International: All stories
HSBC to stop financing most new coal plants
23 Apr 2018
Europe’s largest bank, HSBC, says it will mostly stop funding new coal power plants, oil sands and arctic drilling.
Miami mans the pumps to beat sea level
23 Apr 2018
Miami Beach's $500 million attempt to elevate and pump itself out of sea level rise's path has drawn criticism, but an expert panel says the city's doing what it needs to survive.
The grass might be greener on the other side – but is death?
23 Apr 2018
The funeral industry is catering for the growing number of people who want to deal with their mortal remains in an environmentally sound way.
Long-lived civilisation might be a dream
23 Apr 2018
Humanity’s cherished hope that we are building a long-lived civilisation may be nothing more than a pipe-dream.
Churches call on Commonwealth to get tough
20 Apr 2018
More than 170 religious leaders from all over the world have urged governments from the Commonwealth to “turn words into action” and stop dangerous climate change.
Put your trust me, says Shell chief
20 Apr 2018
Shell CEO Ben van Beurden has the same message for activists and investors: Trust me.
Labor states won't compromise on renewables
20 Apr 2018
Australia's Labor states will seek a watertight undertaking that their renewable energy schemes and targets will remain undisturbed by the Turnbull government’s proposed national energy guarantee at a critical meeting today.
Dear sir, I'd like to order some e-vehicles ... 10,000 would do
20 Apr 2018
Indian ride-hailing firm Ola will add 10,000 electric three-wheelers to its fleet over the next 12 months.
Japan has a renewable energy puzzle
20 Apr 2018
As Japan rushes to cut carbon emissions by 26 per cent, campaigners worry that forests and wildlife are being trampled.
Turnbull might allow power firms to buy offsets
19 Apr 2018
The Turnbull government is hedging its bets on whether to allow Australian energy companies to buy offsets to comply with their new 26 per cent emissions reduction target.
Tidal power comes of age with Scottish project
19 Apr 2018
The potential for the tides to generate clean, reliable electricity has taken a significant step with the completion of a flagship project in Scottish waters.
UK seeks advice on strengthening climate goal
19 Apr 2018
The UK government has announced that it wants official advice on the “implications” of aligning its climate goals with the Paris Agreement.
Trudeau vows to push ahead with pipeline plans
19 Apr 2018
Justin Trudeau has said Canada’s government is prepared to use taxpayer dollars to push forward plans for a controversial pipeline expansion, despite protests and efforts by a provincial government to halt the project.
I kept plastic for a year – the 4490 items made me rethink
19 Apr 2018
Daniel Webb accrued a mountain of plastic – all 4490 items of it – and made it into a mural, now on display in the UK.
Scientists stumble across mutation that eats plastic
18 Apr 2018
Scientists have created - by accident - a mutant enzyme that breaks down plastic drinks bottles.
Australia's gas boom is getting out of whack
18 Apr 2018
The massive growth of Australia’s natural gas industry is inconsistent with the country's Paris commitments.
Commonwealth heads meet amid inequality claims
18 Apr 2018
Commonwealth heads of state will begin meeting in London, amid concerns over the unequal effects of climate change and efforts to fight it.
Carbon markets pay off for US states
18 Apr 2018
Nine years after its launch, the US's first mandatory carbon-trading programme is still boosting the economy and creating jobs in its nine-state region.
Nature best weapon against flood damage
18 Apr 2018
Scientists have found nature is the most cost-effective way of reducing the impacts of extreme weather events.
More than 95% of people breathe dangerous air
18 Apr 2018
More than 95 per cent of the world’s population breathe unsafe air and the burden is falling hardest on the poorest communities,
Six metals are key to a low-carbon future
17 Apr 2018
Low-carbon technologies currently rely on a handful of key metals, some of which have been little-used to date.
How the evolving climate is messing with your dinner
17 Apr 2018
An evolving climate means big changes for people who grow, catch and rear for a living, and everyone else who buys and eats what they produce.
ACT takes lead on electric vehicles
17 Apr 2018
The Australian Capital Territory government has announced the country’s most ambitious transition plan to electric vehicles.
Coal lobbyist becomes No2 official at EPA
16 Apr 2018
Former coal industry lobbyist Andrew Wheeler has been confirmed as second in command at the the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Seas rising too fast to save much of Mississippi Delta
16 Apr 2018
Louisiana is proceeding with ambitious plans to redirect the Mississippi River — but even this massive intervention might not be enough to save the most threatened lands from fast-rising seas.
