International: All stories
Who could replace US climate financing?
23 Apr 2025
Lawsuits and political pressure may save a few projects here and there but the future of climate financing under the current US administration seems clear—there isn’t one.
Extinction Rebellion co-founder loses appeal over Heathrow drone conspiracy
23 Apr 2025
The co-founder of environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion has lost a Court of Appeal bid to have a conviction for conspiring to fly drones over Heathrow to close it, quashed.
AI's climate impact is still a black box
23 Apr 2025
AI's carbon footprint remains a riddle three years into the genAI revolution, thanks to AI makers' secrecy and the difficulty of accurate measurements at scale.
Pope Francis and the sun
22 Apr 2025
COMMENT: Perhaps the world's greatest environmental champion, who brought moral resolve to the question of climate change, is dead.
Trump admin silent as UN deadline passes for reporting GHG emissions
22 Apr 2025
In nearly 30 years, the United States has never failed to send the United Nations its data on planet-warming pollution. This could be the first time.
Australia: Coalition under fire for planning to scrap Labor climate policies
22 Apr 2025
With Peter Dutton’s views on climate change in the spotlight, the focus has turned onto whether there will be any policies to reduce emissions in the next decade.
Europe’s electric car revolution needs chargers
22 Apr 2025
Five years before the EU’s deadline for installing 3.5 million charging stations, an EV journey from Lisbon to Białystok would still require elaborate planning.
Groups sue Trump admin for deleting climate information from federal websites
22 Apr 2025
“The removal of these websites and the critical data they hold is yet another direct attack on the communities already suffering under the weight of deadly air and water."
Mapped: How climate change affects extreme weather around the world
22 Apr 2025
Researchers have mapped every published study on how climate change has influenced extreme weather.
Environmental and science groups sue Trump admin for deleting environmental justice and climate information from federal agency websites
17 Apr 2025
The Sierra Club, the Environmental Integrity Project, California Communities Against Toxics and Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) filed a complaint on Monday in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Australia: Climate change pushing up insurance risk
17 Apr 2025
With flood waters rising, there are warnings of a “climate-induced credit crunch” as natural disasters threaten the viability of home insurance.
Ethiopia’s bold EV ambitions hit bumps in rural areas
17 Apr 2025
After becoming the world’s first country to ban imports of fossil fuel vehicles last year, a patchy power grid and high EV purchase costs are slowing Ethiopia’s green transport revolution in the countryside
Why US oil production could even go into reverse
17 Apr 2025
The prospect of U.S. oil production growth not just stalling but going into reverse is edging into the picture.
Trump administration cancels $3-billion climate friendly farming program
17 Apr 2025
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday said it had cancelled a $3 billion program for climate-smart farming projects after a review found it did not align with the priorities of the Trump administration.
Extended heatwave in India, Pakistan to test survivability limits, with temperatures reaching Death Valley levels
17 Apr 2025
For hundreds of millions of people living in India and Pakistan the early arrival of summer heatwaves has become a terrifying reality that’s testing survivability limits and putting enormous strain on energy supplies, vital crops and livelihoods.
‘A giant leap backwards’: Net Zero Banking Alliance drops binding 1.5C net-zero target
16 Apr 2025
The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) has confirmed the results of a key vote by its members, formally dropping the requirement for banks to set climate targets aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5C and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
Garbage bag giant fined $8.25m for falsely claiming products were recycled plastic
16 Apr 2025
The company behind GLAD garbage bags has been fined $8.25m for falsely claiming the products were made from recycled ocean plastics.
State aid set to energise France’s shift away from coal-fired power
16 Apr 2025
Coal-fired power plants converted to cleaner fuels to qualify for state assistance in meeting peak demand.
Deadly floods, storms and heatwaves: Europe suffered the 'serious impacts’ of climate change in 2024
16 Apr 2025
Storms and flooding across Europe last year affected a total of 413,000 people, led to the loss of at least 335 lives and are estimated to have cost at least €18 billion in damages.
Trump’s EPA plans to stop collecting greenhouse gas emissions data from most polluters
16 Apr 2025
The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to eliminate long-standing requirements for polluters to collect and report their emissions of the heat-trapping gases that cause climate change.
Sheinbaum’s energy agenda under fire as Mexican activists slam LNG megaproject
16 Apr 2025
A controversial project bringing U.S. liquefied natural gas through the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora to the Gulf of California continues to face strong resistance from environmental activists.
