International: All stories
Minister takes seat in the powerhouse
21 Sep 2012
Climate Change Minister Tim Groser will discuss climate change with the world’s economic powerhouses next week.
Coal plans devastating, says protest group
21 Sep 2012
Australian industry leaders have been quick to question the accuracy of a claim that a coal basin near the Great Barrier Reef will rank among the world's worst producers of carbon pollution if fully mined.
Australia goes looking for geothermal energy
21 Sep 2012
A grant of more than $1 million will help Australia to get a better fix on its geothermal energy potential.
There's two sides to the green car story, say critics
21 Sep 2012
Critics of electric cars have pointed out that the vehicles are only as green as the electricity they use.
Spaniards to build Canberra solar farm
21 Sep 2012
Australia’s largest photovoltaic solar farm will be built in Canberra by Spanish renewable energy company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures.
Scientists urge new way of thinking
21 Sep 2012
A landmark study has found that climate change is likely to have a major impact on Australia’s plants, animals and ecosystems that will present significant challenges to the conservation of the country’s biodiversity.
Experts urge action to save carbon market
14 Sep 2012
A high-level panel established to take stock of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism has released its recommendations by urging nations to intervene forcefully to address the crisis in the carbon market.
More firms see climate change as threat
14 Sep 2012
Major companies are increasingly concerned that they are at risk from climate change in the face of recent extreme weather events such as drought and floods, according to a report published this week.
Europe eyes limit on crop biofuels
14 Sep 2012
The European Union plans to impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly than initially thought and compete with food production, according to draft legislation.
Putin mulls over carbon trading
14 Sep 2012
Russian President Vladimir Putin could make an announcement on an internal carbon trading system by the end of the month, says the Moscow Times.
Australian units likely to sit at $15
14 Sep 2012
Australia’s carbon units are likely to trade at $A15, an international energy and environmental agency predicts.
Surplus threatens climate deal, says report
14 Sep 2012
Current Kyoto Protocol rules allow rich countries to continue to emit greenhouse gases on a business-as-usual trajectory while accumulating more than 17 billion tonnes of surplus emission reduction permits by 2020, a new study shows.
Weather wrecking food supply, says report
7 Sep 2012
New research shows that the full impact of climate change on future food prices is being underestimated, according to international agency Oxfam.
Europe throws switch on incandescent bulbs
7 Sep 2012
The European Union has banned the sale of 40W and 25W incandescent bulbs.
Pacific nations get climate change help
7 Sep 2012
Australia will fund a $58 million package to help Pacific countries to become more resilient to climate change.
We’re well on the road to Doha, says UN
7 Sep 2012
A week of climate talks in Bangkok has allowed countries to make concrete progress on key issues, providing a positive momentum for the upcoming United Nations conference in Doha, says a UN official.
Climate scientists ask fishers for help
7 Sep 2012
Fishers and scientists will be better informed about the impacts of a changing climate on Australian coastal fish species, thanks to a new partnership.
Check aid targets, urges Pacific report
31 Aug 2012
A new report is urging funding donors and Pacific governments to work together with civil society organisations to ensure the money reaches those most vulnerable to climate change.
Australia to link with EU carbon market
31 Aug 2012
Australia will scrap its planned floor price for carbon emissions and will link directly with the European Union's emissions trading system by 2018, says Climate Change Minister Greg Combet.
Cool idea could cut coal gas emissions
31 Aug 2012
Refrigerating coal-plant emissions could reduce levels of dangerous chemicals that pour into the air, American scientists believe.
Biofuel under fire as food crisis looms
24 Aug 2012
Drought-stricken crops and record-high grain prices have strengthened critics of the European Union biofuel industry, adding fears of a food crisis to their claims that it does not ultimately reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
UN calls for integrated climate policies
24 Aug 2012
More efforts are needed to combat the threat of climate change and counter its ripple effects on global food security, the United Nations says
Pacific needs climate aid, says report
24 Aug 2012
A major report on climate change finance will be launched at the Pacific Islands Forum next week in Rarotonga.
Beer drinkers say cheers to reducing methane
24 Aug 2012
Australian beer drinkers don’t know it but they are helping cattle farmers to reduce methane produced by cows.
Green rules at huge housing tract
24 Aug 2012
Australia is going green with a new 1000ha housing development
Study warns South Pacific of storm shocks
17 Aug 2012
South Pacific countries will experience more extreme floods and droughts, in response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study.
Singapore aims to be green growth hub
17 Aug 2012
Singapore sees itself becoming a “green growth hub” that delivers green solutions both at the national and global levels.
