International: Africa
Back-to-back climate disasters leave millions of Malawians in deepening need
21 Mar 2024
Millions of Malawians are struggling with the impacts of back-to-back climate disasters that have deepened the poverty of subsistence farmers and undermined the ability of the cash-strapped government to help.
‘We don’t need air con’: how Burkina Faso builds schools that stay cool in 40C heat
5 Mar 2024
Architects use local materials and merge traditional techniques with modern technology to make schools and orphanages cool, welcoming places.
Alarming Africa-wide report predicts 30% drop in crop revenue, 50 million without water
1 Mar 2024
African countries will suffer significant economic loss after 2050 if global warming is not limited to below 2°C, a new study by the Center for Global Development has found.
Real solutions to climate change in Africa are about people, not profit
1 Mar 2024
The continent’s leaders should resist quick fixes and deadly traps offered by the market and bring the people at the centre of the climate action.
Africa's ice is disappearing: Tropical ice fields demonstrate speed of climate change
22 Feb 2024
The ice on the high summits of the continent is rapidly disappearing, and Africa may lose its white peaks by the middle of our century.
Italy’s energy deal faces backlash in Africa
8 Feb 2024
Critics charge that a plan that aims to curb migration will derail the continent’s climate change agenda.
Climate change behind Africa cholera surge, top health officials say
2 Feb 2024
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the continent’s chief health advisory body, has tied the worst outbreak of cholera in three years to climate change.
Climate change worsens human trafficking of the poor in Sierra Leone
31 Jan 2024
Sierra Leone’s poorest communities have long been prey to human traffickers. Climate change is making things worse.
East Africa's new love affair with geothermal energy
30 Jan 2024
There has been little interest in geothermal power in East Africa but Kenya's trailblazing energy transformation policy is now inspiring others.
Climate change is the biggest human health risk, says Africa's disease boss
30 Nov 2023
Climate change is the biggest threat to human health in Africa and the rest of the world, the head of the continent's public health agency said.
Leaks reveal how McKinsey drives African climate agenda
29 Nov 2023
Whistleblowers raise alarm over American consultancy’s growing influence in pushing carbon markets and developing energy transition plans.
Devastating flooding in East Africa
27 Nov 2023
Heavy rainfall led to extensive flooding in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya in October and November.
Neighbourhoods submerged following flash floods in the Horn of Africa
20 Nov 2023
More than 100 people, including 16 children, have died and over 700,000 been forced out of their homes in the Horn of Africa due to flash flooding.
Leaders convene to protect tropical forests
31 Oct 2023
Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, had the privilege of hosting the summit of the three major tropical forest basins on the planet.
Africa’s first carbon-removal plant stokes questions about responsible climate solutions
10 Oct 2023
A joint venture between Swiss and Kenya-based companies has been billed as a springboard for creating a new, green economy in Africa.
Environmental groups sue energy company over 'devastating' East Africa oil pipeline
9 Oct 2023
Four environmental groups have filed a law suit against the French group TotalEnergies and its EACOP oil project in Tanzania and Uganda.
Ivory Coast deforestation rate rises as EU green imports law looms
5 Oct 2023
Deforestation in top cocoa producer Ivory Coast increased last year after declining for several years, a major report has found, raising questions about how the country will comply with a new EU law preventing commodity imports linked to forest loss.
“Why do they punish us?” Uganda charcoal ban ignites transition debate
5 Oct 2023
While welcomed in principle, the abrupt charcoal ban has left both traders and buyers unsure of where to turn.
At least 11 people die in South Africa floods
2 Oct 2023
At least 11 people have been killed after heavy rain and winds hit South Africa's Western Cape province, including Cape Town, over the weekend leaving a trail of destruction.
Africa’s first verifiable carbon market launches in Kenya
25 Sep 2023
CYNK launches as the first Africa-based, end-to-end platform for the measurement, verification and sale carbon credits, with forward trade of more than two million carbon futures credits.
Digital technology helps farmers affected by climate change
19 Sep 2023
A Nigerian professor is advocating for the use of digital technology to help the nation’s struggling farmers cope with global warming.
