International: All stories
‘Swindle’ doco broke the rules, says UK watchdog
22 Jul 2008
A documentary shown on Prime TV in New Zealand earlier this year which claimed that man-made climate change is a fraud broke strict broadcasting rules on impartiality, the UK media regulator said yesterday.
US power giant will spend $10b to slash gas emissions
18 Jul 2008
The United States’ largest electricity and gas utility, Exelon, has released a $10 billion plan to eliminate or offset its carbon dioxide emissions, positioning itself ahead of expected federal climate change legislation.
Canadian premiers squabble over climate change action
18 Jul 2008
The annual Canadian premiers' conference has opened in Ottawa with rival camps in the climate change debate digging in their heels, reports the Toronto Star.
Pioneering carbon scheme promotes school energy efficiency
18 Jul 2008
Carbon emissions from UK state schools are to be included in a pioneering carbon trading scheme for local authorities from April 2010, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced yesterday.
UN embarks on worldwide survey to assess deforestation
18 Jul 2008
As part of efforts to gain a comprehensive understanding of the world's forests, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation will carry out a global remote sensing survey of the vital ecosystems.
Australia announces all-gases and almost-all sectors ETS
16 Jul 2008
Australia has announced a proposal for a broad emissions trading scheme that covers all six greenhouse gases and every sector except agriculture.
REACTION: Green Paper gives cold comfort to those wanting to delay emissions trading
16 Jul 2008
The Green Paper outlining the Australian Government’s thinking on emissions trading shows it is well aligned with New Zealand’s plans, says the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development
Acting on climate change: towards an Australian carbon pollution reduction scheme
16 Jul 2008
The following is the official summary of the Australian Government’s green paper on climate change, released today by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong.
Bush administration slams door on climate change
15 Jul 2008
Arguing that it's the wrong tool for the job, the Bush Administration has said that it will not use the nation's leading clean air law to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Garnaut urges big spend on renewable energy and carbon capture
15 Jul 2008
Australia must plough significant research and development dollars into renewable energy sources, including geothermal and solar energy, as well as carbon capture and storage, says the author of the national climate change review, Professor Ross Garnaut.
Corporate 'greening' wasted on consumers, report says
15 Jul 2008
Consumers are showing an increasing willingness to adjust their habits in ways they believe will help to address the problem of climate change, but at the same time, they aren’t recognising the efforts of major corporations trying to do the same thing, according to the results of a new international market survey.
Queensland looks at transforming cattle land with trees
15 Jul 2008
CSIRO research under way in Central Queensland’s cattle country is investigating whether the integration of trees, pasture and livestock into a single agricultural system will produce greater net returns for producers and the environment.
Campaign highlights climate-change plight of women
15 Jul 2008
The international aid agency Oxfam is highlighting how women around the world are hardest hit by storms, floods and droughts caused by global warming.
G8 good start but fast action needed to tackle global crises, says UN chief
11 Jul 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the Group of Eight’s statement on climate change, food security and development as a good start for addressing the three interrelated global crises, while stressing the need for speedier action in the days ahead.
New York mayor prods businesses in city's $2b emissions clean-up
11 Jul 2008
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg threw down a challenge to big business when he announced his city would spend $2.3 billion to cut greenhouse gas emissions from municipal buildings and operations by 30 per cent in 30 years.
Green cars - Honda's Civic GX pick of the bunch
11 Jul 2008
Honda’s Civic GX comes out on top of an American list of what’s hot in the world of environmentally friendly cars.
Cows given rbST reduce environmental impact, study shows
11 Jul 2008
Cows that receive recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) make more milk, all the while easing natural resource pressure and substantially reducing environmental impact, according to a US study by Cornell University.
UN opens first zero-emission community centre in outback Kenya
11 Jul 2008
The first power-generating centre using environmentally friendly hydro and solar power has been inaugurated in a remote Kenyan village by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Japan summit to test G8 leaders on climate change, world economy and security
8 Jul 2008
The leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations gather in Hokkaido, Japan, today for their annual summit and face the challenge of showing greater resolve to fight global warming, remedying the world economy and easing tensions in the world's hot spots.
Climate change report reads like a disaster novel, says Australian minister
8 Jul 2008
Australian scientists predicting climate catastrophe across their country have been told by a senior government minister that their report “reads like a disaster novel”.
