International: All stories
Urban trees match rainforests as carbon stores
4 Jul 2018
Not just decorative, urban trees do much more: they enrich civic life, moderate climate change and save the taxpayer millions.
Stores pull plastic bags ... and Aussie shoppers don't get it
4 Jul 2018
A call has gone out for Australians to be educated about plastic pollution after a shop assistant was assaulted and retail workers were abused by shoppers when major stores pulled plastic bags.
Bikes the obvious solution to Oxbridge traffic
4 Jul 2018
UK university cities Oxford and Cambridge are seeking ways to transport expanding populations without impacting their historic centres, yet the simplest solution is staring them in the face.
World atlas traces Earth’s human scar
3 Jul 2018
Earth’s human scar, the mark humankind has left upon the planet, is growing apace: threequarters of the ice-free land areas of the globe have been in some way degraded, according to a new global survey.
Islands show little interest in insurance offer
3 Jul 2018
Only a handful of Pafific Islands nations have signed up to an insurance scheme that dispenses rapid payouts in a crisis - a situation experts hope to change.
Trade war would harm environment, warns UN
3 Jul 2018
A global trade war would damage efforts to combat climate change, protect the environment and fight poverty, according to the UN’s environment chief.
History teaches us to be careful when planting trees
3 Jul 2018
Care should be taken in jumping on the “forests are always better” bandwagon, experts warn.
Sorry, baristas, instant coffee has smallest carbon footprint
3 Jul 2018
how you prepare your coffee at home can add 50 per cent or more to its overall environmental footprint.
E-waste deluge turning Thailand into world's dump
2 Jul 2018
At a deserted factory outside Bangkok, skyscrapers made from vast blocks of crushed printers, Xbox components and TVs tower over black rivers of smashed-up computer screens.
Housing and car industries 'should be ashamed’
2 Jul 2018
The homebuilding and carmaking industries should be ashamed of their efforts to tackle global warming, says the UK government’s official climate change adviser.
These are the toughest emissions to cut ...
2 Jul 2018
Without improvements in shipping, cement and steel, major sources of greenhouse gas pollution will be locked in for generations, new research shows.
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.
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.
