International: Australia
You've got it wrong, new report tells Australia
22 Jun 2017
As Australia's Senate launches an inquiry into the national security ramifications of climate change, a new report has warned global warming will cause increasingly regular and severe humanitarian crises across the Asia-Pacific area.
Australia's climate policies poisoned by pragmatism
20 Jun 2017
A history of failure has left Australia with virtually no genuinely independent advice on climate change.
Miners in bidding war for Rio Tinto's coalmines
13 Jun 2017
A multibillion-dollar bidding war for most of Rio Tinto’s Australian coalmines has broken out between China-backed Yancoal and Glencore after the Swiss commodities company made an unexpected offer.
Finkel’s emissions target breaks Paris commitment
12 Jun 2017
Less than two weeks ago, Australia's chief scietist Alan Finkel told the Senate his landmark report would help the country meet the commitments it made in Paris to reduce its economy-wide emissions by 28 per cet below 2005 levels by 2030.
Shorten offers to end climate wars
9 Jun 2017
Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull offering bipartisan co-operation on climate change policy, after a "decade of toxic politics" in the area.
Australia's carbon emissions show rise
9 Jun 2017
Australia’s carbon emissions jumped at the start of 2017, the first time they have risen in the first few months of a year for more than a decade.
Sydney measures emissions from harbour
8 Jun 2017
Carbon dioxide emissions from Sydney Harbour have been measured for the first time.
Adani gives green light to Carmichael mine
7 Jun 2017
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has given the green light to the Carmichael mine and rail project, but it will still hinge on its Australian arm, Adani Mining, gaining bank backing for the contentious venture.
End of land clearing would slash emissions
2 Jun 2017
Ending land clearing in Australia by 2030 would cut greenhouse gas emissions by about as much as completely shifting the entire electricity sector to renewable energy for a year.
Australia has record-breaking year for renewables
1 Jun 2017
Renewable energy sources provided a record share of Australia’s power mix last year, due to record rainfall and the completion of new wind and solar projects.
Canberra gets serious about electric vehicles
1 Jun 2017
Businesses and policymakers have come together to stimulate Australia’s electric vehicle market, including the launch of a new national body, research grants, and private sector investment.
Australia vows to support Paris climate deal
30 May 2017
The Australian government will support the Paris agreement on climate change regardless of whether or not US president Donald Trump pulls out.
Australian farmers are adapting to climate change
25 May 2017
It has been a great year for Australian farmers, with record production, exports and profits.
How Adani could damage climate, health, tourism
22 May 2017
The Climate Council is warning of serious risks to the environment, public health and North Queensland tourism, if plans for Australia’s largest coal mine go ahead.
Why 2deg warming is worse for Australia than 1.5deg
17 May 2017
How will extreme weather events change Australia with more warming in the future? Will they become more frequent? Will they become more severe?
Australia’s biggest emitters opt to wait and see
16 May 2017
Many of Australia’s most carbon-intensive companies are either not participating in the federal government’s flagship Emissions Reduction Fund, or are adopting a wait-and-see approach.
Solar keeps farmers' beer cold out in the boondocks
16 May 2017
Along the remote southern coastline of Western Australia, the locals have cottoned on to a new, surefire way to keep their beer cold.
California could inspire Australia's energy future
12 May 2017
Australia could emulate California on climate change policy by bringing in improved energy and fuel efficiency standards to drive large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, a new report says.
Canberra axes climate research unit funding
12 May 2017
The Australian government has axed funding for the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, an agency that provides information on how best to manage the risks of climate change and sea level rise.
Young women bring new look to life down on the farm
12 May 2017
Women have long played a silent role in agriculture in Australia – now a new generation of female farmers is stepping forward.
Australia doesn't need Adani mine, says Westpac
11 May 2017
The Adani Carmichael coalmine is not needed to support the economy, the Westpac chief executive has said in defence of his bank’s decision not to finance the mine.
