International: All stories
France to set penalties on non-recycled plastic
15 Aug 2018
France plans to introduce a penalty system next year that would increase the costs of consumer goods with packaging made of non-recycled plastic.
Forgotten coal mines harbour methane problem
15 Aug 2018
Unregulated, unnoticed coal mines across the US are leaking a potent greenhouse gas with the same greenhouse effect as 13 million cars.
‘Natural pulses’ figure in Antarctic melting
15 Aug 2018
A 16-year study of ocean conditions in Antarctica suggests that the periodic arrival of warm currents as a result of natural variability is worsening the rate of ice mass loss from key glaciers.
Tax havens hide companies wrecking environment
14 Aug 2018
Money channelled through secretive tax havens has been used to fuel deforestation in the Amazon and illegal fishing around the world, racking up a heavy environmental toll.
EU carbon emissions price hits 10-year high
14 Aug 2018
The amount polluters pay for emitting carbon in the EU has hit a 10-year high, in a blow for coal power station owners and a boost for renewable energy.
A river restored breathes new life into Kuala Lumpur
14 Aug 2018
Ridiculed at first, the project to clean up Kual Lumpur's Klang river is on track to be completed on time and below budget.
What's the story with heatwaves?
14 Aug 2018
This year has seen record-breaking temperatures across the globe. What is at risk in this increased heat?
Giants came in handy for explaining climate damage
14 Aug 2018
Tales of giants helped people to explain the sometimes cataclysmic changes to the environment they saw around them.
Crucial climate fund facing massive challenges
13 Aug 2018
The future of the UN’s major climate fund hangs in the balance, with a looming cash shortfall and a boardroom locked in conflict.
Chemical recycling takes plastics back to oil
13 Aug 2018
Some plastics cannot be recycled yet, but turning them back to oil could help to solve the problem.
Brazil hits deforestation cuts ahead of schedule
13 Aug 2018
Brazil has already hit its 2020 targets for cutting emissions from deforestation, according to the government.
Cows could help ease methane leak impact
13 Aug 2018
Cows will play a key part in a nearly $120 million settlement which, if approved, aims to mitigate the climate impact of one of the largest US natural gas leaks.
Hotel chain grows own food at 600 sites
13 Aug 2018
Around 600 of AccorHotel's sites across the world now grow their own produce on site for use in its restaurants and bars as part of food waste drive.
LITTER TWITTER: In this park, clever crows do the dirty work
13 Aug 2018
Six crows trained to pick up cigarette ends and rubbish will be put to work this week at a French historical theme park.
California hits back at Trump's car pollution move
10 Aug 2018
California has struck back at the Trump administration over air pollution, unveiling a proposal that would force carmakers to comply with the state’s strict standards for tailpipe emissions.
Unhappy with fish poachers? Blow them out of the water
10 Aug 2018
Indonesia is taking an explosive approach to illegal fishing ... and it's putting the industry back on a path to suistainability.
Air pollution a lethal blight that shames politicians
10 Aug 2018
New studies linking heart disease to supposedly ‘safe’ levels of pollution lay bare the human cost of using fossil fuels.
The crisis facing California ... and what will happen next
10 Aug 2018
Three scientists explain the unprecedented danger facing the western US and call for new solutions to a growing threat.
China again starts building coal-fired plants
9 Aug 2018
Satellite imagery reveals that many coal-fired power projects that were halted by the Chinese government have quietly restarted.
Unions want Poland to push coal at UN climate talks
9 Aug 2018
Poland's trade unions are mounting a defence of coal workers against the impacts of climate policies in an effort to influence the agenda of the UN climate summit to be held in Katowice this December.
Huge grant to reef outfit a scandal, Greens say
9 Aug 2018
The awarding of $444 million in taxpayers’ money by the Australian prime minister to the small Great Barrier Reef Foundation without consultation “stinks” and the money should be handed back, the Greens say.
Japan eyes daylight savings time for 2020 Olympics
9 Aug 2018
Deadly heatwaves in Japan have caused government and Olympics officials to consider the benefits of adopting daylight savings time for the 2020 games to ensure athlete safety.
Ocean spot records warmest temperature in 100 years
9 Aug 2018
Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have recorded the warmest sea surface temperature in more than 100 years near a pier in San Diego.
Experts predict the arrival of Hothouse Earth
8 Aug 2018
Allowing the world to warm by even 2deg could threaten the existence of humans.
HISTORY OF HEAT: Scientists say we've been here before
8 Aug 2018
During the rise of mammals, Earth's temperatures spiked in a scary way that the planet might experience again soon. In New Zealand, life endured mean annual temperatures of up to 29deg ... 15deg warmer than modern times.
