International: All stories
Quake cripples Nissan’s e-car production line
25 Mar 2011
By JEFF SIEGEL, Energy & Capital. Last year, 13,000 drivers ponied up deposits to reserve a LEAF, Nissan's first all-electric vehicle.
Scientists seek concrete answers
25 Mar 2011
Understanding how climate change could impact on the deterioration of concrete is crucial to ensuring major assets such as roads, ports and buildings continue to perform up to expectations, according to Australian scientists.
How Australia helps China to repair the damage
18 Mar 2011
Austrade’s DAVID DUKES examines the opportunities for Australian remediation firms in light of China’s resources boom:
Data predicts corn peril if temperatures rise
18 Mar 2011
A hidden trove of historical crop yield data from Africa shows that corn – long believed to tolerate hot temperatures – is a likely victim of global warming.
World gets another chance at Rio 2012
11 Mar 2011
Talks in Rio de Janeiro next year will be an chance for countries to strengthen their commitment to making the transition to a green economy, says a senior UN official.
Emissions fall as coal goes out of fashion
4 Mar 2011
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling as the country turns away from using coal to generate electricity.
Climate chief urges action on Cancún accords
4 Mar 2011
The United Nations climate change chief has called on governments to quickly transform the agreements reached in the Mexican city of Cancún last year into tangible action on the ground.
Australia sets date for carbon scheme
25 Feb 2011
Australia will have a price on carbon by July next year.
Garnaut about to tell it like it is
25 Feb 2011
The man who wants Australia to spend more than $3 billion a year on green technologies is about to tell his country how well it’s doing.
Green fraud grows worldwide, says report
25 Feb 2011
Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has issued an international warning about green fraud.
UN chief calls for a global revolution
18 Feb 2011
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a “revolution” in how the world defines prosperity and relates to nature.
Flannery to head Climate Commission
18 Feb 2011
Respected science communicator Professor Tim Flannery has been named head of an independent Climate Commission in Australia.
Report calls for new investment approach
18 Feb 2011
Uncertainty over climate policy could contribute as much as 10 per cent risk in overall investment portfolios, a new study warns.
US investors ask enviro questions
18 Feb 2011
American investors are asking coal, energy and oil companies about their exposure to risks from climate change – and want executive pay linked to environmental performance.
Australia puts millions into climate research
18 Feb 2011
The Australian Government this week announced funding for priority adaptation research into preparing Australia for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
Fish scientists probe ocean temperatures
18 Feb 2011
Marine scientists in Australia are trialling the first near-shore water temperature forecasts to assist that country's aquaculture farm managers contending with rising ocean temperatures.
Combet: Australia must act to cut emissions
11 Feb 2011
Australia’s carbon emissions will rise steeply without decisive and effective new policy action, according to annual projections released this week by Climate Change Minister Greg Combet.
Public and private sectors must work together, says Charles
11 Feb 2011
The growing risks posed to long-term economic growth by climate change and over-exploitation of the planet’s natural resources have been highlighted by Prince Charles in a speech to European parliamentarians.
Swap old showerheads for new in Perth
4 Feb 2011
Perth residents can save water and money by swapping old showerheads for free new water saving showerheads under an Australian Government funded project launched this week.
Australia ratifies renewable energy law
28 Jan 2011
Australia has ratified the statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson announced this week.
Australia eyes 50% tax cut on new fuels
28 Jan 2011
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten has released draft legislation for public consultation on the Australian Government's reform of the taxation of alternative fuels.
Dramatic emissions cuts possible, says UN
28 Jan 2011
Dramatic cuts in industrial emissions of greenhouse gas emissions are achievable in developed and developing countries at an acceptable cost, the United Nations says.
Go green or go broke, say business experts
21 Jan 2011
Companies must swiftly incorporate sustainability methods throughout their entire organisation or risk obsolescence, say sustainability experts at an international executive search firm.
PHEW! 2010 warmest year on record, says UN
21 Jan 2011
The year 2010 ranked as the warmest on record – together with 2005 and 1998 – according to the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
CANCUN: Climate agreements at a glance
17 Dec 2010
Most agree the UN climate summit in Mexico made some progress in the struggle to deal with climate change.
California set to sign up for cap-and-trade
17 Dec 2010
California today is expected to adopt the United States’ most comprehensive carbon trading regime, creating a market-based way to lower greenhouse gas emissions at a time when similar efforts have stalled in Congress.
Millions of lives at risk, says shock report
17 Dec 2010
Governments are gambling recklessly with human lives by wilfully underestimating the depth of the emission cuts they must make in the next 40 years, a new study has found.
Britons pay more under sweeping power reforms
17 Dec 2010
Long-term prices for low-carbon electricity generators will be guaranteed by the government as part of its package of sweeping reforms of Britain’s energy markets unveiled today.
Gillard’s clunkers come under microscope
17 Dec 2010
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's cash-for-clunkers proposal would cost 15 times more than an emissions trading scheme to reduce carbon pollution, according to experts.
Sarawak plans huge land-grab for oil palm
17 Dec 2010
Sarawak intends to convert one million hectares of land into oil palm plantations within the next 10 years.
World Bank will help to finance carbon markets
10 Dec 2010
The World Bank will help developing countries to set up pollution credit markets to help to pay for clean development programmes.
New hub lists shipping pollution info
10 Dec 2010
Ratings on the greenhouse gas efficiency of more than 60,000 ships is now available free of charge on a new website.
Ship operators eye return to the days of sail
10 Dec 2010
Companies are looking to the sailing ships of the past for greener alternatives to today’s gas-guzzling vessels that transport the world's cargo.
