International: Asia
Vietnamese climate activist jailed in ‘unjust’ government crackdown
2 Oct 2023
Five environmentalists have been jailed in the last two years, while the government works on a clean energy partnership with rich nations.
How climate change threatens some of the world’s most coveted real estate
26 Sep 2023
Until recently, the upscale homes of the Redhill Peninsula seemed like an oasis for rich Hong Kongers aspiring to a tranquil lifestyle in an otherwise notoriously cramped metropolis of 7.5 million.
Court ruling spares Papua forest from further clearing for palm oil
15 Sep 2023
An Indonesian court has upheld a government decision to curb the expansion of a multibillion-dollar oil palm plantation project in the country’s easternmost region of Papua.
India launches global biofuel alliance at G20
12 Sep 2023
India has announced the launch of a global biofuel alliance at a G20 summit in New Delhi to boost the use of cleaner fuels.
India steps up coal use amid unusually dry weather
7 Sep 2023
India stepped up the use of coal to generate electricity in a bid to stop outages caused by lower hydroelectricity output, and as renewables struggle to keep pace with record power demand.
Pakistan faced with deep-rooted energy crisis after catastrophic floods
6 Sep 2023
Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world. It is currently in the midst of a crippling energy and economic crisis that has brought it to the brink of bankruptcy.
Indonesia climate deal in $20bn gridlock as Vietnam, India on hold
6 Sep 2023
Last November, G20 leaders in Bali hailed what they said was a transformational climate change finance deal to help wean Indonesia off coal.
In a world of climate risks, Sri Lanka is finding ways to adapt
1 Sep 2023
In a landscape of interconnected and mutually compounding risks, climate change has emerged as a key risk factor for Sri Lanka, specifically for vulnerable sectors and groups.
First crops, now animals: Climate change hurts Bangladesh farmers
29 Aug 2023
Bangladeshi farmers are adapting to deal with worsening salinity and climate change, yet fears are growing for their livestock.
50% of Asia’s protein must be animal-free by 2060 to reach net zero
22 Aug 2023
Countries in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific must increase their alt-protein production by 2030 to help mitigate the climate crisis, as animal protein and its associated emissions must peak by the end of the decade, says a new report.
Indonesia’s $20bn energy transition plan continues increased decarbonisation focus
21 Aug 2023
Indonesia’s decarbonisation efforts are reflected in increasing mentions in company filings of renewable energy, climate change and the environment.
Over 50 killed in Indian Himalayas as rain triggers landslides
16 Aug 2023
Torrential rain in India's Himalayas triggered landslides over the weekend that have killed over 50 people, with the death toll expected to rise as more than 20 remain trapped or missing.
UN: South Asian children face highest level of heat in the world
10 Aug 2023
About 460 million children, about 76%, are exposed to extreme heat in South Asia, compared to a third of children globally, UNICEF said.
Turkey’s second highest glacier melts amid climate change
7 Aug 2023
The severe grip of global warming has tightened its hold on Cilo Mountain in Hakkari, the country's second-highest peak, causing glaciers to undergo a rapid and unsettling change.
India’s parliament clears contentious bill that seeks to amend forest act
4 Aug 2023
Hundreds of legal and environmental experts have flagged potentially damaging clauses in the bill that might endanger as much as 25% of India’s forest cover.
As extreme heat hits South Korea and Japan, death toll rises sharply
4 Aug 2023
The extreme weather sweeping across Asia has claimed more victims, with South Korea and Japan reporting deaths from the sweltering heat.
Heat wave forces shutdown in Iran
3 Aug 2023
The government claims the move is to safeguard the well-being of its citizens as soaring temperatures continue to pose health risks, though it raises questions as to the country's readiness for a crisis.
An ancient desert-dwelling culture embraces hydroponics
2 Aug 2023
With droughts on the rise, India’s pastoralists are turning to modern techniques to conserve water — and a way of life.
Climate change disasters caused US$36B loss in Asia in 2022: Report
31 Jul 2023
Asia is the world’s most disaster-impacted region, with 81 weather, climate and water-related disasters recorded last year, killing more than 5,000 people and affecting 50 million.
Effects of climate change increasing in Asia, WMO says
28 Jul 2023
Extreme weather events caused by climate change are on the rise in Asia and bound to affect food security and the continent's ecosystems, the World Meteorological Organization said.
Typhoon Doksuri displaces thousands in northern Philippines
27 Jul 2023
Nearly 16,000 people displaced as ferocious storm floods low-lying villages and knocks out electricity.
Is climate change making cloudbursts more frequent?
