International: All stories
New Sydney waste effort rakes in the e-rubbish
4 May 2015
The City of Sydney has delivered a trailblazing e-waste programme to apartment blocks, with special recycling bins in six large apartment buildings serving 1500 apartments as part of an on-going trial.
US braces itself for even worse wildfire season
4 May 2015
The firefighters are primed, hoses at the ready. May and June are often the peak months for forest fires in the southwest of the US, and the outlook for this year is grim.
Europe sets timetable to slash plastic bag use
4 May 2015
Single-use plastic bags could soon become a thing of the past in European supermarkets.
WORLD TODAY: Church of England ends investments in heavily polluting fossil fuels
4 May 2015
* Tesla unveils home battery to rev up low carbon transition * US, Japan and Canada miss Green Climate Fund donation deadline * Obama signs energy efficiency bill into law * Solar power plant floating on wastewater hailed for multiple environmental benefits * Russia to power Arctic drilling with floating nuclear reactors * UN chief and Pope Francis discuss climate change
Malaysian authorities seize book on timber corruption
4 May 2015
Malaysia’s Home Ministry has seized an explosive book on timber corruption in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
Companies sold themselves short, says analyst
4 May 2015
Many companies bidding for carbon credits in Australia’s first auction sold themselves short, says market analyst Reputex.
So, where's the carbon auction money going?
28 Apr 2015
The results of the Australian Government’s first reverse auction (https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-does-todays-direct-action-reverse-auction-work-40152) of carbon-cutting projects have been released. Where is the money going?
Watchdog calls for 30% emissions cut by 2025
28 Apr 2015
Australia should pledge far deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions than its current target if it is to do its fair share in tackling climate change, according to a report by the Climate Change Authority, which advises the federal government on climate policy.
Unburnable carbon: why we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground
28 Apr 2015
Ninety per cent of Australia’s current coal reserves will need to be left in the ground for Australia to play its role in limiting warming to no more than 2C.
It's up to central banks to back the climate change fight
28 Apr 2015
In the aftermath of the 2008/9 global financial crisis central banks around the world pumped billions of dollars into the monetary system to safeguard the world economy.
Call for an end to ‘business as usual’ option on climate
28 Apr 2015
The whole issue of climate is much too important to be left to governments and their leaders, says Mary Robinson, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy on climate change.
WORLD TODAY: Hawaii wants to be the first state to run completely on renewable energy
28 Apr 2015
* Will 2015 be the warmest year on record? * Like shale gas, solar power shaking up global energy * Coal faces a day of reckoning in New Mexico * Pension funds failing to manage climate risk could get sued * Formula One technology makes fridges more energy efficient
There’s nothing ‘perma’ about Arctic permafrost
28 Apr 2015
Permafrost - a vast, frozen subsurface layer of soil - covers nearly a quarter of the land in the northern hemisphere. It contains centuries worth of carbon in the form of plants that have died since the last ice age but remained frozen rather than decomposing.
Inquiry takes aim at green charities that get political
20 Apr 2015
The almost 600 environmental groups that hold tax-deductibility status in Australia are being scrutinised by a Federal Government inquiry, with reports that more than 100 of them face being struck off the list.
WORLD TODAY: Clinton to make climate top of agenda for White House run
20 Apr 2015
* Dutch government facing legal action over failure to reduce carbon emissions * US greenhouse gas emissions spiked 2 per cent in 2013 * Brazil to offer ambitious climate plan with more renewables * Brompton Bicycles – the unfolding saga of a two-wheeled success story
Unhappy birthday for UK's nuclear white elephants
13 Apr 2015
A state-of-the-art British plant designed to re-use spent nuclear fuel so as to cut greenhouse gas emissions is to close after years of what its critics call “commercial and technical failure.”
WORLD TODAY: Fossil fuel-free funds better than conventional ones, figures shows
13 Apr 2015
* Former UN climate chief defends coal finance * US carbon emissions set to fall to lowest level in two decades * Bloomberg pours $30m more into fighting coal * Top development banks agree definition for climate finance * World mayors call for prompt action to fight climate change * Vancouver commits to run on 100% renewable energy
Why all cities should have a Department of Food
7 Apr 2015
The United States is a nation where hunger and obesity go hand in hand. More than 17 million households struggle to put food on the table, and when they do, it’s often high in fat and sugar because healthy options are scarce in low-income neighborhoods.
WORLD TODAY: Why Corporate America is reluctant to take a stand on climate action
7 Apr 2015
* Carbon floor price hike will trigger UK coal slowdown, say analysts * EU reaches tentative deal to cap food-based biofuels * One million green jobs projected by 2030 in China, EU and US * Guardian Media Group to divest its £800m fund from fossil fuels * Ontario plans cap-and-trade on greenhouse gas emissions * California water restrictions signal new era of drought risk
Rich nations urged to cut temperature rise targets
7 Apr 2015
The official target of limiting global warming to a 2C rise has been described by a senior scientist as “utterly inadequate” to protect the people most at risk from climate change.
