International: All stories
Climate change raising heat risks for workers: experts
11 May 2023
Rising global temperatures are increasing the risk of workers dying or becoming disabled from labouring in extreme heat, an international conference has been told.
New tech to turn hydrogen and CO2 into lower-carbon aviation fuel announced
11 May 2023
Honeywell International Inc (HON.O) has announced announced a new technology to produce lower-carbon aviation fuel from green hydrogen and carbon dioxide captured from industry, which can help cut greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, one of the hardest sectors to electrify and decarbonise.
Greenpeace sues Italian energy company ENI over climate change
11 May 2023
Greenpeace and an environmental coalition including 12 Italian citizens are suing Italian energy company ENI, accusing it of knowingly contributing to climate change.
Indonesia allows foreign entities to buy carbon credits from Jakarta
10 May 2023
The Indonesian government has decided to allow foreign entities to purchase credits in the Indonesian carbon market, paving the way for multinational companies and institutions to tap into the country’s large carbon trading potential.
India amends power policy draft to halt new coal-fired capacity
10 May 2023
India plans to stop building new coal-fired power plants, apart from those already in the pipeline, by removing a key clause from the final draft of its National Electricity Policy (NEP), in a major boost to fight climate change, sources said.
World’s tallest wind power testing mast hopes to herald new generation of turbines
10 May 2023
With the inauguration of a new onshore wind power testing mast with a height of 300 metres, project developers in Germany hope it will pave the way for a new generation of wind turbines.
Solar-powered airships could help climate-friendly air travel get off the ground
10 May 2023
In a new study, researchers calculate airship travel would have a mere 1/20th the climate impact of conventional aviation.
Can a city store as much carbon as a forest?
10 May 2023
A team of researchers at Aalto University has developed a new tool to help urban planners keep urban developments in line with climate goals. The tool provides a metric that planners can use to improve carbon-neutral planning of urban growth, which is essential for meeting carbon emission targets.
German climate envoy urges China to look beyond coal for energy-secure future
9 May 2023
China needs to seek alternative solutions to ensure its energy security, rather than relying on building new coal-fired power plants, according to Germany’s climate envoy.
US, UAE announced climate farming fund has grown to $13 bn
9 May 2023
Funding for a global initiative aimed at creating more environmentally friendly and climate-resilient farming has grown to $13 billion, co-leaders the United States and the United Arab Emirates said Monday.
New Indonesian fund promotes Indigenous role in climate change fight
9 May 2023
Indonesian civil groups launched on Monday a multimillion-dollar fund aimed at empowering Indigenous and local communities across the Southeast Asian country in the fight against climate change.
Sweden lowers fossil fuel reduction targets, risks 2030 climate goals
9 May 2023
Sweden’s ruling coalition decided on Sunday to lower the minimum fossil fuel emission reduction targets, a move criticised by the opposition as Sweden risks its 2030 climate goals, while the influential right-wing populist Sweden Democrats claim “victory”.
Dairy farmer uses multi-species, legumes and charcoal to combat climate change
9 May 2023
Summer arrives sooner and the hot, dry winds linger longer than when David Vonhoff was a child helping his parents on the farm.
El Paso voters soundly reject Proposition K Climate Charter
9 May 2023
El Paso voters on Saturday shot down the controversial Proposition K measure that sought to install policies designed to address climate change into the city’s charter. The Climate Charter was rejected by almost 82% of voters.
Germany’s top Green slams radical climate protesters
8 May 2023
Germany's most senior Green politician, Robert Habeck, has slammed radical activists who glue themselves to the ground to highlight the climate emergency, saying such protests are "unhelpful" and "downright wrong."
Vietnam records highest-ever temperature of 44.1C
8 May 2023
Vietnam has recorded its highest ever temperature, just over 44 degrees - with experts predicting it would soon be surpassed because of climate change.
April heat in western Med 'almost impossible without climate change'
8 May 2023
The extreme heat that engulfed the Iberian peninsula and parts of North Africa last week would have been "almost impossible without climate change", an international scientific study found on Friday.
In coastal Bangladesh, climate change devastates women’s reproductive health
8 May 2023
On a cloudy Friday morning, Asma Akhter took a break from fishing for minnows. Her clothes still wet, she sat outside her two-room home, gazing out at the waters that are both her salvation and her doom.
Australian government's new ‘net zero’ body gets green light from key union and Climate Council
8 May 2023
The Albanese government’s new ‘National Net Zero Authority’ – a body that will help workers in fossil fuel industries to transition into other employment – has won high praise from two key bodies that savaged past governments over their climate change policies.
World’s largest carbon capture facility will store 9M tonnes of CO2 yearly
8 May 2023
The NextGen CDR Facility, a collaboration between the Swiss carbon finance consultant South Pole and the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corporation, has announced the purchase of 193,125 tonnes of carbon dioxide removals (CDRs) from three projects, producing the world's largest portfolio of CDRs.