Troubled Tasmania: Where do we sit in carbon trading scheme?
8 Jul 2008
Tasmanians blessed with large forest reserves and a significant renewable energy base are questioning how their state would fit into the Australian carbon-trading picture.
Braver than Kiwis, British Columbians start paying carbon tax on fuel
8 Jul 2008
Canada’s British Columbian state government’s new carbon tax came into effect last week, indicating how the New Zealand may have missed a chance to introduce carbon prices here with limited public opposition.
India shapes up as second-biggest emitter, says report
8 Jul 2008
India, with a rising demand for crude oil and coal, is likely to overtake the US as the second-largest emitter of carbon from energy use by 2050 after China, a new study says.
Seoul aims for voluntary compliance with greenhouse gas protocols
8 Jul 2008
South Korea plans to seek flexible and voluntary compliance with the international effort to cut back on greenhouse gases, the country's climate change ambassador said yesterday.
Will we see the chequered flag for Ferrari hybrid?
8 Jul 2008
The days of a battery-powered or hybrid Ferrari winning a grand prix might not be too far away if the plans of the famous Italian marque come to fruition.
China 1: Asian giant must do its bit to solve world problems, says UN chief
4 Jul 2008
The United Nations expects China to be at the forefront of efforts to tackle the world’s biggest challenges, such as the global food crisis, climate change and the quest to slash poverty, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this week.
China 2: First try at emissions trading exchange falls over
4 Jul 2008
The creation of China's first emissions trading exchange has been postponed indefinitely amid disagreements on foreign ownership in the bourse.
China 3: Foreign governments help to map plans for climate change
4 Jul 2008
A joint initiative by foreign governments and international agencies has been launched in Beijing to assist China's ecologically fragile provinces to map out plans to cope with the climate change.
India unveils eight-part action plan on climate change
4 Jul 2008
Climate change is a challenge that can be overcome only through global, collaborative and cooperative efforts, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says.
British Columbians pay more for petrol as carbon tax kicks in
4 Jul 2008
British Columbians are paying more at the gas pump as the provincial government's carbon tax on all fossil fuels takes effect.
What’s it all about, mate, ask bewildered Aussies
4 Jul 2008
Australia takes a big step into the brave new world of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions with the release today of Professor Ross Garnaut’s draft report for the Rudd government on carbon trading.
Australia embarks on greenhouse gas reporting system
1 Jul 2008
Australian businesses emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases from today will be required to monitor and measure the emissions ahead of reporting them to the government by October 2009.
California's draft carbon cap-and-trade plan could be blueprint for whole US
1 Jul 2008
California has released a draft plan to reduce the state's projected greenhouse gas emissions by nearly one-third, in part by creating a cap-and-trade programme that could serve as a blueprint for a national carbon emissions market.
Blair calls for 'short steps' to climate change
1 Jul 2008
Governments trying to hammer out a post-Kyoto deal on climate change should not become “fixated on precise targets” but concentrate on practical short-term steps towards halving emissions by 2050, says former UK prime minister Tony Blair.
UN chief uses Kyoto to call for new climate change agreement by end of 2009
1 Jul 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that the world must galvanise its will and reach a new agreement on measures to fight climate change by the end of 2009.
Billions on board - carbon trading set to dominate commodities
1 Jul 2008
The market in greenhouse gas emissions could outstrip the conventional commodities markets to become the biggest traded commodity, according to the head of the US Commodities Futures Trading Commission Bart Chilton.
Stern claims cost of curbing climate change has doubled
1 Jul 2008
Lord Stern has warned that the cost of avoiding dangerous levels of global warming has doubled since he published his influential report on the economics of climate change in late 2006.
India’s climate change policy unlikely to deliver much
1 Jul 2008
The much-awaited climate change policy, set to be announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today may fall short of expectations.
Australia’s west votes $6m to fight greenhouse gases
1 Jul 2008
The Western Australia State Government will inject $6 million to develop more innovative energy technologies to help to reduce greenhouse gas emission.
US dairy industry commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
27 Jun 2008
United States dairy leaders yesterday announced an industry-wide commitment and action plan to reduce fluid milk's carbon footprint while increasing business value from farm to consumer.
EU to include airlines in emissions-trading scheme
27 Jun 2008
Airlines will have to start paying for the amount of carbon dioxide they emit as of 2012, European Union officials agreed in principle yesterday in what politicians hailed as a landmark move.
