International: Asia
Extreme heat costing India’s poorest workers 2% of GDP, survey finds
Thu 23 Jul 2026
India’s informal workers are estimated to be losing $78 billion in wages per year because of productivity declines and illness caused by intensifying heat.
India is adding biofuels to petrol – but many drivers are unhappy
16 Jul 2026
India's decision to increase the share of biofuels blended with petrol is facing ire from motorists who question its viability in a market where a majority of vehicles are not yet designed for it.
Extreme heat grips Japan with potential double storm brewing
16 Jul 2026
Japan is facing several more days of dangerous heat at the same time as two tropical disturbances could develop into tropical storms in southern waters.
Climate change becoming a major driver of child marriage across Asia and the Pacific
14 Jul 2026
The growing intensity of natural disasters across Asia is leading to increasing numbers of child marriages of girls, according to aid organisations.
Enhanced flash flood risks in Hindu Kush Himalaya
9 Jul 2026
The communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region could face enhanced risks from flash floods due to bursts of extreme rainfall and cloudbursts during the southwest monsoon season along with high temperatures which could lead to accelerated glacier and snow melting.
Indonesia and Singapore sign agreement on cross-border electricity project
8 Jul 2026
Indonesian sovereign wealth fund Danantara and Singapore's Keppel Electric, Sembcorp Industries and Singapore Energy Interconnections have signed a memorandum of understanding for a cross-border electricity project, Singapore's prime minister said on Monday.
New Delhi offers residents $1,000 to scrap old cars for EVs to curb air pollution
2 Jul 2026
India's capital New Delhi will offer a cash incentive of over$1,000 to car owners willing to scrap their old vehicle for an EV, according to a new policy finalised by the government on Monday in a move aimed at reducing high levels of air pollution.
Asia warming nearly twice as fast as before
19 Jun 2026
A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlights record ocean heat, accelerating glacier loss and a series of extreme weather events causing significant human and economic losses across Asia.
Solar overtakes gas power in Asia for first time ever
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.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
Heat is a growing threat to the Hajj – even in spring
4 Jun 2026
Temperatures during the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia are rising as climate change accelerates, according to a growing body of research.
One day of extreme heat tied to 3,400 excess deaths in India, nearly 30,000 over five days
3 Jun 2026
A day of extreme heat is associated with an estimated 3,400 excess deaths across India, while a heatwave lasting five consecutive days could lead to nearly 30,000 additional deaths, according to a new study.
Indian city records 48.2C temperature as sizzling heatwave empties roads
26 May 2026
The India Meteorological Department forecast maximum temperatures Thursday of around 45 degrees Celsius in the capital, Delhi, where authorities have opened temporary “cooling zones” to help people cope.
While the world hesitates, India must continue leading on climate
14 May 2026
India’s updated climate targets must translate into systems that secure growth, resilience, and autonomy.
Climate change, socioeconomic shifts threaten Nepal’s yak herding traditions
7 May 2026
According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), warming temperatures are fundamentally altering Himalayan high-altitude ecosystems.
India submits new climate action pledges to UN body, flags condition to fulfil promise
29 Apr 2026
India has formally submitted its pledge to the UN climate body, underline importing conditions noting the developing countries' committments cannot be fulfilled without adequate support in terms of finance and technology transfer.
Ocean protections clash with mining pressure in Indonesia’s most diverse marine ecosystem
13 Apr 2026
Long regarded as a global model for ocean conservation, Raja Ampat ecosystems are now under pressure, as concerns grow over the expansion of nickel mining alongside a surge of international tourism.
India pulls out of bid to host UN climate summit
10 Apr 2026
Climate experts term the decision as a setback and surprise as India had been using the proposed summit to position itself as climate leader of the Global South.
How Pakistan’s solar boom is shielding it from worst of Iran war crisis
9 Apr 2026
A quarter of Pakistani households are now using solar panels. This insulates millions of families from the energy supply crunch prompted by the US-Israel war on Iran.
Vietnam’s gig workers slammed by rising fuel costs amid fallout of Iran war
8 Apr 2026
Diesel prices have more than doubled in the Southeast Asian nation amid Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Fuel crisis powers surge in EV interest in Asia-Pacific region
7 Apr 2026
Motorists across the Asia-Pacific region are switching to electric vehicles at a rapid pace, as rising fuel costs due to the Middle East war force consumers and companies to reconsider their reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles.
