International: All stories
Finally, EU-Kyoto carbon trading link up and running
17 Oct 2008
Carbon emissions trading schemes in the European Union and under the Kyoto Protocol were connected yesterday after months of technical delays.
Forests back in fashion as weapon to combat climate change
17 Oct 2008
Perhaps one of the greatest natural defences against climate change, the Earth's forests, got a boost this week with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and a host of environmental lawyers throwing their support behind plans to protect them and eventually include the forestry sector in carbon markets.
Climate change targets could cripple UK agriculture, say farmers
17 Oct 2008
New targets to cut Britain’s greenhouse emissions by at least 80 per cent will cripple agriculture, according to farmers.
It’s full speed ahead for America’s new energy economy
17 Oct 2008
As fossil fuel prices rise, as oil insecurity deepens, and as concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new energy economy is emerging in the United States, says sustainability expert Lester Brown.
US dairy industry slashes carbon footprint
17 Oct 2008
Improved efficiency in the production of milk has resulted in a huge reduction in the dairy industry's carbon footprint, making it very "green," said a University of Illinois Extension dairy specialist.
Experts warn Arab states of climate catastrophe
17 Oct 2008
Arab states must find a common position on tackling climate change or face "catastrophic" consequences, a gathering of global warming experts in Beirut has been told.
Greece again fails to meet emissions test standards
17 Oct 2008
A United Nations committee in Athens said Greece has failed to demonstrate its ability to adequately measure carbon dioxide emissions, endangering its chances of participating in Kyoto Protocol emissions trading programme.
Buffett millions back first Chinese green car
14 Oct 2008
American billionaire investor Warren Buffett has bought a $232 million stake in China's BYD Co which plans to unveil its first green cars by the end of the year.
Financial crisis clouds EU's climate change plans
14 Oct 2008
The international financial crisis and slumping economic activity are threatening Europe's ambitious plans to slash greenhouse gas emissions, with governments eager to avoid saddling companies with additional burdens.
EC set to grant industry relief on carbon trading
14 Oct 2008
Energy-intensive industries are set to receive a huge cash boost from the European Commission as part of a controversial move to protect Europe's industrial sector from world recession.
Markets turmoil could usher in new green era, says UN
14 Oct 2008
The global market crisis could provide an opportunity for the world financial system to reconstruct itself to promote “green” growth, the top United Nations climate change official said yesterday in New York.
Lab-grown meat, licences to have children … welcome to 2030
14 Oct 2008
A CHILLING world where licences are required for having children and questioning global warming is a crime could be ushered in by climate change, a report out yesterday predicts.
Don’t blame cities for climate change troubles, says report
14 Oct 2008
Cities are being unfairly blamed for most of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions and this threatens efforts to tackle climate change, warns a new report.
EU nods to credit crisis but remains tough on emissions
10 Oct 2008
A powerful European Union committee on Wednesday handed some concessions to industries in an economic downturn but maintained a tough line on curbing carbon emissions in the fight against climate change.
UK facing climate decisions crunch time, says report
10 Oct 2008
The UK government and leading businesses must assert their credibility as global leaders in tackling climate change by making the right decisions in the coming months to steer the country towards a low-carbon future, says a new report.
The Deadly Dozen - 12 climate change diseases that could sweep the world
10 Oct 2008
Health experts are calling them the Deadly Dozen - 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change and could have potential impacts on both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.
Experts seek clues on impact of climate change on health
10 Oct 2008
Experts at a meeting convened by the United Nations World Health Organisation yesterday agreed on a plan of action to create guidelines on the impact of climate change on human health.
Fiji eyes billion-dollar windfall from carbon trading
10 Oct 2008
The Fiji Government is aiming to receive at least $US1billion in foreign exchange from carbon trading for the next 25 to 30 years.
Financial crisis must not diminish climate change, says UN chief
10 Oct 2008
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned of the dangers of the fight against climate change - which he characterised as the "defining challenge of our era" - getting bogged down by shorter-term problems, such as the current global financial turmoil.
EU vote will spell out future of carbon capture
7 Oct 2008
A vote in the European parliament tonight could back 10 billion euros aid for an untested technology called carbon capture and storage (CCS), which many scientists and economists consider the key to fighting climate change.
Cleantech investment soars as big business catches on
7 Oct 2008
As climate change moves up the corporate agenda, cleantech investment is reaching record levels, according to a new report by Ernst & Young.
