International: All stories
Experts blame climate change for West Africa flooding
18 Nov 2022
An international team of scientists believe severe flooding in Nigeria and surrounds was considerably worsened by climate change and believe the trend could continue.
Shaw commits New Zealand to an indigenous framework for climate action
17 Nov 2022
Climate change minister James Shaw told delegates at COP27 in Egypt yesterday, that New Zealand was developing an indigenous framework for climate action led by Māori, for Māori.
Rich countries are trying to hit pause on climate summit’s key issue
17 Nov 2022
The past week has given the world a glimpse of what climate-vulnerable countries have long known: while rich countries bend over backwards to pledge their support for climate action, they are far less enthusiastic when it comes to forking over the cash.
EU opens the door to a loss and damage facility – if China pays
17 Nov 2022
The EU is open to creating a new funding stream to help victims of climate disaster recover – as long as China contributes.
US, Indonesia, other nations sign $20B deal to accelerate clean energy transition
17 Nov 2022
The United States, Indonesia and other allies signed a $20 billion deal on Tuesday at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit that will help Indonesia reduce its reliance on coal.
Belize to sell carbon credits worth millions
17 Nov 2022
Belize is one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries, comprised of Creoles, Mayans, and Mennonites. Tourism is the primary economic driver, with people coming to snorkel in its clear ocean waters and enjoy its unblemished coral reefs. They also want to see the world’s largest population of jaguars and 800 species of birds. Agriculture is a money maker too, with the country selling bananas, citrus fruits, and sugar to world markets.
EU accused of climate accounting tricks
17 Nov 2022
There's some hocus-pocus going on with the emissions reduction numbers the European Union is proudly touting at the COP27 climate summit, climate campaigners allege.
Turkey’s climate plan points to 32% rise in emissions by 2030
17 Nov 2022
Turkey pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 41% in 2030, compared with its business-as-usual scenario, according to a new climate plan submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
NZ’s loss and damage, loss of face?
16 Nov 2022
Less than a week after the government boasted of being one of just three countries in the world to commit to loss and damage funding, New Zealand has been awarded the ‘fossil of the day award’ for opposing an agreement at COP27 to establish a loss and damage finance facility.
Climate activist blasts leaders holding onto fossil projects
16 Nov 2022
Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate slammed world leaders Tuesday who persist in backing new fossil fuel projects despite science warnings that this will push temperatures across the planet to dangerous highs.
COP 27 sponsor Coca-Cola is top plastic polluter for five years in a row: report
16 Nov 2022
The Coca-Cola company, one of the sponsors of the COP27 summit, has been named the worst plastic polluter for five years running, as per a global brand audit report by ‘Break Free From Plastic’.
Is population growth fuelling climate change? It’s not that simple: experts
16 Nov 2022
Climate change and population crowding might seem like two issues that are strongly linked - and they are, but not quite as much as people might think, experts say.
Who will pay for Indonesia's clean energy bill?
16 Nov 2022
Celukan Bawang power station is one of a growing network of coal-fired power plants in Indonesia that are now the subject of complex negotiations to reduce the country's emissions.
‘Just’ energy transitions need more transparency, less gas
16 Nov 2022
Soaring energy prices in Europe brought on by Russia’s war in Ukraine have given a renewed thrust to fossil fuel projects in Asia and Africa, particularly those involving gas.
Biggest rainforest nations form triple alliance to save jungle
16 Nov 2022
The world’s three largest rainforest nations Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesiaon Monday formally launched a partnership to cooperate on forest preservation after a decade of on-off talks on a trilateral alliance.
Climate disaster aid scheme ‘Global Shield’ launched at COP27
15 Nov 2022
A G7-led plan dubbed “Global Shield” to provide funding to countries suffering climate disasters has been launched at the United Nations COP27 summit, although some questioned the effectiveness of the planned scheme.
Four signs of progress at the UN climate change summit
15 Nov 2022
Something significant is happening in the desert in Egypt as countries meet at COP27, the United Nations summit on climate change.
Biden and Xi unshackle Cop27 climate teams to formalise talks
15 Nov 2022
The US and China are set to resume formal climate cooperation after their leaders Joe Biden and Xi Jinping held a four-hour late night meeting in Bali, Indonesia.
Meet Licy of India – one of the world’s youngest climate campaigners
15 Nov 2022
Licypriya Kangujam, 11, is a leading voice in anti-coal protests at home and calls out rich and powerful countries abroad, asking them to make up for the loss and destruction caused due to their unabated regard for the climate.
