International: All stories
Billions in money pot could unlock clean energy deal
11 Jul 2014
Europe’s structural funding cash pool for energy efficiency and renewables projects has soared by 40 per cent to an estimated $NZ46 billion and could be used to broker a 2030 clean energy targets deal with cost-concerned east European states, EurActiv reports.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
11 Jul 2014
* UN presents shopping list for 2015 climate deal * Electric ‘Boris cars’ are coming to London – how do they work in Paris? * European Court of Justice to hear UK air pollution case * Cities moving on climate change action * Australia facing ‘unprecedented rise in climate denial’
Change needed if world is to home nine billion
4 Jul 2014
For the world to achieve a sustainable transition by 2050, when the population will be more than nine billion, a significant adjustment is needed to the current patterns of consumption and production.
France’s move to ban plastic bags hits trouble
4 Jul 2014
France wants to ban single-use plastic bags by 2016, years ahead of a European directive. But replacing them with biodegradable packaging makes it equally problematic.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
4 Jul 2014
* Besieged by the rising tides of climate change, Kiribati buys land in Fiji * Coal mine's rejection on global-warming grounds has major implications * NASA prepares to launch carbon tracking satellite * Water supply key to outcome of conflicts in Iraq and Syria, experts warn * Councils could be required to recycle 70% of waste by 2030
Progress must be climate-smart, says World Bank
27 Jun 2014
Government policies that improve energy efficiency and public transport could increase global economic output by more than $1.8 trillion per year, says the World Bank.
Plastic waste bills our oceans $13 billion a year and growing
27 Jun 2014
Concern is growing over widespread plastic waste that is threatening marine life – with conservative yearly estimates of $13 billion in financial damage to marine ecosystems.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
27 Jun 2014
* May 2014 hottest on Planet Earth since 1880 * California earmarks a quarter of its cap-and-trade riches for environmental justice * US wind headed for dismal year as carbon emissions rise * Failed Australian carbon farm company ignored expert's advice * Reports assess how nature is worth millions to the UK economy * Singapore measuring its carbon footprint
Island nations set agenda for Samoa conference
27 Jun 2014
Preparations are well under way for a sustainability conference in Samoa on the challenges and opportunities of partnering with small island states.
Australia will suffer, warns new carbon report
20 Jun 2014
Australia's economy faces grave threats from climate change, but the greatest threat is if the country does not make a serious effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says a new report.
Brazil scores winning goal on carbon emissions
20 Jun 2014
Brazil might or might not win the World Cup, but it so far seems a clear winner in the race to reduce carbon emissions – having stopped 3.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere during the past decade.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
20 Jun 2014
* El Niño means 2014 could be hottest year ever * Europe puts up €44 million under first call for climate action projects * Indian officals order Coca-Cola plant to close for using too much water * Tony Abbott's climate change policy makes me cringe * Satellite data could drive low-carbon shipping sector * Scotland unveils six-point plan to become a ‘Good Food Nation’
China becomes world No2 carbon trader
13 Jun 2014
China is the world's second-largest carbon trading market following the European Union according to data released this week.
How to save our seas: stop all fishing
13 Jun 2014
Marine biologists have delivered the most radical proposal yet to protect biodiversity and sequester carbon: stop all fishing, they say, on the high seas.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
13 Jun 2014
* Abbott seeks alliance to thwart Obama on climate change policy * UK minister dismisses Australia and Canada climate ‘alliance’ * Climate threat to America's 'king corn' * US states consider carbon trading schemes * Low-carbon energy saves money in the long run * BHP among world’s biggest carbon polluters
Come and see our lovely renewable energy sites
13 Jun 2014
A guidebook with a difference is selling well in Germany. It details nearly 200 renewable energy sites it thinks will appeal to tourists.
How we can use all that space stuff for a better world
13 Jun 2014
The answers to some of the world’s sustainability problems lie in outer space, the United Nations believes.
EU emissions lowest on record
6 Jun 2014
The European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 19.2 per cent compared with 1990s levels, according to the European Environment Agency.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
6 Jun 2014
* China expects to launch national carbon market in 2018 * Obama climate plan will deliver only a quarter of pledged 2030 cuts * Barack Obama's climate change moves put heat on Tony Abbott * Scientists warn against China's plan to flatten over 700 mountains * Sustainable palm oil action plan delivered by food giant
Research warns of higher home insurance rates
6 Jun 2014
Australian homebuyers are being warned that extreme climate events could double the price of a home insurance premium and erode property values in some areas by 20 per cent.
Ambitious Sydney slashes carbon emissions
6 Jun 2014
The City of Sydney has refitted 45 of its buildings to reduce electricity and water use, slash carbon emissions and generate operations savings of more than $1 million.