China ramps up the rhetoric on climate change
30 Mar 2015
By KEIRAN COOKE.- Zheng Guogang, head of the China Meteorological Administration, says future variations in climate are likely to reduce crop yields and damage the environment.
WORLD TODAY: Antarctic ice shelves melting dramatically, study finds
30 Mar 2015
* Satellite data indicates sea levels rising faster than expected * UK faces European court over coal plant emissions * Pakistan shelves six coal-fired power projects * Rockefeller family tried and failed to get ExxonMobil to accept climate change
Earth at risk in new epoch ruled by destructive humans
23 Mar 2015
Nature has been replaced by humans as the driving force behind changes on the planet − and we need to take urgent action if we are to avoid our own destruction.
Chemicals in fashion industry under spotlight
23 Mar 2015
Efforts by major fashion brands to remove toxic chemicals from their supply chains and to tackle water pollution are under the public spotlight.
WORLD TODAY: Florida employee punished for using phrase 'climate change'
23 Mar 2015
* France decrees new rooftops must be covered in plants or solar panels * Gates Foundation has $1.4bn in fossil fuel investments * Costa Rica powered by 100% renewable energy for first 75 days of 2015
Heat is on to slow down faster rise in temperatures
16 Mar 2015
Analysis of temperature records and reconstructions of past climates indicates that the pace of global warming is about to accelerate.
Anthropocene began with species exchange between Old and New Worlds
16 Mar 2015
Time is divided by geologists according to marked shifts in the Earth’s state. Human activity has clearly altered the land surface, oceans and atmosphere, and re-ordered life on Earth. This suggests that the planet has entered a new human-dominated geological epoch, called the Anthropocene.
World needs early warning of climate-linked disasters
16 Mar 2015
A senior French political leader has told an international conference on how to reduce the risk from natural disasters that 70 per cent of them are now linked to climate change, twice as many as 20 years ago.
WORLD TODAY: Global emissions stall in 2014 following slowdown in China's economy
16 Mar 2015
* Norway's giant fund increases stake in oil and gas companies to £20b * China’s dirty coal plants face climate risk, investors warned * Japan continues to re-embrace coal * Energy efficiency investment must increase five-fold, warns report * A new theory for why the bees are vanishing
WORLD TODAY: Why fresh water shortages will cause the next great global crisis
9 Mar 2015
* EU commits to cut emissions ‘at least’ 40% by 2030 in UN pledge * Canadian government pushing First Nations to give up land rights for oil and gas profits * China blocks web access to documentary on pollution * America's first offshore wind farm set to start construction * Academics probe built-in obsolescence of fridges, notebooks * Sustainable development needed to transform Asia-Pacific’s least developed countries
Business leaders cast wary eye over latest EU plans
2 Mar 2015
International business leaders say that the success of new climate and energy plans for Europe hang on how effectively they are implemented.
Farming boom leaves ecosystems in danger of collapse
2 Mar 2015
China’s push for more intense farming has kept its city dwellers well-fed and has helped to lift millions of rural workers out of poverty … but it has come at a cost.
WORLD TODAY: Game of Thrones bloggers ring climate change alarm bells in US
2 Mar 2015
* End of the Pachauri era: The evolution of consensus on climate science * Reducing food waste could save the global economy $300 billion a year * Germany sees four-fold increase in renewables since 2000 * Waste not, want not: how the rubbish industry learned to look beyond landfill * Switzerland issues pledge for UN climate change pact
Big cities head for water crisis as populations explode
23 Feb 2015
More than 40 per cent of the world’s great cities supplied by surface water could become vulnerable to shortages and drought by 2040, according to new research.
WORLD TODAY: Coal states build wall of red tape to resist Obama's power plan
23 Feb 2015
* Citigroup sets $100b funding goal for green projects * Deutsche bank seeks to buy $1b in green bonds * Carbon pricing pays the way for cleaner energy * EU introduces new rules to make cooking greener * Alberta’s climate-change fund tackles cattle and crop greenhouse gas emissions
EU edges toward 2018 start date for carbon reform
16 Feb 2015
European Union politicians are expected to agree on a compromise 2018 start date for reforms to the Emissions Trading System to try to bridge divisions over efforts to prop up the world's biggest carbon market.
WORLD TODAY: US faces worst droughts in 1000 years, say scientists
16 Feb 2015
* UK political leaders sign climate consensus ahead of election * Germany moves to legalise fracking * Vatican mulling new department to tackle environmental issues * Japan has more car chargers than gas stations * Nissan's glow-in-the-dark LEAF car highlights solar energy benefits
UN states agree on key document for climate change pact
16 Feb 2015
A key milestone on the route to a new, universal agreement on climate change has been reached by more than 190 states meeting in Geneva.
