Australia’s oceans are heating at an alarming rate. In 2024, sea surface temperatures reached record highs, marking the hottest year on record for our surrounding waters.1 This isn’t just an abstract statistic—it’s a crisis unfolding beneath the waves, threatening marine life, coral reefs, and the livelihoods of those who depend on healthy oceans.
Why Are Our Oceans Heating Up?
The primary driver is human-induced climate change. The burning of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—has led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions, trapping heat in the atmosphere. The vast majority of this excess heat is absorbed by the ocean, causing surface temperatures to rise at an unprecedented rate.2
Rising sea surface temperatures contribute to phenomena such as marine heatwaves and coral bleaching. These disruptions are becoming more frequent and severe, pushing marine ecosystems past their limits.
Climate change is also disrupting ocean currents, which play a crucial role in regulating global temperatures. This could have serious implications for Australia and the Pacific, for example the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a key system regulating global temperatures, is slowing down due to climate change. If it worsened and collapsed, this could produce a La Niña-like pattern over eastern Australia—bringing more intense rainfall and flooding.3
Closer to home, the East Australian Current now extends further south, creating an area of more rapid warming in the Tasman Sea, where the warming rate is now twice the global average.4
What Happens When the Ocean Gets Too Hot?
1. Coral Bleaching and Reef Degradation
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has experienced widespread coral bleaching events in recent years. Coral bleaching occurs when corals, stressed by elevated sea temperatures, expel the symbiotic algae that provide them with energy and vibrant colours. Without these algae, corals can die, leading to the degradation of reef ecosystems that support a vast array of marine life.5
2. Marine Heatwaves and Mass Die-Offs
Marine heatwaves—periods of abnormally high sea temperatures—have become more frequent and intense. A recent marine heatwave off the coast of Western Australia caused the deaths of approximately 30,000 fish, an event scientists have linked directly to climate change. The extreme temperatures depleted oxygen levels and disrupted marine food chains, leaving fish and other marine life struggling to survive. Research indicates that such events are now up to 100 times more likely due to climate change.6
3. Disruption of Marine Ecosystems
Warmer oceans can alter the distribution and abundance of marine species. Many fish and other marine organisms are shifting their ranges toward cooler waters, disrupting existing ecosystems and affecting fisheries. Others that can’t migrate or adapt to changing temperatures are likely to die. These changes can have cascading effects throughout the food web, impacting species from the smallest plankton to the largest predators.4
4. Sea Level Rise and Coastal Impacts
As ocean temperatures rise, seawater expands, and melting polar ice contribute to sea level rise. Rising sea levels increase the risk of coastal flooding, erosion, and habitat loss, threatening coastal communities and ecosystems.7 Pacific Island nations are already experiencing the severe effects of climate change: rising sea levels, extreme storms, tidal inundation, food and water insecurity, and displacement are becoming all too common. These impacts threaten not just physical survival, but the very culture and identity of Pacific communities.
The Solution: Protecting Our Oceans
To address these challenges, Greenpeace advocates for:
- Global Oceans Treaty: Protecting at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 through a network of international marine sanctuaries can help safeguard biodiversity and allow ecosystems to recover.
- Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Transitioning away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources is crucial to mitigate climate change and its impacts on the oceans.
- Preventing Overfishing and Pollution: Implementing sustainable fishing practices and reducing pollution, including plastic waste, are essential steps to maintain healthy marine environments.
Australia is home to unique and diverse marine ecosystems, and we have a responsibility to protect them. The Global Ocean Treaty, agreed upon in 2023, provides a framework for creating ocean sanctuaries in international waters. We urge the Australian government to ratify this treaty and take bold action to protect our oceans.
We need urgent action from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Foreign Minister Penny Wong to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and protect critical marine habitats, including the South Tasman Sea and Lord Howe Rise.
Sign the petition now to demand ocean protection before it’s too late.
The ocean is our greatest ally in the fight against climate change. Often called the lungs of the Earth, the ocean produces around 50% of the planet’s oxygen, regulates global temperatures, and absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide. But with rising temperatures, acidification, and pollution, its ability to sustain life—both beneath the waves and above—is under serious threat. The time to act is now.
