International: All stories
Under pressure from climate change, Morocco's oases struggle to support life
19 Jul 2022
In the south of Morocco's High Atlas mountains is one of the few palm tree oases still inhabited in the country.
Legal setback for government over net zero plan as Britain swelters in heatwave
19 Jul 2022
Ministers failed to outline exactly how their net zero strategy will achieve emissions targets, a court ruled on Monday – dealing the government’s climate change credentials a serious blow on the day Britain sweltered under its first ever red extreme temperature alert.
Achieving Earth for all
18 Jul 2022
In 1972, the United Nations held its first-ever environmental summit in Stockholm. In the run-up to the event, a group of scientists wrote The Limits to Growth, a report for the Club of Rome which became an unlikely bestseller. Now there's a follow-up.
White House economic adviser says Biden will pursue climate agenda 'with or without Congress'
18 Jul 2022
White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein told CNN on Sunday that President Joe Biden will pursue his climate agenda "with or without Congress," following the news Thursday that West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin wouldn't back climate or tax provisions in his party's budget reconciliation package.
Chevron to lay out millions for more credits to cover another Gorgon carbon capture shortfall
18 Jul 2022
Chevron faces a renewed multimillion-dollar buy-up of carbon credits to cover another shortfall by the world’s biggest carbon capture and storage scheme at the Gorgon LNG project off northern WA.
A hypothetical weather forecast for 2050 is coming true next week
18 Jul 2022
Two years ago, forecasters in the UK conducted an interesting thought experiment: What will our forecasts look like in 2050?
Finnish "sand battery" offers solution for renewable energy storage
18 Jul 2022
Finnish companies Polar Night Energy and Vatajankoski have built the world's first operational "sand battery", which provides a low-cost and low-emissions way to store renewable energy.
Fed up with net-zero climate goals, activists call for 'real zero'
18 Jul 2022
As alarm at the United Nations over climate change has grown dire in recent years, a slew of corporations have announced net-zero carbon emissions goals.
The madness of cutting down forests to grow food crops for supersonic aircraft biofuels
15 Jul 2022
In June 2021, United Airlines announced that it intends to purchase 15 “Overture” aircraft from Boom Supersonic, with an option to purchase 35 more. In June 2022, United CEO Scott Kirby reaffirmed that United’s purchase remains “on track”.
Nature is in crisis. A UN report says short-sighted economics is to blame
15 Jul 2022
When governments make decisions, economic considerations often trump everything else — human well-being, social connections, the health of the environment. According to a new report from the United Nations, this imbalance is driving the global biodiversity crisis and the human suffering associated with it.
The copper crunch that's jeopardizing climate goals
15 Jul 2022
The race to deeply slash global carbon emissions will be hobbled without a surge in copper supply, but the ramp-up necessary faces big hurdles, a new report finds.
EU green chief calls for day of memorial for climate victims
15 Jul 2022
Europe should create a day of memorial for the victims of climate change, the EU's Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans said Thursday, marking the anniversary of floods that killed more than 220 people mostly in Germany and Belgium.
Climate change: $2tr for weapons versus $100bn to save the planet
15 Jul 2022
BY Murad Qureshi | During late April and early May, South Asia experienced the terrible effects of global warming. Temperatures reached almost 50°C in some cities in the region. These high temperatures came alongside dangerous flooding in northeast India and in Bangladesh, as the rivers burst their banks, with flash floods taking place in places such as Sunamganj in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
Why shipping might be about to get a little bit slower
14 Jul 2022
If shipping is the beating heart of global trade, its pulse is about to get slower.
Austria's climate minister is taking the EU to court
14 Jul 2022
TO most climate scientists and environmentalists, conversations about trying to address climate change with natural gas are a nonstarter.
China to build more low-carbon communities
14 Jul 2022
China will encourage more residential communities to evolve into low-carbon ones as part of the country's efforts to meet its climate goals.
