From rapid expansion in clean energy to landmark legal shifts and wildlife recoveries, targeted policies and long-term conservation efforts delivered results that largely escaped public attention. Together, they show how incremental change can still move the needle, even amid worsening global trends.
Renewables reach a global tipping point
For the first time, electricity generated from wind, solar and other renewable sources surpassed coal worldwide in 2025. The surge was driven primarily by China, which continued to expand its clean energy capacity at unprecedented speed while dominating exports of solar panels, batteries and other low-carbon technologies.
Beyond vast solar deployment, China also pushed technological boundaries, building wind farms designed to withstand extreme weather, including typhoons. The expansion had measurable climate impacts: analysis published during the year indicated that China's carbon dioxide emissions declined over a 12-month period for the first time, suggesting the country may be nearing an emissions peak.
Elsewhere, wind power reshaped national energy systems. In the UK, wind became the single largest source of electricity, meeting around a third of total demand, while coal use fell to near zero. Efforts to address intermittency also advanced, with construction beginning on what is expected to be the world's largest liquid-air energy storage facility.
Globally, renewable capacity growth accelerated in more than 80% of countries. Projections from the International Energy Agency indicate that total renewable power capacity is on track to double by 2030. Despite the momentum, analysts warn that the pace remains insufficient to prevent dangerous levels of warming.
A breakthrough for ocean protection
Waters beyond national jurisdiction — nearly two-thirds of the global ocean — have long remained largely unprotected. That is set to change after a long-negotiated international agreement secured enough ratifications in 2025 to enter into force.
The High Seas Treaty commits countries to placing 30% of international waters under marine protection, enabling the creation of marine protected areas designed to safeguard habitats, species and ecosystem health.
Protection within national waters also expanded. In French Polynesia, authorities established the world's largest marine protected area, covering more than one million square kilometres of ocean.
Forest losses begin to slow
Forests gained renewed political attention in 2025, particularly in Brazil, where global climate talks placed unprecedented emphasis on halting deforestation.
Brazil announced plans for a roadmap to meet its pledge of ending deforestation by 2030 and launched a new funding platform, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, designed to reward countries for maintaining existing forest cover rather than simply cutting emissions. While the fund's long-term target is ambitious, early pledges fell well short.
On the ground, however, signs of progress emerged. Official data showed deforestation in Brazil's Amazon region fell to its lowest level in over a decade, while clearing also declined in the biodiverse Cerrado. Independent monitoring groups reported similar downward trends.
At a global level, a UN assessment found that deforestation rates between 2015 and 2025 were significantly lower than in the 1990s, with more than half of the world's forests now managed under long-term plans — even as millions of hectares continue to be lost annually.
A pivotal climate ruling
A major legal shift came from the International Court of Justice, which issued an advisory opinion clarifying that states may pursue legal action against one another over climate-related harm.
Although the ruling is not legally binding, experts say it carries substantial weight and could influence courts worldwide, particularly for countries already facing severe climate impacts.
Conservation delivers wildlife recoveries
Several endangered species showed dramatic signs of recovery in 2025, highlighting the effectiveness of sustained conservation.
Green turtle populations, once devastated by hunting and bycatch, rebounded after decades of protection and were downgraded from "endangered" to "least concern" on the IUCN Red List. In the US state of Florida, nesting activity reached record levels.
India also reported major gains for tiger conservation, with the country now home to around three-quarters of the world's wild tigers after doubling its population in just over a decade. Scientists say the effort demonstrates how large predators can coexist with dense human populations when habitats are protected and poaching is curtailed.
Indigenous leadership gains recognition
Indigenous peoples achieved long-sought recognition in global environmental governance in 2025. A UN biodiversity summit formally granted indigenous representatives a permanent role in decision-making, replacing decades of informal participation.
That momentum carried into climate negotiations later in the year, where indigenous delegations reached record size and secured new funding commitments and land-rights recognition. In Brazil alone, multiple new indigenous territories were designated, though concerns persist over whether political promises will translate into lasting protection.
Rivers restored, salmon return
One of the most visible ecological successes followed the removal of four hydroelectric dams from California's Klamath River. Just a year after the structures were dismantled, salmon returned in large numbers to upstream spawning grounds that had been inaccessible for generations.
The restoration marked the culmination of a long tribal-led campaign and offered a powerful example of how removing obsolete infrastructure can rapidly revive degraded ecosystems.