EU members abandon new-energy plans
6 Jun 2014
Most EU member states are virtually abandoning plans to develop new energy and fuel saving policies that could save the public money and reduce dependency on Russian gas, thanks to weak European climate targets that are likely to be overshot, according to new analysis.
Time running out as carbon dioxide levels hit new high, warns UN
30 May 2014
Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have crossed a new threshold, the United Nation's weather agency has confirmed, warning that time is running out to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions.
Banks must stop financing crimes against the environment
30 May 2014
When opening a bank account, it’s unlikely that many people consider their money might be funding deforestation, human rights abuses, and land-grabs in the developing world.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
30 May 2014
* EU urges China to roll out carbon trading nationwide ahead of 2020 target * China to scrap six million cars in toxic-smog drive * EU releases strategy to curb lorry CO2 emissions, fuel consumption * Deal announced for China to adopt UK's green construction standards * Brazil promises greenest World Cup * 'Global warming' scarier than 'climate change,' surveys find * Could renewable bamboo be as strong as carbon fibre for lightweight cars?
Big 10 food companies pollute as much as some countries
23 May 2014
The 10 largest food and beverage companies, if combined, would be the 25th most polluting country in the world, according to a report by Oxfam.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
23 May 2014
* Climate change a wedge issue in 2014? Billionaire Tom Steyer hopes so * EU figures show carbon credit glut persists, but offset data withheld * Climate change threatens list of the most iconic sites in the US * UN launches partnerships, tools to tether economic investment to disaster risk planning * Shell dismisses Carbon Bubble concept as alarmist * Budget cuts: Landcare groups face bleak future around Australia * Scottish whisky distilleries in £5m switch to biomass to cut emissions
Clark calls for sustainability cooperation
23 May 2014
United Nations officials have highlighted the importance of both traditional and new forms of cooperation to shaping a future development agenda that is sustainable for millions around the world.
Stand by, America, it's about to get a whole lot worse
23 May 2014
Poor air quality and health problems will become the summertime norm throughout the US as scientists predict a 70 per cent rise in ground-level ozone − unless action is taken to cut emissions.
Great potential, but Australia needs to get a move on
23 May 2014
There is an instinctive fear that overhauling the parts of our economies that emit greenhouse gases would spell economic doom and gloom.
Natural capital depletion will leave firms exposed
16 May 2014
Businesses around the world are facing a stark choice as levels of natural resources become dangerously thin from the demands of a growing and more prosperous global population.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
16 May 2014
* Guangdong carbon scheme sparks China green-growth dispute * Renewable energy provides 6.5 million jobs globally * New Antarctic studies suggest more rapid sea level rise this century * Why wave power has lagged far behind as an energy source * Landfills pressure Australia government to allow UN carbon credits * Carbon trade criticised for inefficiency * Sun’s energy influences 1000 years of natural climate change
New book lifts the lid on what went wrong with Labor and climate change
16 May 2014
A book released this week documents the failings of the Australian Labor government between 2007 and 2013 in tackling climate change.
Our cities enveloped in dirty air, says report
9 May 2014
Many of the world’s cities are “enveloped in dirty air” that is dangerous to breathe, says the United Nations.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
9 May 2014
* Climate change wreaking havoc in America's backyard, scientists warn * Lloyd's calls on insurers to take into account climate-change risk * Scientists race to develop farm animals to survive climate change * Nike increases production and trims carbon emissions
Europe adopts private-public partnerships
9 May 2014
The roll out of a series of public private partnerships worth up to €22 billion over the next seven years has been approved by the European Council.
Wake up and smell the coffee – while you can
2 May 2014
Do you wince every time you pay for your triple caramel macchiato, almond milk-flavoured café latte or regular espresso?
A Mars bar a day could keep climate change at bay
2 May 2014
Chocolate giant Mars has announced that its American operations will become carbon neutral, running off the energy produced by a 200MW wind farm in Texas.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
2 May 2014
* US Supreme Court backs rule to limit coal pollution * Germany levies fines on aircraft operators over emissions * Crowdfunding helps community energy groups as bank lending vanishes * Scotland will lead on climate change, says Salmond * Smart parking meters to charge more for most polluting cars * Aviation’s airport carbon accreditation programme gathering momentum * Group plans to protect and restore one million hectares of Indonesian forest
Aussie Greens gain, but the rest is much the same
24 Apr 2014
The theme of the past 30 days – much like the past 12 months – has been politics, with market focus squarely on the Western Australia Senate election re-run on April 5 and the implications for the balance of power in the new Senate from July 1, says market analyst Reputex.
Europe pushes renewables into the free market
24 Apr 2014
Renewable energy subsidies that helped to spur Europe’s $NZ77 billion-a-year clean energy industry are to be phased out across the continent, under new market-friendly state aid rules announced by the European Commission..
