International: All stories
Why climate policies are for life, not just for Christmas
22 Dec 2014
Devoted followers of international wrangling on climate change will see much that they recognise in the five-page text emanating from the UN climate talks in Lima.
Voluntary action isn't enough to make cities better
22 Dec 2014
Voluntary programmes are all the rage. From ratcheting up obesity cybersecurity to fighting obesity, firms in the United States and elsewhere voluntarily make pledges to do better than governmental regulation.
Climate talks off on the rocky road to Paris
15 Dec 2014
A deal struck in Lima between 196 nations today leaves open the possibility of saving the planet from dangerous overheating. But its critics say the prospects of success are now slim.
Carbon trade in Beijing tops 100 million yuan
15 Dec 2014
Carbon trade volume in Beijing has reached 105 million yuan ($NZ21.8 million) since a carbon emissions trading scheme was launched in the city a year ago.
WORLD WEB: Meet the world’s greatest climate wrecker … Australia
15 Dec 2014
* Welcome to Planet Oz: Julie Bishop’s speech to Lima climate talks * Change of heart: Abbott government commits $200m to Green Climate Fund * Cutting carbon a good business opportunity, private sector told * EU court nails Austria, Poland over breaches to green energy rules * Scots' renewable energy offsets a million tonnes of CO2 every month * How to harvest energy from everything that moves
Our new energy mix is a game-changer, says India
15 Dec 2014
While the political spotlight focused on the world’s two biggest polluters − China and the US − in the run-up to the Lima climate talks, pressure is mounting on India to set emissions targets to help to prevent the planet overheating.
Ocean heat drives surge to global warming record
8 Dec 2014
It’s official, even though it won’t be conclusive for a few months yet: if present trends continue, 2014 will be one of the hottest years on record − and quite possibly the hottest of them all.
WORLD WEB: 'They say that in 30 years maybe Kiribati will disappear'
8 Dec 2014
* Adapting to a warmer climate could cost almost three times as much as thought, says UN report * German government approves €80 billion climate package * Local buddy scheme to help boost renewables and energy efficiency * Gobal emissions scheme talks renewed * Major new study confirms wind farms do not harm human health
Australia should export more ideas and fewer greenhouse emissions
8 Dec 2014
As climate negotiators meet at the US-China climate deal United Nations' Lima summit, which comes hot on the heels of the landmark
Lima climate talks ‘stepping stone’ for universal treaty
1 Dec 2014
A new round of talks in Lima is an opportunity to raise immediate awareness on climate change and lay the foundation for a new universal agreement to be adopted in 2015, says a top UN official.
Cities key to economic growth and fighting climate crisis
1 Dec 2014
How cities develop will be critical to achieve economic growth and tackle climate change, according to a new series of studies.
How climate fund pledges stack up to what's needed
1 Dec 2014
By ELIZABETH DOUGLASS.- Depending on who you ask, the $9.6 billion in pledges for the Green Climate Fund is either a woeful start or an encouraging sign that wealthy nations are serious about helping poorer ones deal with climate change.
WORLD WEB: Plastics to be banned from European landfill
1 Dec 2014
* Pope Francis backs global efforts to tackle climate change * Medical students to be taught how to cope with impacts of climate change * EU agrees on law to make ships measure CO2 emissions * Rocket can reach the moon fuelled by human waste * Jargon busting: Inside the world of the UN climate talks
Why Australian investment in renewable energy has stalled
1 Dec 2014
Investment in Australia's renewable energy sector in the year to September 2014 was down 70 per cent on investment during the previous 12 months.
Sydney's green energy plans impress judges
1 Dec 2014
The City of Sydney’s Renewable Energy Master Plan- including plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 - has scooped the prestigious European Solar Prize 2014 award for excellence and innovation.
Obama pledge gets dollars flowing into climate fund
24 Nov 2014
It was quite a week for those waiting for some action on climate change.
