Where the Planet Made Progress in 2025

The global environmental picture in 2025 remains challenging. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, ecosystems are under strain and climate impacts are intensifying. Yet amid the familiar warnings, the year also delivered tangible progress in areas often overlooked by the daily news cycle.

Targeted action in renewable energy, conservation, international law and Indigenous leadership has produced results that suggest momentum is building even if it remains uneven and fragile.

Renewable Energy Reaches a Global Turning Point

For the first time, renewable energy overtook coal as the world’s largest source of electricity. Wind, solar and other clean technologies expanded rapidly across most regions, with more than 80% of countries accelerating their renewable capacity growth.

China has been the dominant driver. Massive solar deployment, exports of clean-energy technology and even storm-resistant offshore wind farms have reshaped the global power market. As a result, China’s CO₂ emissions fell for the first time, with data suggesting they may be approaching a long-term peak.

Elsewhere, the UK reached a milestone of its own: wind power became the country’s largest single electricity source, supplying roughly one-third of demand, while coal has almost vanished from the grid. Britain also began construction of the world’s largest liquid-air battery, designed to store renewable power when wind and solar output dips.

Despite the momentum, analysts caution that clean-energy growth is still not fast enough to prevent dangerous levels of warming.

Oceans and Forests Gain New Protection

After decades of negotiations, the High Seas Treaty entered into force in 2025, committing countries to protect 30% of international waters; nearly two-thirds of the global ocean are through marine protected areas. Until now, only about 1% of these waters had any protection.

National waters also saw advances. The world’s largest marine protected area was created in French Polynesia, safeguarding more than 1.1 million square kilometres of ocean habitat.

On land, forests saw signs of recovery. Brazil, host of COP30, placed forests at the centre of global climate discussions and announced a voluntary roadmap to end deforestation by 2030, supported by more than 90 countries. It also launched the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, aiming to reward countries for maintaining forests rather than clearing them.

Brazil’s official data shows deforestation in the Amazon fell 11% in the year to July 2025, the lowest level in over a decade, with even steeper drops recorded in some months. Globally, deforestation rates are now 38% lower than in the 1990s, though more than 10 million hectares of forest are still lost each year.

Wildlife Recoveries and a Legal Turning Point

Several endangered species recorded remarkable recoveries. Green turtles, once driven close to extinction, were downgraded from “endangered” to “least concern” on the IUCN Red List after decades of conservation efforts. In Florida, leatherback turtles experienced a record nesting season.

In India, sustained protection and anti-poaching measures have doubled the country’s tiger population to more than 3,600, meaning India now hosts three-quarters of the world’s tigers living alongside tens of millions of people.

Meanwhile, international law took a decisive step. The International Court of Justice issued a landmark opinion allowing countries to bring legal action against one another over climate harm. While non-binding, experts say the ruling could reshape climate litigation worldwide, empowering vulnerable nations to pursue accountability.

Indigenous Leadership Gains Formal Recognition

A historic shift occurred in global environmental governance when Indigenous peoples were formally recognised as leaders and stewards of nature at UN level. At the conclusion of the COP16 biodiversity talks, a permanent committee was created to give Indigenous representatives an official role in decision-making replacing decades of informal participation.

That recognition carried through to COP30 in Brazil, where Indigenous peoples formed the largest delegation in climate summit history, with around 2,500 representatives attending. Commitments made during the conference included new funding pledges and recognition of land rights, with 10 new Indigenous territories created in Brazil alone.

Despite these advances, risks remain acute. During COP30, the violent killing of a Guarani Kaiowá leader underscored the continued threats faced by Indigenous communities defending their land.

Progress Worth Noticing and Protecting

The environmental gains of 2025 do not erase the scale of the climate and nature crises. But they demonstrate that progress is possible when policy, finance, science and local leadership align.

From clean power overtaking coal to forests recovering and Indigenous voices gaining influence, these developments offer proof that solutions exist and that sustaining them will be one of the defining challenges of the years ahead.