International: All stories
Can clean cookstoves ride out the carbon markets storm?
19 Feb 2024
One of the world’s largest, but most overlooked, public health crises comes from an unlikely source: cooking.
Switzerland proposes first UN expert group on solar geoengineering
19 Feb 2024
A draft resolution aimed at creating a space for discussion on sun dimming technologies will be debated at the summit of the UN’s environment body this month.
Climate change is forcing Australians to weigh up relocating
19 Feb 2024
Big environmental changes mean ever more Australians will confront the tough choice of whether to move home or risk staying put.
Kazakhstan: Methane mega-leak went on for months
19 Feb 2024
An estimated 127,000 tonnes of methane escaped when a blowout started a fire that raged for over six months last year at a remote well in Kazakhstan.
Ocean-based viruses discovered that trap carbon and combat climate change
19 Feb 2024
In an era where the threat of climate change and carbon emissions loom larger by the day, scientists are delving into the world’s oceans, armed with an extensive catalogue of hundreds of thousands of DNA and RNA virus species.
A container ship just tested a system to capture its own CO2 emissions
19 Feb 2024
Shipping companies are experimenting with onboard carbon capture systems, but they face difficult trade-offs on energy and space for regular cargo.
UN chief warns climate chaos and food crises threaten global peace: ‘Empty bellies fuel unrest’
16 Feb 2024
The United Nations chief warned Tuesday that climate chaos and food crises are increasing threats to global peace, telling a high-level U.N. meeting that climate disasters imperil food production and “empty bellies fuel unrest.”
World risks missing climate targets because of surging Asian gas demand
16 Feb 2024
Global market for LNG to grow until at least 2040 despite Western efforts to hit net zero.
The energy transition would cost 20% more without China, analysis says
16 Feb 2024
Energy consultant Wood Mackenzie estimates that $6 trillion would be needed if Chinese clean tech was shunned.
Veteran economists say a carbon levy would cut emissions, cut inflation and raise billions, but see little prospect of adoption
16 Feb 2024
Two of Australia’s most respected economists have put forward a bold plan to lower global carbon emissions by at least 6 per cent, super-charge a new green export industry, deliver much cheaper power bills and dramatically cut the rate of inflation.
Shell accused of trying to wash hands of Nigerian oil spill mess
16 Feb 2024
Shell’s oil spills have ruined farms and fisheries and locals want compensation before it sells up.
Introducing meat–rice: grain with added muscles beefs up protein
16 Feb 2024
Rice has been used as a scaffold to grow beef muscle and fat cells, resulting in an edible, “nutty” rice–beef combo that can be prepared in the same way as normal rice.
EU climate policy is dangerously reliant on untested carbon-capture technology
15 Feb 2024
Europe’s ambition for emissions reductions is to be welcomed — but look at the detail, and significant hazards emerge.
How to do climate policy in the age of the green backlash
15 Feb 2024
OPINION: Too many activists fret about a lack of ‘political will’, as if such a force can be magically bottled.
Hydrogen refuelling station closures in multiple countries more painful news for hydrogen proponents
15 Feb 2024
OPINION: The past year has been a year of creative destruction in hydrogen for energy efforts. That is to say, destruction of creative accounting and projections in business cases.
AI finds 15% of Americans are climate change deniers
15 Feb 2024
Researchers used Twitter and AI techniques to understand how social media has spread climate change denialism.
The Amazon rainforest is approaching widespread collapse
15 Feb 2024
The Amazon rainforest is edging closer to a critical tipping point that could trigger a widespread ecological collapse with far-reaching implications for the global climate system.
Climate-driven migration overtakes Russian aggression as biggest security concern, report finds
15 Feb 2024
European voters are more worried about climate change-driven migration than the threat posed by Russia, according to a new survey.
UAE, Azerbaijan, Brazil join forces to limit global warming to 1.5C
14 Feb 2024
Three former and future UN climate summit hosts will form a ‘troika’ to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Five elections worldwide that could threaten climate action
14 Feb 2024
If 2023 was the year climate change broke records around the world, 2024 is when warming could go to the polls.
The rise of batteries in six charts and not too many numbers
14 Feb 2024
The unstoppable rise of batteries is leading to a domino effect that puts half of global fossil fuel demand at risk.