UN chief pleads for action at Cancun talks
10 Dec 2010
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made an impassioned plea for agreement at the climate summit in Cancún, saying further delay threatened the health of the planet, the global economy and the well-being of the human race.
China will lead way in clean energy, says Stern
10 Dec 2010
China will have a cap-and-trade system to limit its emissions by about 2015, London School of Economics professor Nicholas Stern believes.
US hopes technology will do the job
10 Dec 2010
The United States is betting on technological innovation to be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in Cancun.
Multinationals pick up Gigaton awards
10 Dec 2010
Six international companies, including Nike and Vodafone, have been recognised for their work in implementing market-driven solutions to climate change.
Science millions back Aussie environment
10 Dec 2010
The Gillard Government has invested more than $68 million in five research hubs that will provide science that is seen as essential for sustainably managing Australia's biodiversity.
Western states eye US-wide carbon alliance
3 Dec 2010
California and New Mexico are considering developing a nationwide US carbon trading market by joining forces with states in the north-east.
Stubborn Japan puts foot down at Cancun
3 Dec 2010
The delicately balanced global climate talks in Cancún were brought to the brink of a walk-out when Japan categorically stated its opposition to extending the Kyoto protocol.
Island states want climate insurance fund
3 Dec 2010
Small island states are calling for a “climate change insurance fund” to protect their people from “going extinct” as a new UN report warned sea level rise will make whole nations uninhabitable.
It’s not easy getting to the Moon …
3 Dec 2010
The Copenhagen climate talks were a nightmare, with thousands of people locked out of the conference halls in the snow. Cancún is shaping up just as badly.
It all comes down to income, says report
3 Dec 2010
Addressing poverty today is the single best way to help poor people in developing countries to achieve food security and adapt to climate change, according to a new report.
Climate minister defends 5 per cent target
3 Dec 2010
The Australian Government has defended its target of a 5 per cent cut to greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, saying the country’s history of cheap, carbon-heavy coal electricity makes reducing emissions a tougher task than in other countries.
Solar scientists given $5m research boost
3 Dec 2010
The Australian Solar Institute has awarded $5.65 to the CSIRO to go toward three major solar research projects worth a total of $16 million.
Smith and Groser lead NZ team to Cancun
26 Nov 2010
New Zealand’s representatives at the Cancun climate change talks head off this weekend.
Pledges not enough to avoid global damage
26 Nov 2010
Promises made last year by 80 countries to reduce climate change emissions fall well short of what is needed to avoid the worst consequences of global warming, UN scientists say.
EU plans to clamp down on fridge gas scam
26 Nov 2010
The European Commission is about to clamp down on a trading scam linked to the controversial greenhouse gas HFC-23, which is used in refrigerators.
China’s Cancun promise: We’ll do our bit
26 Nov 2010
On the eve of the Cancun climate change summit, China has assured its critics that it will do its part in trying to control global warming.
Europe going too slowly, says climate report
26 Nov 2010
Europe’s leadership in climate change is being eroded by slow action and a lack of implementation of policy, says a WWF International report.
'They’re gone:' End of an era as Liddell coal plant chimneys demolished in spectacular explosion
Tue 2 Jun 2026
It was quiet. Very quiet. Everyone stood or sat still, and the only sound that could be heard was the gentle lapping of the water on the shores of Lake Liddell.
AI boom means US is now ‘investing more’ in fossil-fuel power than China
Tue 2 Jun 2026
The “data-centre boom” is driving a surge in gas investment in the US, pushing its fossil-power spending ahead of China, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Can China turn hydrogen into its next clean-energy industry?
Fri 29 May 2026
China has said that hydrogen is a key “future industry”, important to both its energy transition and its industrial policy.
Europe's green jet fuels see upside in Iran war
Wed 3 Jun 2026
Interest in synthetic propellants is growing as the Iran war pushes Europe to reassess its dependencies, raising hopes of a turnaround for the struggling sector, according to industry experts.
Record-breaking heat and dry spring leave parts of England without water
Tue 2 Jun 2026
Thousands of households in southeast England were left without water or facing low pressure during a record-breaking heatwave this week, as high demand followed a dry spring to expose the failings in Britain's ageing infrastructure.
Canada signs landmark LNG energy deal with Germany
Fri 29 May 2026
Canada has announced a landmark energy agreement with Germany that will see the first-ever long-term shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada to Europe in the coming years.
One day of extreme heat tied to 3,400 excess deaths in India, nearly 30,000 over five days
Wed 3 Jun 2026
A day of extreme heat is associated with an estimated 3,400 excess deaths across India, while a heatwave lasting five consecutive days could lead to nearly 30,000 additional deaths, according to a new study.
Coral reefs in French Polynesia are stuck between life and death
Wed 3 Jun 2026
Scientists’ discovery of hollowed coral skeletons after a 2019 bleaching event reveals a reef that isn’t coming back.
‘Triple whammy of climate chaos’: Why Antarctica's sea ice collapse is no longer a mystery
11 May 2026
Scientists have finally identified the ‘triple whammy’ behind Antarctica’s dramatic collapse, shedding new light on the chain reaction that has pushed its sea ice to record lows.
Aid cuts and climate change drive deadly malaria surge in Zimbabwe
Fri 29 May 2026
A surge in malaria cases in Zimbabwe is exposing fragile health systems and growing treatment shortages in rural areas.
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?
UN backs historic climate crisis ruling, despite US attempts to stop resolution
22 May 2026
The UN has voted 141-8 to adopt a resolution backing a world court opinion that countries have a legal obligation to address climate change, with the US – which is the world’s biggest historical emitter – among the small group opposing it.
