International: All stories
China wants better clean-air standards
2 Jul 2018
China has signalled its intention to impose special emissions limits on some of most polluting and energy intensive sectors in the country.
Warming of 2deg ‘substantially’ more harmful
29 Jun 2018
A leaked draft of a major UN climate change report shows growing certainty that 2deg, once shorthand for a ‘safe’ amount of planetary warming, would be a dangerous step for humanity.
Last year, we lost a soccer pitch of forest every second
29 Jun 2018
The world lost more than one soccer pitch of forest every second in 2017, according to new data from a global satellite survey, adding up to an area equivalent to the whole of Italy over the year.
Palm oil alternatives could be worse, experts warn
29 Jun 2018
The deforestation caused by palm oil is decimating species such as orangutans and tigers - but the alternatives could be worse, says a new report.
National park under fire from oil and gas
29 Jun 2018
The world’s second-largest national park is under threat from a destructive combination of climate change, oil and gas development and hydroelectric projects.
Australia will need coal 'possibly forever', says Turnbull
28 Jun 2018
Coal will have an important role in Australia “possibly forever”, according to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
US judge rejects lawsuit against oil majors
28 Jun 2018
A US judge has thrown out a case brought against major oil companies on climate change.
SEA CHANGE: 'Florida is about to be wiped off the map'
28 Jun 2018
Sea level rises are not some distant threat; for many Americans they are very real. An extract from a chilling new book, Rising, details how the US coastline will be radically transformed in the coming years.
Italy wants to put a million e-cars on the road
28 Jun 2018
The populist government in Italy, Europe’s most sluggish market for electric cars, has a big-bang plan to put a million of the vehicles on the nation’s roads.
Australia records worst-ever emissions
27 Jun 2018
Australia’s emissions over the past year were again the highest on record when unreliable data from land use and forestry sectors are excluded, according to new data.
China producing banned ozone-damaging chemicals
27 Jun 2018
China has been outed as the illegal producer of chemicals that damage the ozone layer and the climate.
London sets up as centre for green finance
27 Jun 2018
The UK has set up a Green Finance Institute with the aim of solidifying London’s role as the go-to destination for this new work.
Use plastics in Mumbai and you could go to jail
27 Jun 2018
Mumbai has the become the largest Indian city to ban single-use plastics, with residents caught using bags, cups or bottles facing penalties of up to $NZ530 and three months in jail.
SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Ten ways to make fashion world greener
27 Jun 2018
Sustainable style is back on the agenda after the UK announced an inquiry into ‘fast’ clothes. This is what a greener clothing future might look like.
Should we rate car exhaust fumes as a lethal road risk?
26 Jun 2018
If we reject the acceptability of deaths and injuries in road accidents why should we tolerate those from traffic pollution?
What cities could do with massive car parks
26 Jun 2018
On average, motor vehicles are parked 95 per cent of the time. Yet most transport analysis focuses on vehicles when they are moving.
France approves six offshore wind farms
26 Jun 2018
France has given the go ahead to six new wind farms off the country's west coast.
Australia passes 3m small solar installs
26 Jun 2018
Rooftop solar and solar hot water installs in Australia have passed the three million-mark, as homes and businesses continue to take the power back against rising energy costs.
Cocaine in rivers means bad trips for eels
26 Jun 2018
Tiny amounts of cocaine flushed into rivers cause eels to become not only hyperactive but to suffer from muscle wastage, impaired gills and hormonal changes, a study has found.
Majuro tidal graphics made them weep
25 Jun 2018
Striking sea-level rise images have sent shockwaves through the Marshallese community and brought some EU ministers to tears.
Scientists eye solution to Antarctic ice loss
25 Jun 2018
Scientists hope they might have discovered a mitigating factor that could slow or even prevent the West Antarctic ice sheet’ collapsing into the ocean.
Farmers' federation lines up against Tony Abbott
25 Jun 2018
Australia's National Farmers’ Federation has added its voice to a chorus of Liberals and some Nationals warning Tony Abbott and other conservatives not to scuttle the government’s national energy guarantee.
UK orders probe into throwaway fashion industry
25 Jun 2018
Throwaway “fast fashion” in the UK will be investigated amid growing concerns that the multi-billion pound industry is wasting valuable resources and contributing to climate change.
SOCCER SIZZLE: Sausages in the spotlight at football cup
25 Jun 2018
Some climate change research is enlightening, some alarming, some baffling – and some, on soccer and sausages, might seem a little bizarre.
How melting Arctic could cook the tropics
22 Jun 2018
The loss of sea ice from the Arctic Ocean will alter wind patterns and ocean currents, causing changes across the planet.
Farming goes underground to win the climate change fight
22 Jun 2018
Bolivian farmers are going underground in order to protect their crops from drought, flash floods and increasing temperatures.
Newest development bank invests in coal
22 Jun 2018
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is backing a coal-fired cement works in Myanmar through an intermediary, in a worrying sign for its climate credentials.
JAMES HANSEN: The world is failing miserably
21 Jun 2018
Climate campaigner James Hansen, who gave a climate warning in 1988 US Senate testimony, says the world is failing and the real hoax is by leaders claiming to take action.
Macquarie offers £500m for sustainable projects
21 Jun 2018
Australian investment group Macquarie has offered £500 million to finance green projects.
European banks launch green mortgage scheme
21 Jun 2018
A group of 37 major European banks are joining forces to launch a new energy efficiency scheme.
China frets over 'blind' electric vehicle growth
20 Jun 2018
China will take action to curb the “blind” development of its rapidly growing electric vehicle sector, says a state planning spokeswoman.
