International: All stories
Exit Hazelwood ... and the myth of cheap fossil fuels
31 Mar 2017
Australia's giant Hazelwood brown coal generator shut down the last of its eight units at 4pm yesterday, the latest and the most powerful symbol of the vast and rapid change in the nation's energy system.
Only three EU states on track to meet Paris goals
31 Mar 2017
Only three European countries are on course to achieve the Paris Agreement targets, according to research which ranks the UK in fifth position on its progress towards the landmark climate treaty.
KILLER TOYS: How thousand die for Western consumers
31 Mar 2017
Western consumers who buy cheap imported toys, clothes and mobile phones are indirectly contributing to tens of thousands of pollution-related deaths in the countries where the goods are produced.
Europe readies to take global lead on climate efforts
30 Mar 2017
The European Union has led criticism of Donald Trump’s effort to unravel Barack Obama’s measures to combat climate change, suggesting that Europe will now take the lead in global efforts.
Sydney looks at 2050 to be carbon neutral
30 Mar 2017
Sydney has a plan to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
EU countries abuse forestry credits loophole
30 Mar 2017
European Union countries exploited loopholes in United Nations forestry rules to pocket carbon credits worth €600 million and the equivalent of global-warming emissions from 114 million cars.
Debbie could teach us a thing or two
30 Mar 2017
Despite knowing, approximately, where cyclones tend to occur, we've never thought about adjusting our cities to their effects.
Wildlife changing to keep up with climate
30 Mar 2017
Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing Australia’s wildlife, plants and ecosystems, a point driven home by two consecutive years of mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.
Trump climate moves undermine Paris Agreement
29 Mar 2017
President Trump has launched an all-out assault on Barack Obama’s climate change legacy with a sweeping executive order that undermines America’s commitment to the Paris agreement.
Communities retreat as oceans swell and coasts erode
29 Mar 2017
Erosion, rising seas, ferocious storms and other coastal perils have prompted the resettlement of more than one million people worldwide.
Trump about to undo Obama's clean power plans
28 Mar 2017
President Trump is set to sign a sweeping executive order today aimed at promoting domestic oil, coal and natural gas by reversing much of his predecessor’s efforts to address climate change.
BILL McKIBBEN: Adani mine is the line in the sand
28 Mar 2017
There is nowhere else on the planet right now where the dichotomy between two potential futures is playing out in such a dramatic and explosive way as Australia.
Changing climate damages world's reefs beyond repair
28 Mar 2017
The Great Barrier Reef might never fully recover from the combined effects of global warming and an El Niño year, according to a new study.
UN acknowledges retreat on climate campaigns
27 Mar 2017
The United Nations is acknowledging that some countries might be retreating in the effort to fight climate change, recognising an emerging fissure in the landmark Paris Agreement as US President Donald Trump moves forward with plans to gut environmental programmes.
YUK! How disgust stops us from living sustainably
27 Mar 2017
Imagine, for a second, that the slice of delectable cake melting in your mouth was made with flour ground from insects not grains.
Oil theft provides billions for terrorists and drug cartels
24 Mar 2017
Oil theft is fuelling terrorist groups and drug cartels around the world, according to a new analysis.
Australia to shut big-polluting power station
24 Mar 2017
Australia's most polluting power station, Hazelwood, is set to become the ninth coal-fired power station to close its doors, as the nation’s transition from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy continues.
Arctic ice falls to record winter low
24 Mar 2017
The extent of Arctic ice has fallen to a new wintertime low, as climate change drives freakishly high temperatures in the polar regions.
Getting smarter could add $2 trillion to economy
22 Mar 2017
More sustainable use of materials and energy would not only cover the cost of keeping global warming below 2deg, but also add an extra $2 trillion to the global economy by 2050, says the United Nations.
Overheated world heads into uncharted territory
22 Mar 2017
The record-breaking heat that made 2016 the hottest year recorded has continued into 2017, pushing the world into “truly uncharted territory”, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
US budget aims broadside at climate change
22 Mar 2017
If anything, it’s worse than expected: sweeping cutbacks to environmental programmes; an abandonment of efforts aimed at cleaning up air and water pollution around the US; and, most worrying for the world in general, an end to multimillion-dollar funding for satellite launches and other science projects aimed at tackling climate change.
SAHARA SAGA: If humans did this they could do it again
22 Mar 2017
Once upon a time, the Sahara was green. There were vast lakes. Hippos and giraffe lived there, and large human populations of fishers foraged for food alongside the lakeshores.
Nappies and tampons set to fuel power stations
22 Mar 2017
One of the UK’s trickiest waste problems is being tackled by turning the undesirable into the combustible – tampons and incontinence pads are being converted into dry, burnable bales.
Global emissions stay same for third year in row
21 Mar 2017
Carbon dioxide emissions from energy have not increased for three years in a row even as the global economy grew, the International Energy Agency says.