Climate change amplifies the risk of conflict, study from Africa shows
14 Jul 2022
In October 2021, the city of Guriel in Somalia’s Galguduud region became the epicenter of fierce fighting between the national army and a paramilitary group that left more than 100 people dead and displaced another 100,000.
Kenyan bourse brings carbon exchange to East Africa
14 Jul 2022
Climate change mitigation efforts in Kenya have received new impetus after the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), inked a deal with the AirCarbon Exchange (ACX) and the Nairobi International Finance Centre (NIFC) to set up Kenya’s first carbon offset exchange.
Government announces support for Pacific climate action
13 Jul 2022
The government has announced it will help fund a desalination plant in Kiribati and contribute $10 million to the conservation of Pacific crop seeds impacted by climate change.
US energy secretary says switch to wind and solar “could be greatest peace plan of all”
13 Jul 2022
A global transition to cleaner energy sources could be the world’s best opportunity to minimise the chance of global conflicts, the US energy secretary has told a major energy forum in Sydney.
As temperatures rise, farms are sprouting in Alaska
13 Jul 2022
Even as farms decline across the US, a longer growing season is bringing food security to a state that has long relied on sustenance from afar.
Tour de France stage 10 halted by climate action protestors
13 Jul 2022
The Tour de France stage to Megève came to a stop with 35km to go as the route was blocked by a group of protestors demanding action against climate change.
Indonesian islanders sue cement giant Holcim over climate damage
13 Jul 2022
Residents of Pulau Pari, an Indonesian island threatened by rising sea levels, are suing cement giant Holcim over its carbon dioxide emissions, a Swiss charity said on Tuesday.
Carbon tariff needed to tackle Britain’s energy and manufacturing crisis: report
13 Jul 2022
A new carbon tariff needs to be imposed on polluting foreign manufacturers that import goods into the UK, according to a report on the energy crisis released by the John Mills Institute for Prosperity.
Pacific Island Forum backs Vanuatu’s campaign for World Court climate case
12 Jul 2022
Foreign ministers attending the Pacific Island Forum in Fiji have endorsed Vanuatu’s call for a UN General Assembly resolution requesting the International Court of Justice hears a case on the responsibility of states to deal with climate change.
Integrated wind and solar still cheapest, and green hydrogen costs falling fast: CSIRO
12 Jul 2022
Australia’s main scientific body and the country’s energy market operator have again underlined the fact that “integrated” wind and solar – including the cost of storage and transmission – is still by far the cheapest source of new electricity generation in Australia.
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon hits record for first half of 2022
12 Jul 2022
Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest reached a record high for the first six months of the year, as an area five times the size of New York City was destroyed, preliminary government data showes.
Scientists puzzled by soaring global methane levels
12 Jul 2022
Methane concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere are soaring—and the exact causes of the "frightening" increase are puzzling scientists
How climate change is making extreme weather a regular occurrence
12 Jul 2022
Torrential rains in Japan, record-breaking heatwaves in Europe, and recurring droughts in the western US. For the second year in a row the start of summer in the northern hemisphere has been marked by extreme weather. To what extent is global warming to blame?
Should "ecocide" be added to the International Criminal Court's list of crimes?
12 Jul 2022
A law professor from Queen Mary University in London has called a proposal to make “ecocide” the fifth international crime the “most credible and advanced” effort to date to expand the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
China’s domination of solar a risk to zero-carbon future: IEA
11 Jul 2022
Countries must lessen their dependence on China’s production of solar panels and dramatically boost manufacturing capacity to reach net-zero emissions, the International Energy Agency has said.
Major Arctic drilling project seen as ultimate test for Biden's climate legacy
11 Jul 2022
Climate groups raised the alarm and put President Joe Biden on notice after the Bureau of Land Management opened the public comment period Friday for a proposed drilling project in the Alaskan Arctic that critics warn would unleash a dangerous "carbon bomb" and threaten pristine ecosystems if given approval by the federal government.
