International: All stories
Paris Olympics promote sustainability for good reason
29 Jul 2024
Europe is in the midst of a heat wave, and while Olympic athletes in Paris for the 2024 Summer Games might be spared the worst of it, the weather will still be hot.
It’s time for Azerbaijan to shift gears on diplomacy ahead of COP29
29 Jul 2024
COMMENT: Amid record-breaking climate impacts, the COP29 host nation needs to ramp up action for an ambitious outcome in Baku.
Scientists discover trees absorb methane – so forests are even more important in the climate fight than we thought
26 Jul 2024
Tree bark in the world’s forests absorbs the greenhouse gas methane – a discovery that could have big implications for tackling climate change.
A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked
26 Jul 2024
Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion.
Landmark lawsuit challenges Britain’s climate change adaptation plan
26 Jul 2024
In a landmark climate case, Friends of the Earth and two people whose lives have been severely affected by the changing climate are suing the government of the United Kingdom over its failure to safeguard people, property and infrastructure against foreseeable effects of the climate crisis.
Tasmanian 'Eco-Milk' tests shoppers' thirst for climate-friendly dairy
26 Jul 2024
A small dairy in Tasmania is stocking supermarket shelves with what it says is the world's first branded milk produced by cows fed with a seaweed that makes them emit lower levels of environmentally damaging methane gas.
'Heat is a killer': Experts explain why it matters that heat records were broken this week
26 Jul 2024
Heat records have never tumbled at such speed before and it could have dire consequences for people everywhere, especially Europe which is the fastest warming continent on Earth.
Beef is carbon-intensive - but by how much is surprisingly unclear
26 Jul 2024
The way beef is farmed, and how we measure its emissions, produces dramatically variable greenhouse gas footprints, according to new research.
World’s hottest day recorded on Sunday, climate monitor says
25 Jul 2024
Global average surface air temperature was 17.09 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service says.
20 ways policymakers can help businesses fight nature loss
25 Jul 2024
COMMENT: Nature underpins our collective wellbeing and our very survival. It provides the foundation of our economic system, supports human development and equality, and increases our resilience to climate change.
Why Asia's future hinges on a collective approach to sustainable finance
25 Jul 2024
Asia is experiencing significant health crises due to climate change, causing disruptions in productivity, increasing healthcare costs and undermining workforce stability.
South Africa passes its first sweeping climate change law
25 Jul 2024
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law a broad climate change act that will set caps for large emitters and require every town and city to publish an adaptation plan.
Just Stop Oil’s harsh sentences are the logical outcome of Britain’s authoritarian turn against protest
25 Jul 2024
Lengthy prison sentences have been imposed on five Just Stop Oil activists for coordinating direct action on the M25, the main ring road around London.
Birthing the Blob
25 Jul 2024
With ecosystems increasingly squeezed by anthropogenic warming, even cleaning up pollution can cause problems.
UN attacks companies’ reliance on carbon credits to hit climate targets
24 Jul 2024
The UN has outlined its opposition to companies using credits to cancel out their carbon dioxide footprint, putting it on a collision course with big oil and technology groups.
What’s on the table for food systems at COP29?
24 Jul 2024
Food systems advocates are eager to ensure that food and agriculture remain central topics, building on the momentum from COP28 in Dubai.
Maritime commerce and climate change: how effective would a carbon tax on shipping be?
24 Jul 2024
With 11 billion tonnes of goods traded internationally by sea every year, shipping accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
When Kamala Harris sued Obama over fracking
24 Jul 2024
A 2016 lawsuit illustrates why some activists believe Harris will be more aggressive on climate than Biden.
A global wealth tax is needed to help fund a just green transition
24 Jul 2024
COMMENT: Brazil and France have proposed a tax on the super-rich to fight against poverty and climate change – G20 finance ministers should get behind it this week.
Rio Tinto class action over Bougainville mine damage set for October hearing
24 Jul 2024
The first hearing date has been set in a class action against miner Rio Tinto for historical environmental and social damage caused by the Bougainville copper mine in Papua New Guinea.
Projects under construction in China have twice the capacity of the rest of the world’s renewable energy projects combined
23 Jul 2024
Renewable energy projects are rapidly expanding in China, so much so that the country has double the amount of renewable capacity under construction compared to all other countries combined.
Von der Leyen threads the climate needle to keep her job
23 Jul 2024
The German politician has secured a second term as European Commission president with a political program carefully designed to woo both conservatives and environmentalists.
Niger floods toll increases - 53 dead, 18,000 affected
23 Jul 2024
Flooding caused by heavy rains lashing Niger since June has killed 53 people and impacted 18,000, as the west African country grapples with the effects of climate change.
Trump’s environmental impact endures, at home and around the world
23 Jul 2024
His break from the Paris accord inspires other populist leaders, while his reshaping of the federal courts and environmental rollbacks distrupt efforts to counter climate change.
Climate activists have received months-long sentences. Are tougher laws eroding Australians’ right to protest?
23 Jul 2024
NSW enacts highest number of new laws among states, with climate protesters disproportionately affected, report finds.
Methane leaking out of old mining site in Dharawal National Park near Sydney that closed decades ago
23 Jul 2024
In the heart of what appears to be a pristine national park, a greenhouse gas is leaking out of an underground coal mine more than 30 years after it was last used.
How Kamala Harris’ platform could differ from Joe Biden’s
22 Jul 2024
President Joe Biden’s decision to abandon his reelection bid and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris means that Harris could soon become the standard-bearer for the Democratic Party’s biggest priorities — including climate change.
