International: All stories
Why business needs to know climate change laws
21 Mar 2014
The number of climate change laws on the statue books of the world’s leading economies grew from less than 40 in 1997 to almost 500 at the end of 2013 SAM FRANKHAUSER, co-director of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, reports:
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
21 Mar 2014
* MEPs block moves to exempt long-haul flights from trading scheme * Steel industry urges overhaul of EU carbon trading system * Tokyo firms over-achieve on emission targets: official * Wyoming bans teaching climate change in schools
Not all is well with India’s dam-building boom
21 Mar 2014
By KIERAN COOKE .- India is in the midst of a massive hydro electric dam building programme, necessary, it says, to fuel the energy needs of its fast growing economy.
Why Deutsche Bank built a jungle in Manhattan (complete with anaconda)
21 Mar 2014
By REBECCA ELLIOT.- Journalist McKenzie Funk opens his book, Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming, with a carnival-like scene at a Deutsche Bank road show in February 2008.
Germany expects quick deal on climate goals
14 Mar 2014
Despite persistent opposition from some EU member states, German environment minister Barbara Hendricks said she expects an agreement over the EU's proposed climate and energy package for 2030, EurActiv reports.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
14 Mar 2014
* UN climate envoys hail momentum, but warn time running out * Can Kemper become the first US power plant to use 'clean coal'? * Swiss seek precision as nations shape carbon market * Quebec's carbon market rebounds after California hook-up * Gas prices may jump from California emissions law * Turning Christmas tree lights into slipper soles
Asia-Pacific must boost food supply, says UN
14 Mar 2014
Governments in the Asia-Pacific region – which has more hungry people than all the other regions of the world combined – should take some major decisions about ways to increase food production and address undernourishment, says the United Nations.
EU agrees on draft plan for aviation emissions
7 Mar 2014
The European Union has reached a preliminary deal on a law that will exempt long-haul flights from paying for carbon emissions until 2016.
We need to rethink what we're doing to our cities, says UN
7 Mar 2014
How countries plan, build and manage their cities today will determine the outcome of global efforts to achieve a sustainable future, says the United Nations.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
7 Mar 2014
* Europe’s banks in $1-tril risk from carbon bubble * Chinese premier declares war on pollution in economic overhaul * EU carbon trading fix goes into effect * Australia climate cuts ‘insulting sovereignty of other countries’
Australia hotting up, say scientists
7 Mar 2014
Temperatures across Australia were, on average, almost 1°C warmer than they were a century ago, according to a new report.
Antarctic sea changes could bring big problems
7 Mar 2014
By TIM RADFORD.- Global warming could have dramatic consequences for ocean circulation in the Antarctic, according to new research.
Defence housing wins green award
7 Mar 2014
A 98-hectare development in Townsville has won developer Defence Housing Australia an EnviroDevelopment green tick from the Urban Development Institute of Australia.
Climate laws cover nearly 90% of carbon pollution
28 Feb 2014
By ED KING .-More than 60 countries responsible for 88 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions now have legislation aimed at cutting carbon pollution and promoting green growth.
Livestock diet can cut emissions, says study
28 Feb 2014
By TIM RADFORD.- Here’s a way to make cattle emit lower volumes of methane through their digestive tracts: give the beasts a higher-quality diet.
WEB WIRE ... news from the world of carbon
28 Feb 2014
* EU plan to cut supply of carbon permits passes into law * Abbott 'must treble minimum emissions target to stay credible' * Greens set to block bid to end auction of carbon units * Green lobby urges EU to make all airlines pay for carbon * South Africa delays carbon tax amid industry pressure * Volcanoes may be slowing down climate change * Nauru President: ‘Some islands won’t make it’
Scientists crack code for duckweed ... and raise hopes for biofuel
28 Feb 2014
Geneticists have cracked the code for one of nature’s fastest-growing plants: Spirodela polyrhiza, or duckweed - and the pay-off could come with higher deliveries of biofuel at lower cost to cropland farmers.
Change could see 1500 Indonesian islands vanish
28 Feb 2014
Rising seas could swallow as many as 1500 of Indonesia’s islands by 2050, according to a report from the Maplecroft Climate Change Vulnerability Index.
UN kicks off year of focus on island states
28 Feb 2014
The United Nations has launched the International Year of Small Island Developing States – a chance to address increasing environmental degradation, and social and economic marginalisation in those countries.
