International: All stories
Anxious states await extreme bushfire season
8 Dec 2016
New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are bracing for another severe bushfire season, as climate change continues to drive extreme conditions, a new report says.
There’s a secret UN climate summit taking place in Mexico
8 Dec 2016
There’s a UN climate change meeting involving nearly 200 governments taking place right now in the Mexican holiday resort of Cancun.
Japan's emissions drop to five-year low
7 Dec 2016
Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fell 3 per cent to a five-year low in the financial year through March due to lower power demand, growing renewable energy and the restart of nuclear power plants.
Frydenberg backtracks on emissions trading
7 Dec 2016
Australia's energy and environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, has folded in the face of internal pressure, declaring the Turnbull government will not pursue emissions trading as part of adjusting its climate policy.
Climate change will stir ‘unimaginable’ crisis
7 Dec 2016
Climate change is set to cause a refugee crisis of “unimaginable scale,” according to senior military figures, who warn that global warming is the greatest security threat of the 21st century.
Fiji turns beauty queen into climate queen
7 Dec 2016
Miss Pacific Islands 2016, 23-year-old law graduate Anne Dunn, has been appointed Fiji’s ambassador for climate change and the environment.
Anxious investors plead for clear climate policy
6 Dec 2016
Australian investors want clear climate policy that delivers certainty – and access to international carbon markets, says the Investor Group on Climate Change.
Australian lines companies call for carbon trading
6 Dec 2016
Australia’s electricity and gas transmission industry is calling on the Turnbull government to implement a form of carbon trading in the national electricity market by 2022 and review the scope for economy-wide carbon pricing by 2027.
GORE on TRUMP: No time for despair
6 Dec 2016
The urgent threat of climate change means there is “no time to despair” over the election of Donald Trump, according to former vice-president Al Gore.
China sets 2020 target for clean air in big cities
6 Dec 2016
China aims to provide clean air in its largest cities for 80 per cent of each year, or more than nine-and-a-half months, by 2020, up from a figure of 76.7 per cent last year.
GRITTY GIFT: Windborne dust is Africa's export to the world
6 Dec 2016
Climate scientists have identified Africa’s single biggest export – the windborne dust that fertilises the Amazon forests, nourishes life in the Atlantic ocean and softens the noonday blaze of the sun.
Denmark slashes food waste by 25 per cent in just five years
6 Dec 2016
Denmark has cut food waste by 25 per cent in five years, thanks to a new approach to damaged and out-of-date food.
Canberra climate review to focus on emissions target
5 Dec 2016
The Turnbull government will maintain its blanket ban on the introduction of an emissions trading scheme and has ruled out an increase to the renewable energy target ahead of its long-awaited review of its climate change policy next year.
Soil holds 50 trillion kilograms of carbon
5 Dec 2016
More than 50 trillion kilograms of carbon could be released into the atmosphere from the soil by mid-century if no moves to mitigate climate change are successful, says a new report.
More and more people are getting into bigger trouble
2 Dec 2016
On average, one person is displaced each second by a disaster-related hazard. In global terms, that’s about 26 million people a year.
Why the world's cities need to go on a resource diet
2 Dec 2016
The importance of cities is only going to increase in coming decades as another 2.5 billion people move to urban centres.
Trading group hails EU climate strategy move
2 Dec 2016
The European Commission’s Winter Package is a further step toward harmonising the bloc’s climate and energy strategy, says the International Emissions Trading Association.
Antarctic search begins for world's oldest ice
1 Dec 2016
As the short Antarctic spring ends and long summer days approach, geoscientists are flocking to the frozen continent to start a new kind of exploration.
EU targets energy waste and coal in new climate deal
1 Dec 2016
Europe will begin phasing out coal subsidies and cut its energy use by 30 per cent before the end of the next decade, under a major clean energy package just announced.
Cement giants get €5b carbon market windfall
1 Dec 2016
The EU carbon market's generous handouts to industries deemed at risk of losing business abroad are undermining the system, a watchdog has warned.
How two clothing tycoons saved Patagonia
1 Dec 2016
Alongside her husband, Doug, Kris McDivitt Tompkins bought up vast swaths of Patagonia to save it from developers.
Paris deal needs US, warns White House
30 Nov 2016
The world will not achieve its climate goals without an active US administration leading on greenhouse gas cuts, the White House has warned.
Americans begin to fear for public lands
30 Nov 2016
Donald Trump’s election portends a major shift in how one of America’s greatest bulwarks against the impacts of climate change will be protected and used for fossil fuel development.
Antarctic ice sheet breaking from the inside out
30 Nov 2016
An ice sheet in West Antarctica is breaking from the inside out.
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.
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.