Climate activists alarmed by Trump’s ‘dangerous’ pick for vice president
22 Jul 2024
‘JD Vance will empower Donald Trump to enact even worse damage on our planet,’ campaign group warns.
Caribbean seeks help in fighting climate change after Hurricane Beryl devastates small islands
22 Jul 2024
Caribbean officials demanded more access to funding and help in fighting climate change, weeks after Hurricane Beryl devastated the region.
South Africa’s new environment minister must focus on people, not profits from fossil fuels – climate ecologist
22 Jul 2024
There are huge profits to be made in exploiting South Africa’s natural resources, but these come at a cost to society and the environment.
UK first European country to approve lab-grown meat, starting with pet food
22 Jul 2024
Lab-grown pet food is to hit UK shelves as Britain becomes the first country in Europe to approve cultivated meat.
How simple tech can supercharge the race to net zero
22 Jul 2024
To even out the intermittent power supply from wind and solar, we need to build vast energy storage facilities.
Australian Super accused of greenwashing by investing funds from ethical option in coal, oil and gas industries
19 Jul 2024
Australia's largest super fund has invested money from its 'Socially Aware' option in the coal, oil and gas industries.
Greece shuts Acropolis, two firefighters killed in Italy as southern Europe swelters in a heat wave
19 Jul 2024
A heat wave across southern Europe forced authorities in Greece to close the Acropolis for several hours and two firefighters died while putting out a fire in the Basilicata region in southern Italy.
UK supermarkets to trial methane-reducing feed supplement for dairy cows
19 Jul 2024
UK supermarket chain Tesco has announced it will trial a methane-reducing feed supplement for dairy cows as part of an initiative to cut its carbon footprint.
‘Significant shift’ away from coal as most new steelmaking is now electric
19 Jul 2024
The steel and iron industry is responsible for 7% of greenhouse gas emissions and 11% of carbon dioxide emissions globally, according to the consultancy firm Global Efficiency Intelligence.
US court overturns Alaska oil lease sale in a win for environmentalists
19 Jul 2024
A federal court in Alaska overturned an oil and gas lease sale that had been mandated by the Biden administration's signature climate law as part of a political compromise.
From green energy to rivers, environment at heart of nine plans in King’s speech
19 Jul 2024
The UK's new Labour government recognises the ‘urgency of climate challenge’ but also presents measures as way to also cut the cost of living.
BP-owned company is selling carbon credits on trees that aren’t in danger, analysis finds
18 Jul 2024
Some forest carbon offsets sold by the biggest offsetting company in the United States offer little or no benefit to the climate, a satellite analysis has found.
Preparing London for climate impacts is ‘non-negotiable,’ landmark review warns
18 Jul 2024
The government has been warned that preparing London for climate change is “non-negotiable” as a landmark review of the capital’s climate resilience is published.
'Canada Carbon Rebate' starts
18 Jul 2024
Starting today, Canadian banks are expected to clearly identify direct deposits of carbon tax rebates in customers' accounts.
Gas giant Woodside buys grazing properties in southern NSW to offset carbon emissions
18 Jul 2024
Woodside has bought four sheep and cattle farms in NSW for $40 million to help offset emissions from oil and gas projects.
The story of a heat death
18 Jul 2024
David went to work in his new job on a French building site. By the end of the day he was dead. What can David Azevedo’s story tell us about the threat increasingly extreme weather poses to human health?
Can digital payments help countries adapt to climate change?
18 Jul 2024
For thousands of farmers in the Philippines, climate change is a direct threat to their livelihoods.
Climate change is altering the length of days on Earth, according to new research
17 Jul 2024
The days are getting longer as global temperatures continue to rise, new research shows.
We now live in a world of planned disasters
17 Jul 2024
COMMENT: When Hurricane Beryl blew into Houston last week, many bayous and roadways were flooded and more than 2.2 million homes and businesses were left without power.
‘Antidotes to despair’: five things we’ve learned from the world’s best climate journalists
17 Jul 2024
From climate crisis being a crime story to presenting basic weather news in the context of climate change, here are some lessons from journalists.
Rising seas wiped out an entire US species for the first time. Scientists say it’s a sign of things to come
17 Jul 2024
A unique plant has become the first species in the United States to be exterminated from the wild by the compounding effects of rising seas, scientists say.
New map shows predicted climate impacts where you live
17 Jul 2024
A new climate change map shows predictions for just how devastated the future climate will be in various places around the world.
California wildfires have burned five times the average area this year, officials say
16 Jul 2024
Cal Fire head Joe Tyler urges residents to be ‘extra cautious’ and reveals fires have scorched nearly 220,000 acres.
Security group warns Australia’s democracy is being threatened by ‘anti-climate-action propaganda’
Today 11:00am
Australia’s democracy and sovereignty is being threatened by a propaganda machine aiding climate change deniers, a security group has warned.
California sues Trump energy department over revival of controversial oil pipeline
Today 11:00am
California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, said he has sued the US energy department to stop it from using a cold-war-era law to restart the long-disputed Sable Offshore pipeline system linking the Santa Ynez offshore platform to California refineries.
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.
Heat pumps for all new homes and plug-in solar in England green tech drive
Today 11:00am
Developers will be required to install solar panels and heat pumps in all new homes in England as part of updated planning requirements published by the government.
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.
Philippines declares national emergency over high fuel prices
Today 11:00am
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines declared a national energy emergency on Tuesday, saying that high oil prices caused by the war in the Middle East were threatening the country’s energy security.
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.
