International: All stories
German Greens put climate progress top of agenda
11 Oct 2017
Leading Green politicians in Germany have said a coalition agreement with Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats and the free-market Free Democratic party will be contingent on climate policy progress.
Marine life faces mass extinction by 2100
11 Oct 2017
Mass marine extinction may be inevitable if humans go on burning fossil fuels under the notorious “business as usual” scenario.
India bans Diwali fireworks to tackle Delhi's air pollution
11 Oct 2017
India’s supreme court has banned the sale of fireworks in Delhi during the upcoming Diwali festival, hoping to prevent the usual spike in toxic air pollution levels that accompany the holiday.
The war on coal is over, says US environment chief
10 Oct 2017
“The war on coal is over,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt declared as he announced that this week he will sign a new rule overriding Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan.
Americans seem to care least about climate change
10 Oct 2017
When asked about major threats to their country, Europeans are more likely than Americans to cite global climate change.
Think you’re too smart to be taken in by silly food labels?
10 Oct 2017
The bakery that tried to list ‘love’ as a granola ingredient might not have got away with it, but elsewhere dubious and confusing labelling is rife – and it is ruining our diets.
Mackerel on the move stir up European politics
10 Oct 2017
The impacts of climate change can lead to conflict, but conflict not necessarily leads to violence. This is exemplified with the so-called ‘’mackerel case’’.
Ministry denies cutting climate aid to Pacific
9 Oct 2017
New Zealand is denying an accusation that it is cutting its climate aid to the Pacific.
Lawsuits try to paint green activism as a racket
9 Oct 2017
Logging and pipeline companies are using a new legal tactic to seek damages from Greenpeace and other groups. The long-shot cases are having a chilling effect.
Cities must face the reality of living with 50deg heat
9 Oct 2017
The predictions of extreme heat in Australian cities is worrying, but not particularly surprising given the fact that the country is setting hot weather records at 12 times the pace of cold ones. But it does call for an urgent response.
Trump picks coal lobbyist to help to lead EPA
9 Oct 2017
President Trump's nominee to be second in command at the Environmental Protection Agency helped to kill bipartisan climate legislation during his time as a top Senate aide.
Oceans tell the story of how our planet is warming
6 Oct 2017
More than 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed into the oceans.
Amazon fires pushing climate change beyond human control
6 Oct 2017
A leading Amazon scientist has highlighted grave problems in Brazil’s management of the world’s most important forest as climate-driven fires eat it away.
Brisbane aims to be centre for aviation biofuel
6 Oct 2017
Brisbane is set to become a hub for sustainable aviation fuel under an agreement between Virgin Australia and United States-based biofuel producer Gevo.
Sweltering September sets Australian records
6 Oct 2017
Australian temperature records tumbled again in September, with the country experiencing the hottest day since records began, and New South Wales breaking that record twice within a few days.
Thou shalt not burn coal ... Catholics shun fossil fuels
5 Oct 2017
Forty Roman Catholic groups have announced they will shun investments in fossil fuels and have urged others to follow suit.
Australian cities head for 50deg summer days
5 Oct 2017
Even if the Paris Agreement to limit the global temperature rise to below 2deg is met, summer heatwaves in major Australian cities are likely to reach highs of 50deg by 2040.
Scotland bans fracking after public protests
5 Oct 2017
The Scottish government has banned fracking after a consultation found overwhelming public opposition and little economic justification for the industry.
New York aims to be carbon neutral by 2050
5 Oct 2017
Donald Trump’s home city aligns its strategy with tough 1.5deg global warming limit, in defiance of the president’s hostility to climate action.
Ireland a spectacular climate change failure
4 Oct 2017
Ireland has failed spectacularly in its response to the challenges posed by climate change over the last 15 years, the Citizens’ Assembly has been told.
Sunny Southeast Asia just doesn't get solar
4 Oct 2017
Southeast Asia has double the solar energy potential of Northern Europe, but the market hype is not living up to the reality on the ground.
Post-hurricanes, wetlands take on a new role
4 Oct 2017
As communities rebuild after hurricanes, a study shows that wetlands can significantly reduce property damage.
Powerco changes name and abandons fossil fuels
4 Oct 2017
Denmark's DONG Energy has fully abandoned power generation from oil and gas, and is changing its name to Ørsted to pledge its commitment to clean energy technologies.
Morocco to invest millions in solar projects
4 Oct 2017
Morocco is getting ready to launch a €200 million ($NZ326m) programme to spark investment in solar power projects in the agricultural sector by 2021.
US eyes help for struggling coal and nuclear plants
3 Oct 2017
US Energy Secretary Rick Perry has taken sweeping steps to buttress a pair of financially strapped nuclear plants under construction and to redefine how coal and nuclear plants are compensated for the electricity they provide.