Investors slow to take up climate change fight
24 Nov 2014
Global investment in climate change reduction has fallen for the second year in a row, a drop of $28 billion from 2012, and far below estimates of what is needed, according to new research
Six steps world leaders must agree to take to protect Earth
24 Nov 2014
International talks in Paris in 2015 could see the world’s nations agree to limit global warming to a rise of 2C.
WORLD WEB: Toyota hopes to recreate Prius success with hydrogen-powered Mirai
24 Nov 2014
* Next president could make or break US climate plans * Industry shock as marine energy leader Pelamis to call in administrators * Germany’s climate targets unattainable with dirty coal power, analysts say * Europe reveals plans to ration shoppers to 40 free carrier bags a year * Nasa animation shows stunning year in the life of carbon emissions
UN warns Pacific islands of extreme weather risks
24 Nov 2014
Extreme weather conditions predicted for the Pacific Ocean pose a significant threat for island states' industry and infrastructure, warns the United Nations.
Court rules Britain must clean up air pollution
24 Nov 2014
The UK government will be forced to urgently clean up illegal air pollution in British cities following a ruling in the European court of justice.
Deal or no deal … can China and the US deliver?
17 Nov 2014
It’s been called an historic agreement − a game changer in the battle to combat climate change. But can China and the US fulfill the promises in their announcement of plans to cut carbon emissions?
Does this climate deal let China do nothing for 16 years?
17 Nov 2014
“As I read the agreement it requires the Chinese to do nothing at all for 16 years while these carbon emissions regulations are creating havoc in my state and around the country.” – US Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, November 12, 2014.
G20 climate challenge calls for a rethink of economics
17 Nov 2014
Focusing on growth, the Brisbane G20 leaders' summit has not grappled with three key issues - how much more growth the planet can survive, how poorer nations can raise their living standards to parity with the developed world, and how can a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth be realised?
WORLD WEB: Coal industry costs Australia $8 billion in medical bills
17 Nov 2014
* New Commission floats first 'kill list' of green EU laws * India feels heat as pressure mounts to deliver climate target * Global meat demand ploughs up Brazil's 'underground forest' * Giant batteries connected to the grid: the future of energy storage? * Hyundai, Kia to triple range of green cars by 2020
Australia's green building review adds more uncertainty
17 Nov 2014
Australia's Commercial Building Disclosure programme is the latest federal environmental policy to be placed under review.
Election rout blow to US climate change role
10 Nov 2014
The role of the United States in confronting the global climate crisis has been cast into serious doubt after an election that stacked the deck in Congress in favor of fossil fuel industries.
Environment another casualty of war, says UN
10 Nov 2014
The environment has long been a “silent casualty of war, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday as he warned that the fast-changing dynamic of conflict required solutions to support peace and sustainable development.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
10 Nov 2014
* Why the climate movement needs to get confrontational * Govt bid to strip Tasmanian forests of world heritage cover 'disappointing' * The world's 10 biggest tidal power projects * Energy storage slam dunk: Graphene + carbon canotubes + li-ion EV batteries * NASA rolls out enhanced, mobile-friendly climate site
Why warnings on climate spark aggressive denials
10 Nov 2014
If you don’t like the message on climate change, it seems that the answer is to shoot the messenger.
Leaders must act, says UN after dire climate report
3 Nov 2014
If left unchecked, climate change will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems, says a United Nations report.
At last, there's a glimpse of an ETS in Australia
3 Nov 2014
With the passage of the Emissions Reduction Fund through the Senate last week, Australia's federal government has taken a step toward achieving the country's minimum target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 5 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020.
WORLD WEB: We can continue to burn coal, says Australia
3 Nov 2014
* Germany may cut coal-fired energy to protect climate * Banks invest record €66bn in coal sector * Airport solar farm will be world’s largest * Scotland to open remanufacturing hub to cash in on waste
Booming cities need sustainable urban planning
3 Nov 2014
Growing urban areas will need better planned and better managed environments or risk exacerbating negative trends, the United Nations has warned.