26 Jul 2023
Intense rainfall in the Himalayan regions of India’s Kashmir state and adjacent mountainous cold desert of Ladakh earlier this week destroyed roads and caused flooding of dozens of villages.
South Korea floods: tunnel horror brings home climate fears
21 Jul 2023
As hundreds of rescue workers comb the muddied waters of a South Korean underpass, the stagnant rainwater, once up to the ceiling, now only covers their knees.
At least 22 die in India as extra-heavy monsoon rains trigger severe flooding, landslides
11 Jul 2023
In the capital New Delhi, more rain was recorded in a single day than at any time in the past 40 years – a total of 15.3cm.
Climate crisis linked to rising domestic violence in south Asia
30 Jun 2023
As deadly heatwaves sweep through cities in India, China, the US and Europe amid the climate crisis, new research has found that rising temperatures are associated with a substantial rise in domestic violence against women.
Heavy rains batter India’s northeast
27 Jun 2023
One person died and tens of thousands of people moved to government shelters as heavy monsoon rains batter villages in India's northeastern state of Assam.
More deaths in north India amid extreme heat
21 Jun 2023
About 170 people have died in two of India’s most populous states in recent days amid a sweltering heatwave, officials say, as hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and routine power outages add to the challenges.
Institutions warm to carbon trading even as questions linger
16 Jun 2023
Singapore's bid to become a carbon trading hub raises questions about the verification and pricing methods involved.
East Asia heat wave to crank up coal use and emissions
14 Jun 2023
A heat wave across China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea looks set to drive coal use for electricity generation to new highs over coming weeks, priming the region that accounts for more than 60% of world coal emissions to boost pollution further.
Climate change deepens Helmand water rights crisis
12 Jun 2023
Iranian and Afghan Taliban forces clashed on the border two weeks ago, resulting in two deaths and several wounded as tensions surrounding water rights continue to rise between Tehran and Kabul.
Dozens dead as heavy rains hit Pakistan
12 Jun 2023
Heavy rains pounded Pakistan’s northwest regions collapsing houses and killing at least 25 people.
Saving tigers helped reduce India’s carbon emissions
12 Jun 2023
Research shows that tiger conservation interventions prevented forest loss, leading to reduced emissions and ecosystem benefits.
Experts: climate change to blame for up to 17 deaths on Mount Everest
31 May 2023
Experts say this is likely to be one of the deadliest years on record on Mount Everest, with variable weather caused by climate change being blamed as one of the main reasons for the deaths of up to 17 people.
16 Asian countries at risk as climate change threatens water supplies
30 May 2023
People living in 16 countries of Asia are at grave risk as climate change hits hard the water and energy supplies in the region. Climate-related disruptions to the Hindu Kush-Himalayan water system have emerged as a major concern for Asia.
Protecting India's tigers also good for climate: study
26 May 2023
India's efforts to protect its endangered tigers have inadvertently helped avoid a large amount of climate change-causing carbon emissions by preventing deforestation, a study has revealed.
Climate change worsened Asia's April heatwave by 2C - study
19 May 2023
Climate change raised temperatures by at least 2C in many parts of Asia last month as it suffered a crippling heatwave, a new study says.
Vietnam approves plan to boost wind, LNG by 2030
19 May 2023
Vietnam said on Tuesday it has approved a long-awaited power plan for this decade, in a move meant to boost wind energy and gas, while reducing reliance on coal.
Indonesia allows foreign entities to buy carbon credits from Jakarta
10 May 2023
The Indonesian government has decided to allow foreign entities to purchase credits in the Indonesian carbon market, paving the way for multinational companies and institutions to tap into the country’s large carbon trading potential.
India amends power policy draft to halt new coal-fired capacity
10 May 2023
India plans to stop building new coal-fired power plants, apart from those already in the pipeline, by removing a key clause from the final draft of its National Electricity Policy (NEP), in a major boost to fight climate change, sources said.
New Indonesian fund promotes Indigenous role in climate change fight
9 May 2023
Indonesian civil groups launched on Monday a multimillion-dollar fund aimed at empowering Indigenous and local communities across the Southeast Asian country in the fight against climate change.
Vietnam records highest-ever temperature of 44.1C
8 May 2023
Vietnam has recorded its highest ever temperature, just over 44 degrees - with experts predicting it would soon be surpassed because of climate change.
In coastal Bangladesh, climate change devastates women’s reproductive health
8 May 2023
On a cloudy Friday morning, Asma Akhter took a break from fishing for minnows. Her clothes still wet, she sat outside her two-room home, gazing out at the waters that are both her salvation and her doom.