Emissions lower under Direct Action, says research
21 Feb 2014
The Australian Government's proposed Direct Action Plan may lead to more domestic emissions reductions than the Carbon Price Mechanism, according to new research.
Europe debates people’s legal right to water
21 Feb 2014
The European Parliament has launched the debate on the first successful European citizens’ initiative, on the right to water.
UN presses for action on sustainability crises
21 Feb 2014
The water, sanitation and sustainable energy crises are the among the world’s pre-eminent development challenges, a senior United Nations official has warned.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
21 Feb 2014
* Abbott appoints climate change sceptic to review energy target * How big oil gave up on the climate * Alcoa denies carbon price to blame for decision to shut smelter * Chinese city plans emissions market * 54% carbon cut from EU 2030 plan * Climate change refugees a reality * Iran plans emissions trading scheme
China renewables target could be 2050
21 Feb 2014
Eighty per cent of China’s electricity production could be based on renewables by 2050, a new report says.
Pacific holds key to climate change’s ‘missing warmth’
14 Feb 2014
Australian and US scientists think they know where a lot of global warming has been concentrated: it has been tucked away below the surface waters of the western Pacific.
Trade deal ‘opens door to environmental lawsuits’
14 Feb 2014
Multinationals will have wide-ranging powers to sue EU states that enact health or environmental laws breaching their "legitimate expectations" of profit.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
14 Feb 2014
* Sochi Winter Olympics on track to be warmest ever * Women more worried about climate change * Centres help farms face climate change * David Suzuki: Will thorium save us from climate change? * Zero-carbon homes costs tumble
It's all our own fault, says final UN report
7 Feb 2014
Global warming is unequivocal, the final version of the latest United Nations report on climate change has warned.
France to probe EU carbon market reform plan
7 Feb 2014
The European Commission's proposed carbon price stabilisation mechanism is a "masterpiece of Brussels technocracy" that could fuel greater market volatility, says a group of academics on the proposed package of 2030 climate legislation.
Bloomberg takes climate job to rev up cities
7 Feb 2014
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been charged with galvanising urban action to reduce greenhouse emissions.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
7 Feb 2014
* IMF chief Lagarde warns of 'merciless' climate change * Fracking depleting water supplies in America's driest areas * There’s more behind Arctic shipping than climate change * How China can cash in on climate change action * Grannies fight climate change with knitting
Climate change map shows how much your town has heated up
7 Feb 2014
Last year tied for the seventh warmest since 1880, according to NASA's latest data. Now, you can find out how temperatures are changing in your backyard with an updated interactive map
Helen Clark warns of ‘humanity divided’
31 Jan 2014
The widening gap between rich and poor in many countries is unjust and slows human progress, says former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
31 Jan 2014
* Obama: Climate change is a fact * Supermarkets to publish tonnage of wasted food * Industry awakens to climate change * Climate change could melt the Winter Olympics * Norway has fallen in love with electric cars
Badlands could cost us a ‘Brazil’, says report
31 Jan 2014
If demand for new land on which to grow food continues at the current rate, by 2050 an area nearly the size of Brazil could be ruined, warns a new report.
Investors question EU climate moves
31 Jan 2014
Investors say that Europe's latest climate package fails to send the sort of investment signal that will lead to jobs and innovation.
Change ahead, so business needs to get smart
24 Jan 2014
Smart companies will have clear strategic objectives and flexible tactical responses to deal with on-going disruptive change likely to be caused by carbon policy this year, Westpac’s international carbon desk says.
EU wants to see cut of 40% in gas emissions
24 Jan 2014
A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent below the 1990 level, an EU-wide binding target for renewable energy of at least 27 per cent, renewed ambitions for energy efficiency policies, a new governance system and a set of new indicators to ensure a competitive and secure energy system.
Time to dump high-carbon investments, says UN
24 Jan 2014
Investors have been urged to accelerate the greening of their portfolios as a crucial step toward a low-carbon economy.
Study shows how to double renewable energy
24 Jan 2014
The global renewable energy share can reach and exceed 30 per cent by 2030 at no extra cost, says a new report.
