International: All stories
Earth warming at unprecedented pace, says Nasa
31 Aug 2016
The planet is warming at a pace not experienced within the past 1000 years, at least, making it “very unlikely” that the world will stay within a crucial temperature limit agreed by nations just last year, according to Nasa’s top climate scientist.
Victoria first state to ban fracking
31 Aug 2016
The state of Victoria has become the first Australian state to ban fracking and coal seam gas exploration.
COFFEE CRUNCH: There goes the morning latte
31 Aug 2016
Coffee production worldwide could decline by as much as 50 per cent in the next three decades thanks to climate change, according to a new report.
China's trans-Amazon railway stokes forest fears
31 Aug 2016
China's fast-rising population and its burgeoning economy make steep demands on natural resources, so steep that Beijing is searching constantly for supplies from overseas. And it wants to obtain them as cheaply as it can.
Obama creates largest marine protected area
31 Aug 2016
President Barack Obama hasexpanded the Papahânaumokuâkea Marine National Monument surrounding the north-west Hawaiian Islands, creating the world’s largest marine protected area.
Major nations not far off ratifying Paris pact
30 Aug 2016
The Bahamas is the latest country to ratify the Paris Agreement – and the United States, China and Brazil might not be far behind.
WHAT'S COOKING: Paris isn't the only game in town
30 Aug 2016
Luckily for the chances of avoiding global warming, the Paris climate deal isn’t the only game in town. Here’s a rundown of what else is cooking.
Climate sceptic to chair environment body
30 Aug 2016
Australian climate sceptic Liberal MP Craig Kelly has been appointed chairman of the backbench environment and energy committee.
So the Paris deal enters into force, then what?
29 Aug 2016
Excitement is building over the likely entry into force of the UN’s climate deal – but that will only be the start of a new set of tricky negotiations.
Paris check: Australia’s climate plans in focus
29 Aug 2016
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said tackling climate change “inspires and energises” him, but has he delivered?
Japan to make Olympic medals from electronic waste
29 Aug 2016
Japan is planning to make medals for the 2020 Olympic Games out of electronic waste and junked home appliances.
KILL KRILL: Climate could put tiny fish at risk
29 Aug 2016
As climate change warms the Southern Ocean and alters sea ice patterns, the area of Antarctic water suitable for krill to hatch and grow could drop sharply.
Experts demand Turnbull take climate action
26 Aug 2016
More than 150 Australian experts have signed on open letter to the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, demanding urgent action on climate change that matches the dire warnings coming from climate scientists.
CLIMATE CLUES: It all began a long, long time ago
26 Aug 2016
Continents and oceans in the northern hemisphere began to warm with industrial-era fossil fuel emissions nearly 200 years ago, pushing back the origins of human-induced climate change to the mid-19th century.
Let's give ecosystems a helping hand
26 Aug 2016
Australia’s ecosystems are already showing the signs of climate change, from the recent death of mangrove forests in northern Australia, to the decline in birds in eastern Australia, to the inability of mountain ash forests to recover from frequent fires.
Paris Agreement could lock in warming for centuries
26 Aug 2016
The world has warmed about a degree since the Industrial Revolution, and on our current emissions trajectory we will likely breach these limits within decades.
Human impact might be slowing down
25 Aug 2016
Human activities have taken a heavy toll on our environment. But there may be some hope.
When will this massive Antarctic ice shelf break apart?
25 Aug 2016
A crack is spreading rapidly across Antarctica’s fourth-largest ice shelf, hastening the loss of a massive chunk of ice, say scientists.
California Assembly approves climate change law
25 Aug 2016
A bill extending California’s greenhouse gas emission targets has squeaked by in the state Assembly.
How Australia could blow its carbon budget
25 Aug 2016
Australia will blow its carbon budget with either the Coalition’s emissions reduction targets, or those suggested by the Labor opposition, highlighting the urgent need for negative-emissions technology.
Can a single region show Florida how to adapt?
25 Aug 2016
With every passing year, Southeast Florida faces more pressure to adapt to climate change.
Russia poses threat in melting Arctic, says UK
24 Aug 2016
Russian military expansion in the Arctic as a result of the melting ice-cap is a potential threat to the UK, a Parliamentary inquiry has concluded.
How an English village became a climate leader
24 Aug 2016
The English village of Ashton Hayes is different in an important way when it comes to one of the world’s most pressing issues: climate change.
Don’t fear a Jellygeddon ...
24 Aug 2016
Reports of the pending jellyfish apocalypse have been greatly exaggerated.