Africa is proof that investing in climate resilience works – and that it makes good business sense
15 Apr 2025
Climate denialism should not blind investors and governments to the very real opportunities to be found in financing solutions.
What does the new German coalition government mean for climate and energy?
15 Apr 2025
Since the German election took place in February, which saw the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) win the most seats, parties have been negotiating to form a new coalition government.
EU Emissions Trading System at risk of money laundering
15 Apr 2025
The European emissions trading system, designed to make polluters pay for their CO2 emissions, appears vulnerable to financial crime, particularly money laundering. This concern was highlighted in two studies commissioned by Germany’s environment agency, prompting the agency to investigate better detection methods.
Terminations at US government agencies that monitor extreme weather events will have negative effects
15 Apr 2025
In February 2025, Donald Trump’s administration reduced the government’s size. The NOAA was severely affected, experiencing budget cuts and the termination of about 800 employees’ positions. NOAA is a critically important government organization, and includes the National Weather Service.
From airlines to trainers, this German NGO stops companies from greenwashing products
15 Apr 2025
It’s not uncommon to see products sold on shop shelves that market themselves as ‘carbon neutral’ or ‘environmentally friendly’. But these claims are not always clear or backed up by evidence - and courts are forcing companies to take them down.
Grunge meets grid: How Pearl Jam’s carbon price led me to battery ETFs
15 Apr 2025
The grunge rock heavy hitter recently asked how they could invest their personal carbon pricing of their concert travels at $200 per ton.
Nations agree on carbon-pricing system to steer shipping towards net-zero
14 Apr 2025
Nations have agreed to introduce a worldwide carbon-pricing system for international shipping to drive the sector towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
Australia: Coalition clarifies commitment to Paris Agreement after confusion on climate targets
14 Apr 2025
The federal Coalition has clarified it remains committed to the Paris climate accord, despite earlier comments from the shadow energy minister indicating it could leave the agreement.
Trump signs orders to allow coal-fired power plants to remain open
14 Apr 2025
Donald Trump signed four executive orders on Tuesday aimed at reviving coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel that has long been in decline, and which substantially contributes to planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
Meat industry behind attacks on flagship climate-friendly diet report
14 Apr 2025
New evidence suggests the surge of outrage against the report was stoked by a PR firm that represents the meat and dairy sector.
US: New energy order puts states’ climate laws in the crosshairs of the Department of Justice
14 Apr 2025
A new executive order from President Donald Trump that’s part of his effort to invigorate energy production raises the possibility that his Department of Justice will go to court against state climate change laws aimed at slashing planet-warming greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuels.
Teens’ mental health suffers on Africa’s climate frontlines
14 Apr 2025
As climate change impacts take a heavy toll on young people’s wellbeing in poor rural areas, how can policymakers help them cope?
Science data under duress
11 Apr 2025
Climate change and climate action are socially and politically divisive topics in many countries. In addition to contributing to political disparity, climate research is also affected by political context, with consequences not only for scientists but for society as well.
Australia urgently needs to get serious about long-term climate policy – but there’s no sign of that in the election campaign
11 Apr 2025
The federal election should be an earnest contest over the fundamentals of Australia’s climate and energy policies.
Trump tells countries to axe talks on shipping carbon tax, or else
11 Apr 2025
The attack on the shipping deal is part of a wider U.S. rejection of policies to fight climate change.
Canada fossil fuel subsidies hit $30 billion amid pipeline push, study reveals
11 Apr 2025
Experts note that government funding goes to Big Oil shareholders and executives while Canadian taxpayers bear the brunt of living with climate change.
Wildfire warnings issued as UK temperatures set to reach 24C on Friday
11 Apr 2025
London fire brigade asks people to behave responsibly and Scottish fire and rescue service gives ‘extreme’ alert.
Honduras pays the climate cost as its forests disappear and storms rise
11 Apr 2025
Despite its high vulnerability to extreme weather events, Honduras continues to clear its forests, seen as one of its best protections against climate change and intensifying storms and hurricanes.
‘All other avenues have been exhausted’: Is legal action the only way to save the planet?
10 Apr 2025
Monica Feria-Tinta is one of a growing number of lawyers using the courts to make governments around the world take action.
German coalition eyes 'limited' foreign carbon credits
10 Apr 2025
The parties likely to form Germany's next government today presented their coalition treaty, which pledges to allow the use of foreign carbon credits to reach the country's 2040 climate target.