China-US links could spark emissions breakthrough
3 Nov 2014
Tentative steps have been taken by China and the United States towards co-operating on climate change − mainly focusing on relatively modest technological schemes connected with more efficient and less polluting power generation.
Insurance industry sleeps through climate alarm calls
3 Nov 2014
Insurance is all about assessing risk, so you might expect companies in the sector to be intimately involved with one of the most potent risks facing the world – the possibility of catastrophic climate change.
Why uncontrolled climate change might limit growth
3 Nov 2014
By JACK PEZZEY.- “But who do you think’s right, Prof? The optimists or the pessimists?” At the end of my sustainability economics course in 2007, students were challenging me to end 20 years of professional fence-sitting.
New EU emissions goal pits green business against industry
28 Oct 2014
A European Union goal to cut greenhouse gases by 40 per cent by 2030 sets the pace for a global deal to tackle climate change, pitting heavy industry against green business.
WORLD WEB: Sweden the greenest country ... so, where is NZ?
28 Oct 2014
* Carmakers prepare to shift to hydrogen fuel cells * New York Green Bank in debut clean energy transactions * Off-grid German village runs on wind and sun * UK to axe solar farm subsidies in favour of biomass crops
Oil boom prompts US to push for crude exports
28 Oct 2014
Oil and coal producers in the United States are planning to use mile-long tanker trains to transport vast quantities of fossil fuels to the coast through areas that environmental groups believe should be protected.
Angry city draws a line in the (fracking) sand
20 Oct 2014
A college town in southern Minnesota is taking action against the frac-sand industry that's booming amid America's drilling revolution.
WORLD WEB: Global shipping emissions set to soar unchecked
20 Oct 2014
* Pacific Islanders blockade Australian coal port to protest rising sea levels * Sweden calls on EU to agree 50% carbon cuts for 2030 * Impacts of climate change to now be included in UK's military planning * South Africa's Eskom powers up wind farm * China to phase out financial support for solar power sector by 2020
Australia's big emitters might yet be billed
13 Oct 2014
Australian companies could yet face a financial penalty for excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
VOILA! A simple new way to put a price on global carbon
13 Oct 2014
A team of French academics has proposed an international carbon trading system, whereby countries with the highest average CO2 emissions pay the most.
WORLD WEB: Why is Antarctic sea ice at record levels despite global warming?
13 Oct 2014
* Australian Labor Party leader rules out carbon tax return * European businesses split over urgency of EU carbon market fix * Canadian watchdog castigates government climate strategy * Walmart owners backing campaigns to limit rooftop solar power * 25 Devastating Effects Of Climate Change * Climate consensus: scientists and sceptics suspend hostilities
Sick seas could cost us billions, UN warns
13 Oct 2014
The global economy could be losing as much as $1 trillion annually by the end of the century if countries do not take urgent steps to stop ocean acidification, says a new report.
Human handprint marks Australia’s hottest year
6 Oct 2014
Despite the Australian prime minister’s climate science scepticism, research funded by taxpayers has unanimously found man-made climate change guilty of causing the country’s record-breaking temperatures last year.
E-cars could make British carmakers great again
6 Oct 2014
British-owned car manufacturing has been in decline for decades, but the shift to electric cars might be just what is needed for a revival.
CARBON WEB ... Global clean energy investment sustains its recovery
6 Oct 2014
* Australia's investment in renewable energy slumps 70% in one year * UK delivers £9.4 million to boost low-carbon heating * World’s first major power plant with carbon capture opens in Canada * Europe targets greater role for ocean renewable energy by 2020 * Five surprising ways climate change can kill you * Carbon-credit trading scandal unfolds in Italian court
Party pact blocks environmental one-stop move
6 Oct 2014
Australia's Greens have secured a deal with the Palmer United Party and Labor that effectively kills the federal government's plan to hand its environmental approval powers to the states under its "one-stop shop" policy.
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.