- https://theconversation.com/its-official-australias-ocean-surface-was-the-hottest-on-record-in-2024-249277
- https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/ocean-warming/
- https://theconversation.com/a-huge-atlantic-ocean-current-is-slowing-down-if-it-collapses-la-nina-could-become-the-norm-for-australia-184254
- https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate/oceans
- https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/the-reef/reef-health/climate-change
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/05/deaths-of-30000-fish-off-wa-coast-made-more-likely-by-climate-change-research-finds
Australia’s Oceans Just Hit Their Hottest Year on Record—Here’s Why That Matters
China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 3.1% in the third quarter of 2026, as the Hormuz crisis continued to hit oil demand and coal use also dropped.
This guest post is by:
Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air
This was the largest quarterly reduction since the 2022 Covid lockdowns and means that China’s CO2 emissions have now fallen by an estimated 0.5% in the year to date.
The new analysis for Carbon Brief, based on official figures and commercial data, shows that coal use fell by 3% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, while oil was down 4%.
The main drivers were a fall in power-sector coal consumption, a continued sharp reduction in transport oil consumption and slowing growth in the coal-to-chemical industry.
The sharp decline in China’s CO2 emissions extends a “flat or falling” trend that began in March 2024 and has now lasted more than two years, as shown in the figure below.
The outlook for China’s CO2 emissions depends on the balance between rising energy demand, clean-energy growth and the government response to a GDP slowdown.
Decline drivers
Key drivers of the fall in CO2 in the third quarter of 2026 included a 3.3% drop in coal-power generation, after demand growth slowed and the amount of “wasted” wind and solar fell.
Power generation from solar, wind and nuclear increased by 110 terawatt hours (TWh) year-on-year, more than twice as much as the growth in total electricity demand. This added clean-power generation equal to Germany’s total power output in the same time period.
The fall in coal-power output and CO2 emissions came despite the fact that China continues to build new coal-power capacity at near-record rates. This means that average running hours for coal plants are falling even faster than total generation, eroding their profits.
Meanwhile, transport oil consumption continued to fall sharply, down 9% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026. Electric vehicles (EVs) continued to gain market share, hitting a record 67% of passenger car sales and 50% of heavy trucks in September.
The amount of electricity used by EVs grew by 53%, much faster than the number of EVs on the road, showing increased usage of the existing fleet in preference to fuelled vehicles.
Elsewhere, growth in the coal-to-chemical industry continued to slow down in the third quarter of 2026. The sector has been a key source of emissions growth, but high coal prices have weakened profitability and higher output prices hurt downstream demand.
Finally, CO2 emissions from cement and steel production continued to fall in the third quarter, as the contraction in construction volumes accelerated.
Outlook for emissions
Energy consumption growth has been falling after a period of exceptionally high growth during Covid, while clean-power growth has been robust.
This makes it likely that the growth in clean-power generation will exceed total energy demand growth this year, maintaining the structural fall in fossil-fuel use.
Looking ahead, this balance also relies on progress in removing barriers to new solar and wind power being added to the grid, which result in some clean electricity being “wasted”.
The recent slowdown in energy demand growth is partly – but not fully – explained by exceptionally mild weather in the third quarter.
Another key factor is weaker GDP growth. Since reported GDP growth remains within target, however, there is reduced pressure for further stimulus policies.
The focus of the economic stimulus announced to date is “six networks”, which includes the power grid and the transportation network.
These networks are highly relevant for energy and emissions – and they are already covered by policies that emphasise “green” and zero-carbon solutions.
The post Analysis: China’s quarterly CO2 falls 3% in largest drop since Covid appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Analysis: China’s quarterly CO2 falls 3% in largest drop since Covid
Climate Change
Coles, Woolworths grilled as beef buyers receive fail grade on new deforestation scorecard
MELBOURNE, Friday 6 November 2026 — As Coles holds its Annual General Meeting today, Greenpeace Australia Pacific has branded the major supermarkets with a fail grade on their commitment to source deforestation-free beef, with an updated scorecard revealing none of the major beef buyers are following through on forest sustainability commitments.