UK pension funds get green light to dump fossil fuels
20 Jun 2018
Managers of the £1.5tn invested in Britain’sworkplace pension schemes are to be given new powers to dump shares in oil, gas and coal companies in favour of long-term investment in green and “social impact” opportunities.
EU efforts not living up to Paris promises
20 Jun 2018
Many EU countries are veering off the course of action they committed to under the Paris Agreement, according to a new report.
City of London commits to 100% renewable
20 Jun 2018
The City of London Corporation has announced plans to source 100 per cent of its electricity from renewables.
Climate change man-made problem, feminist solution?
20 Jun 2018
Women must be at the heart of climate action if the world is to limit the deadly impact of disasters such as floods and storms, says former Irish president Mary Robinson.
EU sets 32% renewable energy target by 2030
19 Jun 2018
European Union lawmakers and member states have agreed on a renewable energy law, including support for electric vehicles and rooftop solar panels.
US coastal property worth billions at risk
19 Jun 2018
More than 150,000 US homes and businesses could face frequent high-tide flooding within 15 years. That could double by 2045, a new report says.
South Africa sets draft climate laws
19 Jun 2018
South Africa will set carbon targets for each sector of the economy every five years, under a draft climate law out for public consultation.
Australian firms told to catch up on climate risk
19 Jun 2018
Australian companies are not doing enough work to model the risks of climate change and how it will affect their profitability, a new report says.
Pollution-recording gear can't cope with off-the-dial Delhi
19 Jun 2018
Smog more toxic than can be measured by monitoring devices blanketing New Delhi, months before the start of the city's traditional pollution season.
Global warming set to exceed 1.5deg by 2040
18 Jun 2018
Global warming is on course to exceed the most stringent goal set in the Paris agreement by around 2040, threatening economic growth, according to a draft report that is the UN’s starkest warning yet of the risks of climate change.
SICK CITIES: Can a skin cream really help you face the streets?
18 Jun 2018
The booming market for products for ‘urban skin’ reflects anxieties about the health impacts of living in cities – but is it all just a marketing gimmick?
McDonald's bows to customer demands over straws
18 Jun 2018
McDonald’s will end the use of plastic straws in its British restaurants next year, after nearly half a million people called on the company to ditch them.
Rising emissions big step backwards, says BP
15 Jun 2018
The renewed upward march of global carbon emissions is worrying and a big step backwards in the fight against climate change, according to BP.
OPINION: Earth will survive ... we might not
15 Jun 2018
By ADAM FRANK | In 1968, the astronaut William Anders looked out from his moon-circling Apollo 8 capsule and saw the mottled blue Earth emerging over the gray lunar horizon.
Scotland takes pride in emissions cuts
15 Jun 2018
The Scottish Government says that as of 2016 the country has managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49 per cent compared to 1990.
Elon Musk cuts Tesla's work force
15 Jun 2018
Elon Musk will cut his work force by about 9 per cent, or roughly 3500 of Tesla's 37,500 employees, as part of a company-wide restructuring.
Gas-guzzler Australia on road to becoming the next Cuba
15 Jun 2018
Australia's reluctance to recognise electric vehicles could mean that eventually it will join Cuba as the globe's Jurassic Park for cars.
Antarctic melt just the tip of the iceberg
14 Jun 2018
Antarctica has lost three trillion tonnes of ice over the past 25 years, raising sea levels 7.6mm.
Universal basic income and rewilding can do the trick
14 Jun 2018
Enough concrete has been produced to cover the entire surface of the Earth in a layer two millimetres thick.
Battery subsidy scheme set for 'urgent' overhaul as costs run out of control
16 Dec 2025
Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen has announced big changes to the government's battery subsidy scheme amid claims most of its $2.3 billion budget has been spent in just six months.
EPA erases references to human-caused climate change from websites
19 Dec 2025
EPA has scrubbed references to people’s contribution to rising temperatures from some of its climate change webpages.
Verra cancels four tree planting projects in China. And starts reviews of 45 more projects
16 Dec 2025
“Multiple carbon projects in China are facing serious allegations regarding the authenticity of government approval documents."
France updates its 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap
17 Dec 2025
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, France released a revamped climate plan promising to phase out oil and gas and sharply increase electricity use.
Net-zero scenario is ‘cheapest option’ for UK, says energy system operator
15 Dec 2025
A scenario that meets the “net-zero by 2050” goal would be the “cheapest” option for the UK, according to modelling by the National Energy System Operator (NESO).
The ecological havens flourishing beneath power lines
19 Dec 2025
Initiatives to foster native wildflowers, grasses and shrubs are turning utility corridors into wildlife corridors.
‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia
12 Dec 2025
Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’.
Pacific fisheries summit gives a boost to albacore and seabirds
19 Dec 2025
Much of the world’s albacore tuna catch, which usually ends up in a can, comes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean, where fishery managers just passed a new set of conservation rules.
Arctic endured year of record heat as climate scientists warn of ‘winter being redefined’
18 Dec 2025
Region known as ‘world’s refrigerator’ is heating up as much as four times as quickly as global average, Noaa experts say.
Are rainforests now a cause of, rather than the answer to, climate change?
15 Dec 2025
A new study finds that Africa’s forests, responsible for one-fifth of global carbon removal, are beginning to generate carbon as the result of human activity.
Thousands of climate disasters are not included in official reports from Amazonian countries
12 Dec 2025
More than 12,500 extreme weather events impacted the Amazon and its population in 10 years, but countries have not generated enough information about it, according to a new scientific study.
UN environment report 'hijacked' by US and others over fossil fuels, top scientist says
11 Dec 2025
A key UN report on the state of the global environment has been "hijacked" by the United States and other countries who were unwilling to go along with the scientific findings, the co-chair has told the BBC.
