International: All stories
As envoys bicker, it’s time to focus on real climate action
29 Nov 2016
Countries have two years of arguing over the fine-print of the Paris climate deal ahead of them: it’s time to focus on what’s happening in the real world.
Weapons of war litter the ocean floor
29 Nov 2016
At least one million tonnes of chemical weapons were dumped in the oceans between 1919 and 1980. Now what?
Arctic ice melt could trigger uncontrollable global change
28 Nov 2016
Arctic scientists have warned that the increasingly rapid melting of the ice cap risks triggering 19 “tipping points” in the region that could have catastrophic consequences around the globe.
Sydney finds a use for billions of takeaway coffee cups
28 Nov 2016
Standalone bins for takeaway coffee cups could soon be a common sight in offices across Sydney as cups are collected and made into useful items.
Bolivia battles water crisis as glaciers vanish
28 Nov 2016
The government of Bolivia has been forced to declare a state of emergency as it faces its worst drought for at least 25 years.
Floods do an important job, so get out of their way
28 Nov 2016
Floods are often seen as a force of destruction, but river ecologists find it hard not to see a positive side to the events.
Fish found to thrive in high levels of CO2
28 Nov 2016
British scientists have identified a paradox in research on the impact of extra carbon dioxide on the world’s oceans.
Tesla powers entire Pacific island using solar energy
25 Nov 2016
American automaker and energy storage company Tesla Motors has powered the Pacific island Ta’u almost entirely from solar energy.
Can Americans turn Black Friday green?
25 Nov 2016
While shoppers scramble for Black Friday bargains this year, outdoor retailer REI is closing its 145 US stores. This is the second consecutive year the Seattle-based company will ignore the frenzy that traditionally marks the start of the holiday shopping season.
How seasonal weather can affect human health
25 Nov 2016
Melbourne has suffered what appears to be the most lethal episode of thunderstorm asthma on record.
Will China and Europe form a powerful climate bloc?
24 Nov 2016
It seems almost certain that US President-elect Donald Trump will walk away from the Paris climate agreement next year. In the absence of US leadership, the question is: who will step up?
Australia welcomes Trump's fossil fuels vow
24 Nov 2016
Australia’s environment and energy minister Josh Frydenberg has welcomed Donald Trump’s commitment to lift Obama administration’s restrictions on fossil fuel exploration within his first 100 days in the White House, saying the move will be a boon for consumers.
EU pollution rules could save 200,000 lives a year
24 Nov 2016
The European Parliament has voted in favour of new EU rules to cap air pollution, which will curb the single largest environmental cause of premature death in urban Europe.
Trump prioritises axing coal, oil and gas laws
23 Nov 2016
US president-elect Donald Trump says he will “cancel job-killing restrictions” on energy production, but keeps quiet on Paris Agreement.
Universities struggle to meet green goals
23 Nov 2016
UK universities are helping to lead the world on environmental research – but when it comes to their own back yard they appear to be falling behind.
NZ doctor gives Marrakech a message
22 Nov 2016
A New Zealand doctor told world leaders gathering in Marrakech that human rights must be protected as the world takes action on climate change.
Emissions to jump under NSW land-clearing laws
22 Nov 2016
Australia’s rising carbon emissions are expected to rise even further after the NSW government successfully passed controversial land-clearing legislation in state parliament.
Marrakech marks the start of a new era ... but going where?
21 Nov 2016
As dusk fell over Marrakech on Friday, a chill gripped the fast-emptying pavilions that housed the 2016 UN climate summit.
North Pole an insane 2.2deg warmer than normal
21 Nov 2016
As winter descends, sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is at a record low, and temperatures in the region are 2.2deg warmer that usual.
If Trump quits climate, California could go it alone
21 Nov 2016
If Donald Trump pulls the US out of the UN climate process in early 2017, California could try to go it alone.
Why global climate change hotspots matter
21 Nov 2016
The consequences of climate change are already being felt all over the globe. But some regions are particularly affected.