Tokyo approves Japan's first greenhouse gas curbs
27 Jun 2008
Tokyo's local government has ordered Japan's first mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and set up a carbon market, moving faster than the national government.
Tokyo bourse carbon-permit trade hinges on Japan plan
27 Jun 2008
The introduction of carbon permits trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange will hinge on a government plan for compulsory emission curbs, Atsushi Saito, the president of the world's second-largest bourse, said yesterday.
Airlines should pay tax on emissions, Branson says
27 Jun 2008
Aviation is a dirty business and airlines should be willing to pay for the damage they cause to the environment, Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson has told a forum on climate change in Geneva.
Organic cow manure set to power Welsh village
27 Jun 2008
A village in Wales could soon be powered by cow's manure with the commencement of work at a local farm.
Business bosses deliver climate change plan to G8 leaders
24 Jun 2008
Detailed climate change recommendations to the Group of Eight leaders, backed by an influential group of CEOs from many of the world's largest companies, have been delivered to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who will host the G8's annual summit next month in Hokkaido.
Poll shock: Most Britons doubt cause of climate change
24 Jun 2008
Climate change campaigners are shocked by the results of a poll which shows that the majority of the British public is still not convinced that climate change is caused by humans.
Aussies vote $8.6 million for research on ‘win-win’ water use
24 Jun 2008
The Australian Government has provided $8.6 million for a new research project into how changed farming practices can simultaneously improve water use and productivity, while delivering better environmental outcomes.
Electric cars to play big part in UK renewable energy plans
24 Jun 2008
Electric cars could play a major role in the shift to environmentally friendly transport in Britain, the government will reveal this week
Green labels will show California cars’ environmental impact
24 Jun 2008
All new cars sold in California after this year will be required to have labels that clearly inform consumers of the vehicle's environmental impact, according to a new regulation signed into law this week.
Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow mining company to clear threatened indigenous forest
23 Feb 2026
The Australian government’s decision to allow the US mining giant Alcoa to continue clearing swathes of Western Australian jarrah forest despite past illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new document shows.
Repeal of endangerment finding is part of a systematic effort by US to dismantle climate policy
Tue 3 Mar 2026
COMMENT: Climate policy expert and founder of the NewClimate Institute in Cologne, Germany, explains what the step means for the US and for global climate diplomacy.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
25 Feb 2026
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
Spain defends EU’s flagship climate law against attacks from other capitals
Tue 3 Mar 2026
Spain has come to the defense of the European Union's bedrock climate law, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warning fellow European leaders against dismantling the embattled Emissions Trading System.
UK Greens win by-election as anti-data centre protests mount
Tue 3 Mar 2026
The Green Party's Hannah Spencer won the contest for the vacant parliamentary seat of Gorton and Denton, with Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party coming second, and Labour pushed into third place.
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.
South Korean farmers sue utility giant KEPCO over climate damage to crops
25 Feb 2026
As harvest season approached last November, farmer Ma Yong-un walked through his apple orchard in southern South Korea with a growing sense of dread.
World leaders invited to see Pacific climate destruction before COP31
Tue 3 Mar 2026
The leaders and climate ministers of governments around the world will be invited to meetings on the Pacific islands of Fiji, Palau and Tuvalu in the months leading up to the COP31 climate summit in November.
Limiting warming to 2C is ‘crucial’ to protect pristine Antarctic Peninsula
24 Feb 2026
Keeping global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial temperatures is “crucial” for limiting damage to the Antarctic Peninsula’s unique ecosystems, according to a new study.
Africa primed for solar breakthrough after record capacity growth
Tue 3 Mar 2026
The continent of Africa looks set to emerge as a key driver of global solar power production over the rest of the 2020s thanks to a potent mix of policy support, rapid economic growth and declining component costs.
Floods and landslides in Brazil kill at least 30 after record rainfall
Thu 26 Feb 2026
Three firefighters pulled a man’s body from the mud amid the rubble of houses swept away in a landslide in south-eastern Brazil, where 30 people died and 39 were still missing on Tuesday after torrential rains.
UN approves first carbon credits under Paris Agreement market mechanism
Fri 27 Feb 2026
The United Nations has approved the first credits to be issued under a carbon market established by the Paris climate accord, aimed at reducing emissions – a mechanism that has faced scrutiny over greenwashing concerns.