Tsunami wreckage serves as liferafts for invasive species
3 Oct 2017
Hundreds of species were carried across the Pacific to North America by debris — estimated to weigh a total of nearly 1.5 million tonnes — that was swept out to sea after the 2011 Japan earthquake.
Europe playing a two-faced climate change game
3 Oct 2017
EU member states risk undermining the diminishing confidence Europeans have in the union by playing a two-faced game on climate change.
Trump swaps 'climate change' for 'resilience'
3 Oct 2017
In the Trump administration's list of dos and don'ts, "climate change" is out and "resilience" is in.
Coca-Cola gave us a billion more plastic bottles last year
3 Oct 2017
Coca-Cola increased its production of throwaway plastic bottles last year by well over a billion, according to analysis by Greenpeace.
PROMISES, PROMISES: Does Big Business really mean business?
2 Oct 2017
Corporations globally have made hundreds of commitments on deforestation. But what do these pledges really mean and why do scandals keep happening?
Yes, says the UN, the planet can be pollution free
2 Oct 2017
Pollution is controllable and avoidable through political leadership, high-level champions and commitments, says a new UN report.
Trump's next climate act is a bit of a mystery
2 Oct 2017
President Trump is preparing to repeal Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. But what would take its place remains a mystery.
RAW DEAL: Have children lost touch with the natural world?
2 Oct 2017
Studies show that children are better at identifying Pokémon characters than real animals and plants.
Delhi chokes on US exports of tar sands waste
29 Sep 2017
India has emerged as the world’s largest importer of petroleum coke, an oil byproduct that is now a major cause of pollution in the capital.
You must do more, IMF tells rich countries
29 Sep 2017
The International Monetary Fund has told rich countries they must do more to help poor nations cope with climate change or suffer the consequences.
VIVA VIKA: Giant rat lives in trees and eats coconuts
29 Sep 2017
A fabled giant rat known as the vika is the first new Solomon Islands rodent to be described in more than 80 years.
Antarctic sea ice levels hit record low - but why?
28 Sep 2017
Sea ice levels in Antarctica dropped to a record low this year, but experts say there is not a clear link to climate change.
David Suzuki: Australia's marine threat is sickening
28 Sep 2017
Growing global momentum to protect the world’s oceans from overfishing could be undermined by Australia, warns renowned conservationist David Suzuki and nearly 1500 other scientists.
EU climate chief’s Paris suggestion sparks anger
28 Sep 2017
A suggestion by the EU’s climate chief that the US might water down its carbon-cutting pledge to the Paris Agreement has sparked outrage among veteran negotiators and developing countries.
Diamonds and a bitter feud destroyed an Amazon reserve
28 Sep 2017
Family rivalry and Brazil’s Catholic church helped miners to devastate an indigenous territory that was once a leader in the fight against deforestation.
Green bonds expected to top $130b this year
28 Sep 2017
Green bonds issuance is set to reach a record $134.9 billion by the end of this year.
Mass wildlife extinction threatens global food supplies
27 Sep 2017
The sixth mass extinction of global wildlife already under way is seriously threatening the world’s food supplies, according to experts.
Attenborough: 'I remember being told plastic doesn't decay, it's wonderful'
27 Sep 2017
In his sequel to The Blue Planet, David Attenborough will focus on the threats to our oceans and explain why plastic pollution, climate change and overpopulation are problems too urgent to be left to ecologists.
New worry as key Antarctic glacier loses chunk of ice
27 Sep 2017
An enormous Antarctic glacier has given up an iceberg over 100 square miles in size, the second time in two years it has lost such a large piece in a process that has scientists wondering whether its behavior is changing for the worse.
Brazil backs off mining bid in Amazon reserve
27 Sep 2017
The Brazilian government has pledged to reinstate a mining ban in an Amazonian nature reserve, reversing its earlier course after an international outcry.
Green-building rating is sustainability's secret weapon
27 Sep 2017
Green building rating systems are an essential tool in the fight to achieve a net zero emissions built environment.
Weakened Merkel means boost for coal phaseout
26 Sep 2017
A three-way coalition in Germany is the most likely outcome of a surprising election, putting the Greens in a position to pursue their goal of ending coal power.
Australia failing to meet Paris targets, report says
26 Sep 2017
With the Coalition still hamstrung by internal divide over a clean energy target, a new report shows Australia is in danger of not meeting its Paris agreement commitments unless it acts soon.
Palm oil giant makes debut in sustainability index
26 Sep 2017
Singapore palm oil company Golden Agri-Resources has been featured in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the first time.
Ontario joins California-Quebec carbon market
26 Sep 2017
Ontario has signed an agreement with California to enter its joint carbon cap and trade market with Quebec, from next January 1.
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
Today 11:00am
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
Today 11:00am
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
Wed 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.
