International: All stories
Trump might replace Obama's big climate rule
18 Sep 2017
The Trump administration is opening the door to offering its own replacement for former President Barack Obama's landmark climate regulation — rather than just erasing it altogether.
UK wind power prices reach lowest level
18 Sep 2017
Three new windfarms are to be built in the United Kingdom as offshore wind prices reach their lowest levels ever.
CLIMATE CHORUS: Baez finds something new to sing about
18 Sep 2017
Folk legend Joan Baez will join Patti Smith in the line-up for November’s historic Pathway to Paris concert for climate action in New York.
Chocolate industry drives rainforest disaster in Africa
15 Sep 2017
The world’s chocolate industry is driving deforestation on a devastating scale in West Africa.
Shrinking glaciers threaten water supply of millions
15 Sep 2017
Asia’s mountain glaciers will lose at least a third of their mass through global warming by the century’s end, with dire consequences for millions of people.
EU extends respite from airline carbon fees
15 Sep 2017
The European Parliament has approved a plan to keep commercial flights in and out of Europe exempt from the EU’s carbon emission controls until 2021.
China takes aim at high-end solar market
15 Sep 2017
China is looking to dominate the high-end of the global solar power market.
We need coal power, Joyce tells Australians
15 Sep 2017
Australia's deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, says any new investment mechanism for the energy sector, be it a clean energy target or an alternative, will need to keep coal-fired power stations open.
China, EU and Canada to take lead on climate
14 Sep 2017
New partners China, Canada and the EU move to take on global climate leadership at meeting in Canada this weekend as US influence declines.
Coal plant closes but emissions still on the rise
14 Sep 2017
Australia’s overall greenhouse gas emissions last financial year were the highest since 2011, despite the closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power plant.
China readies for ethanol fuels binge
14 Sep 2017
China’s bold plan to blend renewable fuels into its gasoline supply within three years will revolutionize its fledging biofuels industry, and likely spur billions of dollars in investment in ethanol factories.
PEDESTRIAN POWER: Where is the world's most walkable city?
14 Sep 2017
From New York’s cafe squares to the laneways of Melbourne, pedestrian paradises combine safety, beauty and comfort. Now urban planners are taking note as they seek to hand back cities to the walkers.
EU moves closer to ‘genuine energy union’
14 Sep 2017
European lawmakers this week approved a new security of gas regulation, which includes a solidarity principle in case of supply disruptions and will make it more difficult for other countries to “blackmail” the EU’s members.
Macron to pitch global environmental rights charter
13 Sep 2017
French president Emmanuel Macron is set to call for a global pact affirming universal principles for environmental protection at the UN general assembly next week.
Third of Earth's soil is acutely degraded due to agriculture
13 Sep 2017
Fertile soil is being lost at rate of 24 billion tonnes a year through intensive farming as demand for food increases, says a UN-backed study.
South Australia commits $150m to new-energy fund
13 Sep 2017
The government of South Australia has just announced it will invest $A150 million in renewable energy projects as part of its Renewable Technology Fund.
Tiny part of oceans could help to feed plenty
13 Sep 2017
Marine aquaculture could produce as much seafood as all of the world’s wild marine fisheries, using less than 0.015 per cent of the space in the oceans.
China’s sponge cities aim to re-use 70% of rainwater
12 Sep 2017
China’s "sponge city" initiative has an ambitious goal: by 2020, 80 per cent of urban areas should absorb and re-use at least 70 per cent of rainwater.
ACID TEST: The global crisis you’ve never heard of
12 Sep 2017
Cyanidation was the breakthrough gold mining technology of the 1890s, when it enabled Anglo mining conglomerates to make colossal profits from low grade ores. Today, the legacy is life-threatening.
TRAGEDY TOWN: Community that took on the Kochs
12 Sep 2017
A new film tells the story of Crossett, Arkansas – a small town dominated by a Koch brothers-owned paper mill, blamed for dumping cancer-causing chemicals.
China to ban sale of fossil-fuel cars
11 Sep 2017
China wil set a deadline for carmakers to end sales of fossil-fuel powered vehicles, a move aimed at pushing companies to speed efforts in developing electric vehicles.
