International: All stories
Gillard warns businesses to behave
11 Nov 2011
Australian businesses have been warned against trying to profiteer from the carbon tax passed into law on Tuesday.
UN expects firm decisions in Durban
11 Nov 2011
The Durban conference on climate change this month should produce agreement on limiting emissions of greenhouse gases, and launch the green climate fund for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries, says the head of the United Nations.
Coal plant rules flawed, says study
11 Nov 2011
A study identifies deep systematic flaws in the crediting rules of coal plants under the Clean Development Mechanism, the lobby group CDM Watch says.
No plain sailing for marine life
11 Nov 2011
Direct effects of climate warming on biodiversity pose a serious conservation challenge for marine life, according to new research published today in Science.
Pew Centre morphs into C2ES
11 Nov 2011
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), a new non-profit organisation promoting strong policy and action to address the twin challenges of energy and climate change, was launched this week in Washington with strong business backing.
Key carbon tax vote next week
4 Nov 2011
The Australian government's carbon tax is likely to pass the parliament early next week after an agreement between Labor and the Greens.
Environment needs urgent action, says report
4 Nov 2011
Concerted and rapid action is urgently needed to curb resource depletion and ensure human activities do not destroy the environment that supports economies and sustains life, warns a new report.
California scheme opens investment doors
4 Nov 2011
California’s newly approved cap-and-trade system will open up new possibilities for investments in clean technology, giving a boost to the sluggish market, says a UK carbon credits portal.
Ban names high-level team to push energy
4 Nov 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the members of a high-level group tasked with mobilising action among governments, the private sector and civil society to provide clean and affordable energy for everyone.
China expecting huge growth in wind power
28 Oct 2011
China will be generating more than 11 gigawatts of electricity from offshore wind turbines by 2020, a new report says.
Solar seen as saviour of Great Barrier Reef
28 Oct 2011
The people charged with protecting Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are putting their money where their mouths are and going solar.
Investment giants call for urgent climate action
21 Oct 2011
The world’s largest investors have urged governments and international policy makers to take new and meaningful steps in the fight against climate change.
Leaders must make changes, says report
21 Oct 2011
In light of recent extreme weather events, as well as long-term disruptions related to climate change, a major new report calls for different approaches to decision making by national leaders.
Study sheds new light on cattle emissions
21 Oct 2011
New CSIRO research indicates that the amount of methane emitted from cattle fed on tropical grasses in northern Australia is up to 30 per cent less than figures currently used to calculate the northern cattle industry’s contribution to Australia’s greenhouse gas accounts.
Young people put ideas for green economy
21 Oct 2011
Young environmental leaders from 18 developing countries are meeting in Germany this week to showcase their own, innovative solutions for sustainable development, ranging from eco-tourism to eco-friendly cooking fuel.
Historic moment as carbon tax gets a yes
14 Oct 2011
In what the Gillard Government is calling "a historic moment”, the Australian House of Representatives has passed clean energy legislation which will give the country a price on carbon.
Clean energy corporation has $10b bank
14 Oct 2011
The Gillard Government has given details of how it will set up a $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which will provide a new source of finance to renewable energy, energy efficiency and low emissions technologies.
Changing climate could lead to chocolate meltdown
14 Oct 2011
Climate change could transform the cherished chocolate bar into a luxury few can afford, according to a new study.
Islands need help to beat droughts
14 Oct 2011
Drought conditions in some Pacific islands have prompted calls for comprehensive risk reduction steps to be put in place to protect vulnerable populations living in delicate ecosystems.
Green industries essential, says UN
14 Oct 2011
Industries should take into account green measures for every aspect of what they do to be able to ensure their sustainable future, says the United Nations.
Homeless could reach 200 million, says UN
7 Oct 2011
Climate-related events could force up to 200 million people worldwide to flee their homes by 2050, warns the United Nations.
Agency to aid world of seven billion
7 Oct 2011
The United Nations Environment Programme has joined the 7 Billion Actions campaign, an initiative to encourage individuals, governments, businesses and organisations to take positive actions toward creating a more sustainable world with 7 billion inhabitants.