Spy in the sky shows Arctic ice loss worse than thought
17 Aug 2012
Sea ice in the Arctic is disappearing at a far greater rate than previously expected, according to data from the first satellite launched to study the thickness of the Earth's polar caps.
Europe limits dumping of e-waste
17 Aug 2012
At least 85 per cent of electrical and electronic waste generated in the European Union will have to be recycled by 2020 under new rules that took effect this week.
Europe slams US for backing off
10 Aug 2012
The European Union and small island states have criticised the United States for backing away from a United Nations goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius
Shipping lines join clean port plan
10 Aug 2012
Six shipping carriers have become the inaugural participants in the Port of Los Angeles Environmental Ship Index, an international clean air programme that rewards ocean carriers for bringing their newest and cleanest vessels to the port.
Right food vital, say UN experts
10 Aug 2012
Countries must take immediate action to promote sustainable diets and food biodiversity to improve the health of their citizens, says the United Nations food agency in a new book.
Festival wins inspiration award
10 Aug 2012
A Queensland festival group has received an international award for inspiring environmental action.
Scientists challenge biofuels claim
3 Aug 2012
German researchers have unveiled evidence suggesting European Commission claims that locally produced rapeseed biodiesel cut back at least 38 per cent of greenhouse gases compared with fossil fuels, are unfounded.
London wins praise for green Olympics
3 Aug 2012
The measures taken to ensure that the London Olympic Games are environmentally sustainable have been praised by the United Nations.
Study finds carbon pathways to the deep
3 Aug 2012
A team of British and Australian scientists has discovered an important method of how carbon is drawn down from the surface of the Southern Ocean to the deep waters beneath.
Great White Fleet becoming Great Green Fleet
27 Jul 2012
The US Navy aims to build a Great Green Fleet that will be as well known world-wide as its Great White Fleet.
Europe to try twin-track fix for market
27 Jul 2012
The European Commission has announced a twin-track approach to fixing Europe’s depressed carbon market with a short-term ‘backloading’ of carbon allowances, to be followed by proposals for long-term structural change before the end of the year.
Korea waters down carbon trading plan
27 Jul 2012
The South Korean government has unveiled a detailed plan for its emissions trading scheme, apparently seeking a smooth start of the programme in light of persistent fears from industries about increased environmental costs.
Australia discovers sea power
27 Jul 2012
Australia’s oceans hold a bounty of energy and could produce 24-hour power, either from the tides, currents or waves, scientists say.
Don’t turn back on Tuvalu, pleads UN
27 Jul 2012
A United Nations independent expert has called on the international community to not turn its back on Tuvalu, where communities are being seriously affected by climate change.
China on the ball, says UN chief
20 Jul 2012
China’s efforts to implement initiatives that will lead to sustainable development have been publicly praised by the head of the United Nations.
Rare-earths monopoly worries US
20 Jul 2012
China's near-monopoly on key raw materials vital for green technologies is "very troubling" and could hamper advances in alternative energy and telecoms products, according to a senior Washington policymaker.
Send it by bike ... freight idea gets wheels
20 Jul 2012
More than 30 companies from across Europe have launched a European Cycle Logistics Federation (ECLF) aimed at improving urban bike deliveries and lobbying for cycle-based delivery policies.
EU eyes new emissions rules for cars
13 Jul 2012
New cars and vans in the European Union will produce one-third less carbon dioxide within eight years, under proposed new rules set out this week in Brussels.
Cool year, but temperatures higher
13 Jul 2012
Worldwide, 2011 was the coolest year on record since 2008, yet temperatures remained above the 30-year average, according to the 2011 State of the Climate report just released by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Australian figures show heat is on
13 Jul 2012
Australia's land and oceans have continued to warm in response to rising CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
UN reminds business of green economy role
6 Jul 2012
A United Nations expert body has expressed concern that the outcome document agreed at the Rio+20 sustainability conference failed to explicitly mention that businesses must respect human rights.
No more cloudy days for solar, say scientists
6 Jul 2012
Australian scientists say they have lifted some of the clouds around the problems of solar energy.
More Americans go cool on global warming
6 Jul 2012
Americans' support for government action on global warming remains high but has dropped during the past two years, according to a new survey by Stanford University.
No room for the timid: setting Australia’s 2035 emissions target is a daring tightrope act
Today 11:00am
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
Today 11:00am
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?
Wed 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
Wed 20 Aug 2025
Only 28 countries have submitted carbon-cutting proposals to the UN, with some of the biggest emitters yet to produce plans.