Rainforests emerge as key sources of carbon credits in emerging markets
15 Nov 2022
In the fight against climate change, forests are vital carbon sinks, absorbing twice as much carbon as they produce each year globally. Tropical rainforests play a particularly vital role, storing an estimated 25% of the world’s terrestrial carbon.
Japan’s changing nuclear energy policy
15 Nov 2022
On August 24, 2022, at the newly established GX (Green Transformation) Implementation Council chaired by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, the Japanese government announced a new nuclear energy policy.
Let the court decide: Vanuatu's climate push raises hopes
14 Nov 2022
The COP27 climate summit in Egypt has been dominated by calls for nations to redouble their efforts to cut emissions and for rich polluters to finally provide the money that developing nations need to cope with global warming.
As leaders discuss climate, Egyptians bear brunt of a crackdown
14 Nov 2022
Envoys from around the globe gathered this week in a renovated Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where green development projects mushroomed in the lead-up to this year’s climate change summit.
Farmers in India are fighting climate change and desertification using nature
14 Nov 2022
A handful of dirt filled with earthworms might not seem like much, but it's the result of seven years of work.
Wildlife in a changing climate
14 Nov 2022
Over 11,000 animals, fungi and plants have climate change and severe weather listed as a threat on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, across every region of the world.
Livestock is a form of climate justice in the Global South
11 Nov 2022
As the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) proceeds in Egypt, few seem to be acknowledging that the elephant in the room is actually a cow.
How do young Egyptians feel about the climate summit?
11 Nov 2022
Accusations of greenwashing have been levelled at COP27 – but Egypt’s youth are remaining optimistic
Global securities regulators plan closer scrutiny of carbon trading
11 Nov 2022
Global securities regulators proposed closer scrutiny of carbon trading on Wednesday to deepen liquidity and prevent greenwashing in markets used by companies to offset their emissions to drive the transition to a net-zero economy.
In Mongolia, a quest to democratise carbon credits
11 Nov 2022
For several years, The Asia Foundation’s Mongolia office in Ulaanbaatar has been working to reduce their carbon footprint.
Auto sales ‘overshoot’ will make it impossible to prevent the worst effects of climate change
11 Nov 2022
Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and other major automakers are on track to sell 400 million more diesel and petrol vehicles than is feasible to stave off the worst effects of climate change, Greenpeace Germany concludes in a new report.
What became of climate pledges made at COP26?
11 Nov 2022
Meeting at a climate summit in the UK last year, world leaders from nearly 200 countries promised to tell the UN how they would cut pollution faster and sooner.
Kerry announces proposal for public-private carbon market for developing countries
10 Nov 2022
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday formally announced the Energy Transition Accelerator, a public-private partnership aimed at developing carbon markets to transition developing nations off fossil fuels with private funds.
COP27: Time to pay the climate bill: vulnerable nations
10 Nov 2022
Leaders of countries flooded or parched due to climate change are pleading at the COP27 summit for an urgent financial lifeline from richer nations.
40 countries to reveal methane action plans at COP 27
10 Nov 2022
With 40 countries expected to unveil their methane reduction plans at COP 27, global action on the climate-busting greenhouse gas could get a boost after stalling out under industry pressure over the last year, even after more 100 countries signed on to the Global Methane Pledge at COP 26.
Blue carbon will be the next frontier of carbon crediting
10 Nov 2022
Carbon credits created by offset projects such as reforestation, soil sequestration by regenerative agriculture practice, avoided deforestation and direct air capture have become relatively well known, but a new carbon crediting method still in its infancy is quickly gaining popularity and attention — blue carbon.
Lawyers press International Court to nvestigate crimes against humanity in Brazil’s Amazon
10 Nov 2022
Even as environmentalists cheer the ouster of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro as a turning point for the Amazon rainforest, new information filed Wednesday with the International Criminal Court suggest that the battle to protect the region and its inhabitants is far from over
Growing rooftop spinach in CO2 recycled from building ventilation quadruples growth
10 Nov 2022
Researchers have grown a farm of rooftop vegetables bathed in the CO2-rich exhaust air from city buildings—a somewhat dystopian idea which nevertheless boosted plant growth by an incredible 400%.
Global South needs $2 trillion a year to tame, cope with climate
9 Nov 2022
Developing and emerging countries - excluding China - need investments well beyond $2 trillion annually by 2030 if the world is to stop the global warming juggernaut and cope with its impacts, according to a UN-backed report released Tuesday.