Industry leaders call for gentle start to Aussie emissions trading
7 Oct 2008
The Australian Industry Group has renewed its support for a market-based approach to reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, but has warned that moving too quickly may inflict substantial damage on businesses and their employees.
Hong Kong, Singapore fight for carbon trading crown
7 Oct 2008
Hong Kong and Singapore are locked in a heavyweight battle to see which will wear the crown of Asia’s first carbon trading hub.
World Bank makes huge jump in funding of renewable energy projects
7 Oct 2008
The World Bank’s funding for renewable and efficient energy projects in developing countries rose 87 per cent during the past year to nearly $2.7 billion, reflecting the growing interest and demand for environmentally friendly sources of power.
Everyone’s happy with first US carbon auction
3 Oct 2008
Before the US’s first auction of carbon credits last week, some observers said outsiders might manipulate the market or there would be so little interest the auction would fail – but neither problem occurred, according to analyses just released.
Carbon trading drives surge in ‘green’ patents
3 Oct 2008
Global interest in clean energy solutions from carbon funds and technology giants is stimulating a surge in “green” patents, according to a new study.
Car makers unhappy with EU changing emissions targets
3 Oct 2008
Worried that carbon dioxide emissions from road transport are rising, the European Union wants to set goals for each car maker to sell more low-carbon models — or face fines if they don't.
Eastern Europe collects windfall as Japan snaps up carbon credits
3 Oct 2008
Thanks to Kyoto emission levels pegged to 1990, when pollution was worse, former Eastern Bloc countries now sell carbon credits to Japan
Branson and Virgin Galactic ride to save planet from climate change
3 Oct 2008
Publicity-savvy aviation millionaire Richard Branson is riding to save the planet from climate change.
Lawyers smile as carbon trading warms up in Tianjin
3 Oct 2008
Many CDM projects and carbon transactions have taken place in China since 2005, but some recent developments in the legal framework and the market place may turn a new page in China’s participation to mitigate climate change.
Climate report on hold as PM mulls over Wall St crisis
30 Sep 2008
The release of the final report by Australia’s special adviser on climate change, Professor Ross Garnaut, was delayed for several hours today while Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was briefed on the Wall St meltdown.
GARNAUT WARNING: Australia must act now on climate change
30 Sep 2008
Australia risks losing more through inaction on climate change than does just about any other developed country, says the Australian Government’s adviser on climate change.
Millions of new jobs in green economy, says UN report
30 Sep 2008
Tackling climate change could potentially generate millions of new employment opportunities, according to a new UN-backed study – the first of its kind on the emergence of a “green economy” and its impact on labour.
Greenhouse gas pollution up despite economic downturn
30 Sep 2008
World carbon dioxide emissions continued to rise in 2007 despite a slowing global economy, according to energy use figures from oil company BP and an annual report by the Global Carbon Project.
US states auction off right to emit global warming pollution
30 Sep 2008
US Power plant owners and speculators on Friday bid for the right to emit carbon dioxide as part of a new multistate government programme designed to reduce global warming pollution.
‘Obsolete’ market system to blame for deforestation, PNG tells UN
30 Sep 2008
The current global economic system is to fault for deforestation, Papua New GuineaDeputy Prime Minister Puke Temu told the UN General Assembly’s high-level debate yesterday, stressing the need to protect the South Pacific nation’s rainforests from degradation.
First ‘carbon state’ report finds troubling imbalance
30 Sep 2008
The first "State of the Carbon Cycle Report" for North America, released online this week by the US Climate Change Science Program, finds the continent's carbon budget increasingly overwhelmed by human-caused emissions.
Australia among donors pledging $6b to climate change funds
30 Sep 2008
Australia is among 10 industrialised countries which have pledged more than $6.1 billion to international investment funds aimed at helping developing countries to adopt cleaner technologies and mitigate growth in greenhouse gas emissions.
Eco-friendly Aussie farmers at a loss in no-agriculture ETS
30 Sep 2008
Leaving agriculture out of an emissions scheme could cost farmers using environmentally friendly methods of production, the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) says.
US states, Canadian provinces announce emissions pact
26 Sep 2008
Seven US states and four Canadian provinces have announced recommendations for the design of a regional market-based cap-and-trade programme.