Life in our oceans is in deep crisis
8 Aug 2018
Wildlife in most of the lawless high seas faces an existential threat from fishing, shipping and the military. Next month, a landmark UN conference could finally bring hope.
EPA wants to redefine the dangers of soot
8 Aug 2018
Against all prevailing science, the US Environmental Protection Agency is suggesting a “safe” threshold for particulate pollution.
Forest methane uptake falls by 77%, says study
8 Aug 2018
The amount of methane absorbed by forest soils has fallen by an average of 77 per cent in the northern hemisphere over the past 27 years, a new study finds.
Heatwave impact on soils could be worse than thought
8 Aug 2018
Climate change is altering the makeup of soil, with widespread impacts on plants, ecosystems and food security, according to scientists.
Battery makers fight for foothold in Europe
8 Aug 2018
Battery manufacturers are jostling for a leadership position in Europe as electric vehicle sales gather momentum.
GOP and Big Oil can't escape the blame for climate change
7 Aug 2018
The New York Times magazine has devoted an issue to a single story that explores how close we came to an international climate agreement in 1989 ... and why we failed.
Ireland sees need to increase carbon tax
7 Aug 2018
The Irish Government is planning to increase the country’s carbon tax in a bid to meet its climate-change goals.
Most Australians want more renewables
7 Aug 2018
More than 70 per cent of Australians want the government to set a high renewable energy target to put downward pressure on power prices, according to a new poll.
Latest figures show peak coal is getting closer
7 Aug 2018
Total global coal capacity continues to inch up, but a peak is on the horizon, new research shows.
Natural waste holds promise of safe plastic
7 Aug 2018
The good news is that safe plastic is not an impossible dream. Novel ways to tackle the tide of discarded material engulfing the planet are under development.
Why compostable plastics might be no better
7 Aug 2018
As companies move to get rid of single-use plastic bags and bans on microbeads are coming into force, new biodegradable or compostable plastic products seem to offer an alternative. But they might be no better for the environment.
How Big Oil lost control of its misinformation machine
6 Aug 2018
One of the longest and most consequential campaigns against science in modern history is becoming more extreme—and turning against its originators.
Time running out for Paris rulebook, warns Tyndall
6 Aug 2018
Climate negotiators need to “crank up the pace” on writing the rulebook for the Paris climate pact, co-chair New Zealander Jo Tyndall said as plans to streamline the process were published last week.
Clothing rental could be key to sustainable fashion industry
6 Aug 2018
Overconsumption and the inevitable disposal of unwanted clothing has become a worrying global problem – and in many cases, this clothing is unnecessarily thrown away. Instead, it could be repaired or recycled.
Cities can work with nature when droughts hit
6 Aug 2018
Faced with a drought, it’s tempting for city managers to reduce the amount of space that needs water. Parks, public areas and private gardens are usually the first to go.
Landmark churches turn to renewable energy
6 Aug 2018
Some of the UK’s oldest and most prominent church buildings are making the switch to 100 per cent renewable energy.
California vows to fight as EPA acts to scrap car rules
3 Aug 2018
The Trump administration has moved to weaken US vehicle emissions standards and has set up a major confrontation with California by scrapping its ability to enact stricter pollution rules.
Cross-party MPs urge May to go carbon free
3 Aug 2018
A cross-party group of British MPs has called on the government to create a net-zero emissions target before 2050.
MANURE COUTURE: Startup is making shirts out of cow poo
3 Aug 2018
Would you buy a shirt that has been through the back end of a cow? This could be a future fabric choice, according to a startup which is extracting cellulose from cowpats.
Why are there no blockbusters about climate change?
3 Aug 2018
Hollywood has generally relished existential threats to humanity so it’s a bit odd it has studiously ignored the biggest actual threat to humanity there is.
Last year warmest without an El Niño event
2 Aug 2018
Last year was the warmest recorded on Earth that didn’t feature an El Niño weather event, according to the annual state of the climate report by 500 climate scientists.
New Chinese-led banks missing the point
2 Aug 2018
Both less than five years old, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Brics Bank are failing to back sustainable development models.
German farmers want $1b in drought aid
2 Aug 2018
Farmers in the north and east of Germany are seeking more than $1 billion in aid for unprecedented losses as a result of continued high temperatures and lack of rain.
Smart cities can also cost the environment
2 Aug 2018
The Australian government has allocated $50 million for the Smarter Cities and Suburbs Program to encourage projects that “improve the livability, productivity and sustainability of cities and towns”.
Quite soon, this crowded part of China will be unsurvivable
2 Aug 2018
The deadliest place on the planet for extreme future heatwaves will be the north China plain, one of the most densely populated regions in the world and the most important food-producing area in the huge nation.
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.