Increased access to medications may be a public health good—but it’s a big climate challenge
10 Apr 2025
Emissions from pharmaceutical production and consumption have nearly doubled in the last 24 years, according to a new global analysis.
Climate expert who studied WW2 shares how Canada can win Trump’s trade war
10 Apr 2025
"When we need to urgently build big things, we have to do it ourselves," Vancouver-based author Seth Klein tells DeSmog.
Chevron ordered to pay $744.6 million for destroying Louisiana’s coastal wetlands
10 Apr 2025
Oil giant Chevron has been ordered by a Louisiana civil court jury to pay $744.6 million to a parish government to help restore coastal wetlands destroyed by the company over a period of decades.
It's only early April and north India is bracing for extreme heat
10 Apr 2025
India's weather department has warned of high temperatures in parts of northern India, including capital Delhi, for this week.
Power-sector CO2 hits ‘all-time high’ in 2024 despite record growth for clean energy
9 Apr 2025
Emissions from the sector increased by 1.6% year-on-year, to reach a record high of 14.6bn tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO2).
Europe just had warmest March on record
9 Apr 2025
Europe experienced its warmest March since records began, as climate change continues to push temperatures to unprecedented levels, European Union scientists said on Tuesday.
Labor’s home batteries policy could help Australians who will never take it up. Here’s how
9 Apr 2025
The government’s promise to slash the cost of household batteries should be welcomed – it could drive a change that benefits everyone who uses the power grid.
Africa must shun Trump’s push to resurrect coal
9 Apr 2025
Clean energy can be Africa’s greatest success story, which is why its leaders must not fall for the pro-coal lobbying of the Trump administration.
Trump’s tariff tantrum won’t stop the global energy transition
9 Apr 2025
Trump has such a passion for tariffs he even imposed them on Antarctic islands – home only to penguins, who presumably pose a grave threat to American industry.
NSW to ban new coalmines in major shake-up for $23bn industry
Mon 23 Mar 2026
A major shake-up is on the way for one Australian state’s single biggest export, which powers homes here and abroad.
US to pay almost $1bn to French energy company to kill wind project plan
Tue 24 Mar 2026
As a fuel crisis triggered by the war in Iran drives up global fossil fuel prices, the Trump administration has announced it will pay French energy major TotalEnergies $1bn to kill plans to construct wind farms off the US east coast.
China tells oil refiners to suspend exports
Fri 20 Mar 2026
China has told its largest oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing unidentified sources, as the war in the Middle East risks an energy supply crunch.
Spain’s Sánchez attacks other EU leaders for exploiting energy prices to gut climate policies
Mon 23 Mar 2026
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez said his country was on “the right side of history” when it comes to how it has handled the economic and social costs of previous energy crises.
Analysis: CO2 from UK data centres could be ‘hundreds of times’ higher than thought
Tue 24 Mar 2026
Emissions from the new data centres set to drive the UK’s AI “revolution” could be hundreds of times higher than government estimates, according to analysis by Carbon Brief.
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.
Asia pivots to coal as Middle East conflict chokes LNG supply
Thu 19 Mar 2026
Asian utilities are boosting coal-fired power generation to cut costs and safeguard energy supply, industry officials say, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran chokes liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and soaring prices threaten to suppress LNG demand.
Pacific Nations fear fuel shortages as Middle East war sends oil prices soaring
Fri 20 Mar 2026
Leaders of Samoa and Tonga appealed for help this week as the import-reliant Pacific nations raised fears over possible fuel shortages and escalating costs caused by war in the Middle East.
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.
'Blackwater' lakes and rivers in the Congo Basin are now emitting ancient carbon into the atmosphere
16 Mar 2026
Carbon that has been buried in the Congo Basin's peatlands for millennia is seeping into lakes and rivers. Why this is happening remains unclear, but researchers warn that tropical peatlands could be nearing a tipping point.
Surfing’s big break: how climate crisis insurance may save El Salvador’s waves
Thu 19 Mar 2026
Fearing that extreme weather threatened its epic breaks, Oriente Salvaje is piloting the first surf insurance policy to protect livelihoods and ecosystems.
Iran war should trigger faster exit from fossil fuel dependence, UN climate chief says
18 Mar 2026
The disruption to energy markets caused by the Iran war is a lesson on the risks of relying on fossil fuels which should drive governments to wean their economies off oil and gas faster, the U.N. climate secretary told Reuters on Monday.