SEASHORE SHOCK: We're approaching peak sand
11 Sep 2017
Exploitation of global supplies of sand is damaging the environment, endangering communities, causing shortages and promoting violent conflict.
Storms lay costs of climate denial at Trump’s door
11 Sep 2017
The US president’s dismissal of scientific research is doing nothing to protect the livelihoods of ordinary Americans.
DANGEROUS DIET: Sea salt is sucking up plastic pollution
11 Sep 2017
Sea salt around the world has been contaminated by plastic pollution, adding to experts’ fears that microplastics are becoming ubiquitous in the environment and finding their way into the food chain.
Easter Island becomes one of world's largest marine parks
11 Sep 2017
One of the world’s largest marine protection areas has been created off the coast of Easter Island.
Mars (the bars kind) counters Trump's climate craziness
8 Sep 2017
The corporate backlash is growing against Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, with Mars launching a $1bn sustainability plan and an M&M’s campaign centred on renewable energy.
Norway vote could be turning point for Arctic oil
8 Sep 2017
Norway has a general election on Monday. The future of its oil industry has become – to the surprise of the three largest parties – one of the most debated and divisive campaign themes.
France to ban oil, gas output on home soil
8 Sep 2017
France has unveiled a law to ban all production and exploration of oil and natural gas by 2040 on the country’s mainland and overseas territories.
BLOOM AND BUST: Sick seas hurt the housing market
8 Sep 2017
In the real estate business, it’s all about location, location, location. Except when it’s about water quality. And large algal outbreaks are a great way to dampen the value of waterfront property.
Climate fiction really can make a difference
8 Sep 2017
Cli-fi has the potential to make people care about and individually connect to climate change, motivating them to seek out the scientific evidence for themselves.
Merkel under pressure to tackle toxic smog
7 Sep 2017
With less than three weeks until the German elections, pressure is mounting on Angela Merkel to tackle the deadly smog in a large number of cities or face a court-enforced diesel ban and backlash from millions of motorists faced with plummeting resale values.
Scotland sets 2032 ban on new diesel and petrol cars
7 Sep 2017
Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has declared that the country will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2032.
TICK-TOCK: Parasites on countdown to extinction
7 Sep 2017
As many as one in three parasites could become extinct as a result of climate change by 2070, new research suggests.
Parents face fines for driving children to school
7 Sep 2017
Parents across the UK face tough restrictions – and even fines – over driving their children to the school gates, in a push by councils on road safety and pollution.
Trump wants climate science denier to run NASA
6 Sep 2017
The White House has announced that President Donald Trump plans to nominate Republican Jim Bridenstine, a climate science denier, to be administrator of NASA.
Scotland claims tidal power world record
6 Sep 2017
August was a record-breaking month for Scottish tidal energy, after a power station managed to generate 700 megawatt-hours of electricity.
Insurance industry eyes Hurricane Harvey cost
6 Sep 2017
Because US infrastructure is not built to withstand climate change the cost of the Hurrican Harvey disaster will be relatively high.
Australian business gets the tech message
6 Sep 2017
Australian businesses are now starting to grasp the fact they need to cut greenhouse gas emissions, says a company that had to take its carbon dioxide-capture technology to Europe because there was no interest at home.
Going to Dubai? Take a bike
6 Sep 2017
Dubai has approved the construction of 500km of bicycle lanes as part of air pollution mitigation efforts.
Australia’s record winter linked to climate change
5 Sep 2017
Australia’s winter had the highest average daytime temperatures on record. It was also the driest in 15 years.
Your fancy organic T-shirt is doomed to end up in a dump
5 Sep 2017
Fashion magazine Marie Claire has published its first sustainability issue, representing one of the first times mainstream fashion has turned an eye on environmental and social issues.
Faded favourite jeans might be causing a health threat
5 Sep 2017
The faded, “distressed look” of a favorite pair of blue jeans, might come with a hidden price.
Glyphosate ban will kill ‘conservation agriculture’
5 Sep 2017
Farmers in France have reacted strongly to the government's intention to block the reauthorisation of glyphosate, pointing out the negative effects the ban would have on conservation farming.