Nestlé launches animal-free precision fermented dairy powder
14 Feb 2024
Swiss multinational Nestlé has debuted its first precision fermentation dairy protein powder, an animal- and lactose-free whey isolate product targeting the climate-conscious consumer.
Polar bears struggling to adapt to longer ice-free Arctic periods
14 Feb 2024
Polar bears in Canada’s Hudson Bay risk starvation as climate change lengthens periods without Arctic Sea ice, despite the creatures’ willingness to expand their diets.
Climate finance is targeting the wrong industries
14 Feb 2024
Roughly half of the world’s emissions currently can’t be reduced, yet green investment continues to avoid the sectors that need the most help—manufacturing, agriculture, and built environment.
World's first year-long breach of key 1.5C warming limit
13 Feb 2024
For the first time, global warming has exceeded 1.5C across an entire year, according to the EU's climate service.
Ocean system that moves heat gets closer to collapse, which could cause weather chaos, study says
13 Feb 2024
An abrupt shutdown of Atlantic Ocean currents that could put large parts of Europe in a deep freeze is looking a bit more likely and closer than before as a new complex computer simulation finds a “cliff-like” tipping point looming in the future.
ICROA unveils updated carbon credit 'code of practice'
13 Feb 2024
International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance announces refreshed Code of Best Practice for firms trading carbon credits.
What’s plaguing voluntary carbon markets?
13 Feb 2024
Proponents of voluntary carbon markets argue they are essential for increasing climate finance and enabling companies to reach their net-zero targets. But critics argue that voluntary arrangements are little more than elaborate greenwashing mechanisms.
Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, UN report says
13 Feb 2024
Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and other migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperilled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change.
The 1,200 big methane leaks from waste dumps trashing the planet
13 Feb 2024
The huge leaks of the potent greenhouse gas will doom climate targets, experts say, but stemming them would rapidly reduce global heating.
EU calls for 90% emissions cut by 2040
12 Feb 2024
The EU executive’s recommendation comes as the bloc’s green policies are facing a growing backlash.
Jury awards climate scientist Michael Mann $1 million in defamation lawsuit
12 Feb 2024
A jury awarded $1 million to climate scientist Michael Mann who sued a pair of conservative writers 12 years ago after they compared his depictions of global warming to a convicted child molester.
The climate denial network behind ‘classic astroturf’ farmers’ campaign
12 Feb 2024
Producers say ‘No Farmers, No Food’ is a populist initiative that serves to “whip up indignation and anger”.
New York City is considering a laundry pods crackdown
12 Feb 2024
Laundry and dishwasher detergent pods made with polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA, contribute to plastics pollution in US waterways.
Critics decry controversial bill that loosens deforestation restrictions in Peru
12 Feb 2024
Peru’s Congress approved a new amendment to the country’s forest and wildlife law, which loosens restrictions on deforestation and may affect the rights of Indigenous peoples.
A leading data scientist's journey from doomism to climate hope
12 Feb 2024
Data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that planetary damage could be about to peak – but that the US election result could be "pivotal".
Investors respond best to optimistic climate messaging: research
9 Feb 2024
Optimistic messages that emphasise the long-term benefits of shifting investments away from fossil fuels could increase the amount of wealth under sustainable management by the equivalent of US$3.6 trillion, a new study suggests.
Shifting climate scenarios muddy the picture for investors
9 Feb 2024
Transparency may suffer as banks modify outlooks to reflect more fossil fuel use. Meanwhile, the climb to net zero grows steeper.
Climate change is fueling the disappearance of the Aral Sea and taking residents' livelihoods
9 Feb 2024
Toxic dust storms, anti-government protests, the fall of the Soviet Union — for generations, none of it has deterred Nafisa Bayniyazova and her family from making a living growing melons, pumpkins and tomatoes on farms around the Aral Sea.
Elon Musk introduces his new right-wing fans to a carbon tax; goes as well as you’d expect
9 Feb 2024
Elon Musk is introducing his new right-wing fans to the idea of implementing a carbon tax, and it goes about as well as you would expect.
India will be world's biggest oil demand growth driver through 2030, IEA says
9 Feb 2024
India is expected to be the largest driver of global oil demand growth between 2023 and 2030, narrowly taking the lead from top importer China.