Asia ramps up use of dirty fuels to cover energy shortfall triggered by Iran war
2 Apr 2026
South Korea will delay the shutdown of coal-fired plants, while the Philippines also plans to boost the output of its coal-burning plants
Indonesian forest loss surges by 66% in 2025, driven by Prabowo’s self-sufficiency drive
2 Apr 2026
Forest loss in Indonesia surged by 66 per cent in 2025, hitting its highest rate in eight years as a result of weak environmental protections and an ambitious food and energy self-sufficiency drive, an environmental group said on March 31.
Scientists achieve ‘impossible’ solar efficiency in renewables breakthrough
1 Apr 2026
Researchers in Japan have developed a new material that allows solar cells to generate an amount of energy from sunlight that was previously thought impossible.
Death toll in Afghanistan flooding increases to 28, authorities say
1 Apr 2026
Afghan authorities said Monday that the death toll from severe weather that has struck swathes of the country over the past four days has increased to 28, with 49 people injured. Dozens of people have died from extreme weather in the country so far this year.
What does India’s new Paris Agreement pledge mean for climate action?
31 Mar 2026
India has set a new target to reduce its “emissions intensity” – greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic output – to 47% below 2005 levels by 2035.
Japan considers switch from LNG to coal
31 Mar 2026
Japan is considering ramping up coal-fired power generation amid a liquefied natural gas crunch that has led to significantly higher prices.
Signs of jet fuel hoarding emerge in Asia on Iran oil shock
26 Mar 2026
Signs are growing that Asian countries are hoarding jet fuel after the Iran war sent oil prices surging, reflecting growing strain on the aviation industry.
Iran war may halve India's LPG imports in March, according to traders, data
26 Mar 2026
The war in Iran and the blockage of the strategic Strait of Hormuz are likely to halve this month's imports of liquefied petroleum gas by India, its number-two importer, according to traders and ship-tracking data.
Solar is Southeast Asia’s cheapest buffer against future shocks
26 Mar 2026
Southeast Asian countries’ planned expansion of gas power could increase the cost of generating electricity to $109 billion by 2030 based on future price projections — more than double the cost of generating the same amount of electricity with solar.
Philippines declares national emergency over high fuel prices
25 Mar 2026
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines declared a national energy emergency on Tuesday, saying that high oil prices caused by the war in the Middle East were threatening the country’s energy security.
Asia pivots to coal as Middle East conflict chokes LNG supply
19 Mar 2026
Asian utilities are boosting coal-fired power generation to cut costs and safeguard energy supply, industry officials say, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran chokes liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and soaring prices threaten to suppress LNG demand.
'The situation is dire': War on Iran squeezes India's cooking-gas supplies
16 Mar 2026
The shockwaves of a war being fought nearly 3,000km away are now reaching India's kitchens.
‘Clean energy, not LNG’ is Asia’s best hedge against energy shocks
13 Mar 2026
As Asian countries reel from the oil and gas price shocks unleashed by US-Israel attacks on Iran, experts warn that “clean energy, not liquified natural gas, is key to avoiding impacts” from the unfolding crisis.
Gaps in adaptation taxonomies hinder climate finance in Asia: report
5 Mar 2026
Without clearer criteria and metrics in adaptation taxonomies, Asia risks widening its climate financing gap, warns a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
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.
Indonesia coal plant closure U-turn sows energy transition doubts
23 Feb 2026
A reversal in 2025 cast fresh doubts on Jakarta’s energy transition plans and dashed the hopes of locals who blame the plant for environmental and health problems.
Modi's rooftop solar push slowed by reluctant lenders, states
19 Feb 2026
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to accelerate the rollout of rooftop solar power is falling short of targets despite heavy subsidies due to loan delays and limited support from state utilities, vendors and analysts say.
Singapore sets first ever sustainable aviation fuel levy, as Southeast Asia’s fuel industry grows
17 Feb 2026
Flying in and out of Singapore, home to Southeast Asia’s busiest airport, will get slightly more expensive this year as the city state begins imposing a levy of between 75 cents to $32 per ticket to fund sustainable aviation fuel.
India will use more coal over the next 25 years, report says
13 Feb 2026
India's coal consumption could more than double by mid-century before plunging sharply as the country shifts toward cleaner energy, long‑term projections published by government think-tank NITI Aayog show.
Declared a terrorist for bringing renewable power to Philippine communities
2 Feb 2026
Accusing activists of having links to terrorism has led to non-profit funds being frozen and local climate projects being delayed or scrapped.
EU-India trade deal leaves bloc's carbon border tariff intact
29 Jan 2026
A landmark trade deal struck by India and the European Union on Tuesday will not trigger any changes to the bloc's carbon border tariff, EU officials said, despite India's concerns over the scheme.
