International: All stories
Right, says Ban, now get on with it
29 Jun 2012
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged world leaders to build on the commitments they made during the Rio+20 conference to achieve economic, environmental and social prosperity for people all over the world.
Rio shows how to have a conference with little paper
29 Jun 2012
Reducing the use of paper, providing vehicles powered by biodiesel and electricity, and using recyclable materials are some of the practices that were pursued during Rio+20 to minimise the forum’s environmental impact.
Australia takes aim at shipping
29 Jun 2012
Legislation has been introduced into the Australian Parliament aimed at reducing pollution from ships and protecting the marine environment.
UN sews sustainability ‘golden thread’
22 Jun 2012
More than 100 commitments and actions have been mobilised as the “golden thread” in support of the United Nations global sustainable energy initiative, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says.
Banks vow to invest $175b in transport
22 Jun 2012
The eight largest multilateral development banks will invest $175 billion in sustainable transportation systems over the coming decade.
Experts show cities can be sustainable
22 Jun 2012
The United Nations and its partners has unveiled a new initiative to achieve sustainable urban development by promoting the efficient use of energy, water and other resources, lowering pollution levels and reducing infrastructure costs in cities.
Gang behind carbon racket gets jail
22 Jun 2012
The gang behind a $60m scam in the European Union emissions market has been jailed for a total of 35 years by a judge in London.
Supercomputer to lead climate research
22 Jun 2012
The Australian National University is set to house a new supercomputer that it says will put the country at the forefront of climate change, earth science and water management research.
Rio countries now in final talks
15 Jun 2012
Countries have started the last round of talks to come to an agreement on the draft outcome document on environmental, economic and social issues at the heart of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
Figures paint sad picture of the world
15 Jun 2012
A snapshot of our world paints a sorry picture on the eve of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro.
Farmers eye new deal on cow gases
15 Jun 2012
Australian dairy producers could soon earn carbon credits through the Federal Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative by capturing and destroying harmful greenhouse gases released by cow manure.
Best green cars in a rapidly changing world
15 Jun 2012
The car industry is in the early stages of radical change, says an American eco magazine in its guide to the best green cars.
How corporates play the climate game
8 Jun 2012
Many companies are casting unwarranted doubt on the science of climate change, adding confusion to policy discussion and holding back or slowing down action on solutions, says a new report.
Australia nuclear by 2030, says expert
8 Jun 2012
Australia will become a user of the world's most advanced nuclear power technology if the country is serious about cutting carbon emissions, says an Adelaide scientist.
EU-China carbon talks get serious
8 Jun 2012
Meetings between EU and Chinese officials aimed at helping Beijing to draft plans for its own carbon emissions market are “increasing in intensity,” says the union’s chief climate negotiator, Artur Runge-Metzger.
Now’s the time to change our thinking
8 Jun 2012
The need for a change in thinking and approach to ensure the sustainability of the Earth’s resources as the world population grows has been highlighted as part of World Environment Day this week.
Global emissions reach record high
1 Jun 2012
Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion reached a record high of 31.6 gigatonnes in 2011, according to preliminary estimates from the International Energy Agency.
Price floor key to Australian market
1 Jun 2012
Australia’s price floor will decide the price of Australian Allowances during the first three years of Australia’s emissions trading scheme, an international carbon analyst is predicting.
Growing market meets carbon challenges
1 Jun 2012
The total value of the carbon market grew by 11 per cent in 2011, to $176 billion, and transaction volumes reached a new high of 10.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, says a new World Bank report.
Money system flawed, says euro pioneer
1 Jun 2012
One of the men who designed the monetary scheme that led to the euro says that flaws in the current monetary system are causing climate change, over-consumption and repeated financial crises.
Stand by for the golden age of gas
1 Jun 2012
Exploiting the world’s vast resources of unconventional natural gas holds the key to a golden age of gas, says the International Energy Agency.
Australia eyes new energy standards
1 Jun 2012
The Australian Government has introduced the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards legislation to Parliament.
Scientist champions seagrass carbon sinks
25 May 2012
Seagrasses could be the oceans’ best-kept secret, and a multibillion-dollar marketplace, for mitigating global climate change, according to a new study.
UN chiefs demand progress in Rio
25 May 2012
United Nations top officials have stressed the need to achieve concrete commitments ahead of the Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20) in Brazil next month.