Musings from Marrakech ...
18 Nov 2016
Green Party MP Dr Kennedy Graham, a former diplomat and veteran of international climate change negotiations, reports from the latest round, in Marrakech.
Big business urges Trump to support climate deal
18 Nov 2016
Kelloggs, Mars and Levi Strauss have joined over 300 US businesses in writing an open letter to president-elect Donald Trump calling on him to support the green economy.
Three amigos launch beyond-Trump strategies
18 Nov 2016
The US, Canada and Mexico have joined Germany in releasing strategies for radically cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century.
Australia ranked among worst for climate action
18 Nov 2016
Australia has been singled out as a climate laggard, being ranked fifth-worst for emissions and policies among developed countries and among the six worst countries in the G20 when it comes to climate action.
Climate-fighting donations surge post-election
18 Nov 2016
Groups such as the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund and Citizens' Climate Lobby have seen a surge in donations and interest after Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election.
Cities run ahead of targets to cut emissions
18 Nov 2016
Cities are home to over half the world’s population and produce around 75 per cent of its carbon emissions, but they’re leading the way in the global fight against climate change.
Tokelau comes under the Paris Agreement umbrella
17 Nov 2016
New Zealand is extending its ratification of the Paris Agreement to include Tokelau.
World needs major emissions cuts by 2020, says report
17 Nov 2016
All key sectors– including commercial agriculture – must have major emissions cuts under way by 2020 if the world is to keep global warming within the Paris Agreement’s 1.5deg limit, a new report says.
Military urges Trump to see climate as security threat
17 Nov 2016
A bipartisan group of defence experts and former military leaders sent Donald Trump’s transition team a briefing book urging the president-elect to consider climate change as a grave threat to national security.
Meet the man nobody wants at Marrakech
17 Nov 2016
An awful lot of people at the Marrakech climate talks would really like it if Benjamin Sporton went home and never came back.
Second-warmest October cements hottest year
17 Nov 2016
October was the second hottest on record for the planet, says NASA. The month was the latest in a string of record- and near record-warm months that will see 2016 easily take the title of hottest year in the books.
Canada gives $3b subsidies to fossil fuel producers
17 Nov 2016
Canada’s attempt to act on climate change is being undermined by $3.3b in government subsidies flowing to oil and gas producers in the country a year, a new report has warned.
MARRAKECH MESSAGE: We've got enough clean credits
16 Nov 2016
New Zealand is likely to use 38.1 million tonnes of its surplus carbon credits to meet its next emissions reduction target and will not need access to international markets, climate change talks in Morocco have heard.
NEW VIEW: Carbon is not the enemy
16 Nov 2016
World-renowned architect William McDonough says we should exploit carbon as an asset, not demonise it as a liability
Obama’s climate envoys fight back
16 Nov 2016
US climate negotiators emerged from their post-election silence in Marrakech with a bellicose message that their legacy was beyond reach of Donald Trump.
Marrakech officials want hope for coal miners
16 Nov 2016
If the shift away from fossil fuels is not carefully managed, it will create left-behind communities and resentment, officials warn at COP22 climate talks.
Natural disasters push millions into poverty each year
16 Nov 2016
Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and other extreme natural disasters push 26 million people into poverty each year and cost the global economy more than half a trillion dollars in lost consumption, the World Bank has said.
Sydney solar power project seeks public money
16 Nov 2016
The company responsible for Australia’s biggest CBD solar installation has invited public investment, making it the first community renewables project in Australia with a public share offering.
Africa suffers most from changing climate
16 Nov 2016
Africa has been the continent hardest hit by extreme weather events over the past 20 years, according to the latest Global Climate Risk Index.
Marrakech nations wield carrots, not sticks
15 Nov 2016
Across the UN climate talks in Marrakech, countries are emphasising the benefits to the US of staying in the Paris Agreement.
This year will be the hottest on record, UN says
15 Nov 2016
This year will very likely be the hottest on record and a new high for the third year in a row, according to the UN. It means 16 of the 17 hottest years on record will have been this century.
