International: All stories
Message in a bottle: wine industry gives farmers a taste of what's to come
3 Aug 2015
Wine seems to be a handy way to galvanise concerns about the future ill-effects of climate change.
WORLD WEEK: Coal hard facts
3 Aug 2015
* World Bank rejects notion that coal can cure poverty * Green groups express concern over Tory policies in letter to PM * France targets carbon tax in energy transition law * Drought might stunt forests’ ability to capture carbon * Polaris introduces electric motorcycle, beating Harley to market * Figures confirm wind delivers lion's share of UK clean energy * Iran’s thirst for energy draws in wind developers * Leak shows US spying on Japan over climate change
One year on from the carbon price experiment, the rebound in emissions is clear
27 Jul 2015
Just over a year ago, Australia concluded a unique public policy experiment. For the preceding two years and two weeks, it had put a price on a range of greenhouse gas emitting activities, most significantly power generation.
Why economic changes are needed to tackle climate crisis
27 Jul 2015
The president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, says the world needs a whole new economic framework to tackle the consequences of the warming caused by emissions of greenhouse gases.
WORLD WEEK
27 Jul 2015
* Australia's dirtiest power station considers clean energy biomass burning option * Fresh negotiating text promises strong foundation for Paris Climate Summit * Startup bets e-scooters can give urban power grids a makeover * UK suspends ban on pesticides linked to serious harm in bees * Small island states set example for large polluters ahead of Paris talks * Kenya vows to cut emissions 30 per cent by 2030 * Who’s who in the world of climate change diplomacy
Australia hit its Kyoto target, but it was more a three-inch putt than a hole in one
20 Jul 2015
In the saga of mendacity that is the climate policy debate, no claim has been more audacious than the one now being told by the federal government about Australia’s “success” in meeting its Kyoto emissions target.
Eco-friendly golf means not worrying if the grass is greener on the other course
20 Jul 2015
The Open Championship has returned to St Andrews, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious golf courses and one that has been recognised for its commitment to sustainability.
Climate threat as grave a risk as nuclear war, say scientists
20 Jul 2015
The risks of climate change are comparable to those posed by nuclear conflict, says a new report.
Record torrential rainfall linked to warming climate
20 Jul 2015
If you think you’re getting an unusually hard soaking more often when you go out in the rain, you’re probably right.
Bioenergy: making money and clean energy
20 Jul 2015
The Australian government’s draft direction to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to invest in “emerging” clean energy over mature sources such as wind and rooftop solar has added yet more uncertainty to the renewable sector in the country.
WORLD WEEK: For Tony Abbott, it's full steam ahead on coal, 'the foundation of prosperity'
20 Jul 2015
* Japan to deliver 26% emissions reduction plan * The trillion-dollar question: How do we create sustainable development? * Chinese zero-emissions electric bus prepares for service in London * Muslim scholars name climate change as dire threat * Beware permitting fracking, says farmer who allowed coal methane borehole
Heat goes on to find out what’s happening at the poles
20 Jul 2015
Nations have agreed to an international action plan to improve predictions of weather, climate and ice conditions in polar regions, the United Nations says.
Why climate change could knock seafood off the menu
13 Jul 2015
Pink salmon – the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon species, and a supper table mainstay in many parts of the world – may be swimming toward trouble.
WORLD TODAY: Europe clears way for reform of carbon market
13 Jul 2015
* France may extend coal subsidies to save jobs * Britain scraps zero carbon homes target * Fossil fuel industry must 'implode' to avoid climate disaster, says top scientist * Abbott government extends renewable energy investment ban to solar power * Small farmers can be major actors in reducing agriculture's carbon footprint, says UN
Carbon players look to world market
6 Jul 2015
Carbon market players will gather in Sydney on Friday to talk about how to create an international carbon market.
Australia’s ‘climate roundtable’ could unite old foes and end the carbon deadlock
6 Jul 2015
Climate policy is in the Australian media yet again, but this time it might be different. The set of policy principles released by the Australian Climate Roundtable are extraordinary for two reasons.
Greenhouse gas-guzzlers might spurn extra carbon dioxide
6 Jul 2015
Diatoms – tiny ocean-dwelling photosynthesisers that produce a fifth of the planet’s oxygen each year – may not gulp down more carbon dioxide more enthusiastically as greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere continue to rise.
WORLD TODAY: New coal plants most urgent threat to the planet, warns OECD head
6 Jul 2015
* Greenhouse gas blamed for climate expulsion driving temperature rises across Pacific nations * China climate pledge inadequate on efficiency, say analysts * UN tells oil giants to stop lobbying against climate deal * UK unveils help for bees with £900m stewardship scheme * Time for pollution pricing to work for the climate * New renewable energy hub launched to boost Scottish firms in Japan
Q&A: Robert Redford tells us what he told the UN General Assembly
6 Jul 2015
The climate change crisis involves action from every country, every nation and every person, actor and environmental activist Robert Redford told the United Nations last week.
