International: All stories
Why the Chinese leadership puts China first
11 Aug 2014
By KAROLINA WYSOCZANSKA.- During Chinese premier Li Keqiang’s last visit to Britain, China signed a series of deals on energy and low carbon technology, and a declaration of cooperation on climate change.
Climate crisis failure means chaos, says trade chief
4 Aug 2014
Failure to factor immediate action on climate change into American policies and business plans aimed at economic prosperity will lead to havoc, warns former United States Trade Secretary.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
4 Aug 2014
* China regulator approves fresh supply for carbon market * Obama cranks up pressure on critics with latest climate play * Belarusians caught littering could have cars confiscate * US Navy includes biofuels in annual fuel request * Judge strikes down town's fracking ban * Oil companies forfeit Arctic drilling rights
Inaction will cost billions, warns White House
1 Aug 2014
The world could face economic consequences worth billions of dollars if it doesn't act now to curb global warming, the White House warns.
Latest scientific data shows how world is warming
25 Jul 2014
Most worldwide climate indicators last year continued to reflect trends of a warmer planet, according to the State of the Climate in 2013 report, released this week by the American Meteorological Society.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
25 Jul 2014
* Giving up beef will reduce carbon footprint more than cars, says expert * Small Colorado town picks big-time fight over fracking * Fremantle bans plastic bags and imposes fines of up to $2500 * Sainsbury’s announces £200 million corporate green loan to invest in carbon reduction * World Council of Churches says it will not invest in fossil fuels * The strange relationship between global warming denial and speaking English
Tech advances will impact jobs, says report
25 Jul 2014
More than half of the jobs in the European Union’s 28 member states will be impacted significantly by advances in technology over the coming decades, according to calculations by the thinktank Bruegel.
Europe could pay huge climate price, says report
18 Jul 2014
A failure to act to reduce the impacts of climate change could cost Europe dear in lives lost and economic damage, according to a European Commission study.
ETS pay-off puts millions into climate projects
18 Jul 2014
The sale of carbon credits for the first time will finance projects that help to tackle climate change.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
18 Jul 2014
* UK cities will exceed EU pollution limits until 2030 * Merkel returns to climate politics with call for EU leadership * Political meddling is damaging UK's low-carbon energy sector * It's time we gave our children permission to get outside and get dirty * Climate change: Could we engineer greener humans? * Fiji vulnerable to climate change: ambassador to UN
Ambition key to 2015 global climate accord
11 Jul 2014
The word is "ambition," and it's being voiced with extra urgency by those who worry that the world's leaders won't soon commit themselves to measures strong enough to combat climate change.
Time is not on our side, warns UN
11 Jul 2014
International cooperation and bold action are needed to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate disruption, says the Unired Nations.
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.
Climate change has already made Australians in one state much poorer, and more’s to come
Today 12:15pm
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
Today 12:15pm
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
Today 12:15pm
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
Today 12:15pm
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
Today 12:15pm
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.
