International: All stories
WWF seeks $40b to back renewable energy
7 Jun 2013
Governments and financial institutions worldwide have been urged to increase investment in renewable energy by at least $US40 billion over the next 12 months.
Car pollution claims misleading, report says
7 Jun 2013
The gap has widened between the fuel-efficiency that carmakers declare for their models and the reality for drivers, with luxury German vehicles showing the biggest divergence, a study has found.
Little eco powerhouse wins best engine award
7 Jun 2013
Ford Motor Company’s ultra-fuel efficient 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine has been named international engine of the year.
Lake the world forgot lies pristine for 7500 years
7 Jun 2013
A lake on a remote Queensland island sits as it did more than 7000 years ago - untouched by humans and climate change.
UN and big business bring light to Africa
7 Jun 2013
A United Nations agency and a leading manufacturer have joined forces to bring light to Africa.
It’s tough in the Outback … and getting tougher
7 Jun 2013
People living in remote Australia are likely to be more severely affected by climate change than other sectors of the national population.
Europe wants emissions plans set early
31 May 2013
All countries should outline their long-term plans for curbing greenhouse gases next year, earlier than favoured by Washington, to revive the stalled fight against climate change, the European Union has proposed.
Countries plug in to sustainable energy
31 May 2013
Sustainable energy for all should get a higher priority in global development goals, delegates to a United Nations-backed forum in Vienna said this week.
Trading groups make carbon market pact
31 May 2013
Global emissions trading organisation, the International Emissions Trading Association and Australia’s industry body for carbon market professionals, the Carbon Market Institute, have announced a strategic alliance.
EU set to turn climate agenda upside down
24 May 2013
Europe’s plan to decarbonise its economy by 2050 could be turned on its head at a high-level meeting today.
Inaction will mean world without water
24 May 2013
The world will run out of fresh water unless greater efforts are made to reverse current trends, the United Nations warns.
MPs fail to approve renewables target
24 May 2013
The European Parliament has approved a non-binding resolution calling for a mandatory EU-wide share for renewables for 2030, but failed to set the target in the 40-45 per cent range.
Scientists believe man to blame, says study
24 May 2013
New research shows that the vast majority of scientists believe in anthropogenic climate change.
Korea eyes ambitious carbon scheme
17 May 2013
South Korea is preparing to introduce the world's most ambitious emissions trading scheme, potentially paving the way for carbon costs as high as $90 a tonne for many of the country's key industries.
China holds key to cleaner skies
17 May 2013
It’s time for China to adopt tighter laws and more regional efforts to fight air pollution through market mechanisms such as the carbon trading system, says an American expert.
World must wake up, says UN
17 May 2013
A stepped-up coordinated response is needed to fend off the impacts of climate change after the world’s carbon-dioxide concentrations surpassed their highest level in four million years, says the United Nations.
Power sector warns of costly 'lost decade'
17 May 2013
Europe faces a ‘lost decade’ of climate and energy policy inaction between 2020-2030, says a new report.
Students protest at Shell science funding
17 May 2013
Students and alumni of Oxford University have protested at the opening of a new lab in its Earth sciences department that is funded with €7 million from the Shell oil company.
Greening of global trade vital, says UN
10 May 2013
The expanding market for low-carbon and environmentally friendly products will create huge new opportunities in an increasingly interconnected world, says the United Nations.
Europe embraces green infrastructure
10 May 2013
A strategy aimed at promoting green infrastructure and putting natural processes at the heart of its spatial planning has been adopted by the European Union.
Carbon trading tax cut put on hold
10 May 2013
A 2015 tax cut in Australia associated with the carbon trading scheme will not go ahead because of the drop in the carbon price in Europe.
Draft treaty threatens fracking bans
10 May 2013
European bans on fracking for shale gas could face lawsuits under a far-reaching investment clause in a draft Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA) treaty.
Signs worrisome, says world weather watchdog
10 May 2013
The World Meteorological Organisation says there are now “clear” and “worrisome” signs that climate change is taking place.
Charles takes royal crack at corporates and sceptics
10 May 2013
Prince Charles has attacked corporate lobbyists and climate change sceptics for turning the Earth into a "dying patient", making his most outspoken criticism yet of the world's failure to tackle global warming.
Gas emissions about to hit critical level
3 May 2013
For the first time in human history, concentrations of carbon dioxide this month could rise above 400 parts per million and remain there for sustained lengths of time.
Why coal looks like a bad investment
3 May 2013
Coal investors could suffer heavy losses in the future as carbon assets are frozen by regulators to achieve global warming targets, a new research report has found.
Asia’s resource use unsustainable, UN warns
3 May 2013
The Asia-Pacific region must boost its resource efficiency or risk losing ground in lifestyle, economic growth and environmental sustainability, says a new UN report.
States miss renewable energy targets
3 May 2013
Twenty-two out of 29 states in India have failed to meet their renewable energy targets, says a new report.
Move over sci-fi ... here comes cli-fi, the hot new fiction
3 May 2013
Climate change has been cited as the cause behind a raft of recent phenomena, from increasing turbulence on planes to rising rates of malaria, dengue, and even domestic abuse.
How climate change could be giving Europe the runs
3 May 2013
Heavier rainfall and bigger storms could be responsible for more unsettled stomachs in parts of Europe, scientists believe.
Here come the new supereconomies
26 Apr 2013
More than 40 southern countries experienced significantly greater human development than specialists would have predicted 20 years ago, but global temperature shifts could yet undermine their progress, says a United Nations report.
Backloading might go to second vote
26 Apr 2013
A European Union plan to “backload” or withhold 900 million carbon allowances to see-saw their falling price, rejected by the European Parliament in a plenary session last week, could return for a second-round vote in June.