Taiwan diary: Semiconductor manufacture drives emissions
4 May 2023
By Jeremy Rose | Taiwan is a superpower in two things, I confidently declared in my pitch for an Asia New Zealand Foundation Travel grant, bicycles and semi-conductors and both are crucial on the fight against climate change
Momentum grows over a 'just' climate transition in Japan
1 May 2023
It is perhaps fitting that April’s Group of Seven Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment was held in Sapporo, because the view on final approach to New Chitose Airport provides a good education on the trickier aspects of Japan’s climate challenge.
Taiwan’s Presidential Hackathon keen for Kiwi participants
19 Apr 2023
When you open your Uber app in Taiwan the first thing you notice is that you not only get to choose between different Uber drivers you can opt for a traditional taxi as well - often it’s the cheaper option.
Japanese climate group urges more renewable energy and effective carbon pricing
13 Apr 2023
Japanese companies and climate groups called on the government on Wednesday to step up the introduction of renewable energy and quickly adopt carbon pricing to tackle global warming.
Thailand to impose a carbon tax on three major economic sectors
11 Apr 2023
BANGKOK – The Excise Department plans to impose a carbon tax on the energy, transport and industrial sectors to help Thailand achieve its goals of carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2063, as well as cut the cost of imported fuel.
Rich countries could learn from Bangladesh
5 Apr 2023
For anyone who has sweated through record-high temperatures or waded through floodwater, it will come as no surprise that Britain is “strikingly unprepared" for the effects of climate change. That’s the conclusion of a recent report published by the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s independent advisory body on climate policy to the government.
Taiwan diary: The e-scooter kingdom
30 Mar 2023
By Jeremy Rose | If I needed confirmation that Taiwan has morphed from the Bicycle Kingdom to the Scooter Kingdom I got it at the at the Net Zero City Expo that opened in Taipei this week.
Taiwan diary: Renewable energy 101
29 Mar 2023
Yi-Ting Lu and Ching-Wen Huang both started out as activists in Taiwan’s environmental movement.
Australian gas producer Santos wins court fight over net zero claims
Today 11:45am
An Australian court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against gas producer Santos that alleged the company misled the public on its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Newsom to world leaders: 'Donald Trump is temporary'
Today 11:45am
California Governor Gavin Newsom has long positioned the state as a durable counterweight to Trumpism, particularly on climate policies that California has expanded as the White House retreats.
China starts sea trials for largest electric-powered container ship
Tue 17 Feb 2026
China’s first 10,000-ton electric containership is beginning sea trials. The shipyard is billing the ship as the largest of its kind and a further breakthrough in short-sea shipping.
EU countries need to 'urgently coordinate' to adapt to climate change, advisory board warns
Today 11:45am
More frequent climate-related events such as flooding, wildfires, repeated heatwaves, and droughts call for a precautionary approach, according to the latest report from the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.
A UK climate security report backed by the intelligence services was quietly buried – a pattern we’ve seen many times before
5 Feb 2026
Last autumn, a UK government report warned that climate-driven ecosystem collapse could lead to food shortages, mass migration, political extremism and even nuclear conflict. The report was never officially launched.
Mark Carney just picked his lane on climate change
Tue 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.
Pacific fisheries summit gives a boost to albacore and seabirds
19 Dec 2025
Much of the world’s albacore tuna catch, which usually ends up in a can, comes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean, where fishery managers just passed a new set of conservation rules.
Warming climate threatens Greenland's ancestral way of life
Thu 12 Feb 2026
The Arctic region is on the frontline of global warming, heating up four times faster than the rest of the planet since 1979, according to a 2022 study in scientific journal Nature, causing the sea ice to retreat.
Africa leads growth in solar energy as demand spreads beyond traditional markets, report says
Mon 16 Feb 2026
A report shows that Africa has emerged as the world's fastest-growing solar market even as global growth slowed last year, driven by a 60% surge in imports of solar panels from China.
Argentina fires ravage pristine Patagonia forests, fueling criticism of Milei’s austerity
4 Feb 2026
The wildfires, among the worst to hit the drought-stricken Patagonia region in decades, have devastated more than 45,000 hectares (174 square miles) of Argentina’s forests in the last month and a half, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists.
Why Trump might be onboard with a UN carbon-offset programme for airlines
Thu 12 Feb 2026
The president’s team has backed the rollout of an initiative that calls for the use of sustainable aviation fuel and carbon credits, even as Trump has pulled back from other international emissions-reduction efforts.
