International: All stories
California communities celebrate ‘massive’ victory as oil industry drops unpopular referendum
4 Jul 2024
The oil industry withdrew its $40 million campaign to kill a historic law to protect neighborhoods from oil drilling’s toxic effects, but is threatening to challenge the measure in court.
China court rules in favour of climate activists in landmark case against coal plant
4 Jul 2024
A grassroots NGO’s lawsuit against polluters highlights the difficulties of pricing climate damages and the obstacles faced by the nation's climate litigation efforts.
Wildfire emergencies declared in Russia’s Far East
4 Jul 2024
Authorities in Russia’s Siberian and Far East republics of Tyva and Sakha (Yakutia) have declared states of emergency due to summer wildfires raging across the regions.
US examines carbon pricing on imports, climate envoy says
3 Jul 2024
The US is examining a potential carbon pricing system on imports among a “range of options”, in what would be a key policy shift as it looks to combat Chinese competition and cut emissions.
Why carbon offsetting undermines climate targets
3 Jul 2024
More than 80 civil society organisations, including Oxfam, Amnesty International, and Greenpeace, have signed on to a Joint Statement, “Why carbon offsetting undermines climate targets”.
China sets up new state body to drill deep for oil and gas reserves
3 Jul 2024
China is setting up a new entity that groups national oil producers and other state firms to search for ultra-deep oil and gas reserves, state energy group CNPC said.
Australia’s ‘carbon budget’ may blow out by 40% under the coalition’s nuclear energy plan
3 Jul 2024
The Coalition’s pledge to build seven nuclear reactors, if elected, would represent a huge shift in energy policy for Australia.
'I will save you from the heat'
3 Jul 2024
The US city of Phoenix responds to the deadliest environmental threat to city dwellers with a Heat Response and Mitigation team and initiatives like overnight cooling centres.
More people in India faced climate change-induced extreme heat in June than any other country: Study
3 Jul 2024
Around 619 million people in India bore the brunt of a severe heatwave between June 16 and June 24, followed by 579 million people in China.
Caribbean leader calls out rich countries for climate failures as ‘horrendous’ storm makes landfall
2 Jul 2024
The prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has decried a lack of political will in western Europe and the US to tackle global climate change as Hurricane Beryl has made landfall as an “extremely dangerous” category 4 storm.
More climate lawsuits than ever are trying to hold companies and countries to account
2 Jul 2024
At least 230 new climate cases were filed in 2023, but researchers noted the growth of such cases was slower than in prior years.
The giant Exxon project that could create the world’s last petrostate
2 Jul 2024
ExxonMobil's massive offshore oil project in Guyana, labelled a 'climate bomb' by environmentalists, could create the world's last petrostate.
BP halts hiring, slows renewables roll-out to win over investors
2 Jul 2024
BP's new CEO Murray Auchincloss has imposed a hiring freeze and paused new offshore wind projects as he places a renewed emphasis on oil and gas amid investor discontent over its energy transition strategy.
Arctic 'dirty fuel' ban for ships comes into force
2 Jul 2024
A ban on the dirtiest and most climate-damaging fuel for ships has come into effect in Arctic waters.
Fossil fuel giant uses new tactic to fight climate change movement
2 Jul 2024
Santos is trying an unusual new tactic to fight the climate movement by pursuing environmental groups who championed the court case of traditional owners opposing the Barossa gas project
Supreme Court overturns Chevron Doctrine: what it means for climate change policy
1 Jul 2024
The high court sweeps away a ‘Goliath’ of modern law, weakening agencies’ legal authority as courts weigh Biden’s policies to cut greenhouse gases.
Arrests in Uganda over pipeline protests
1 Jul 2024
Hundreds of people gathered outside Chinese embassies and financial institutions in 10 countries, calling on China to reject financial support for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and related oil field projects.
Renewables and storage to replace coal, as Australia urged to go faster
1 Jul 2024
The Australian Energy Market Operator has confirmed that a combination of renewables and storage, backed by significant investments in transmission upgrades, remains the cheapest and smartest course.
We must take “all necessary measures” to control greenhouse gases, says International Tribunal
1 Jul 2024
The 21-judge International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea says science must guide efforts to prevent climate change and protect vulnerable people and wildlife.
How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution
1 Jul 2024
With lagoons once choked by rubbish, pressure from the appalled community led the government to ban certain single-use products.
Summer heat brings new misery to Palestinians in Israel's Gaza campaign
1 Jul 2024
Sweltering summer weather is worsening conditions in Gaza where nearly all the 2.3 million inhabitants have been driven from their homes by Israel's military campaign.
Lawyers could charge big oil with homicide after 2023 Arizona heatwave
27 Jun 2024
Prosecutors in Arizona could reasonably press homicide charges against big oil for deaths caused by a July 2023 heatwave, lawyers wrote in a new prosecution memorandum.
COP29 President anticipates climate finance breakthrough in Azerbaijan
27 Jun 2024
The road to COP29, this year's United Nations Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, feels like the buildup to a long-awaited climax after years of polarised debate on financing climate action for the world’s most vulnerable countries.
To keep clean drinking water flowing to Paris, farmers are going organic
27 Jun 2024
Rather than relying on expensive water treatment plants, the French capital is protecting its water supply at the source.
Climate change is already making your bills more expensive
27 Jun 2024
Researchers warn the hazards will only get worse, for the planet and the economy.