Global CO2 emissions show steep rise
30 Sep 2011
Global emissions of carbon dioxide - the main cause of global warming - increased by 45 per cent between 1990 and 2010, and reached an all-time high of 33 billion tonnes in 2010, says a European agency.
How ecotourism can help save forests
30 Sep 2011
The increasing demand for ecotourism can play a vital role in saving endangered forests, a United Nations-backed partnership believes.
UN to probe green impact of infotech
30 Sep 2011
Agreement has been reached on a globally recognised way of assessing the environmental impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs), and on the use of minerals from conflict areas.
Minister rates ties with Chile
30 Sep 2011
Growing partnerships between New Zealand and Chile on environmental issues will provide long-term benefits, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says.
Cheap, clean energy critical, says UN
23 Sep 2011
A lack of access to affordable and clean energy is hampering the fight against poverty and disease, says the United Nations.
Carbon price good news, says study
23 Sep 2011
The Gillard Government has released updated modelling of the impact of a carbon price which confirms Australia's economy will continue to grow strongly at the same time as pollution is cut.
Why Asia-Pacific needs green revolution
23 Sep 2011
Countries in Asia and the Pacific have been urged to embark on a green industrial revolution that takes advantage of improvements in resource efficiency.
Scientists spring speed checks on wind
23 Sep 2011
Scientists in Australia are taking the first steps to improve estimates of long-term wind speed changes for the fast-growing wind energy sector.
Australian carbon bills go to House
16 Sep 2011
The Gillard Government has introduced a package of bills to the House of Representatives which it says will allow Australia to seize the economic and job opportunities that will come as the world tackles climate change and shifts to a clean energy future.
Pacific will go hungry, says bank report
16 Sep 2011
Climate change threatens to increase hunger and malnutrition among the Pacific region's poorest people unless there is action soon, says a new report from the Asian Development Bank.
Forests failure will cost plenty, says UN
16 Sep 2011
The United Nations and a coalition of financial institutions have warned that huge losses, both financial and environmental, could result from a failure to agree on a climate change agreement that spurs private sector investment in efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation.
Key carbon tax MP escapes charges
9 Sep 2011
The chances of Australia’s carbon tax going ahead improved yesterday when police announced they would not charge a Labor MP with fraud.
Plan aims to break ship emissions deadlock
9 Sep 2011
A proposed deal to apply a carbon price to international shipping would tackle the huge and growing greenhouse gas emissions from ships, a new report says.
Colin Powell's got Karma … so has Leonardo
9 Sep 2011
By Jeff Siegel, editor Energy & Capital. A few years ago, I attended a fundraising meeting for Fisker Automotive, the company that's just delivered the Fisker Karma, the world's first plug-in hybrid electric luxury car.
Car pollution: the answer lies in a good paint job
9 Sep 2011
Exhaust emissions from cars are a toxic nightmare for the planet … but vehicles start polluting even before they hit the road.
Carbon capture body opens Japan office
9 Sep 2011
The Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, working to accelerate the development and uptake of carbon capture and storage technologies round the world, has opened an office in Tokyo.
Buildings will go green under $35m fund
2 Sep 2011
The Australian Government has announced $35.2 million in funding to green-up 90 buildings across the nation.
Big business backs eucalypt biofuel
2 Sep 2011
A consortium of Australian businesses plans to use eucalypt trees to produce aviation biofuel from a pilot production unit operating by 2012.
Hotel green scheme makes business sense
2 Sep 2011
Hotels will be able to contribute to climate change mitigation while also increasing their profits under a new green scheme.
Carbon farming becomes reality in Australia
26 Aug 2011
The Gillard Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative has passed through the Parliament to establish a regulated carbon offsets market in Australia.
UN wants clean energy revolution
26 Aug 2011
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has called for a clean energy revolution to help to transform the global economy and put the world on a cleaner, safer, more equitable path.