Dutch court orders state to slash greenhouse emissions
29 Jun 2015
A Dutch court has ordered the state to slash greenhouse gas emissions nationwide by at least 25 per cent by 2020, in a case that could serve as a blueprint for activists around the world.
If everyone lived in an ecovillage, the Earth would still be in trouble
29 Jun 2015
We are used to hearing that if everyone lived in the same way as North Americans or Australians, we would need four or five planet Earths to sustain us.
Australia can halve emissions by 2030, says new analysis
29 Jun 2015
Australia can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, according to analysis by ClimateWorks.
The carbon tax wasn’t a ‘slug’ to the economy and Direct Action may be a waste of money
29 Jun 2015
Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, writing in the Fairfax opinion pages, has said that the now abolished carbon tax was a far more expensive way to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions than the Direct Action policy that replaced it.
WORLD TODAY: World’s aquifers losing replenishment race
29 Jun 2015
* Outcry as UK plans to privatise green bank * Climate change can destroy 50 years of health and development * Gates to invest $2bn in breakthrough renewable energy projects * Obama sets sizzling climate action pace in push to leave legacy * Why Cisco is buying solar energy
Prospect of warmer winters doesn’t mean fewer deaths
29 Jun 2015
Global warming is unlikely to mean that fewer people in northern latitudes will die from cold during the winter, according to a study by scientists in the United States.
What the Pope said about the trouble we're in
22 Jun 2015
In a document remarkable for its sweep and its depth, Pope Francis last week unveiled his long-awaited encyclical on the environment, in essence calling on humanity to address a climate and environmental crisis that calls for urgent global action.
WORLD TODAY: The Earth stands on the brink of its sixth mass extinction and the fault is ours
22 Jun 2015
* Is Russia moving toward a fracking future? * Carbon emissions from aircraft endanger human health, says US * Venezuela: The climate paradox of the petro-state * It’s Prost v Senna again – and this time the racing really is electric
India blames heatwave deaths on climate change
22 Jun 2015
Fierce temperatures in India doubled the heat-related deaths normally recorded in May − and the government insists natural causes are not to blame.
Insurance industry leaders must stand up, says UN
22 Jun 2015
The insurance industry has been told it must play a strong role in shaping a more sustainable future.
The G7 is right to call for fossil fuel phase-out, but it can happen sooner
15 Jun 2015
The G7 nations, at their summit in Germany, called for “a decarbonisation of the global economy over the course of this century”. Of course, this group of nations is among those most heavily in favour of strong climate action, but the opportunities for climate-friendly growth are everywhere.
Australia's emissions figures wrong, says report
15 Jun 2015
Australia’s official greenhouse gas emissions projections – used by the Government in its submission to the United Nations ahead of December’s climate conference in Paris – may be overstated by more than 200 million tonnes, latest research shows.
Australia faces stormy future as temperatures soar
15 Jun 2015
Destructive storms and sudden floods are set to intensify across Australia as global warming plays havoc with rainfall patterns.
Rich countries’ climate plans leave yawning gap
15 Jun 2015
Some of the world’s richest countries are not preparing to do anything like enough to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, according to new analysis.
WORLD TODAY: Pope's environment statement could change the climate fight
15 Jun 2015
* Bonn meeting ends with last-minute compromise on Paris climate text * Nine things we learned at the UN climate talks in Bonn * Planes choking people and planet, says US environment agency * Indigenous Australians call on bank not to fund coal mine project * Hawaii signs bill setting 100% renewable energy goal * UK sales of ultra-low emission vehicles rise by more than 350%
Australia in the spotlight at climate talks, for all the wrong reasons
8 Jun 2015
Australia has been given a grilling at the United Nations' midyear climate negotiations in Bonn.
Apollo plan asks for the moon in switch to renewables
8 Jun 2015
The vision is simple, the cost would be eye-watering, and the result could stop the growing threat from burning fossil fuels in its tracks.
World leaders urged to kick killer coal habit
8 Jun 2015
Leaders of G7 countries at the summit in Germany are being called on to show leadership by pledging to end all coal burning for electricity generation in the industrialised world.
WORLD TODAY: Norway to ditch $8 billion of coal assets in state pension fund
8 Jun 2015
* Ikea pledges $1b on renewable energy and climate change efforts * Ban rallies support for 'once-in-a-generation' UN sustainability agenda * Bishop rejects Kofi Annan claim Australia a 'free-rider' on climate change * Logging companies plundering Congo's rainforest * Walmart's food suppliers at odds with store's code of ethics, report claims
China’s investment in renewables soars by a third
2 Jun 2015
Despite a slowdown in its economy and the continued reliance on coal, China is pumping billions of dollars into its renewable energy industry.
