International: Australia
Censorship cry as Canberra hides emissions data
26 Jun 2017
Australia's Climate Council is calling for the backlog of the nation’s emissions data to be urgently released, with the Federal Government failing to provide the nation’s quarterly data for more than six months.
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.
US judge orders halt to Trump administration's 'censorship' of park exhibits
Tue 16 Jun 2026
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to reinstall exhibits and signs on topics like slavery and climate change that it had removed from parks and monuments nationwide because they "do not align with its preferred narrative."
China warns of risk of 'extreme floods' in desert regions
Mon 15 Jun 2026
China warned communities in its northwestern Xinjiang and nearby regions on Friday to prepare for "extreme floods" this summer, driven by abnormally high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and rapid glacier melt.
Climate change reshapes Spain's rockfall risk as frost weathering moves uphill
Tue 16 Jun 2026
Climate change is altering where and when rocks are most likely to fracture across Spain, according to new research that suggests warming temperatures are redistributing a key process responsible for breaking down mountain landscapes.
Millions of UK homes at risk of sinking as climate crisis worsens
Fri 12 Jun 2026
Millions of homes are at risk from climate-related subsidence, according to an analysis by the British Geological Survey.
Canada signs landmark LNG energy deal with Germany
29 May 2026
Canada has announced a landmark energy agreement with Germany that will see the first-ever long-term shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada to Europe in the coming years.
Solar overtakes gas power in Asia for first time ever
Mon 15 Jun 2026
Solar has overtaken gas power in Asia to become the continent’s third-largest source of electricity, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief.
The Pacific made history in the courts – now we must do it in the negotiations
Fri 12 Jun 2026
Legal clarity alone will not lead to reduced emissions, more finance or stronger national climate plans – political will is key to meeting states’ obligations.
Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average
Tue 16 Jun 2026
A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’.
Aid cuts and climate change drive deadly malaria surge in Zimbabwe
29 May 2026
A surge in malaria cases in Zimbabwe is exposing fragile health systems and growing treatment shortages in rural areas.
Colombia’s climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle
26 May 2026
Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?
Finance dominates discussions at Bonn climate talks
Tue 16 Jun 2026
Lack of progress on finance issues – including putting a number on the new goal to triple adaptation funding – is causing blockages across negotiating tracks at UN climate talks.
