International: All stories
The planet is dangerously close to this climate threshold. Here’s what 1.5°C really means
2 Feb 2024
Federal and international climate officials recently confirmed that 2023 was the planet’s hottest year on record — and that 2024 may be even hotter.
Climate change will kill 14.5 million people globally by 2050 — but mostly not directly
2 Feb 2024
Climate change is triggering a global health crisis that may approach the death toll of some of history’s deadliest plagues.
Wildfire rages through national park in Argentina
2 Feb 2024
More than a hundred firefighters are battling to control a forest fire in Chubut province, in southern Argentina.
A veteran adviser is taking over as top US climate diplomat
2 Feb 2024
John Podesta, a Democratic political strategist and energy expert, will succeed John Kerry at a crucial time for President Biden’s climate agenda.
For COP29 to succeed, rich nations must get their parliaments to agree more finance now
2 Feb 2024
Rich nations always say they need their parliament's approval for climate finance at Cops – now is the time to start.
Climate change behind Africa cholera surge, top health officials say
2 Feb 2024
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the continent’s chief health advisory body, has tied the worst outbreak of cholera in three years to climate change.
With the world stumbling past 1.5 degrees of warming, scientists warn climate shocks could trigger unrest and authoritarian backlash
1 Feb 2024
Most of the public seems unaware that global temperatures will soon push past the target to which the U.N. hoped to limit warming, but researchers see social and psychological crises brewing.
China's wind, solar capacity forecast to overtake coal in 2024
1 Feb 2024
The China Electricity Council in a yearly report said grid-connected wind and solar would make up around 40% of installed power generation capacity by the end of 2024, compared with coal's expected 37%.
What does Biden’s LNG ‘pause’ mean for global emissions?
1 Feb 2024
In a surprise move, US president Joe Biden has announced a “temporary pause” on liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal expansion.
Saudi Arabia ditches plan to raise oil production
1 Feb 2024
World’s biggest exporter says it will no longer seek to increase output to 13mn barrels a day.
In carbon terms, grass-feed beef is not the greenest choice
1 Feb 2024
When researchers factored in land use, they found pasture-finished beef was significantly more carbon-intensive than the grain-finished alternative.
How many birds do wind farms kill?
1 Feb 2024
Wind farms kill far less than other hazards, but there are still ways that we can reduce them.
China installed more solar panels last year than the US has in total
31 Jan 2024
China is the world leader in renewable energy, including 40 percent of the planet’s entire solar capacity, reported Rystad Energy. The United States comes in second place with 12 percent.
A giant fund for climate disasters will soon open. Who should be paid first?
31 Jan 2024
More than three billion people stand to benefit from a historic climate loss-and-damage fund. But spending it involves agonising choices about who has suffered most.
New York’s first all-electric skyscraper doesn’t use a drop of fossil fuel
31 Jan 2024
The architects behind this 44-story tower explain how they designed it to run on electricity alone.
Scientists think the way humans have evolved may be preventing us from solving climate change
31 Jan 2024
While studying human evolution to find solutions for the growing climate crisis, researchers found a mix of encouraging and depressing results.
As a Swiss glacier melts, a trove of invaluable climate data is being lost
31 Jan 2024
By analysing ice collected from glaciers, scientists can study the past composition of the atmosphere and better understand how humans have altered the climate.
Climate change worsens human trafficking of the poor in Sierra Leone
31 Jan 2024
Sierra Leone’s poorest communities have long been prey to human traffickers. Climate change is making things worse.
East Africa's new love affair with geothermal energy
30 Jan 2024
There has been little interest in geothermal power in East Africa but Kenya's trailblazing energy transformation policy is now inspiring others.
COP29 host Azerbaijan launches green energy unit to sceptical response
30 Jan 2024
Azerbaijan’s state oil and gas firm promises a green push but a lack of climate policies and plans to expand gas production are causing scepticism.
Chicago could be first major Midwestern city to ban gas in new construction
30 Jan 2024
Buildings are Chicago’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, but efforts to decarbonize them are facing union opposition.
Electric vehicles use half the energy of gas-powered vehicles
30 Jan 2024
US residents are collectively burning about 8.9 million barrels of gasoline a day, or a little over one gallon each for every person in the country.
Migratory birds are struggling to adapt to climate change
30 Jan 2024
Alarming new research has uncovered the profound effects of climate change on migratory birds.
The race to build climate-resilient coral reefs
30 Jan 2024
Novel restoration methods can speed up the recovery of threatened corals – but for a lasting impact, they need to be backed by action to stop ocean warming.
Clean energy was top driver of China’s economic growth in 2023
29 Jan 2024
Clean energy contributed a record US$1.6tn to China’s economy in 2023, accounting for all of the growth in investment and a larger share of economic growth than any other sector.
Climate change driving South America dengue spike
29 Jan 2024
South America is seeing a surge in cases of the mosquito-borne disease dengue during the southern hemisphere summer, prompting Brazil to roll out a novel vaccine campaign.