El Nino expected to increase global temperatures
5 May 2023
Global temperatures are likely to reach new highs this year with the predicted onset of El Nino, a natural occurring phenomenon typically associated with the warming of the planet.
Cities at greatest risk of global warming
5 May 2023
Cities are at the highest level of risk from global warming. A big city can be subject to twice as much temperature increase as other areas. Are public administrations doing enough to keep cities cool and the heat at bay?
How the US Supreme Court could undermine the climate fight
5 May 2023
The US Supreme Court could once again hinder the ability of the executive branch to address climate change when it reconsiders the precedent, set almost 40 years ago, upon which many of its efforts rest.
Turkmenistan could turn to be Cop 28's big methane win
5 May 2023
Turkmenistan is under mounting pressure to act to curb methane emissions from its oil and gas production, and if it heeds those calls in time for the UN Cop 28 climate talks in Dubai, it could be a win for the climate and for a Cop presidency eager to turn pledges into concrete actions.
Shipping lobby group advises caution on climate targets
5 May 2023
An influential shipping industry group has quietly warned shippers to think carefully before they sign up for a new plan to reduce pollution and eventually eliminate their contribution to climate change.
Time for a frequent flyer climate tax
5 May 2023
How many times did you fly in 2019? If you took more than six flights, or three roundtrips, you flew more than 98% of the world population. Consequently, you also contributed much more carbon than all other humans on the planet.
Taiwan diary: Semiconductor manufacture drives emissions
4 May 2023
By Jeremy Rose | Taiwan is a superpower in two things, I confidently declared in my pitch for an Asia New Zealand Foundation Travel grant, bicycles and semi-conductors and both are crucial on the fight against climate change
Inside big beef’s climate messaging machine: confuse, defend and downplay
4 May 2023
The US beef industry is creating an army of influencers and citizen activists to help amplify a message that will be key to its future success: that you shouldn’t be too worried about the growing attention around the environmental impacts of its production.
Ireland commits €169 million for climate transition in peat-dependent "midlands"
4 May 2023
Ireland is committing €169 million to help the country’s so-called ‘midlands’ to transition away from the carbon-intensive fossil energy industry.
Where climate harms fisheries, piracy prospers: study
4 May 2023
A new study suggests that climate change is a key factor driving trends in maritime piracy off the coast of East Africa and the South China Sea. Rising sea surface temperatures affect regional fisheries differently, leading to changes in the timing and success of pirate attacks.
Wealthy nations could meet $100 billion climate finance target in 2023
4 May 2023
As climate change continues to wreak havoc with drought in one part of the world and deadly wildfires in the other, wealthy nations could be on track to meet the $100 billion climate finance pledge in 2023. The fund is to be given to underdeveloped countries to boost resilience against climate change.
Santos strikes deals to bury carbon dioxide under the Timor Sea
4 May 2023
Australian energy giant Santos has signed non-binding deals with four other gas producers to take their emissions and stash them in depleted gas reservoirs beneath the Timor Sea at its proposed Bayu-Undan carbon capture and storage project.
Cop28 head backs fossil phase-out with carbon capture caveat
3 May 2023
The head of the Cop28 climate talks has called for “phasing out fossil fuel emissions”, teeing up a debate between governments over the role of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in the fight against climate change.
Climate group hails 'productive' meeting with minister
3 May 2023
Climate activists from the Last Generation group say a meeting with German Transport Minister Volker Wissing was productive. However, there appears to be no end in sight to protests that have blocked Berlin's roads.
The surprising science of climate protests
3 May 2023
As an expected one billion people take part in Earth Day, the BBC's Jocelyn Timperley and Martha Henriques delve into the evidence behind protest as a force for change.
Oliver Stone makes the case nuclear power is the solution to climate change
3 May 2023
Oliver Stone’s new movie, “Nuclear Now,” makes an impassioned case that nuclear energy is a necessary and obvious solution to climate change.
Wind turbine recycling breakthrough delivers promise in a test tube
3 May 2023
Wind energy uptake is soaring,. But the wind sector has an oversized problem on its hands: its massive blades, made up of carbon or glass fibre-reinforced epoxy plastic composites, have until now proven almost impossible to recycle.
Irish SUV sales 'cancelling out' emissions benefits of EVs
3 May 2023
Increased sales of electric vehicles (EVs) have “not made a dent” in transport emissions, a leading expert has said, as he called for SUVs “to be phased out of the market”.
Eight hour battery trumps pumped hydro in NSW long duration storage tender
2 May 2023
A proposed big battery with eight hours storage has emerged as a surprise winner in the NSW state government’s first long duration storage tender, beating out pumped hydro projects that had been expected by some to emerge as a dominant force.
Torres Strait islanders forcing action on climate change
2 May 2023
Incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems and science is an effective way of addressing the impacts of climate change, and it's urgent in the Torres Strait.
Germany hopes to help climate with discount travel card
2 May 2023
Germany launches on Monday a new flat-rate public transport ticket valid across the country, but the €49 (NZ$87) price point has raised doubts about the pass's potential impact.