On yer bike … it could be the best way to go
26 Apr 2013
The bicycle could come into its own as a major part of city transport systems if an international forum meeting in Bali has its way.
Europe rejects ETS reform proposal
19 Apr 2013
The European Union’s flagship scheme for cutting carbon emissions suffered one of the most serious setbacks in its chequered history this week when members (MEPs) voted against a proposal to shore up the price of carbon in the Emissions Trading System.
Australia cuts emissions … slightly
19 Apr 2013
The Australian Government is facing calls to strengthen its carbon tax, as new figures show the country’s emissions fell only slightly last year.
Pacific refugees not urgent problem, says PM
19 Apr 2013
Decisions about whether New Zealand should take climate change refugees from the Pacific will be up to a government “some way in the future”, the Prime Minister says.
Private sector looms as key funder of forests
19 Apr 2013
The private sector is emerging as a key source of financing the sustainable management of forests that, if tapped properly, could result in benefits for the environment and for businesses.
Russians and Shell sign Arctic deal
12 Apr 2013
Russia’s export monopoly Gazprom and energy giant Royal Dutch Shell have signed a tentative deal to develop hydrocarbons in the Russian Arctic.
Shanghai second city to trade carbon
12 Apr 2013
Just days after Shenzhen became the first Chinese city to set a launch date for its city-wide carbon trading scheme, Shanghai has followed suit with confirmation its own carbon market will be in place before the end of June.
We’re losing good land, says report
12 Apr 2013
The international community is losing vast amounts of agricultural production due to the effects of continuing land degradation such as desertification, says a new study.
US gives pass mark to climate change ... but UK says no
12 Apr 2013
The American school system is incorporating climate change into its science curriculum.
Australia's weather bad and getting worse
5 Apr 2013
The heatwaves, flooding and bush fires striking Australia have already been intensified by climate change and are set to get worse, says a new report.
Stern: It could be worse than we thought
5 Apr 2013
The world could be headed toward warming even more catastrophic than expected, says the author of an influential 2006 study on climate change.
Pioneer activist quits job … to get busy
5 Apr 2013
One of the United States’ most prominent voices on climate change, NASA scientist James Hansen, is retiring so he can get busier with activism.
Farmers get $30m to help them to adapt
5 Apr 2013
The Australian Government has pumped $30 million into a project that will look at how farm practices can be adapted to reduce carbon emissions and earn farmers a second income stream by generating and selling carbon credits.
China outlines carbon trading road map
28 Mar 2013
China has laid out an ambitious road map to reduce emissions by 40-45 per cent by 2020, including the world’s largest national carbon trading scheme.
Don’t be like Obama, expert tells Europe
28 Mar 2013
Europe’s environmental goals will become meaningless unless countries learn from US President Barack Obama's mistakes, says a top climate analyst..
Climate change could make us a better wine producer
28 Mar 2013
New Zealand is one of a handful of countries that could benefit as the Earth's warming phase drives a wave of change through the world of wine, according to climate change experts.
Combet becomes minister of everything
28 Mar 2013
It’s one of the great political job titles … Minister of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.
Kyoto call kills off tar sands project
22 Mar 2013
Canada’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol has led to one of the world’s most prestigious research institute pulling out of a $25 million tar sands project.
Australia's battery subsidies spark rooftop solar resurgence
Tue 7 Jul 2026
The rooftop solar boom shows how countries stifled by transmission line logjams can continue reducing emissions, analysts say.
Clean energy hurt but resilient one year after Trump winding back climate policy
Wed 8 Jul 2026
The GOP budget law that President Trump signed a year ago has darkened the outlook for several clean energy sources, but stopped far short of strangling low-carbon tech.
China warming faster than global average as extreme weather intensifies, report says
Mon 6 Jul 2026
China is warming faster than the global average, while extreme heat, heavy rainfall and other severe weather events are becoming more frequent and intense as climate change accelerates worldwide.
Europe may face 'more deadly weeks' as new heatwave builds, WHO warns
Thu 9 Jul 2026
The World Health Organization warned Europe could face “more deadly weeks” ahead, with another intense heatwave forming over the Atlantic.
Low-cost loans for solar panels could save households hundreds on bills – thinktanks
Thu 9 Jul 2026
Millions of UK households could save hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills if the government were to approve low-cost loans for solar panel installation, research has found.
Canada advances Alberta pipeline to Pacific Coast to expand oil exports beyond the US
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Canada took a step toward opening a new route for its vast oil reserves to Asian markets as Prime Minister Mark Carney advanced a Pacific Coast pipeline from Alberta, seeking to reduce the country’s dependence on the U.S. while easing separatist tensions and preserving environmental protections.
Enhanced flash flood risks in Hindu Kush Himalaya
Thu 9 Jul 2026
The communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region could face enhanced risks from flash floods due to bursts of extreme rainfall and cloudbursts during the southwest monsoon season along with high temperatures which could lead to accelerated glacier and snow melting.
‘Those blocking climate science are not our friends': Pacific leaders warn at Bonn talks
23 Jun 2026
Pacific nations and civil society groups have united at UN climate talks, pushing back against efforts to weaken agreed language on global temperature limits as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average
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’.
Ugandan farmers launch UK court case against East African oil pipeline
Thu 9 Jul 2026
Four Ugandan farmers filed a case with London’s High Court aiming to stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline from starting to operate by asking the court to apply Uganda’s laws against the project’s UK-registered company.
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?
Strong El Nino will develop rapidly over coming months, says UN weather agency
Tue 7 Jul 2026
The United Nations weather agency on Friday raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Nino in the coming months, warning that the phenomenon is likely to drive global temperatures higher.