It comes after Woolworths’s AGM last week where the board copped a grilling by environmentalists and shareholders over its failed sustainability commitments. Both Coles and Woolworths committed to eliminating deforestation in their supply chains by the end of 2025, but a year past the deadline, neither company could guarantee that their beef was not sourced from deforested pastures.
From outside the Coles AGM, Adele Chasson, Nature Policy Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:
“This is a report card Coles and Woolworths should be ashamed to take home. While all major beef buyers had promised to take deforestation off the shelves, none of them followed through. Shareholders and the public demanded answers from Woolworths last week and from Coles today, and we will continue to hold their feet to the fire on their promises.
“Beef is the leading cause of deforestation in Australia, and Coles and Woolworths keep putting off action while koalas continue losing their homes. Aussies must be able to get their groceries without having to worry if their dinner is contributing to the bulldozing of forests or driving extinction of iconic Australian animals.
“Without strong, rapid implementation plans, these companies continue with business as usual, flying in the face of Australia’s deforestation crisis. Big beef buyers like Coles and Woolworths must stop the bulldozers now, make good on their sustainability promises and play their part in stopping Australian forest destruction.”
The scorecard assesses how eight of Australia’s largest beef buyers stack up against a conversion and deforestation-free target. It charts whether the major supermarkets, Aldi, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, Teys, Metcash/IGA and JBS are taking proper action to end Australia’s deforestation crisis. They all failed.
-ENDS-
Media contact: Kimberley Bernard on 0407 581 404 or kbernard@greenpeace.org
Coles, Woolworths grilled as beef buyers receive fail grade on new deforestation scorecard
Özgür Özel is the leader of Turkey’s main opposition “New Party” and a member of parliament from Manisa.
The world is running out of time to deliver on the Paris Agreement. The UN Environment Programme’s latest Emissions Gap Report concludes that the chance of keeping warming below 1.5C without overshooting it is gone. Even if every country delivers its current national pledges, the planet is heading for about 2.6C of warming this century.
This is the backdrop as governments and their leaders gather in Antalya for COP31, ten years after the Paris Agreement took effect. Turkey lies in the Mediterranean, one of the regions most exposed to climate change, and hosting the summit is a real opportunity.
It is also a responsibility, and that responsibility begins at home. The world does not lack targets. What it has lacked – almost everywhere – is delivery. If Antalya is remembered for anything, it should be for shifting the focus from what countries promise to what they actually do.
For many people in Turkey, the climate crisis is already part of daily life. In 2021, forests in Manavgat, a district of Antalya, burned for more than a week. Last year, wildfires forced more than 50,000 people from their homes around the western coast city of Izmir. This October, Istanbul had its heaviest rainfall in more than 80 years, with the floods killing at least eight people.
COP31 Briefing: What to expect from the Antalya climate summit?
Electrification, the fossil fuel transition, adaptation to rising impacts, climate science and trade are key themes as governments gather for COP31 in TürkiyeBrazil’s fossil fuel roadmap sketches out first global timetable
The COP30 presidency’s voluntary timetable asks countries to plan first, then build up clean energy – only turning to oil and gas supplies from 2031
Measurable outcomes
Two weeks of climate negotiations cannot deliver everything that is needed to resolve the crisis, but COP31 can push for a few things that can be measured. The first is a voluntary fossil-fuel transition roadmap, with national milestones for 2030 and 2035 reported in the same format every year.
The second is a stronger commitment to protecting forests, with progress tracked over time. The third is yearly reporting on progress towards the agreed $1.3 trillion a year in climate finance by 2035, backed by a financial roadmap.
On adaptation, the indicators agreed in Belém should become funded national plans. By COP32, we should be able to see how many countries have an adaptation plan and the financial commitment behind each one.
Regional resilience partnership
The summit also has an unusual shape. Turkey hosts, Australia leads the negotiations, and the Pacific island nations play a central role. Climate diplomacy now sits at the centre of energy security, trade and development, and Turkey, which bridges developed and developing e