International: China
China eyes solar power stations in space
25 Feb 2019
China wants to be the first country to launch power stations into space that capture the Sun’s energy and beam it back down to Earth.
Coal mining likely cause of China emissions rise
31 Jan 2019
Satellite data collected from 2010 to 2015 show that China's methane emissions increased unabated during that period and that the increase was most likely driven by coal mining.
China returns to Edison for power solution
29 Jan 2019
China’s response to the demand for electricity has been to use advanced transmission technology that can bridge vast distances – technology that, ironically, harks back to the earliest days of electric power.
There's no problem a billion cockroaches can't handle
18 Dec 2018
China is producing so much food waste it has had to come up with some out-of-the-box thinking — like using a billion cockroaches to take care of the problem.
SILENT REVOLUTION: It's all power to the e-bus in this city
14 Dec 2018
All 16,000 buses in the fast-growing Chinese megacity of Shenzhen are now electric, and soon all 22,000 taxis will be, too.
Pure electrics shine as China shows off cars of the future
6 Dec 2018
China has seen a bumper year for electric car sales, so it’s no surprise that a number “new energy vehicles”, as EVs are referred to in China, were the stars of the Guangzhou Auto Show.
China drags chain on emissions trading scheme
28 Nov 2018
China still needs to do a lot of work before it can fully launch its long-awaited nationwide carbon emissions trading scheme.
Mangroves are on the march
23 Nov 2018
Mangrove forests could be adapting to climate change by growing beyond their usual range, according to a recent study.
China faces pressure over illegal greenhouse gases
12 Nov 2018
China will be urged to crack down on illegal CFC-11 production under an international declaration set for adoption at a meeting in Ecuador this week.
Chinese city launching own moon to save on power bill
1 Nov 2018
A private aerospace institute in China plans to launch its own moon to save money on nightime lighting in a provincial city.
What the Chinese people think about climate change
28 Sep 2018
Ninety-four per cent of the public think China should be in the Paris climate deal, although many don’t know exactly what that means.
Just where on Earth is China's climate highway leading us?
20 Sep 2018
Triumph or catastrophe? Where will China’s climate path lead us all? So far there are both hopeful moves and warning signs, a new book says.
China cracks down on distant fishing fleets
11 Sep 2018
China’s fishery authorities have introduced hard-hitting punishments for overfishing and illegal fishing by the country’s distant fishing vessels.
Animal waste is turning China's lakes green
5 Sep 2018
Animal husbandry is contaminating China’s water and has been linked to turning lakes bright green, a phenomenon known as eutrophication.
China again starts building coal-fired plants
9 Aug 2018
Satellite imagery reveals that many coal-fired power projects that were halted by the Chinese government have quietly restarted.
New Chinese-led banks missing the point
2 Aug 2018
Both less than five years old, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Brics Bank are failing to back sustainable development models.
Quite soon, this crowded part of China will be unsurvivable
2 Aug 2018
The deadliest place on the planet for extreme future heatwaves will be the north China plain, one of the most densely populated regions in the world and the most important food-producing area in the huge nation.
Why China must show stronger climate leadership
25 Jul 2018
A new report from Columbia University has provided a clear assessment of China’s role in responding to climate change.
Chinese lead green bonds charge
12 Jul 2018
China issued $30 billion in green bonds in 2017, remaining the world leader in the market.
China carbon emissions in retreat
5 Jul 2018
China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell from 2014 to 2016 and might already have peaked, according to a new study.
China's seafood boom will be felt globally
4 Jul 2018
Seafood consumption per capita in China has recently surpassed pork and that has repercussions for ocean ecosystems in the country and beyond.
China wants better clean-air standards
2 Jul 2018
China has signalled its intention to impose special emissions limits on some of most polluting and energy intensive sectors in the country.
China producing banned ozone-damaging chemicals
27 Jun 2018
China has been outed as the illegal producer of chemicals that damage the ozone layer and the climate.
China frets over 'blind' electric vehicle growth
20 Jun 2018
China will take action to curb the “blind” development of its rapidly growing electric vehicle sector, says a state planning spokeswoman.
China is the alternative universe of car industry
9 May 2018
A state-controlled economy is forcing the world's largest car market to embrace electric car solutions, and fast. Here's what China can tell us about the automotive future.
Coal pollution is poisoning China's rice
7 May 2018
Mercury pollution is a problem usually associated with fish consumption. But some people in China, the world’s largest mercury emitter, are exposed to more methylmercury from rice than they are from fish.
China's solar power boom can be seen from space
2 May 2018
China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, but it's also leading the world in clean energy investment and deployment.
Belt and Road will cost the environment
1 May 2018
China is aggressively trying to leverage on a trillion-dollar transportation and energy infrastructure construction programme that poses potential environmental impacts.
China builds a road so smart it will change the face of driving
16 Apr 2018
The road to China’s autonomous-driving future is paved with solar panels, mapping sensors and electric-battery rechargers as the nation tests an “intelligent highway” that could speed the transformation of the global transportation industry.
China makes a huge new green ministry
11 Apr 2018
China’s newly created mega-department, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, has absorbed the functions of many ministries and will boast a staff of about 500.
China has the boldest renewable energy plan
10 Apr 2018
The boldest plan to achieve the targets set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement comes from China.
US asks China to reconsider ban on foreign waste
28 Mar 2018
The US has requested China end its recent ban on receiving garbage from foreign countries, something it says is causing turmoil in the global market.
China could become a leader in green finance
27 Feb 2018
Experts gathered in London have argued over whether China could dominate the green financing market in years to come.