Fiji to move villages out of climate danger zones
24 Jan 2014
More than 40 communities might have to be relocated in the next five to 10 years to avoid climate change damage, says Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
24 Jan 2014
* China's fair share to halt global warming won't come cheap, Beijing report says * Climate change: 2013 ranked fourth-warmest year * Climate change: don't get scared, get ready * China starts televising the sunrise on giant TV screens because Beijing is so clouded in smog * 23% of Americans do not believe global warming is happening * Plastic made from carbon in the air hits market * Climate change TV series uses stars, Republicans
New carbon trading idea challenges deforestation
20 Dec 2013
A new approach to carbon trading seeks to change the economic and ecological determinants of deforestation.
Sydney aims for 100% renewable energy
20 Dec 2013
Sydney could be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
Draft pollution law seeks to tackle lethal European air
20 Dec 2013
The European Commission has unveiled a draft law to tackle air pollution, which every year is linked to 400,000 premature deaths in Europe and costs of tens of billions of euros.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
20 Dec 2013
* Abbott signals he could wind back or scrap targets * EU reaches deal to cap super-warming F-gases * The banana's days may be numbered * Change in Pacific nitrogen content tied to climate change * Millions more to face water shortages this century * Pakistan secures $3.8 million to combat climate change * A look at the growing genre of climate fiction
UK proposes double-counting on biofuels
13 Dec 2013
Britain has proposed a way to lower the European Union's 2020 target for renewable energy by counting the contribution from biofuels twice, avoiding the need for billions of euros in investment, a document shows.
Leave fossil fuels in the ground, urges report
13 Dec 2013
Australia's climate council is calling for fossil fuels to remain in the ground.
We need climate-smart agriculture, says UN
13 Dec 2013
Agroforestry, diversification of crops with legumes and other practical measures must be scaled up to end hunger, says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Climate and rock art advocates take on ‘carbon bomb’ gas project in Aus federal court
22 Jul 2026
The Albanese government’s decision to approve one of the world’s largest gas projects in Western Australia is being challenged in the federal court, setting up a significant test of how Australia’s environment law deals with the climate crisis.
Trump blames Canada for wildfire smoke affecting US
21 Jul 2026
A series of Republican “leaders” have started producing angry denunciations of Canada for polluting America’s air with their "thoughtless" fires.
World’s first electric car with sodium battery unveiled
Wed 29 Jul 2026
A new player has captured industry attention by launching a new electric sedan— the world’s first mass-production passenger car powered by a sodium-ion battery.
European wildfires may not be out for months, authorities warn, as flames rage near Bordeaux and Madrid
Tue 28 Jul 2026
President Macron said France's wildfire situation is toughest since WWII as higher temperatures loom again this week.
Every new UK home should have air conditioning, say Liberal Democrats
Tue 28 Jul 2026
All new UK homes should be built with air conditioning to cope with the effects of the climate crisis, according to the Liberal Democrats.
Ontario seeks federal support for evacuations as wildfires devastate remote Canadian towns
20 Jul 2026
Ontario requested federal assistance to evacuate people from remote northern Canadian communities ravaged by wildfires on Thursday, as smoke brought poor air quality to Toronto and much of the Northeastern U.S.
‘We have lost everything’: extreme rainfall across Asia brings flash floods and typhoons
Wed 29 Jul 2026
From Afghanistan to Taiwan, unprecedented deluge highlights the devastating impact of the climate breakdown.
French Polynesia objects to an American seabed mining plan made without its input
Fri 24 Jul 2026
The government of French Polynesia plans to challenge an American startup’s proposal to explore the waters just beyond its maritime borders for seabed mining.
‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
22 Jul 2026
“You’d see massive glacier calvings, and you’d just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you’d be like … ‘can you not put two and two together?’”
Africa facing up to $20 billion economic hit from 'super' El Niño, bank climate chief warns
Wed 29 Jul 2026
An impending "super" El Niño is likely to inflict a combined $10 billion to $20 billion hit on affected African countries and trigger mass migration from hard-hit areas, the African Development Bank's top climate expert told Reuters.
Panama Canal braces for El Niño, announcing first transit restrictions
Fri 24 Jul 2026
The probability of a severe El Nino has risen from 25% to 81% and the Panama Canal is preparing to restrict transits.
COP31 president says electrification is ‘surest way to protect citizens’
14 Jul 2026
Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035. In an interview with Carbon Brief, Kurum says that the target was not a political choice, but instead reflects the latest evidence on “what is needed to keep 1.5C within reach”.