Could market forces be harnessed to rescue habitat worldwide? Some scientists think so.
27 Jun 2024
"Allowing one country to pay another to protect ocean refuges on its behalf made sense once we realised just how inefficient uniform conservation mandates are."
Giant viruses discovered in arctic ice could slow sea-level rise
27 Jun 2024
Hordes of giant viruses are living on the world's second-largest body of ice — and may be slowing the impacts of climate change.
Denmark will be the first country to impose a carbon tax on farms
26 Jun 2024
Denmark, a major pork and dairy exporter, will introduce a tax on livestock carbon dioxide emissions from 2030, making it the first country to do so and hoping to inspire others to follow.
EU-regulated ‘sustainable’ funds invest £14bn in biggest polluters
26 Jun 2024
Fast fashion labels, fossil fuel companies and SUV-makers are present in EU-regulated “sustainable” funds that tout their ethical credentials in their names, with $18bn (£14bn) of their investments going to the 200 biggest polluters.
New climate coalition urges stronger targets as ‘greenlash’ fears mount
26 Jun 2024
Governments are being urged to set ambitious climate plans by a group including Ikea and Unilever as concerns rise that politicians are weakening measures to tackle global warming amid a growing “greenlash”.
Why Asia’s carbon emissions are erasing Western progress
26 Jun 2024
Global CO₂ equivalent emissions grew by 2.1% in 2023, crossing 40 billion metric tons for the first time.
Officials announce two new carbon removal sites for Southern US
26 Jun 2024
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Louisiana officials announced two new projects that are expected to remove hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide.
Plants release carbon faster than we expected
26 Jun 2024
A recent study has revealed that the global carbon stored by plants is shorter-lived and more susceptible to climate change than previously believed.
Hawaii reaches first settlement in youth climate case
25 Jun 2024
Hawaii and young climate activists have reached a first-of-its kind legal settlement, giving youth a role in curbing planet-warming emissions while avoiding a major trial that was set to begin next week.
At least 1301 people died in Hajj heat disaster
25 Jun 2024
At least 1,301 people died during Hajj, Saudi Arabia says, mostly unauthorised pilgrims who walked long distances in intense heat.
Former NSW treasurer appointed head of Australia's Climate Change Authority
25 Jun 2024
Former NSW treasurer and energy and environment minister Matt Kean has been appointed to lead the Climate Change Authority, less than a week after announcing his resignation from state politics.
Denmark’s radical plan for a plant-based future
25 Jun 2024
The Nordic country is working toward ambitious goals to make its food systems more sustainable — and other nations are following in its path.
Only 60% of Australians accept climate disruption is human-caused, global poll finds
25 Jun 2024
Exclusive: French survey of 26 countries finds fewer Australians than global average agree that climate change is the greatest health threat facing humanity.
Climate change puts UNESCO-listed Mali fishing tradition in danger
25 Jun 2024
Thousands of fishermen holding cone-shaped nets stood side by side, cheering and chanting as they waited for the signal.
Key oil project must count full climate impact - court
24 Jun 2024
The Supreme Court has ruled a local council should have considered the full climate impact of burning oil from new wells - a landmark decision which could put future UK oil and gas projects in question.
US official warns against dropping 2030 climate targets after Dutton refuses to commit to 43% emissions cut
24 Jun 2024
A senior US official has urged Australia and other countries not to back away from their 2030 climate commitments, insisting that “we all have a collective responsibility for the planet we live in”.
California seeks to seize big oil companies’ profits in climate greenwashing suit
24 Jun 2024
California’s Attorney General announced the state would seek to seize the “illegally obtained profits” of several big oil companies, for falsely advertising the environmental sustainability attributes of their products.
Telstra ditches carbon credits to push harder on direct emissions
24 Jun 2024
Australia's telco giant is dumping its carbon credit offset scheme and claims its plans are “carbon neutral” or “carbon offset”, instead moving to a direct-investment model.
#ShowYourStripes Day: what the ‘warming stripes’ tell us
24 Jun 2024
Climate scientist Ed Hawkins created the “warming stripes” visual representations of annual or monthly temperature anomalies for a specific location or region over the past 100+ years.
Fossil fuel use reaches global record despite clean energy growth
21 Jun 2024
Report finds developing countries are increasing reliance on coal, gas and oil as overall demand for energy rises.
Stonehenge covered in powder paint by Just Stop Oil
21 Jun 2024
Part of Stonehenge has been covered in orange powder paint by protesters, the day before celebrations begin for the Summer Solstice at the 5,000-year-old landmark.
“Ineffective, harmful": Science Based Targets initiative and carbon offsetting
21 Jun 2024
The Science Based Targets initiative's announcement that it would allow carbon offsetting to meet Scope 3 emissions reduction targets was a shock — even to people working at SBTi.
Insurer says industry failed to estimate impact of extreme weather
21 Jun 2024
Global insured losses from natural catastrophes exceeded $100bn for fourth consecutive year in 2023.
India reports over 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases over summer
21 Jun 2024
India recorded more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases this summer as a prolonged heatwave killed more than 100 people across the country.
Lessons from trade tensions targeting “overcapacity” in China’s cleantech industry
20 Jun 2024
Comment: Clean technology is turning into the next global climate spat. The debate over China’s dominance is highly politicised, but there are ways forward.
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.