Early action has big effect on rising sea levels
16 Apr 2018
Acting early to lower greenhouse gas emissions can slow the rise in sea levels, say scientists in two new studies.
China builds a road so smart it will change the face of driving
16 Apr 2018
The road to China’s autonomous-driving future is paved with solar panels, mapping sensors and electric-battery rechargers as the nation tests an “intelligent highway” that could speed the transformation of the global transportation industry.
Drug waste clogs global river systems
16 Apr 2018
Rivers around the world are coursing with over-the-counter and prescription drugs waste dangerous the environment, researchers have found.
The most important climate treaty you've never heard of
13 Apr 2018
Raise a hand if you've heard of the Gothenburg Protocol. No? Well, you're in good company.
Atlantic Ocean conveyor belt stages a go-slow
13 Apr 2018
The Atlantic current that brings warm water to Europe from the tropics has weakened by 15 per cent since the middle of the last century, new research suggests.
Nestlé vows to act on plastic packaging
13 Apr 2018
Nestlé has joined the growing number of multinational companies, which are recognising their role in reducing the amount of global plastic waste.
ROBOT CITIES: Three urban prototypes for future living
13 Apr 2018
Governments have started to see automation as the key to brighter urban futures. But what will this look like?
Playcentre surfaces put the heat on kids
13 Apr 2018
Some children spend many hours of the day in childcare centres where artificial surfaces can become dangerously hot.
Countries inch towards ‘minimum’ shipping target
12 Apr 2018
Negotiations over a long-term climate strategy for the global shipping industry are growing fractious as countries battle over the level of ambition.
Why aren't we changing the way we produce food?
12 Apr 2018
As the world races towards a projected nine billion inhabitants, the failings of dominant food systems are impossible to deny.
SPY IN THE SKY: Birds could keep an eye on illegal fishers
12 Apr 2018
Albatrosses wearing trackers could be a weapon against illegal fishing.
Six rangers die in gorilla sanctuary ambush
12 Apr 2018
Six rangers have been ambushed and killed in a Democratic Republic of the Congo park that is home to silverback gorillas.
Marine heatwaves the new norm, say scientists
11 Apr 2018
The marine heatwave which has seen penguins, prions and other New Zealand birds dying this summer is part of a new “normal” caused by climate change, scientists say.
Why cement industry must act urgently
11 Apr 2018
Greenhouse gas emissions from cement production must be reduced sharply if the world is to meet the climate change goals set out in the Paris agreement, a new report has suggested.
Unilever developing technology to reuse plastics
11 Apr 2018
Unilever is working on pioneering technology to convert hard-to-recycle plastic back into high-quality packaging.
China makes a huge new green ministry
11 Apr 2018
China’s newly created mega-department, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, has absorbed the functions of many ministries and will boast a staff of about 500.
KOALA CRISIS: Don't blame urban sprawl for the deaths
11 Apr 2018
Tree clearing, not urban sprawl, is to blame for the deaths of thousands of koalas in Queensland, say environmentalists.
China has the boldest renewable energy plan
10 Apr 2018
The boldest plan to achieve the targets set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement comes from China.
Abandoned collieries could be key to heating homes
10 Apr 2018
Scientists are finalising plans to exploit the vast reservoir of warm water that fills a labyrinth of disused mines and porous rock layers underneath Glasgow.
Formula E racers find new way to add spark for the sport fan
10 Apr 2018
Formula E, the electric vehicle counterpart of Formula One and V8 Supercars, has come up an initiative that could change the way fans engage with their sports.
Selfridges to cut single-use plastic carbonated drinks
10 Apr 2018
The world-renowned department store Selfridges is to ditch single-use plastic carbonated drinks.
Carney warns of financial system catastrophe
9 Apr 2018
Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned of the “catastrophic impact” climate change could have for the financial system unless firms do more to disclose their vulnerabilities.
IEA undermining shift from fossil fuels, says report
9 Apr 2018
The global shift from fossil fuels to renewables is being undermined by the very organisation that ought to be leading the charge, according to a scathing new critique of the International Energy Agency.
Lego billionaires plan new splurge on renewable energy
9 Apr 2018
The fund managing the wealth of the billionaires behind Lego is planning to step up investments in renewable energy.
Seattle wants to charge city drivers
9 Apr 2018
A Seattle proposal to make drivers pay a fee for coming downtown is a linchpin in a list of initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the city’s transportation sector.
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.