Clean coal is like healthy cigarettes, says Gore
26 Sep 2008
Former US vice-president Al Gore has urged the world to stop burning coal and says the idea of clean coal is “a lie,” likening it to the concept of “healthy cigarettes.”
US eastern states start obligatory carbon trading
26 Sep 2008
Ten northeast US states today will take part in the nation's first mandatory carbon auction, one of a series of quarterly auctions that in time will reduce the region's power-plant emissions, linked to global warming.
Australia launches climate change super fund initiative
26 Sep 2008
What the Australian government is calling the world’s most comprehensive initiative designed to assist super funds manage the risks and maximise the opportunities associated with climate change was launched yesterday by Superannuation Minister Nick Sherry.
UK emissions bill about to become law, says minister
26 Sep 2008
The Climate Change Bill introduced by Britain's ruling Labour Party is about to become law, British Secretary of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Hilary Benn said yesterday.
America unwise to pin its hopes on the Chevy Volt
26 Sep 2008
America’s bid for a share of the burgeoning car-of-the-future market has come with the birth of the Chevy Volt electric vehicle. Will it save the world? Not likely, says Fortune magazine senior editor Alex Taylor:
Ban urges faster efforts to expand access to safe drinking water
26 Sep 2008
Warning that a world without water will be very unstable, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday called for a three-pronged strategy to ensure that the poorest inhabitants of the developing world have access to clean water and basic sanitation within seven years.
Australian carbon credit price doubles as emissions scheme looms
23 Sep 2008
The price of credits in the Australian carbon market has more than doubled over the past 12 months.
EU offers first analysis of carbon leakage risk
23 Sep 2008
Parts of Europe's aluminium, steel and cement industries are likely to qualify for free carbon allowances to compensate them for lost international competitiveness under plans to revise the EU's emission trading scheme, the European Commission suggests in a new analysis.
Copenhagen most important meeting since WWII, says Stern
23 Sep 2008
The UN climate change meeting to be held in Copenhagen next year is the “most important gathering since the Second World War”, according to Nicholas Stern, author of the influential Stern Review on the economics of climate change.
UK names date to run first emissions trading auction
23 Sep 2008
The first auction of carbon trading allowances in the United Kingdom will take place on November 18, the British Government has confirmed.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
Thu 22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
Thu 22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
As Brazilian president visits China, $1 billion sustainable fuel deal announced
16 May 2025
Brazil announced two Chinese partnerships on Monday, including a $1 billion investment by China's Envision Energy to produce sustainable aviation fuel, as the country's president visits China.
Dutch environmental group launches new climate case against Shell to stop all investment in new oil and gas fields
Wed 21 May 2025
The NGO previously sued Shell to reduce its carbon emissions. The oil major has 700 extraction assets that have yet to be developed with potential CO2 emissions of 36 times those of the Netherlands’ annually.
Watchdog urges Scotland to take action after repeatedly missing climate targets
Today 11:30am
Climate Change Committee says original goal of a 75% emissions cut by 2030 will now be delayed by up to six years.
It’s time for Canada’s Mark Carney to think big on climate, experts say
30 Apr 2025
Even Carney’s climate background wasn’t enough to put climate action on center stage.
India’s steel expansion threatens climate goals and global efforts to clean up industry: report
Wed 21 May 2025
India’s plans to double steel production by the end of the decade could jeopardise its national climate goals and a key global target to reduce planet-heating gas emissions from the steel industry.
Nauru sells citizenship to help fund relocations as sea levels rise
27 Feb 2025
A new 'golden passport' scheme aims to raise funds to relocate people inland as climate change raises sea levels.
I just returned from Antarctica: climate change isn’t some far-off problem – it’s here and hitting hard
13 May 2025
Antarctica is often viewed as the last truly remote place on Earth – frozen, wild and untouched. But is it really as untouched as it seems?
Nigeria's Trans Niger oil pipeline bursts, spills crude, rights group says
Thu 22 May 2025
Nigeria's Trans Niger Pipeline, a major oil artery transporting crude from onshore oilfields to the Bonny export terminal, burst and spilled oil into the local B-Dere community in Ogoniland.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
Today 11:30am
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
Nations agree on carbon-pricing system to steer shipping towards net-zero
14 Apr 2025
Nations have agreed to introduce a worldwide carbon-pricing system for international shipping to drive the sector towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