Global warming doubles growth of Antarctic marine fauna
5 Sep 2017
Marine life on the Antarctic seabed is likely to be far more affected by global warming than previously thought, say scientists who have conducted the most sophisticated study to date of heating impacts in the species-rich environment.
California wants law setting 100% renewable power goal
4 Sep 2017
California, the world’s sixth-largest economy, is aiming for an entirely clean power grid by 2045 with legislation that pits technology start-ups against utilities.
Chaco forests go up in smoke as the West's barbecue fuel
4 Sep 2017
No tropical forests anywhere in the world are being destroyed more rapidly than the Chaco, stretching across Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Mostly, the trees provide fuel for barbecues.
Abbott to be keynote speaker at climate sceptics' meeting
4 Sep 2017
Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott next month will give the annual lecture to a London-based climate sceptic group.
Women need much more say in climate change debate
4 Sep 2017
Globally, women are more affected by climate change. Sweden’s deputy prime minister and the head of the Green Climate Fund say women must be brought into the discussion.
Finland doubles down on nuclear power
4 Sep 2017
Finland is set to embrace a decarbonised future by increasing carbon taxes and introducing laws in 2018 that will begin to phase out the use of coal, with more nuclear capacity waiting to offer an alternative fuel source.
More carmakers launch scrappage schemes
4 Sep 2017
Five more carmakers have launched scrappage schemes as the industry tries to kickstart the stuttering UK market by offering thousands of pounds off new, less polluting models.
Oil refinery fire at key Victoria facility
16 Apr 2026
Explosions and towering flames were reported as a significant fire broke out at one of Australia’s major oil refineries.
Trump takes a ‘wrecking ball’ to independent scientific advisory board
Thu 30 Apr 2026
Without the impartial oversight of its board, the National Science Foundation is now “fully at the behest of the White House,” experts warn.
China’s leadership calls for ‘strict control’ of fossil fuels
Tue 28 Apr 2026
Chinese government leaders published a policy document on 22 April – Earth Day – calling for stricter controls on fossil-fuel consumption and greater oversight of heavy emitters.
EU faces ‘China shock’ as EV imports drive Beijing’s record surplus with bloc
Fri 1 May 2026
The EU is experiencing a prolonged “China shock” as a flood of Chinese EVs into Europe helped push Beijing to a record surplus with the bloc.
UK scientists to fire salt water into the sky in bid to tackle climate crisis
Fri 1 May 2026
Government supporting new geoengineering techniques as race against unregulated companies seeking to capitalise on need for climate cooling tech heats up.
Canada, Alberta close in on carbon price agreement, sources say
Wed 29 Apr 2026
Canada and Alberta are expected to strike a deal in the next two weeks that will increase the price on carbon for the province's industrial emitters, but a broader agreement to tackle oil sands greenhouse gases and green-light a new crude oil export pipeline remains elusive.
India submits new climate action pledges to UN body, flags condition to fulfil promise
Wed 29 Apr 2026
India has formally submitted its pledge to the UN climate body, underline importing conditions noting the developing countries' committments cannot be fulfilled without adequate support in terms of finance and technology transfer.
Tuvalu to host world leaders before COP31 summit
16 Apr 2026
Tuvalu, the Pacific nation at the forefront of the global climate crisis, will host a special meeting of world leaders before this year’s Cop31 summit, as the conference president expresses “complete faith” in Chris Bowen to lead tough negotiations.
Drowned chicks and food scarcity: Emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal now endangered
13 Apr 2026
The primary drivers are shrinking sea ice and warming oceans driven by climate change.
Rationing power and diluting petrol – how African countries are coping with effects of Iran war
30 Mar 2026
Countries across Africa have taken measures such as diluting petrol and restricting electricity consumption to cope with the fuel crisis triggered by the US and Israel's war in Iran.
Beef production drives 40% of agriculture-linked forest destruction, Brazil leads
26 Mar 2026
Beef production is the leading driver of agriculture-linked deforestation, accounting for 40% of all forest clearing done to open space for food production, according to details of a study released on Tuesday.
Extreme heat threatens global food systems, UN agencies warn
23 Apr 2026
Extreme heat is pushing global agrifood systems to the brink, threatening the livelihoods and health of more than a billion people, according to a new report by the U.N.'s food and weather agencies.