Special report to scrutinise feasibility of 1.5deg
23 Aug 2016
The head of the United Nation’s climate body has called for a thorough assessment of the feasibility of the international goal to limit warming to 1.5deg.
Forest restoration can turn the clock back
23 Aug 2016
The ecological and carbon cost of rainforest destruction goes on accumulating for years after nations halt the conversion of canopy into farmland, scientists have found.
Here's how homeowners can beat the worry of rising seas
23 Aug 2016
A market-based initiative could help houseowners to escape from coastal properties under threat from rising seas.
Sustainability at the heart of Tokyo Games
23 Aug 2016
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has declared that sustainability will be a key objective of the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Arctic faces boom in shipping as ice melts
22 Aug 2016
The luxury cruise ship Crystal Serenity is embarking on an historic voyage through the Arctic, and it’s likely to herald a surge in similar trips.
Australia home the Bear Grylls of desert plants
22 Aug 2016
It was in the mid-20th century when the American agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug showed us how to make wheat and rice stems shorter, to increase their yield.
Scientists must have Plan B for climate change
22 Aug 2016
Fertilising the oceans, painting the deserts white or sending umbrellas into orbit are some of the real things being explored by scientists as a Plan B for dealing with climate change.
Vancouver adopts zero-emissions building plan
22 Aug 2016
The city of Vancouver has sent a message to the green building sector: Efficient isn’t good enough. The city will require zero emissions from any new buildings by 2030.
Paris Agreement set to become law this year
19 Aug 2016
Fifty-seven countries accounting for 57.88 per cent of global emissions have now indicated they will ratify the Paris climate agreement before the end of 2016.
Philippines now likely to back UN climate deal
19 Aug 2016
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has backed down on his threat to ignore the Paris climate deal after a meeting with top US diplomat John Kerry.
Louisiana deluge could be just the start of something big
19 Aug 2016
Warmer air and sea temperatures conspire to add water vapor to the atmosphere, fueling intense rain events like the one that has devastated Louisiana this week.
It's time to listen to the ice scientists
19 Aug 2016
The Arctic’s ice is disappearing. We must reduce emissions, fast, or the human castastrophe predicted by ocean scientist Peter Wadhams will become reality.
Coal burning takes huge toll in China
19 Aug 2016
Burning coal has the worst health impact of any source of air pollution in China and caused 366,000 premature deaths in 2013, Chinese and American researchers said.
Barrier Reef donations could dry up
19 Aug 2016
Australia’s biggest environmental philanthropist says private investment to clean up the Great Barrier Reef reef ‘doesn’t make sense’ with current land clearing.
Japan moves on ratifying Paris this year
18 Aug 2016
The Japanese government has begun preparations to ratify the Paris climate deal by the end of the year.
UN host Peru cuts red tape for mining
18 Aug 2016
Peru has slashed environmental regulation in an effort to boost the economy, raising questions about its credibility as host of this year’s UN climate talks.
July Earth's hottest month in recorded history
17 Aug 2016
Earth just broiled to its hottest month in recorded history, according to NASA.
Mexico to trial cap-and-trade scheme
17 Aug 2016
Mexico will launch a year-long simulation of a cap-and-trade programme in November, in a test run for a national carbon market expected to launch in 2018.
CLIMATE CALL: Why America must go to war
16 Aug 2016
America’s next president must declare war on climate change in the same way President Franklin Roosevelt fought the Axis powers during World War Two, says climate activist Bill McKibben.
Toyota, Tesla and Vestas among top green companies
16 Aug 2016
Toyota, Tesla, Vestas, DONG Energy and Panasonic are among the top-ranked companies in the first Carbon Clean 200 list, which claims the world's greenest large companies are outperforming their more polluting counterparts by as much as three to one.
BARRIER BLUES: See the reef while you can
16 Aug 2016
The health of the Great Barrier Reef is declining – a fact that has not been lost on the world’s media.
Ethiopia chairs influential climate group
16 Aug 2016
Ethiopia has assumed the chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum from the Philippines, taking charge of a 43-country strong group committed to tougher climate targets.
Hillary Clinton signs up an army of climate experts
15 Aug 2016
Hillary Clinton has assembled a virtual army of formal and informal advisers on energy, the environment and climate change.
Global heat threatens to upset Paris climate summit targets
15 Aug 2016
The Earth is so hot this year that a limit for global warming agreed by world leaders at a climate summit in Paris just a few months ago is in danger of being breached.
HEAT'S ON: Climate will change the Olympic game
12 Aug 2016
Heat stress due to climate change will limit where and when the summer Olympics can be held in the future, according to new research from Auckland University.
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.
