International: All stories
UN members reinforce nations' climate change obligations
21 May 2026
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution reinforcing states' obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move toned down under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters.
‘Foolish’ CSIRO job cuts will mean Australia unable to provide climate projections to global reports, scientists warn
21 May 2026
Job cuts at the national science agency mean Australia will no longer be able to submit climate projections to form part of global reports and will have significantly reduced ability to forecast future damage to the country, leading researchers have warned.
Are hailstones getting bigger due to climate change?
21 May 2026
Scientific studies suggest that a warmer climate does not necessarily lead to more frequent hail, but rather to more severe hailstorms with larger hailstones.
Trump distorts recent revisions of scientific projections of global warming
21 May 2026
President Donald Trump recently blasted the accuracy of global warming projections in a Truth Social post that itself painted a distorted view of the science, projections and how the international community discusses climate policy.
At least 21 killed as heavy rains drench southern, central China
21 May 2026
Torrential rain continued across southern and central China on Tuesday with at least 21 people killed in widespread flooding that also closed schools and businesses, and disrupted transport and power supplies, authorities said.
EU keeps carbon border tax unchanged despite fertiliser price crisis
21 May 2026
Fertiliser producers argue that the EU's carbon pricing rules at the border protect the European industry from cheaper imports produced under weaker environmental rules. But farmers fear they are indirectly paying the bill through higher fertiliser costs.
Māori climate risk worsened by colonisation, report finds
20 May 2026
A sweeping national climate assessment argues that exclusion from decision-making has amplified Indigenous vulnerability to floods, storms, and erosion.
The worst climate future is less likely, but the best one is slipping away, scientists say
20 May 2026
Scientists are jettisoning their worst and best case scenarios for a warming world as no longer plausible. That shows how modest gains in the fight to curb climate change have dialled back the most catastrophic of future heating but also confirmed that there’s no chance to limit warming to the international goal set in 2015.
US and Iran are the world’s only major emitters without net-zero targets
20 May 2026
Many right-leaning figures have tried to push the idea that the UK is an outlier on net-zero.
Germany set to miss 2030 climate goals, independent body warns
20 May 2026
Germany is expected to miss its 2030 climate goals and likely emit more carbon dioxide than previously thought, an independent advisory body said on Monday, contradicting the findings of the government's main climate authority.
Amazon deforestation at eight-year low, report shows
20 May 2026
Despite a drop in the size of deforested areas, the number of wildfires in the region increased by more than 30 percent.
Iran war pushes Portugal to halve fossil fuel use over next 10 years
20 May 2026
Lisbon fast-tracks plans after the Iran war caused oil and gas costs to soar, Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho tells POLITICO.
Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO
19 May 2026
The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization, or millions more people will die unnecessarily, leading international experts have said.
A closely guarded plan to cool Earth is revealed
19 May 2026
A company that aims to make billions of dollars by cooling the Earth has lifted the veil of secrecy that until now has hidden its plans for preventing sunlight from overheating the planet.
How the environmental movement lost its power – and how to get back
19 May 2026
COMMENT: How did the movement lose its vibrancy? More screen time, less wild habitat available to visit, and a shift to urban living have made Americans less viscerally connected to the splendor of planet Earth.
Scientists find climate change is reducing oxygen in rivers worldwide
19 May 2026
Global warming is causing rivers to slowly lose oxygen, threatening fish and other lives in the waterways, a new study shows.
The UK faces growing climate threats – where is the response to match?
19 May 2026
COMMENT: UK voters’ dissatisfaction with business as usual must be harnessed to address public concerns and build a country that is resilient to climate change impacts.
Aus Climate Minister urged to justify spending $200m on climate summit
19 May 2026
Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has been urged to justify the government's massive expenditure related to the COP31 summit after he set up an “office of the presidency” in his department.
Vanuatu’s legal battle against climate superpowers heads to the UN
18 May 2026
COMMENT: The United Nations General Assembly upcoming vote responding to the International Court of Justice’s landmark 2025 advisory opinion on climate change could help move climate responsibility from political promise to legal accountability.
