer.
Tuvalu to host world leaders before COP31 summit
16 Apr 2026
Tuvalu, the Pacific nation at the forefront of the global climate crisis, will host a special meeting of world leaders before this year’s Cop31 summit, as the conference president expresses “complete faith” in Chris Bowen to lead tough negotiations.
Drowned chicks and food scarcity: Emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal now endangered
13 Apr 2026
The primary drivers are shrinking sea ice and warming oceans driven by climate change.
Rationing power and diluting petrol – how African countries are coping with effects of Iran war
30 Mar 2026
Countries across Africa have taken measures such as diluting petrol and restricting electricity consumption to cope with the fuel crisis triggered by the US and Israel's war in Iran.
Beef production drives 40% of agriculture-linked forest destruction, Brazil leads
26 Mar 2026
Beef production is the leading driver of agriculture-linked deforestation, accounting for 40% of all forest clearing done to open space for food production, according to details of a study released on Tuesday.
Extreme heat threatens global food systems, UN agencies warn
23 Apr 2026
Extreme heat is pushing global agrifood systems to the brink, threatening the livelihoods and health of more than a billion people, according to a new report by the U.N.'s food and weather agencies.