Climate change endangering Australian wine
1 May 2023
In 2008, the Brown family watched on helplessly as destructive bushfires ripped through the Victoria countryside. For them, it was a wakeup call.
Momentum grows over a 'just' climate transition in Japan
1 May 2023
It is perhaps fitting that April’s Group of Seven Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment was held in Sapporo, because the view on final approach to New Chitose Airport provides a good education on the trickier aspects of Japan’s climate challenge.
Could climate change fuel war in the Arctic?
1 May 2023
Climate change is warming the Arctic up to 7 times faster than the rest of the planet. And it’s threatening peace as well as the wildlife.
‘Phenomenal’ logjam in the Canadian Arctic stores millions of tonnes of carbon: study
1 May 2023
Researchers say they have mapped the world’s largest known cumulative logjam in the Canadian Arctic and it holds millions of tonnes of carbon, representing an important but understudied part of the carbon cycle.
How religious groups are fighting climate change
1 May 2023
Many people have lost faith in the ability of governments to fight climate change. Projects involving fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas, the main culprits for the climate crisis - are going ahead in violation of scientific warnings.
Supreme Court deals blow to oil companies by turning away climate cases
28 Apr 2023
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has allowed lawsuits brought by municipalities seeking to hold energy companies accountable for climate change to move forward in a loss for business interests.
How the world is spending $1.1 trillion on climate technology
28 Apr 2023
Big money — from the three biggest economies in the world, as well as scores of ambitious venture capitalists — is suddenly flying toward startups promising to help the world build a carbon-free future.
Victoria’s new public energy utility begins search for first renewables and storage deal
28 Apr 2023
Labor’s election promise to revive the SEC put forward a 10-year plan to invest “at least” $1 billion re-establishing the generation (and possibly retail) utility, based in the Latrobe Valley to give the state’s coal centre a key role in the energy transition.
Wall Street can help improve oceans: Belize minister
28 Apr 2023
“Belize has proven it can be done,” said Kevin Bender, senior director of sustainable debt at The Nature Conservancy. “We reduced debt burden overnight and there have been many successes in conservation so far. There were commitments to do things like move mangrove swamps to public lands and those have all been met.”
Datacentres should be forced to invest in wind and solar energy, all states agree – except Queensland
Wed 13 May 2026
Power hungry datacentres that are growing to meet the demands of artificial intelligence could be forced to invest in enough new solar and wind generation to completely cover their electricity needs.
Some inconvenient truths in bringing climate science to the judiciary
Thu 14 May 2026
OPINION: Climate science had been knocking on the courthouse doors for quite some time when the Supreme Court of the United States finally invited it into the realm of legal action in 2007.
China’s leadership calls for ‘strict control’ of fossil fuels
28 Apr 2026
Chinese government leaders published a policy document on 22 April – Earth Day – calling for stricter controls on fossil-fuel consumption and greater oversight of heavy emitters.
Inequality causing 100,000 extra deaths a year from heat and cold in Europe
Tue 12 May 2026
Economic inequality adds more than 100,000 deaths to the vast toll from heat and cold in Europe each year, research has found.
Risk of drought in UK grows after unusually dry start to spring
Thu 14 May 2026
The risk of drought is rising after an unusually dry start to spring has pushed river flow, groundwater and reservoir stores below normal levels across much of the country, especially in central and southern England.
Carbon capture ‘doesn’t work’: Former British Columbia premier
8 May 2026
Former British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell warned the costly, troubled technology has failed to deliver, undercutting a central justification for billions in public subsidies and new oil infrastructure.
While the world hesitates, India must continue leading on climate
Thu 14 May 2026
India’s updated climate targets must translate into systems that secure growth, resilience, and autonomy.
How climate change threatens the economic backbone of the Pacific
4 May 2026
The vast Pacific Ocean and the islands dotted within it produce more than half of the world's tuna.
‘Triple whammy of climate chaos’: Why Antarctica's sea ice collapse is no longer a mystery
Mon 11 May 2026
Scientists have finally identified the ‘triple whammy’ behind Antarctica’s dramatic collapse, shedding new light on the chain reaction that has pushed its sea ice to record lows.
With its first marine reserve, Ghana protects its ocean to secure its future
5 May 2026
Comment: Last month, Ghana made news when it declared its first marine reserve and sited it in one of the nation’s most ecologically and biologically significant marine environments.
The country where lethal hantavirus cases are on the rise. Experts blame climate change
Wed 13 May 2026
Experts believe environmental degradation caused by climate change and human activity is contributing to its spread by allowing the rodents that transmit the virus to thrive in new areas.
UN methane alert system expanded to coal and waste sectors after Indian landfill named among world’s top emitters
6 May 2026
The United Nations is expanding its methane monitoring system to cover coal mines and waste facilities, after satellite analysis identified a landfill in India among the world’s three largest methane-emitting sites.