China widens its clean energy lead
18 May 2026
Chinese companies account for more than half of global investments in clean energy manufacturing since 2019, while new U.S. investments declined last year.
Trump has hindered offshore wind while China and other countries invest heavily
18 May 2026
President Donald Trump is stopping offshore wind projects in the United States, just as the industry was poised to grow significantly.
Coal pollution is cutting solar power output worldwide, study finds
18 May 2026
New research led by the University of Oxford and University College London has revealed pollution from coal-fired power plants is significantly reducing the energy output of solar photovoltaic installations, particularly where these are expanding side by side.
Natural gas to play key role in strategy to double Canada’s electricity grid by 2050
18 May 2026
A new national strategy will double the capacity of the country’s electricity grid by 2050, Prime Minister Mark Carney said as he announced the plan last week.
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
15 May 2026
If the resolution is passed, governments will recognise their legal responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Global oil supply to plunge below demand this year due to Iran war, IEA says
15 May 2026
Global oil supply will fall short of total demand this year as the Iran war wreaks havoc on Middle East oil production and drains inventories at an unprecedented pace, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, upending its earlier outlook calling for a surplus.
Calls to exploit vast Mediterranean gas reserves at Cyprus energy crisis summit
15 May 2026
Cyprus, Greece and Romania suggest Europe's energy transition can wait.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
UK halves Green Climate Fund contribution, as it spends more on security
15 May 2026
After promising £1.6 billion to the UN’s flagship climate fund in 2023, the UK government has now said it will only hand over half as much.
Africa secures major clean energy deals as France deepens investment push
15 May 2026
French and African leaders have announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, underscoring the continent’s growing importance in the global push for cleaner energy and industrial development.
Global shocks, fertiliser use and the importance of data: Insights on the environmental performance of agriculture
14 May 2026
When shocks push producers to use less fertiliser, the environmental performance of agriculture tends to improve. But do improvements reflect the short-term effects of shocks or signal the beginning of a longer-term trend?
Some inconvenient truths in bringing climate science to the judiciary
14 May 2026
OPINION: Climate science had been knocking on the courthouse doors for quite some time when the Supreme Court of the United States finally invited it into the realm of legal action in 2007.
Risk of drought in UK grows after unusually dry start to spring
14 May 2026
The risk of drought is rising after an unusually dry start to spring has pushed river flow, groundwater and reservoir stores below normal levels across much of the country, especially in central and southern England.
While the world hesitates, India must continue leading on climate
14 May 2026
India’s updated climate targets must translate into systems that secure growth, resilience, and autonomy.
Renewable energy hub planned for Scottish coal museum
14 May 2026
A former 19th Century coal mining 'super-pit' in Midlothian is to be turned into a renewable energy hub providing green electricity for the local community.
COP30 roadmap to end deforestation will invite countries to draft domestic plans
14 May 2026
After promising at COP30 to produce a voluntary global roadmap to stop forest loss by 2030, Brazil provided an update on the consultations this week.
Scientists warn El Niño could intensify climate extremes in 2026
13 May 2026
Climatologists say a particularly powerful weather pattern could amplify wildfire risk, heatwaves and flooding worldwide as global temperatures continue to rise.
US EPA moves to speed clean air permits for power plants, industry
13 May 2026
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it would speed up the process for large polluters to obtain clean air permits, the latest move by the Trump administration to ease regulatory burdens on American power plants and industry.
The country where lethal hantavirus cases are on the rise. Experts blame climate change
13 May 2026
Experts believe environmental degradation caused by climate change and human activity is contributing to its spread by allowing the rodents that transmit the virus to thrive in new areas.
Datacentres should be forced to invest in wind and solar energy, all states agree – except Queensland
13 May 2026
Power hungry datacentres that are growing to meet the demands of artificial intelligence could be forced to invest in enough new solar and wind generation to completely cover their electricity needs.
