The Oxygen Files gives life to stories from around the web on sustainability and the environment you may have missed during the week.

Businesses, local government and retail investors are stepping up to the challenge with a range of programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their own accord.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has published a vital wake-up call to the world to take the urgent action to limit global warming to 1.5°C

We can’t stop global warming entirely but we can still try to make it safer, the IPCC says, as more than 480 global companies, with a combined market capitalisation of nearly $14 trillion agree.

There’s a counter force to climate denialism in the US and Australia that’s arguably bigger and more powerful and is on a growth curve. In California last month it showed its muscle.

A new report, Heroes building Australia’s low carbon economy by 350.org Australia celebrates the people and organisations building a clean future for Australia.

Twenty seven cities, including Melbourne and Sydney, have reached peak greenhouse gas emissions according to the C40 Cities website last week. So how come their emissions are still rising?

Over the past three months, the Northern Hemisphere has experienced unprecedented heatwaves, crashing through previous temperature records.

The Queensland government has just released the latest in a series of sectoral climate change adaptation plans, this time covering the health and wellbeing sectors.

Google looks like it’s throwing its weight behind climate change and environmental issues.

Anecdotal evidence is stacking up to suggest that people are migrating to places they think will offer some refuge from climate change, such as Hobart. And it may no longer be only disgruntled climate change scientists, frustrated that their doomsday forecasts are being ignored.

Penrith in Western Sydney is feeling the heat of climate change and the urban heat island effect. But Penrith City Council is already reducing climate change impacts and driving down the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.

As extreme heat comes our way and threatens to impact on our buildings, it’s time to acknowledge that the quality Australian buildings is not on a par with other parts of the world.

A much-anticipated Senate Inquiry into climate change’s impact on housing, buildings and infrastructure has seen the three major political parties unable to agree on a single recommendation.