Extraordinary climate lawsuit awaits new president
15 Nov 2016
A sweeping climate change lawsuit filed against the Obama Administration will move forward, a judged ruled late last week, setting up an extraordinary legal battle between environmentalists and President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump presidency a disaster for the planet, say scientists
14 Nov 2016
The ripples from a new American president are far-reaching, but never before has the arrival of a White House administration placed the livability of Earth at stake.
Nations have one week to save Marrakech talks
14 Nov 2016
Climate diplomats in Marrakech are working furiously behind the scenes to send a message to Donald Trump that the world remains a place of pluralism and cooperation.
Trump’s climate contrarian takes on the EPA
14 Nov 2016
In looking for someone to follow through on his campaign vow to dismantle one of the Obama administration’s signature climate change policies, President-elect DonaldTrump probably could not have found a better candidate for the job than Myron Ebell.
Other nations might obstruct Paris climate deal
14 Nov 2016
Concerns are mounting that Donald Trump’s victory could embolden some fossil fuel-rich countries to try unpicking the historic Paris climate agreement, which came into force last week.
American Muslims ditch fossil fuels investments
14 Nov 2016
As representatives of many of the world’s main religions join financial leaders in calling for a switch of investment from polluting energy to renewables, a prominent Islamic organisation says it will do just that, in a landmark divestment commitment from a Muslim institution.
Germany to cut emissions by up to 95% by 2050
14 Nov 2016
Germany’s coalition government has reached an agreement on a climate change action plan which involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent to 95 per cent by 2050.
What Trump means for the future of energy and climate
11 Nov 2016
President … Donald … Trump. For those on both sides of the aisle who vowed “Never Trump!,” that’s going to take some getting used to.
500 Australian businesses back 75% climate target
Wed 27 Aug 2025
Atlassian, Canva and Fortescue are among a coalition of more than 500 businesses operating in Australia that are backing a 75% emissions reduction target for 2030, which modelling from Deloitte found was technically achievable.
Ørsted shares at all-time low after Trump halts work on US windfarm
Wed 27 Aug 2025
Shares drop by 17% after stop-work order on $1.5bn project off Rhode Island, which was 80% complete.
China's carbon market to introduce absolute emissions caps from 2027
Wed 27 Aug 2025
China will tighten its carbon trading market by introducing absolute emissions caps in some industries for the first time starting by 2027.
EU wildfires hit new record as flames scorch area larger than Cyprus
Mon 25 Aug 2025
The area burned this year has exceeded the 1 million hectare mark for the first time since records started in 2006.
What happens to net zero if the trees don’t survive?
20 Aug 2025
When climate change undermines the climate plan.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
India needs $467 billion climate finance by 2030 to decarbonise 4 key sectors
Mon 25 Aug 2025
India will need to mobilise USD $467 billion in climate finance by 2030 to put four of its most carbon-intensive sectors – power, steel, cement and transport – on a low-carbon pathway.
Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say
13 Aug 2025
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga among the worst affected amid warning the disease and others will become ‘more common and more serious’ as the planet warms.
Iconic Antarctic species at risk amid 'regime shift', with 'rapid and self-perpetuating changes'
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Scientists say there is emerging evidence of abrupt and potentially unstoppable changes in the Antarctic environment.
Africa’s top climate change challenges: a fairer deal on phasing out fossil fuels and mobilising funds
Fri 22 Aug 2025
African countries have made binding commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To do this, they will need to shift to renewable energy and stop mining and using fossil fuels like oil and coal.
Amazon nations pledge support for Brazil's COP30 rainforest fund
Wed 27 Aug 2025
The fund will be backed by an initial, one-time $25-billion contribution from donor nations, along with $100 billion in private funds.
Brazil issues last-ditch plea for countries to submit climate plans ahead of COP30
20 Aug 2025
Only 28 countries have submitted carbon-cutting proposals to the UN, with some of the biggest emitters yet to produce plans.