WORLD TODAY: It's time to wean ourselves off the fairytale version of farming
2 Jun 2015
* Garnaut: Australia can slash carbon by 40pc at modest cost * Ignoring carbon risk is ‘gross negligence’, says pensions chief * Car makers gear up for next round of CO2 emission cuts * France defends 'imperfect' fossil fuel sponsors for Paris climate summit * The greening of the airline industry * Cameron recruits climate hawk for top UK policy post
Why global finance must face up to the climate challenge
2 Jun 2015
The world’s financial system must undergo comprehensive change by 2035 if humanity is to make the transition needed to reduce the threat of dangerous climate change, says a new United Nations report.
Wait and pay: action on climate change is cheap, delay is costly
2 Jun 2015
A plethora of economic studies on the costs of climate action share a common message: action on climate change is cheap, and delaying it will be costly.
The world is waking up to the $5.3 trillion cost of fossil fuels
25 May 2015
Prospects for global energy markets have been reshaped by two recent pieces of news, one of which helps to explain the other.
Heat and drought pose threat to US power supplies
25 May 2015
Climate change could mean that things get really tough for people in the US west in the second half of this century, according to new research.
Wealthy nations overlook the dangers of climate change
25 May 2015
By ALEX LO.- Do rich countries care more about the environment that poorer ones? In a recent study I found that’s not necessarily the case.
Hungarian leader first head of state to back climate campaign
25 May 2015
Hungarian president János Áder has become the first head of state to join the Live Earth: Road to Paris campaign that aims to ensure world leaders agree to a binding deal on tackling climate change.
WORLD TODAY: Dirty Dozen ... the fossil fuel industry’s polluting league table
25 May 2015
* Energy industry will decide climate battle, says Kerry * Canadian scientists say Government is muzzling them * Obama scales back ambitious goals for electric car use * Axa to divest from high-risk coal funds due to threat of climate change * Governments not planning properly for energy efficiency, report warns
Will the presidential candidates have a substantive debate on climate change?
18 May 2015
Republican New Jersey governor and presidential hopeful Chris Christie briefly made news last week when he said that global warming is real and that “human activity contributes to it.”
World Bank advocates long-term thinking on climate change
18 May 2015
Switching to a zero-carbon economy is more than just a dream, according to the World Bank. But costs will be high for countries that fail to act quickly.
WORLD TODAY: Vast Antarctic ice shelf a few years from disintegration, says Nasa
18 May 2015
* China is on track for the biggest reduction in coal use ever recorded * Merkel calls for global emissions trading system * Tar sands still full speed ahead, but Canada promises emissions cuts * Renewable energy vital for internet lifestyles, says Greenpeace * Charlize Theron: Mad Max landscape awaits unless we tackle climate change
Climate change has already made Australians in one state much poorer, and more’s to come
Tue 16 Jun 2026
The world’s hottest years over the past decade have coincided with stagnant economic productivity, rising prices and geopolitical instability.
US judge orders halt to Trump administration's 'censorship' of park exhibits
Tue 16 Jun 2026
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to reinstall exhibits and signs on topics like slavery and climate change that it had removed from parks and monuments nationwide because they "do not align with its preferred narrative."
China warns of risk of 'extreme floods' in desert regions
Mon 15 Jun 2026
China warned communities in its northwestern Xinjiang and nearby regions on Friday to prepare for "extreme floods" this summer, driven by abnormally high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and rapid glacier melt.
Climate change reshapes Spain's rockfall risk as frost weathering moves uphill
Tue 16 Jun 2026
Climate change is altering where and when rocks are most likely to fracture across Spain, according to new research that suggests warming temperatures are redistributing a key process responsible for breaking down mountain landscapes.
Millions of UK homes at risk of sinking as climate crisis worsens
Fri 12 Jun 2026
Millions of homes are at risk from climate-related subsidence, according to an analysis by the British Geological Survey.
Canada signs landmark LNG energy deal with Germany
29 May 2026
Canada has announced a landmark energy agreement with Germany that will see the first-ever long-term shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada to Europe in the coming years.
Solar overtakes gas power in Asia for first time ever
Mon 15 Jun 2026
Solar has overtaken gas power in Asia to become the continent’s third-largest source of electricity, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief.
The Pacific made history in the courts – now we must do it in the negotiations
Fri 12 Jun 2026
Legal clarity alone will not lead to reduced emissions, more finance or stronger national climate plans – political will is key to meeting states’ obligations.
Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average
Tue 16 Jun 2026
A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’.
Aid cuts and climate change drive deadly malaria surge in Zimbabwe
29 May 2026
A surge in malaria cases in Zimbabwe is exposing fragile health systems and growing treatment shortages in rural areas.
Colombia’s climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle
26 May 2026
Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?
Finance dominates discussions at Bonn climate talks
Tue 16 Jun 2026
Lack of progress on finance issues – including putting a number on the new goal to triple adaptation funding – is causing blockages across negotiating tracks at UN climate talks.