5000 presumed dead in Libya floods
13 Sep 2023
More than 5000 people are presumed dead and 10,000 missing after heavy rains in northeastern Libya caused two dams to collapse, surging more water into already inundated areas.
EU commission chief asks G20 to join global carbon pricing
11 Sep 2023
The European Commission president asked G20 leaders on Saturday to join a proposal to set up global carbon pricing.
Africa climate summit ends with call to reform global financing
7 Sep 2023
The Africa Climate Summit has ended with leaders calling on the global community to act urgently to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fulfill its obligations and keep financial promises to fight climate change.
African leaders at odds over climate plans as crucial Nairobi summit opens
6 Sep 2023
Oil-producing African nations argue they should be able to use fossil fuel resources for economic growth.
As Africa opens a climate summit, poor weather forecasting keeps the continent underprepared
5 Sep 2023
Much of the world takes daily weather forecasts for granted. But most of Africa’s 1.3 billion people live with little advance knowledge of what’s to come.
Africa’s vast underground water resources are under pressure from climate change
4 Sep 2023
All countries have a variety of water resources – some are on the surface, like rivers, and some are beneath the ground.
Kenya’s ‘green growth’ pitch for Africa Climate Summit sparks justice concerns
25 Aug 2023
Outcry over a fossil fuel consultancy taking a lead role, and unease over the Kenyan president’s focus on finance, raises questions as to whether the summit will truly be “by Africans for Africans”.
Climate change is happening – Africa must adapt to it to survive
23 Aug 2023
Leaders must rally behind a common priority: adaptation to safeguard food systems that feed more than a billion people on the continent.
How to reduce Africa’s undue exposure to climate risks
18 Aug 2023
Africa is disproportionately exposed to catastrophic climate, hydrological and meteorological risks. Well-funded weather monitoring, nowcasting and early-warning systems must become a priority.
Massive carbon offset deal with Dubai-based firm draws fire in Liberia
7 Aug 2023
Liberia may sign away the rights to nearly 10% of its total land mass to a United Arab Emirates-based firm for carbon offset development.
As climate change leads to more and wetter storms, cholera cases rise
2 Aug 2023
In early 2022, nearly 200,000 Malawians were displaced after two tropical storms struck the southeastern part of Africa barely a month apart. Fifty-three people died.
How can Africa get a fair price for its carbon credits?
19 Jul 2023
The world market for carbon credits is growing rapidly – the year 2021 alone saw a 50% increase in real demand, with the value of the voluntary market estimated at anywhere between $40-$100bn by 2030.
Threat of EU carbon tax prompts dubious “green aluminium” claims in Mozambique
5 Jul 2023
Mozambique’s biggest industry claims its aluminium is green, which would help it avoid European taxes – but those claims have been questioned.
Kenya: President Ruto lifts logging ban
4 Jul 2023
Despites concerns from environmental organisations, Kenyan president William Ruto announced he will lift a logging ban which has been in place since 2018.
Africa is uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
27 Jun 2023
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, tens of millions of Africans are already feeling the negative health impacts of climate change in the form of heat stress, extreme weather and increased transmission of infectious disease.
920 million people face conflict over the world’s rivers by 2050
26 Jun 2023
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Nile River started operating in February 2022. It reinforced tensions between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.
Climate change-induced diseases, stillbirths hurting Africa
21 Jun 2023
Heat exposure, one of the impacts of climate change, has been found to affect health both directly and indirectly.
Malawi’s surprise plan for farming through climate disaster
13 Jun 2023
Climate change is poised to wreck our ability to grow many kinds of crops. But there’s one farming staple that could weather the crisis: dairy.
In Somalia, the rains have come but the crisis is far from over
9 Jun 2023
The international community needs to provide more humanitarian assistance and long-term climate financing to ensure the wellbeing of Somalia’s children.
Millions of Somalis uprooted due to conflicts and climate change
1 Jun 2023
After years of conflict and the effects of climate change, the number of displaced people has reached 3.8 million.