It's going to be hard for Biden to meet this $11 billion climate change promise
9 Nov 2022
President Biden has pledged to direct $11 billion annually toward international climate aid by 2024, quadrupling the previous U.S. high-water mark.
Japan delays carbon tax reform to curb living costs
9 Nov 2022
Japan is delaying plans to revise how it taxes carbon, the Nikkei newspaper reported, potentially slowing efforts to wean itself off fossil fuels.
‘Teaching our children from books, not the sea’: how climate change is eroding human rights in Vanuatu
9 Nov 2022
There’s a lot at stake over the next fortnight as nations gather at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt. But the stakes are perhaps highest for the Pacific islands and their people.
Aussie pumped hydro project over budget and behind schedule
9 Nov 2022
Snowy Hydro has finally confirmed that the budget for the massive pumped hydro Snowy 2.0 project has blown out to just under $6 billion and is running around 12 months behind schedule.
Why an old train could point to a clean energy future
9 Nov 2022
An old diesel freight train in British Columbia, Canada is about to get a new lease of life. Local firm Hydrogen in Motion (H2M) is currently converting the Green Goat locomotive to run on a mix of hydrogen and battery power.
Climate mitigation expert pessimistic about COP27
8 Nov 2022
A leading New Zealand sustainable energy and climate mitigation expert is pessimistic about COP27, fearing that delegates will not make enough progress on crucial issues where urgent action is already long overdue.
We’re on a ‘highway to climate hell:’ UN chief Guterres
8 Nov 2022
The United Nations secretary general issued a stark warning Monday, telling attendees at the COP27 summit that the world was losing its fight against climate change while also repeating his call to phase-out coal by the year 2040.
Who is paying for climate change loss and damage?
8 Nov 2022
Global warming is leading to ever more extreme natural events and more damage. Countries in the Global South are demanding compensation for climate change they say wealthier nations caused.
"Hard to find causes for optimism" say architects as COP27 begins
8 Nov 2022
Architects and built environment sustainability experts have expressed frustration at the slow pace of global action to reduce carbon emissions as the COP27 climate-change summit kicks off in Egypt.
Australian solar nears 60% of grid generation for first time
8 Nov 2022
The combination of large scale and rooftop solar set new Australian generation records on a sunny and mild spring day on Sunday, at the same time as sending grid demand – and the demand for coal – down to new lows
Is Ukraine war speeding Europe’s transition to renewable energy?
8 Nov 2022
Renewable energy production in Europe reached record levels following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading some energy analysts to predict that Europe is poised to surge forward in creating clean energy. Other analysts, however, forecast a cut in European emissions through a widely expected recession, energy austerity and de-industrialisation next year.
Carbon billionaires: The investment emissions of the world's richest people
8 Nov 2022
The world’s richest people emit huge and unsustainable amounts of carbon and, unlike ordinary people, 50% to 70% of their emissions result from their investments. New analysis of the investments of 125 of the world’s richest billionaires shows that on average they are emitting 3 million tonnes a year, more than a million times the average for someone in the bottom 90% of humanity.
‘Off like a rocket’: Battery rebate prompts massive rooftop power surge
Today 11:00am
The federal government’s home battery rebate has proved so popular it is adding the equivalent to South Australia’s big battery to the grid every 8.7 days.
Ørsted shares at all-time low after Trump halts work on US windfarm
Wed 27 Aug 2025
Shares drop by 17% after stop-work order on $1.5bn project off Rhode Island, which was 80% complete.
China's carbon market to introduce absolute emissions caps from 2027
Wed 27 Aug 2025
China will tighten its carbon trading market by introducing absolute emissions caps in some industries for the first time starting by 2027.
Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds
Today 11:00am
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
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.
Singapore seals carbon credit deal with Thailand, its first South-east Asian partner
Today 11:00am
The agreement, the eighth for Singapore, helps both nations meet climate targets under the Paris Agreement, directing finance to Thai projects.
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.
Is Africa about to see the solar energy boom it needs?
Today 11:00am
African countries imported a record number of solar panels in the past year, which could be the beginning of a green energy boom on the continent.
Lessons from the Incas: How llamas, terraces and trees could help the Andes survive climate change
Today 11:00am
New research suggests solutions may lie in environmental knowledge that the Incas and their predecessors developed centuries ago.
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.