Climate change bringing megafloods to California
9 Feb 2024
Southern California is confronting an overabundance of water, in the form of torrential rain and life-threatening floods.
ICC prosecutor wants court to try 'environmental crimes'
8 Feb 2024
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor told AFP that he wants the tribunal to start trying suspects for "environmental crimes" without having to modify its founding statutes.
Paris banned e-scooters. Now it's taking on SUVs
8 Feb 2024
Parisians voted “oui” on a proposal to triple the parking charges for SUVs in the city centre — a vote that was closely watched by the auto industry and city officials across Europe.
Italy’s energy deal faces backlash in Africa
8 Feb 2024
Critics charge that a plan that aims to curb migration will derail the continent’s climate change agenda.
US carbon capture bill fails in first committee voting
8 Feb 2024
US legislation targeting carbon capture, specifically focused on geological sequestration, faced a significant setback as a proposed Senate bill failed to advance past the initial committee.
Fringe climate proposal of a giant space parasol gains interest
8 Feb 2024
A small but growing number of astronomers and physicists are proposing a potential fix that could have leapt from the pages of science fiction: the equivalent of a giant beach umbrella, floating in outer space.
To help Chinese communities adapt to climate change, listen to them
8 Feb 2024
A survey in southern China’s Pearl River Delta, a region prone to flooding and storm surges, provides insights into climate adaptation strategies.
Facing farm protests, EU eases demands in 2040 climate proposal
7 Feb 2024
The EU executive dropped specific references to agriculture emissions cuts as farmers protest across Europe.
Scientists challenge ‘flawed communication’ of study claiming 1.5C warming breach
7 Feb 2024
Scientists have challenged the conclusions of a new study suggesting that the planet has already exceeded the 1.5C warming threshold set under the Paris Agreement.
No room for the timid: setting Australia’s 2035 emissions target is a daring tightrope act
Tue 26 Aug 2025
Any week now, Australia will set its 2035 emissions target. It must signal the nation’s strong ambition on climate action, to drive policy and investment. And it must avoid being seen as either unrealistic or too costly.
California is backsliding on climate progress. It’s (mostly) Gavin Newsom’s fault
Tue 26 Aug 2025
The California Supreme Court just gave state officials a golden opportunity to revitalize the rooftop solar industry, helping millions of homes and businesses lower their electric bills and fight the climate crisis.
Is historically arid Beijing ready for a wetter future?
Mon 25 Aug 2025
Beijing's mountainous northern Huairou district and neighbouring Miyun district received a year's worth of rain in a single week, triggering flash floods that devastated entire villages and killed 44 people in the deadliest flood since 2012.
EU wildfires hit new record as flames scorch area larger than Cyprus
Mon 25 Aug 2025
The area burned this year has exceeded the 1 million hectare mark for the first time since records started in 2006.
What happens to net zero if the trees don’t survive?
20 Aug 2025
When climate change undermines the climate plan.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
India needs $467 billion climate finance by 2030 to decarbonise 4 key sectors
Mon 25 Aug 2025
India will need to mobilise USD $467 billion in climate finance by 2030 to put four of its most carbon-intensive sectors – power, steel, cement and transport – on a low-carbon pathway.
Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say
13 Aug 2025
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga among the worst affected amid warning the disease and others will become ‘more common and more serious’ as the planet warms.
Iconic Antarctic species at risk amid 'regime shift', with 'rapid and self-perpetuating changes'
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Scientists say there is emerging evidence of abrupt and potentially unstoppable changes in the Antarctic environment.
Africa’s top climate change challenges: a fairer deal on phasing out fossil fuels and mobilising funds
Fri 22 Aug 2025
African countries have made binding commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To do this, they will need to shift to renewable energy and stop mining and using fossil fuels like oil and coal.
Bolivia will choose a new president but environmental activists see little hope of progress
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Many Indigenous and environmental leaders doubt the election will bring progress in stopping deforestation, wildfires or pollution in the Amazon.
Brazil issues last-ditch plea for countries to submit climate plans ahead of COP30
20 Aug 2025
Only 28 countries have submitted carbon-cutting proposals to the UN, with some of the biggest emitters yet to produce plans.