Further, faster, higher … wildlife responds to climate change
26 Aug 2011
Animal species have responded to climate change up to three times faster than previously appreciated, according to new research.
How investing in ecosystems pays off
26 Aug 2011
Investing in healthy ecosystems can boost food security, improve resilience to climate change and provide economic benefits for poor communities, says a new United Nations report.
Ban puts sustainable development at No 1
19 Aug 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that sustainable development will remain his top priority during his second term as the head of the United Nations.
Buildings in the frontline of climate battle
19 Aug 2011
Richard Lorch, editor of Building Research and Information, examines Tokyo's cap-and-trade scheme to reduce emissions from buildings:
Wind powers Ford’s UK diesel plant
19 Aug 2011
Ford's Dagenham diesel engine assembly line in the UK will be fully powered by wind by the end of August next year, thanks to the construction of a third electricity-generating turbine.
New-energy pioneers get $26m kitty
12 Aug 2011
Australian companies with promising renewable energy technology projects are being invited to apply for a slice of a $A26 million pie.
UN exhorts academia to find solutions
12 Aug 2011
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has called on the world’s best brains to come up with ideas to promote sustainable development and to find solutions to global hunger and malnutrition.
Oil refinery fire at key Victoria facility
Thu 16 Apr 2026
Explosions and towering flames were reported as a significant fire broke out at one of Australia’s major oil refineries.
As energy costs rise, some states back off ambitious climate goals
Today 12:00pm
Seven years ago, New York lawmakers set ambitious goals for slashing greenhouse gas emissions with clarion calls about saving the future. Now, with slow progress made and political realities shifting, Gov. Kathy Hochul is seeking a delay, saying she wants to save consumers money.
China's climate envoy warns of energy security risks, urges renewables shift
Wed 15 Apr 2026
The ongoing global energy crisis has highlighted the risks of heavy dependence on fossil fuel imports, prompting an urgent need for countries to rethink their energy security strategies and accelerate the transition to renewable energy, Liu Zhenmin, China's climate envoy for climate change, has said recently.
EU working on jet fuel plan as Iran crisis threatens air travel
Today 12:00pm
The European Union is drafting plans to tackle a looming jet fuel supply crunch and maximise refinery output, officials said.
UK ‘green’ jet fuel imports linked to illegal Amazon deforestation
Tue 14 Apr 2026
A major supplier of ‘green’ airline fuel to the UK has sourced beef fat linked to illegal Amazon deforestation, court documents and shipping data show.
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.
Ocean protections clash with mining pressure in Indonesia’s most diverse marine ecosystem
Mon 13 Apr 2026
Long regarded as a global model for ocean conservation, Raja Ampat ecosystems are now under pressure, as concerns grow over the expansion of nickel mining alongside a surge of international tourism.
Tuvalu to host world leaders before COP31 summit
Thu 16 Apr 2026
Tuvalu, the Pacific nation at the forefront of the global climate crisis, will host a special meeting of world leaders before this year’s Cop31 summit, as the conference president expresses “complete faith” in Chris Bowen to lead tough negotiations.
Drowned chicks and food scarcity: Emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal now endangered
Mon 13 Apr 2026
The primary drivers are shrinking sea ice and warming oceans driven by climate change.
Rationing power and diluting petrol – how African countries are coping with effects of Iran war
30 Mar 2026
Countries across Africa have taken measures such as diluting petrol and restricting electricity consumption to cope with the fuel crisis triggered by the US and Israel's war in Iran.
Beef production drives 40% of agriculture-linked forest destruction, Brazil leads
26 Mar 2026
Beef production is the leading driver of agriculture-linked deforestation, accounting for 40% of all forest clearing done to open space for food production, according to details of a study released on Tuesday.
India walked away from its bid to host COP33 – here's why
Thu 16 Apr 2026
India has quietly abandoned its bid to host the UN's top-tier climate conference COP33, marking a shift from PM Narendra Modi's pledge in 2023. Experts and analysts explore what's behind the decision.