World's largest cruise ship sets sail amid climate concerns
29 Jan 2024
The world's largest cruise ship has set sail from Miami, Florida, on its maiden voyage, but there are concerns about the vessel's methane emissions.
Collaboration key to curbing plastic pollution
29 Jan 2024
OPINION: Investing in industry–academic partnerships is the most effective path to solving the plastic pollution crisis and mitigating harm to the environment and to humans.
How nature can fight climate change - and how it can't
29 Jan 2024
With research showing that nature is already "mopping up" about half of human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions every year, natural climate solutions are moving into the mainstream.
Could 'apocalyptic optimism' be the antidote for 'climate fatalism'?
29 Jan 2024
OPINION: I call myself an apocalyptic optimist. I believe we can save ourselves from the climate crisis that we have caused; I also believe it will only be possible with a mass mobilization driven by the pain and suffering of climate shocks around the world.
Biden administration reportedly pauses approval of ‘carbon mega bomb’ gas export hub
26 Jan 2024
The Biden administration will reportedly pause a decision on approving what would be one of the world’s largest gas export hubs, amid concern from climate experts that greenlighting the project would create a “carbon mega bomb”.
Carbon startups pin hopes on future regulation to boost their fortunes
26 Jan 2024
Carbon credits startup, Ceezer, is part of the new wave of tech-driven offsetting and/or removal platforms trying to bring transparency and cohesion to a sector that has been rocked by charges of “green-washing”.
The propane industry is trying to dupe you
26 Jan 2024
Documents and recordings obtained by HEATED detail a multi-million dollar plan to spin the fossil fuel as "clean" and "renewable".
New Shell files could aid climate cases, attorneys say
26 Jan 2024
Newly-discovered Shell documents dating back decades could help strengthen lawsuits aiming to hold the oil major to account for climate damages, climate attorneys say.
Pre-pesticides, pro-farmer: the rise of agroecology
26 Jan 2024
One part ancient practices, one part worker justice, a new-old way of farming is adapting agriculture for an uncertain world.
Climate change drives Amazon rainforest's record drought, study finds
26 Jan 2024
Climate change is the main culprit for a record drought in the Amazon rainforest that has drained rivers, killed endangered dolphins and upended life for millions of people in the region, according to a study.
IPCC: Govts split on ‘accelerated’ climate reports for next UN global stocktake
25 Jan 2024
Governments have decided against adopting a new structure for the next IPCC assessment cycle, committing instead to the traditional set of three “working group” reports and just one “special” report.
This counterintuitive technology fights climate change by making more carbon dioxide
25 Jan 2024
Scientists are trying to pull methane from dairy barns and coal mines to make CO2. It’s a surprisingly good idea.
Amazon of the ocean - can coral reefs survive the Anthropocene epoch?
25 Jan 2024
The world’s coral reefs could collapse by the end of this century, jeopardising millions of marine species and humans. “Super reefs” may be our last hope.”
China’s green tech surge could turn global climate politics on its head
25 Jan 2024
Beijing’s industrial policy gives it an interest in forcing others to decarbonise more.
Climate change in South China Sea will impact global weather: experts
25 Jan 2024
The impact of climate change in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas on the local and global weather system could be “profound,” new scientific research has found.
Bangladeshi farmers eye drought-resistant tree as a climate and economic solution
25 Jan 2024
Farmers in Bangladesh are increasingly turning to the fast-growing, drought-resistant moringa tree, which is indigenous to South Asian nations.
Why 2024 will be a crucial year for climate litigation
24 Jan 2024
Advocates predict activists and local governments will look to the courts to bring about accountability for climate damage.
Earth 2.0°C: How to make passing the 1.5°c climate change threshold an opportunity
24 Jan 2024
Addressing the climate crisis will be difficult and demand focused attention and action.
UN makes ‘global appeal’ for $7.9bn to help 140 million migrants
24 Jan 2024
The United Nations migration agency has launched its first “global appeal”, aiming to drum up $7.9bn to help those forced to leave their homes due to everything from conflict to climate change.
Fiscal reforms needed to address global problems like climate change and ageing
24 Jan 2024
The world needs to cut high levels of debt and raise tax revenues to deal with challenges such as climate change and rapid ageing in developed countries, said Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
North Sea oil and gas claims fact-checked
24 Jan 2024
The UK government has been defending a plan that could see new licences granted every year for fossil fuel drilling in the North Sea.
Companies are hiding their climate progress - a new report explains why
24 Jan 2024
In a twist, the greenest companies are talking about their climate efforts the least.
The people have a right to climate data
23 Jan 2024
OPINION: As a climate scientist documenting the multi-trillion-dollar price tag of the climate disasters shocking economies and destroying lives, I field requests from strategic consultants looking for climate data, analysis and computer code.
Junk offset sellers push to enter new UN carbon market
23 Jan 2024
Renewable energy schemes make up four-fifths of Kyoto-era projects hoping to keep selling offsets under Article 6, sparking concerns over the credibility of the new market.
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.