Kenya places complete ban on plastic bags
21 Mar 2017
Kenya has announced a ban on the use, manufacture and import of all plastic bags which will come into force in six months.
Pressure mounts on Finkel to consider pricing carbon
20 Mar 2017
The Liberal New South Wales government, major energy users, manufacturers and businesses have urged the Finkel review of the electricity market to consider a price on carbon or a market mechanism.
CARBON PAWPRINT: Pets can take heavy toll of environment
20 Mar 2017
Pets can have a large ecological footprint ... some sustainable living experts say that a medium-size dog could have a similar footprint to a large SUV.
Turnbull plan strikes at heart of fossil fuel industry
17 Mar 2017
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants to spend $2 billion on a hydro scheme that will potentially drive a stake through the heart of the country's fossil fuel generation industry.
China takes fresh approach to pollution
17 Mar 2017
China’s air pollution makes many of its towns and cities almost intolerable for their inhabitants. A 2015 report put the numbers killed daily by foul air at 4000 to 5000.
Climate reporting is honest ... and that's a fact
16 Mar 2017
The theory of human-induced climate change is based on the honest reporting of facts, says a new study into publication bias.
Measures of contentment still ignore the environment
16 Mar 2017
Without nature, humans could be neither healthy nor happy. And yet the natural world can be completely ransacked without causing even a tiny blip on our usual measures of economic progress or poverty.
Yes, California can go 100 per cent green
16 Mar 2017
California's Senate leader wants the Golden State to shift to 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2045, pushing it to lead the country in grabbing that green power goal.
Trump set to target vehicle emissions rules
15 Mar 2017
US President Donald Trump is set to formally announce a review of vehicle fuel efficiency rules locked in at the end of the Obama administration when he meets with automaker chiefs this week.
Cities outpace governments in climate action
15 Mar 2017
Cities from Oslo to Sydney are setting goals to curb climate change that exceed national targets, causing tensions with central governments about who controls policy over green energy and transport and construction.
CHANGE OF CLOTHES: Cotton adapting to a warmer world
15 Mar 2017
The cotton industry is turning to innovation to help it to weather challenging growing conditions ahead.
Fossil fuel industry tightens corporate grip on academia
14 Mar 2017
Corporate capture of academic research by the fossil fuel industry is an elephant in the room and a threat to tackling climate change.
Dump all fossil fuels, says Climate Council
14 Mar 2017
Australia’s Climate Council has called for a rapid move away from all fossil-fuelled power sources to reduce the nation’s rising carbon emissions and to protect against worsening extreme weather.
Costs of coastal climate damage set to climb
14 Mar 2017
By 2030, sea level rise driven by global warming could be costing the Netherlands city of Rotterdam $US240 million a year.
Anxious investors want to see price on carbon
13 Mar 2017
Australia should put a price on carbon or risk investors moving their money out of the country, says a group representing more than $1 trillion worth of investment in New Zealand and Australia.
Oceans are warming 13% faster than thought
13 Mar 2017
A new study improves estimates of the rate of ocean warming - a critical component of climate change.
EL DORADO: Rainforest pays high price for gold fever
13 Mar 2017
The legend of El Dorado lives on. The glistening treasure of Latin America, which five centuries ago drew the European conquistadores in search of gold and plunder, is still causing devastation in parts of the continent.
Charles’ book for kids a climate communications masterpiece
13 Mar 2017
With strong sales and positive coverage in the rightwing press, Prince Charkes' children’s book has found a way to speak across the divided politics of climate change.
How Europe’s coastal cities can cope with rising seas
13 Mar 2017
The average global sea level has risen by more than 20cm since 1980 – that’s a rate of 0.5mm per month – according to new research from the Basque Centre for Climate Change.
Pruitt stacks EPA with climate change sceptics
10 Mar 2017
The new head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, has moved to stock many of the agency's top offices with climate sceptics.
UK Budget cold-shoulders climate change
10 Mar 2017
Green businesses were left disappointed yesterday after UK Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered a budget that made no mention of climate change or the low-carbon economy.
Climate Institute runs out of money
10 Mar 2017
Australia's Climate Institute will shut its doors after 12 years of providing independent advocacy and research towards climate change solutions, citing lack of funding.
City goes 100% ... deep in the heart of Texas oil country
10 Mar 2017
Georgetown, Texas, is a conservative town in a conservative state. But it's one of the first cities in the United States to be entirely powered by renewable energy.
Climate battles are being fought, and won, in court
9 Mar 2017
Around the world courts are stepping in when politicians fail to act, with South Africa’s government the latest to lose a groundbreaking climate lawsuit with judges ruling against its plans for a new coal-fired power station.
Hawaii aims to be free of fossil fuels by 2045
9 Mar 2017
Hawaii is intent on going all-renewable by 2045, eliminating fossil fuels and using only electric cars.
Too much info can put people off sustainability
9 Mar 2017
Most people would agree that living more sustainably is something to strive for -- but it’s a lot easier said than done.
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.