Indonesia’s massive captive coal plans are putting climate targets and economy at risk: study
28 Jan 2026
Operational and planned industrial coal capacity to fuel the nickel boom has tripled since 2023, surpassed Australia’s entire coal fleet and is nearing Germany’s total, raising concerns over emissions and long-term competitiveness.
‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia
12 Dec 2025
Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’.
Philippines tests ‘transition credits’ to cut coal use in novel experiment
12 Dec 2025
The Philippines is testing a new type of carbon credit aimed at encouraging companies to cut their climate warming emissions.
India at COP30: A mismatch between grandstanding and climate action
11 Dec 2025
Despite India’s attempt to anoint itself as the leader of the developing world, at the COP30 summit, New Delhi’s track record remains contradictory.
Politicians in South-East Asia ignore climate change at their own political peril
9 Dec 2025
Anger and frustration are growing in devastated communities, as governments botch their response to the climate crisis.
Asia flood death toll surpasses 1,500 as calls grow to fight deforestation
8 Dec 2025
The death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides in parts of Asia surged past 1,500 Thursday as rescue teams raced to reach survivors isolated by the disaster with hundreds of people still unaccounted for across the region.
Families on rooftops, homes buried by mud: Asia floods show water is overtaking wind as main threat
4 Dec 2025
The fallout marks a grim escalation in deadly weather across the region that has been aggravated by the blanket of carbon pollution heating the planet.
From COP30 to net zero by 2070: India insists on not billions but trillions to lead the global south
3 Dec 2025
At COP30 in Belém this November, New Delhi demanded that wealthy nations provide climate finance on the scale of not billions but trillions, while pressing for technology access that does not tether developing economies to costly licensing regimes.
Climate and rock art advocates take on ‘carbon bomb’ gas project in Aus federal court
Wed 22 Jul 2026
The Albanese government’s decision to approve one of the world’s largest gas projects in Western Australia is being challenged in the federal court, setting up a significant test of how Australia’s environment law deals with the climate crisis.
Trump blames Canada for wildfire smoke affecting US
Tue 21 Jul 2026
A series of Republican “leaders” have started producing angry denunciations of Canada for polluting America’s air with their "thoughtless" fires.
China solar exports to South, Southeast Asia and Africa rise despite post-rebate slump
Wed 22 Jul 2026
China's solar exports to Southeast and South Asia as well as Africa rose year-over-year in June, customs data showed on Monday, though overall solar exports slipped for a second month after China removed an export tax rebate.
Europe's erratic weather persists
Thu 23 Jul 2026
Firefighters struggled on Tuesday to contain Spain's largest wildfire of the year, while two firefighters were killed battling a fire in southwestern France, as an extreme heatwave continued to fuel dangerous conditions across Europe, bringing drought and forecasts of severe hailstorms.
Millions face long-term coastal flooding risk in UK without climate action, scientists warn
Thu 23 Jul 2026
Up to 13 million people in the UK face the long-term risk of coastal flooding due to the climate crisis, scientists have warned, with a “reasonable worst-case scenario” suggesting the need for the large-scale movement of populations away from a dramatically reshaped coast.
Ontario seeks federal support for evacuations as wildfires devastate remote Canadian towns
Mon 20 Jul 2026
Ontario requested federal assistance to evacuate people from remote northern Canadian communities ravaged by wildfires on Thursday, as smoke brought poor air quality to Toronto and much of the Northeastern U.S.
‘Those blocking climate science are not our friends': Pacific leaders warn at Bonn talks
23 Jun 2026
Pacific nations and civil society groups have united at UN climate talks, pushing back against efforts to weaken agreed language on global temperature limits as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
Wed 22 Jul 2026
“You’d see massive glacier calvings, and you’d just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you’d be like … ‘can you not put two and two together?’”
West Africa signs off $25bn mega gas-pipeline plan
Wed 22 Jul 2026
One of Africa's most ambitious energy infrastructure projects has finally been signed off at the highest level, with West African leaders formally endorsing the long-awaited Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline.
Under Lula, Amazon deforestation falls to lowest level in a decade
14 Jul 2026
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has fallen to its lowest level in a decade during the first half of 2026, according to official government figures.
COP31 president says electrification is ‘surest way to protect citizens’
14 Jul 2026
Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035. In an interview with Carbon Brief, Kurum says that the target was not a political choice, but instead reflects the latest evidence on “what is needed to keep 1.5C within reach”.