State leaders ignore tribes’ forest plan
25 May 2012
A delegation of native Penan from Borneo’s interior have presented a unique community-based conservation initiative at the State Assembly in Kuching, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
New website pushes sustainability
25 May 2012
An online database has been launched to strengthen partnerships between sustainable development projects in developing countries and enable communities to better manage their natural resources and local environment.
Banks need a shove to back green
18 May 2012
An Australian researcher is calling for tax breaks and other Government interventions to push banks towards lending on large-scale clean and renewable technologies.
EU airline cash could go to climate fund
18 May 2012
European Union nations should pledge that funds from paying for airline emissions will help poor countries to deal with global warming, the bloc's climate chief said this week.
Europe ETS to spare some industries
18 May 2012
The European Commission has drawn up a draft list of 14 industrial sectors that will be eligible for special state aid to compensate for the increased cost of electricity due to the European Emission Trading Scheme.
Asia-Pacific must respond to survive
18 May 2012
The Asia-Pacific region must continue to grow economically to lift millions of people out of poverty, but it must also respond to climate change to survive, the UN Development Programme says in a new report.
We’re using up our world, says report
18 May 2012
Humanity is using nature's services 50 per cent faster than Earth can renew, says a new report.
Korea, Europe could link carbon markets
18 May 2012
A British Foreign Office official says he expects carbon trading markets between South Korea and the European Union to be linked within the next decade.
She'll be right, Combet tells public
11 May 2012
The Australian Government says it is committed to supporting jobs and households through putting a price on carbon.
Get moving, Ban tells Rio nations
11 May 2012
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged countries to make progress in their negotiations of the outcome document for the Rio+20 conference next month.
EU sets June deadline for single registry
11 May 2012
The full activation of the EU Emissions Trading System single registry, including the migration of over 30,000 EU ETS accounts from national registries, is scheduled to take place in June.
Island nations commit to new fuels
11 May 2012
Twenty small island developing nations meeting in Barbados have announced new actions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and end poverty.
Think-tank asks the big questions
4 May 2012
The Club of Rome – the international think-tank that published the ground-breaking 1972 The Limits to Growth report – will next week release a new analysis of the world’s future.
Report lists banks as coal’s ‘Filthy Five’
4 May 2012
The largest banks in the United States, including Bank of America, have been listed in a new report’s “Filthy Five” as major financiers of the coal industry.
Koreans say yes to emissions trading
4 May 2012
South Korea has approved a national emissions trading scheme to tackle its growing greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate drives security fears in Arctic
4 May 2012
Ways must be found to head off potential conflicts in the Arctic as climate change reshapes the geopolitics of the area, says a new report.
Australia revises carbon offset scheme
4 May 2012
A revised National Carbon Offset Scheme has just been released, allowing Australian businesses to offset their products with pollution reduction under the Government's Carbon Farming Initiative.
Senior scientists talk innovation access
4 May 2012
Chief executives of nine of the world’s leading applied research agencies are meeting in Sydney to improve access by the developing world to science and innovation.
Islands face big fresh water problems
27 Apr 2012
Climate change will exacerbate water stress in Pacific Islands, particularly small islands that rely on seasonal rain for their freshwater needs, says a new United Nations report.
Growers eye huge potential of safflower
27 Apr 2012
New varieties of the safflower plant containing the world’s highest levels of valuable oleic acid are in the pipeline for Australian grain growers thanks to breakthrough research at CSIRO.
Talks urge film-makers to spread the word
27 Apr 2012
Film-makers have been urged to use the power of story-telling and documentaries to help to bring sustainability issues to life in a compelling manner.
Towns learn how landfill can make money
27 Apr 2012
The Australian Government has teamed up with the Australian Local Government Association to explain how landfill can be used to reduce pollution and earn carbon credits.
Science key to our future, says UN
20 Apr 2012
Economic growth that relies on unsustainable patterns of consumption and production is undermining humankind’s quest for harmony with nature, says a top United Nations official.
Mexico eyes carbon trading system
20 Apr 2012
Mexico has moved a step closer to passing legislation which will lead to a carbon trading system.
Perth company gets first carbon licence
20 Apr 2012
CO2 Group has become the Australia’s first carbon project developer to get a financial services licence that will allow the company to trade carbon credit units.
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
Today 10:30am
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?
Tue 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
Today 10:30am
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
Today 10:30am
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
Today 10:30am
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.