Has China's growth shaken free of carbon?
14 Feb 2018
The annual debate over whether China has peaked its greenhouse gas emissions faces a watershed moment.
How will China’s new carbon trading scheme work?
31 Jan 2018
China last month announced the initial details of its much- anticipated emissions trading scheme, following several years of regional pilot projects.
Why China wants to rule green-energy markets
23 Jan 2018
As other major powers find themselves in climate denial or atrophy, China might well boost its power and status by becoming the global energy leader of tomorrow.
Why coal city switched all 8000 taxis to electric
22 Jan 2018
Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province in China, replaced 8000 petrol-powered taxis with electric vehicles in a single year.
Belt-and-road countries could top China’s emissions
14 Dec 2017
China is seeking to clean up its overseas investments and is calling for international support.
China’s footprint threatens to trample the natural world
7 Dec 2017
Many observers of China’s escalating global programme of foreign investment and infrastructure development are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
Can China actually lead on climate change?
30 Nov 2017
China is in the driving seat when it comes to international co-operation on climate, said President Xi Jinping at a major political meeting in Beijing ahead of the climate talks in Bonn.
China reverses flow of carbon emissions
28 Nov 2017
The flow of China’s carbon emissions has reversed, according to new research led by scientists at the University of East Anglia.
China likely to hit peak emissions around 2030
24 Nov 2017
China’s carbon emissions will probably peak on or before 2030, a new survey has found.
Is China the leader UN climate talks need?
3 Nov 2017
china is more assertive than ever about its climate leadership ambitions, as 195 countries head to Bonn for the annual UN summit.
Pollution getting in the way of China's solar goals
26 Oct 2017
Although China is increasing its solar energy supply, air pollution is blocking sunlight and reducing energy output, according to a new study.
No China, so what happens now to world’s recycling?
24 Oct 2017
In the wake of China's announcement earlier this year that it would cut imports of the world's waste there are concerns that much of the lower grade materials will have nowhere else to go.
China takes aim at high-end solar market
15 Sep 2017
China is looking to dominate the high-end of the global solar power market.
China readies for ethanol fuels binge
14 Sep 2017
China’s bold plan to blend renewable fuels into its gasoline supply within three years will revolutionize its fledging biofuels industry, and likely spur billions of dollars in investment in ethanol factories.
China’s sponge cities aim to re-use 70% of rainwater
12 Sep 2017
China’s "sponge city" initiative has an ambitious goal: by 2020, 80 per cent of urban areas should absorb and re-use at least 70 per cent of rainwater.
China to ban sale of fossil-fuel cars
11 Sep 2017
China wil set a deadline for carmakers to end sales of fossil-fuel powered vehicles, a move aimed at pushing companies to speed efforts in developing electric vehicles.
China smashes solar power target ... by three years
1 Sep 2017
China has reached its 2020 solar power target three years ahead of schedule after installed capacity topped well over its 105GW target.
Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow mining company to clear threatened indigenous forest
23 Feb 2026
The Australian government’s decision to allow the US mining giant Alcoa to continue clearing swathes of Western Australian jarrah forest despite past illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new document shows.
Repeal of endangerment finding is part of a systematic effort by US to dismantle climate policy
Tue 3 Mar 2026
COMMENT: Climate policy expert and founder of the NewClimate Institute in Cologne, Germany, explains what the step means for the US and for global climate diplomacy.
Spain defends EU’s flagship climate law against attacks from other capitals
Tue 3 Mar 2026
Spain has come to the defense of the European Union's bedrock climate law, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warning fellow European leaders against dismantling the embattled Emissions Trading System.
Earth's heat to power 10,000 homes in renewable energy first for UK
Today 11:00am
The UK's first geothermal power plant has been turned on, providing a completely new type of renewable electricity using hot water from underground.
Mark Carney just picked his lane on climate change
17 Feb 2026
COMMENT: Mark Carney's time as prime minister has been defined in part by his decision to roll back Trudeau-era climate policies.
South Korean farmers sue utility giant KEPCO over climate damage to crops
25 Feb 2026
As harvest season approached last November, farmer Ma Yong-un walked through his apple orchard in southern South Korea with a growing sense of dread.
World leaders invited to see Pacific climate destruction before COP31
Tue 3 Mar 2026
The leaders and climate ministers of governments around the world will be invited to meetings on the Pacific islands of Fiji, Palau and Tuvalu in the months leading up to the COP31 climate summit in November.
Limiting warming to 2C is ‘crucial’ to protect pristine Antarctic Peninsula
24 Feb 2026
Keeping global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial temperatures is “crucial” for limiting damage to the Antarctic Peninsula’s unique ecosystems, according to a new study.
Solar-powered truck charging gains ground on South Africa’s freight corridors
Today 11:00am
Africa’s freight corridors, long dominated by diesel trucks and constrained by unreliable power grids, are emerging as a new frontier in the global shift toward clean logistics, with solar-powered charging hubs designed specifically for heavy-duty electric trucks.
Floods and landslides in Brazil kill at least 30 after record rainfall
Thu 26 Feb 2026
Three firefighters pulled a man’s body from the mud amid the rubble of houses swept away in a landslide in south-eastern Brazil, where 30 people died and 39 were still missing on Tuesday after torrential rains.
Half of nations meet UN deadline for nature-loss reporting
Today 11:00am
Half of nations have met a UN deadline to report on how they are tackling nature loss within their borders, Carbon Brief analysis shows. This includes 11 of the 17 “megadiverse nations”, countries that account for 70% of Earth’s biodiversity.