COOL IDEA: Sydney to spend $8m on trees
11 May 2017
Sydney City is planting $8 million worth of trees to try to keep the city cool.
COFFEE TO GO: Would you like sustainability with that?
11 May 2017
Our daily brew is creating an environmental disaster, but social enterprises are coming up with new ideas for cups, pods and coffee grinds.
Canberra swimming against the tide on Westpac call
4 May 2017
The Australian government’s strident criticism of Westpac for not financing the Adani Carmichael coal mine is out of step with the economics.
Solar could provide 30% of Australia’s power needs by 2030
4 May 2017
Solar photovoltaics could provide 30 per cent of Australia’s electricity needs by 2030.
Big banks distance themselves from Adani mine
1 May 2017
Australia’s big four banks have ruled out funding or withdrawn from Adani’s Queensland coal project, after Westpac said it would not back opening up new coalmining regions.
Households key to Australia’s energy transition
1 May 2017
Australia’s households and small businesses will play a critical role in the switch to 100 per cent renewable energy.
Turnbull tells Adani native title won't stop mine
13 Apr 2017
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has assured the Indian billionaire hoping to build Australia’s largest coal mine in Queensland that native title issues will not stop the $16 billion project.
Barrier bleaching could set back Queensland by $1b
13 Apr 2017
Queensland's economy and tourism sector could suffer a billion-dollar hit, if extreme coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef continues, says a new report.
Beating the heat for apartment dwellers
11 Apr 2017
Heatwaves could be deadly for many Australian apartment dwellers if the grid fails, so architects are coming up with ways to manage temperatures passively.
Three Australian banks review exposure to fossil fuels
10 Apr 2017
Three of Australia’s big four banks are reviewing their exposure to fossil fuels, including their lending practices to households and farmers, in response to climate change.
Debbie shows up dangers of concentrated cropping
7 Apr 2017
The damage wrought by cyclone Debbie raises broader questions about the resilience of Australia’s fresh vegetable supply, much of which comes from a relatively small number of areas that are under pressure from climate and land use change.
Open letter urges Turnbull to deliver energy reforms
7 Apr 2017
Former Australian Liberal party leader John Hewson and sustainable energy entrepreneur Simon Holmes à Court are among the signatories to a new open letter urging Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to implement three urgent reforms to the energy market.
Memo Australia: There'll be many more Debbies
6 Apr 2017
Climate change will continue to amplify extreme weather events in Australia, including intense heavy rainfall and flooding, like that triggered by cyclone Debbie.
Australia in ‘disaster alley’ for climate refugees
5 Apr 2017
Australia could be on the frontline of a new wave of climate refugees displaced by extreme weather events, droughts and rising seas.
Australia looks at benefits of social impact investing
4 Apr 2017
Governments, communities and industries are grappling with issues such as climate change, inequality and social justice – and how to mobilise more funding to tackle these issues. One possible solution is impact investing.
South Australia gets billion-dollar solar farm
3 Apr 2017
A huge $1bn solar farm and battery project will be built and ready to operate in South Australia’s Riverland region by the end of the year.
Exit Hazelwood ... and the myth of cheap fossil fuels
31 Mar 2017
Australia's giant Hazelwood brown coal generator shut down the last of its eight units at 4pm yesterday, the latest and the most powerful symbol of the vast and rapid change in the nation's energy system.
Sydney looks at 2050 to be carbon neutral
30 Mar 2017
Sydney has a plan to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
Debbie could teach us a thing or two
30 Mar 2017
Despite knowing, approximately, where cyclones tend to occur, we've never thought about adjusting our cities to their effects.
Wildlife changing to keep up with climate
30 Mar 2017
Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing Australia’s wildlife, plants and ecosystems, a point driven home by two consecutive years of mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.
BILL McKIBBEN: Adani mine is the line in the sand
28 Mar 2017
There is nowhere else on the planet right now where the dichotomy between two potential futures is playing out in such a dramatic and explosive way as Australia.