How big oil companies can slow the green transition by suing governments that ban fossil fuels
13 May 2026
Simply put, this rule lets big oil companies sue sovereign states and demand exorbitant amounts of money if they are prohibited from digging up fossil fuels.
Coal mine challenge reaches Aus High Court
13 May 2026
What climate change impacts should a planning authority have to take into account when assessing a mining project?
Some climate shocks can increase the likelihood of war
12 May 2026
Researchers warn against oversimplifying climate change’s role in conflicts. But some conditions can increase the likelihood of violence, a new study finds.
What tree rings reveal about climate change in the Amazon
12 May 2026
Scientists analysed tree growth rings to investigate whether the Amazon Basin is indeed drying up, as shown by extreme droughts in 2023 and 2024.
Inequality causing 100,000 extra deaths a year from heat and cold in Europe
12 May 2026
Economic inequality adds more than 100,000 deaths to the vast toll from heat and cold in Europe each year, research has found.
Nature recovery zones inspired by Attenborough
12 May 2026
A wildlife trust has been inspired by Sir David Attenborough's climate change mantra to designate 11 nature recovery zones in honour of the broadcaster's 100th birthday.
Trouble brewing? Climate change puts tea drinkers in hot water
12 May 2026
Global warning will make it harder for tea producers to achieve consistent flavours, with higher temperatures reducing sweetness in the crop, a new report warns.
Factcheck: What the UK car industry is not saying about EV targets
12 May 2026
For several years, the UK car industry has been claiming that demand is not high enough to meet the government’s targets for sales of “zero emissions vehicles”. However, the car industry has actually beaten the targets under the government’s ZEV mandate.
Wind and solar have saved UK from gas imports worth £1.7bn since Iran war began
11 May 2026
The UK has avoided the need for gas imports worth £1.7bn since the start of the Iran war, as a result of record electricity generation from wind and solar, reveals Carbon Brief analysis.
Trump’s Iran war may stymie climate gains with boost to big oil, experts say
11 May 2026
Windfall profits could lock in Trump-era political wins for the industry and slow clean-energy transition.
‘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.
Climate change has already made Australians in one state much poorer, and more’s to come
Today 12:15pm
The world’s hottest years over the past decade have coincided with stagnant economic productivity, rising prices and geopolitical instability.
US judge orders halt to Trump administration's 'censorship' of park exhibits
Today 12:15pm
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to reinstall exhibits and signs on topics like slavery and climate change that it had removed from parks and monuments nationwide because they "do not align with its preferred narrative."
China warns of risk of 'extreme floods' in desert regions
Mon 15 Jun 2026
China warned communities in its northwestern Xinjiang and nearby regions on Friday to prepare for "extreme floods" this summer, driven by abnormally high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and rapid glacier melt.
Climate change reshapes Spain's rockfall risk as frost weathering moves uphill
Today 12:15pm
Climate change is altering where and when rocks are most likely to fracture across Spain, according to new research that suggests warming temperatures are redistributing a key process responsible for breaking down mountain landscapes.
Millions of UK homes at risk of sinking as climate crisis worsens
Fri 12 Jun 2026
Millions of homes are at risk from climate-related subsidence, according to an analysis by the British Geological Survey.
Canada signs landmark LNG energy deal with Germany
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.
Solar overtakes gas power in Asia for first time ever
Mon 15 Jun 2026
Solar has overtaken gas power in Asia to become the continent’s third-largest source of electricity, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief.
The Pacific made history in the courts – now we must do it in the negotiations
Fri 12 Jun 2026
Legal clarity alone will not lead to reduced emissions, more finance or stronger national climate plans – political will is key to meeting states’ obligations.
Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average
Today 12:15pm
A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’.
Aid cuts and climate change drive deadly malaria surge in Zimbabwe
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?
Finance dominates discussions at Bonn climate talks
Today 12:15pm
Lack of progress on finance issues – including putting a number on the new goal to triple adaptation funding – is causing blockages across negotiating tracks at UN climate talks.