Yes, we can live well and avoid climate disaster, says report
9 Feb 2015
The world can enjoy higher standards of living and more travel, while drastically cutting emissions to avoid dangerous climate change – but only with sweeping changes to our infrastructure, the natural world and agriculture, a new analysis has found.
WORLD WEB: Biggest sovereign wealth fund dumps dozens of coal companies
9 Feb 2015
* France to axe coal subsidies while EU stalls * Can the coal industry lead a carbon capture makeover? * Abbott denies China's carbon trading plan shows he is out of step * Climate change to blame for Australia's record hottest year, says report * Landlords to be banned from renting out energy-inefficient properties * BP embraces climate change risk resolution * Wales follows Scotland and votes in favour of fracking moratorium * Pollution kills far more people than malaria or ebola in...
California rains bring little relief from drought
2 Feb 2015
By KIERAN COOKE.- Doing the right thing in the environs of the University of California, Davis – one of the foremost agricultural institutions in the US – means driving a carbon-efficient car. And having a lawn that’s burned dry.
WORLD WEB: Climate serves up a warning at Australian Open
2 Feb 2015
* Biofuels are not a green alternative to fossil fuels * China coal production falls for first time this century * Europe losing influence in climate negotiations * Ban's new climate adviser warns on geopolitical tensions * Germany to overtake UK this year on offshore wind energy
India gives nothing away in climate talks with US
2 Feb 2015
Hopes that India and the US might announce ambitious plans to co-operate in tackling climate change have proved wide of the mark.
The economic cost of climate change: time for new math
27 Jan 2015
Climate change is as much an economic problem as an environmental one. The effects of climate change, such as damage from more severe weather or health problems from higher temperatures, will impose a cost on society.
WORLD WEB: Light bulbs eco label misused, green NGO claims
27 Jan 2015
* Ban Ki-moon: Lack of focus on green investment 'troubling' * World's leading companies join campaign for 100% renewable power * EU to launch diplomatic offensive ahead of Paris climate talks * After the oil price crash, it’s time for a carbon tax * How will California get 50% of its energy from 'renewable resources' by 2050? * Amazon plans wind farm to power its data centres
Ban names first climate change right-hand man
27 Jan 2015
The United Nations has its first top official whose only job is to deal with climate change.
TWELVE ways to deal with a climate change denier (the BBQ guide)
22 Dec 2014
The end of the year is nigh and it’s a time for Christmas and New Year parties and gatherings. In the southern hemisphere that means barbecues and beaches. In the northern hemisphere it’s mulled wine and cosy fireplaces. But for all of us, it probably means we’ll be subjected to at least one ranting, fact-free sermon by a Typical Climate Change Denier (TCCD).
SEVEN radical ideas for a 2015 climate change deal
22 Dec 2014
WORLD WEB: * UN boss: Lima was a reality check, and leaders need to step up for Paris * Green bonds sell big in 2014 as finance bids to help climate * Washington targets polluters with billion-dollar cap-and-trade plan * Major coral bleaching in Pacific may become worst die-off in 20 years * Honda's hydrogen fuel car to make US debut at Detroit auto show
Australia's emissions targets are heading in the wrong direction
22 Dec 2014
Australia’s emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases are going up and up – and are set to rise by more than 50% over 1990 levels by 2020, according to new research.
Support grows for ban to safeguard mussels
22 Dec 2014
The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Sweden have issued a joint call to ban the microplastics used in detergents and cosmetics, saying the measure will protect marine life – and seafood – from contamination.
No room for the timid: setting Australia’s 2035 emissions target is a daring tightrope act
Tue 26 Aug 2025
Any week now, Australia will set its 2035 emissions target. It must signal the nation’s strong ambition on climate action, to drive policy and investment. And it must avoid being seen as either unrealistic or too costly.
California is backsliding on climate progress. It’s (mostly) Gavin Newsom’s fault
Tue 26 Aug 2025
The California Supreme Court just gave state officials a golden opportunity to revitalize the rooftop solar industry, helping millions of homes and businesses lower their electric bills and fight the climate crisis.
Is historically arid Beijing ready for a wetter future?
Mon 25 Aug 2025
Beijing's mountainous northern Huairou district and neighbouring Miyun district received a year's worth of rain in a single week, triggering flash floods that devastated entire villages and killed 44 people in the deadliest flood since 2012.
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.
Bolivia will choose a new president but environmental activists see little hope of progress
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Many Indigenous and environmental leaders doubt the election will bring progress in stopping deforestation, wildfires or pollution in the Amazon.
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.