Denmark to roll out new state-run climate label for food
11 Jul 2022
Denmark will establish a state-controlled climate label in order to help residents purchase more environmentally-friendly foods.
Greenwashing lawsuit against Dutch airline is the first of its kind
11 Jul 2022
As concerns over climate change rise, so too does greenwashing as a marketing tactic. And it’s often the most environmentally-destructive companies that trumpet the most outrageous claims—just take a look at some of the advertisements fossil fuel companies have put out in recent years.
Anger simmers for Dutch farmers who oppose pollution cuts
11 Jul 2022
Bales of hay lie burning along Dutch highways. Supermarket shelves stand empty because distribution centers are blocked by farmers. Then, at dusk, a police officer pulls his pistol and shoots at a tractor.
Dutch government issues world-first cap on flights from European hub
8 Jul 2022
Schiphol airport in the Netherlands is set to permanently cut the number of flights in a bid to reduce noise and air pollution. Campaigners described the decision as a “historic breakthrough” that could help curb emissions from the aviation industry.
‘Insane’ lithium price bump threatens EV fix for climate change
8 Jul 2022
Lithium, the highly reactive silver-white metal that is a crucial ingredient in batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs), is becoming much more expensive – and fast.
EU decision on natural gas could threaten climate progress
8 Jul 2022
The European Union's plan to include natural gas in a list of activities considered sustainable could derail its progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a time when climate scientists are calling for dramatic reductions to planet-warming releases.
Shanghai to trial personal carbon accounts
8 Jul 2022
China is trying to tap the emissions reduction potential of personal consumption, and package such reductions as a class of carbon asset to be incorporated into the country’s growing carbon market.
Climate change contributes to dip in hummus supplies
8 Jul 2022
Global supplies of chickpeas are expected to drop by 20 per cent this year, which means hummus could be harder to access in supermarkets.
The indigenous cafés transforming local cuisine
8 Jul 2022
The modern food system has a huge carbon footprint. These Indian cafés want to change that.
How much is a mangrove forest worth? In some places, $850,000 per hectare
7 Jul 2022
While proponents of environmental restoration often talk about ecological benefits, people controlling the purse strings think in dollars and cents.
Europe's landmark test of banks' resilience to climate risk is softer than expected
7 Jul 2022
Europe’s landmark test of banks’ resilience to global warming was far softer than many lenders had expected, according to people familiar with the matter.
Hong Kong launches international carbon council, to support cross-border trading
7 Jul 2022
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, or HKEX, has launched the Hong Kong International Carbon Market Council, the exchange said in a statement late July 5, with developing an international carbon market as its principal focus.
Climate change forcing nature reserves to adapt, warns new report
7 Jul 2022
Projects to help wildlife adapt to habitats affected by climate change will become more commonplace, warned a new report.
The downside of corporate reforestation pledges
7 Jul 2022
Many big companies have pledged to offset some of their carbon pollution by investing in tree planting project
Maldives reveals "world's first true floating island city" to cope with rising sea levels
6 Jul 2022
The Maldives has partnered with architecture studio Waterstudio to create a brain-shaped floating city that will house 20,000 people in a lagoon near the country's capital.
Gang illegally trafficking greenhouse gases across Spain is busted by the police
6 Jul 2022
Spanish authorities say they have broken up an organised crime group involved in millions of carbon tax fraud.
Industry calls on Aussie government to support household batteries
6 Jul 2022
Another emerging player in Australia’s energy market has called on energy regulators to ditch plans for a capacity mechanism, arguing that installing more energy storage capacity would be a better way to solve the current crisis facing electricity markets.
No power, no fans, no AC: The villagers fighting to survive India’s deadly heatwaves
6 Jul 2022
Suman Shakya wants me to touch the concrete wall of her bedroom, where her one-year-old son lies soaked with sweat. It burns my hand as if it were a hot pan. “Now imagine sitting in front of a hot pan in this weather for as long as it takes to make rotis for the whole family,” she says.