Zimbabwe to regulate carbon credit market to curb greenwashing
25 May 2023
Zimbabwe's government will closely regulate voluntary carbon offset trading in a bid to curb greenwashing and ensure benefits for local communities, its environment minister has said.
Dangote launches Africa’s biggest oil refinery
23 May 2023
Nigeria’s new Dangote petroleum refinery is Africa’s biggest – it will produce 650,000 barrels a day, giving it the potential to address the country’s energy supply crisis.
Somalia climate crisis: ‘No one saw this level of devastation coming’
22 May 2023
Torrential rain, coming on top of the country’s worst drought in four decades, has forced 250,000 people to leave their homes.
Blackout-beset South Africa may delay closing coal stations
26 Apr 2023
President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa may delay the timetable for shutting down many of its highly polluting coal-fired power stations as the nation deals with crippling daily electricity blackouts.
Sudan’s Nile fishermen worry as climate change means fewer fish
5 Apr 2023
Al-Nimeiry Musa Mohammad has spent 25 years fishing on the Nile River and he has never been so worried about the future. Catches are dwindling and more fishermen are seeking other sources of income.
Study highlights potential of Africa's 'forgotten' food crops for climate resilience and nutrition
31 Mar 2023
Scientists have identified several forgotten food crops in sub-Saharan Africa that can be incorporated into the cropping system to support climate resilience and nutrition in the region. The study has been published in the journal PNAS.
A climate deal that could become a model for others
24 Mar 2023
Cape Verde is just one of many countries that are struggling under the effects of global warming. But a new approach could provide relief: Debt forgiveness in exchange for a climate fund.
A new report shows huge issues with carbon credits project in Kenya
22 Mar 2023
Expected to generate anywhere between $300 and $500 million and possibly even more, the Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon Project already has huge corporate customers, such as Netflix and Meta.
As climate woes worsen, Africa's ecconomies suffer: UN
17 Mar 2023
From devastating cyclones and floods to an unrelenting drought, African countries are spending between 2% and 9% of their budgets to respond to extreme weather events, according to a United Nations report.
Warmer seas fuel dangerous ‘weather bomb’ in New South Wales
3 Jul 2025
If the storm shapes up as predicted, we can expect to see damage to houses and trees as well as significant beach erosion – especially in heavily populated areas exposed to the storm’s southern flank.
Clean energy's political test looms now that Trump bill is law
Today 11:00am
The US 2026 midterms will test clean energy's uncertain political salience as advocates attempt to tether it to economic matters that voters prioritise.
Regions in China take steps to ensure power supply amid heatwave-driven record demand
Today 11:00am
China is battling intense heatwaves across multiple regions in recent days, with temperatures surpassing 40C in some areas, triggering yellow heat warnings and high-temperature health risk warnings.
EU countries seek more cuts to deforestation rules
Wed 9 Jul 2025
From December, the world-first deforestation law will require operators placing goods including soy, beef and palm oil, onto the EU market to provide proof their products did not cause deforestation.
UK: Thousands lobby MPs to demand climate action
Today 11:00am
More than 5,000 people from across the UK arrived in Westminster on Wednesday to meet their MPs and demand urgent climate action to protect their communities.
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.
Türkiye's Parliament adopts first-ever climate law
Wed 9 Jul 2025
Promising a wide range of provisions and increased vigilance against climate change, the new law is to provide action plans on a national and local scale, while bolstering Türkiye’s 2053 climate goals and protecting the country from environmental disasters.
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.
Melting glaciers and ice caps could unleash wave of volcanic eruptions, study says
Wed 9 Jul 2025
Research in Chile suggests the climate crisis makes eruptions more likely and explosive, and warns of Antarctica risk.
In Latin America, the energy transition stirs a rise in human rights lawsuits
Tue 8 Jul 2025
A new report shows that more than half of the 95 energy transition-related lawsuits recorded globally since 2009 took place in Latin America and the Caribbean.
UN development conference backs innovative ways to boost climate finance
Mon 7 Jul 2025
Leaders push for better financial systems at the Financing for Development summit to help poor nations cope with climate and economic shocks.