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
24 Apr 2014
* Russia reveals plans to boost flagging coal industry * California hunting, agriculture,forestry emissions reductions * Apple: Climate change is real ... and it's a real problem * US military told to boost renewables in energy policy overhaul
UN calls for bold, swift action on climate crisis
17 Apr 2014
A long-awaited United Nations report on the mitigation of climate change released this week shows that all countries must act swiftly and boldly to reach a global, ambitious and legal climate agreement in 2015, says the United Nations.
Emissions cuts also about ethics, says IPCC
17 Apr 2014
For the first time, the IPCC has addressed the ethical, as well as technical, issues of reducing greenhouse emissions.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
17 Apr 2014
* IPCC report: Bet your house on low carbon energy growth * Coal main energy source for 'decades and decades', says Australian minister * Watch episode one of Years of Living Dangerously * British biofuel firm switches jobs and investment to US * Formula E partners to reduce championship CO2 emissions
In the heart of Sydney City, green is bustin’ out all over
17 Apr 2014
Cool, green roofs and walls are the hottest property trend in Sydney - from bars to office blocks, apartments and swimming pools.
Indiana Jones (and others) take the spotlight as Hollywood goes big on climate change
11 Apr 2014
By KIERAN COOKE.- There’s Harrison Ford in the jungles of Indonesia, investigating deforestation and the plight of orangutans. There’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, battling wildfires in California, Don Cheadle seeing the impact of drought in Texas, and Matt Damon examining the consequences of a heat wave.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
11 Apr 2014
* UK green bank invests £460m in offshore windfarms * Climate action only way to grow economy, says Unilever * Toyota launches world-first metal recycling scheme * Climate change worries Chinese businesses
Make sure you watch your back when the heat goes on
4 Apr 2014
By ALEX KIRBY.- A warming climate is closely related to political and social instability and a higher risk of conflict, according to American scientists.
No-action Abbott stalls climate policy decisions
4 Apr 2014
By PROF NICK ROWLEY.- In Australia, any sense of the need for an urgent policy response has stalled, despite this week’s reminder from the IPCC of the threats the country faces – not to mention the warming already seen and the increase in extreme climate events.
Australian governments subsidising fossil fuel use by more than $30,000 a minute, analysis finds
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Australian federal and state government subsidies that encourage fossil fuel use and help drive the climate crisis will reach $16.3bn this year after leaping by nearly 10%, according to a new analysis.
‘We make a lot of money’: Trump downplays rise in gas prices during Iran war
Mon 16 Mar 2026
Donald Trump on Thursday shrugged off the economic toll the war in Iran is taking on gas prices across the United States, writing on social media that “when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money”.
What does China’s 15th ‘five-year plan’ mean for climate change?
10 Mar 2026
China’s leadership has published a draft of its 15th five-year plan setting the strategic direction for the nation out to 2030, including support for clean energy and energy security.
Eight countries warn EU not to weaken carbon market
Mon 16 Mar 2026
Spain, the Netherlands and six other governments have urged the European Union not to dismantle or suspend the bloc's emissions trading system, its main climate change policy, as Brussels hunts for ways to curb energy prices.
UK emissions fall 2.4% in 2025 as coal hits 400-year low
9 Mar 2026
The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.4% in 2025 to their lowest level in more than 150 years, according to new analysis.
Mark Carney just picked his lane on climate change
17 Feb 2026
COMMENT: Mark Carney's time as prime minister has been defined in part by his decision to roll back Trudeau-era climate policies.
'The situation is dire': War on Iran squeezes India's cooking-gas supplies
Mon 16 Mar 2026
The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 3,000km away are now reaching India's kitchens.
Vanuatu moves forward with UN climate resolution despite Trump opposition
9 Mar 2026
The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort.
Limiting warming to 2C is ‘crucial’ to protect pristine Antarctic Peninsula
24 Feb 2026
Keeping global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial temperatures is “crucial” for limiting damage to the Antarctic Peninsula’s unique ecosystems, according to a new study.
'Blackwater' lakes and rivers in the Congo Basin are now emitting ancient carbon into the atmosphere
Mon 16 Mar 2026
Carbon that has been buried in the Congo Basin's peatlands for millennia is seeping into lakes and rivers. Why this is happening remains unclear, but researchers warn that tropical peatlands could be nearing a tipping point.
Companies – including Blackrock – retired 2 million carbon credits after Verra suspended project
Thu 12 Mar 2026
Verra suspended the Pacajai REDD project in Brazil in September 2023, pending an investigation into the project’s validity. That didn’t stop Mastercard, BlackRock, Philip Morris International from retiring carbon credits from the project to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
Summit aims to revive stalled UN talks on phasing out fossil fuels
Wed 11 Mar 2026
Colombia and the Netherlands have set out three priorities for a conference on phasing out fossil fuels they will co-host in Colombia in April.