Australia to shut big-polluting power station
24 Mar 2017
Australia's most polluting power station, Hazelwood, is set to become the ninth coal-fired power station to close its doors, as the nation’s transition from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy continues.
Pressure mounts on Finkel to consider pricing carbon
20 Mar 2017
The Liberal New South Wales government, major energy users, manufacturers and businesses have urged the Finkel review of the electricity market to consider a price on carbon or a market mechanism.
Turnbull plan strikes at heart of fossil fuel industry
17 Mar 2017
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants to spend $2 billion on a hydro scheme that will potentially drive a stake through the heart of the country's fossil fuel generation industry.
Dump all fossil fuels, says Climate Council
14 Mar 2017
Australia’s Climate Council has called for a rapid move away from all fossil-fuelled power sources to reduce the nation’s rising carbon emissions and to protect against worsening extreme weather.
Anxious investors want to see price on carbon
13 Mar 2017
Australia should put a price on carbon or risk investors moving their money out of the country, says a group representing more than $1 trillion worth of investment in New Zealand and Australia.
Climate Institute runs out of money
10 Mar 2017
Australia's Climate Institute will shut its doors after 12 years of providing independent advocacy and research towards climate change solutions, citing lack of funding.
Farmers call for market mechanism to lower emissions
8 Mar 2017
Australian farmers have called for a market-based mechanism to secure clean and affordable energy.
Australia's angry summer rewrites the record books
8 Mar 2017
Australians endured another intense summer, with more than 200 record-breaking extreme weather events driven by climate change, a new Climate Council report says.
What’s at risk for Arctic wildlife if Trump expands oil drilling in fragile northern Alaska
Today 10:30am
The area is vital for the health of the planet. However, its future is at risk.
Floods swamp cities in Southwest China with more storms due
26 Jun 2025
Citizens in Guizhou and other parts of southern China have been swamped by days of record-breaking rainfall as the East Asia monsoon kicked into high gear over the past week.
EU Commission proposes allowing carbon offsets to help meet 2040 climate goal
Today 10:30am
Campaigners accuse the European Commission of adding “loopholes” and “distractions” to the 90% emissions reduction target.
Activists protest at London headquarters of global ad giant promoting fossil fuels
Thu 3 Jul 2025
The agency’s work for the fossil fuel industry has made it “complicit in causing existential harm to people and planet”, say campaigners, who are calling on WPP to drop those clients.
Is Mark Carney turning his back on climate action?
23 Jun 2025
The G7 summit in Alberta, hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, has ended with only passing mention of fighting climate change, including a statement on wildfires that is silent on the pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Central Chinese cities fight floods unleashed by record rain
Today 10:30am
A record summer downpour in China's central province of Hubei dumped more than a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours on the city of Xianfeng, prompting authorities to move 18,000 people to safety, shut schools, and suspend bus services.
Nearly a third of Tuvaluans have applied for climate migration visa
27 Jun 2025
With their country threatened by sea level rise, the people of Tuvalu have been offered an escape route through an agreement with Australia, and many are contemplating leaving their home.
I just returned from Antarctica: climate change isn’t some far-off problem – it’s here and hitting hard
13 May 2025
Antarctica is often viewed as the last truly remote place on Earth – frozen, wild and untouched. But is it really as untouched as it seems?
Congo death toll hits 77 after extreme weather brings floods and sinks boats, 107 remain missing
18 Jun 2025
Authorities in Congo said the death toll following devastating floods and separate boat accidents has reached 77, with more than 100 people missing.
‘We are perilously close to the point of no return’: climate scientist on Amazon rainforest’s future
Tue 1 Jul 2025
Carlos Nobre, who has fought for decades to save the rainforest, says up to 70% of it could be lost if a tipping point is reached.
UN expert urges criminalising fossil fuel disinformation, banning lobbying
Today 10:30am
Rapporteur calls for defossilisation of economies and urgent reparations to avert ‘catastrophic’ rights and climate harms.
