The Top Environmental Headlines From 2025
The media has an important role to play in combatting climate doom. Unlike our usual schedule, this blog is showcasing a curated selection of 2025's positivity. We hope this yearly news round up of positive environmental and climate change news, has sparked joy and shown that progress is being made.
Positive News Roundup — January 2025
According to a new analysis conducted by Carbon Brief, the electricity sector in the United Kingdom achieved its highest level of cleanliness in 2024, with a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per unit of more than two-thirds within a decade. (Carbon Brief)
In 2024, renewable energy supplied 71% of Portugal's electricity. (PV Magazine)
For the first time in five years, emergency use of bee-killing pesticides has been banned in the UK after the government rejected an application from the National Farmers Union and British Sugar. (The Guardian)
Positive News Roundup — February 2025
The rate of deforestation in Colombia last year was among the lowest in 23 years. (Good News Network)
Over 500 endangered loggerhead turtles have nested at Mon Repos beach, rangers say it is the biggest influx since the 1970s. (ABC News)
In 2023, over 50,000 pounds (22.68 tons) of rubbish were removed from the Arctic after a multilateral effort flooded critical northern ecosystems with volunteers. (Good News Network)
Positive News Roundup — March 2025
Since the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez), people in London have been breathing significantly cleaner air, a study has found. (The Guardian)
According to a new Carbon Brief analysis, the UK's greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.6% in 2024 as coal use dropped to the lowest level since the Great Fire of London. (Carbon Brief)
Last year, the U.S. produced more electricity from wind and solar than from coal for the first time ever. (Canary Media)
Positive News Roundup — April 2025
In the first quarter of 2025, India installed 7,782 MW of solar power capacity. (PV Magazine)
A new method for recycling wind turbine blades without using harsh chemicals has allowed researchers at Washington State University to repurpose the materials to create stronger plastics. (Techxplore)
According to figures released by Global Energy Monitor, nearly 60 countries have drastically reduced their plans for building coal-fired power plants since the Paris Agreement in 2015. Some of the world's biggest coal users, including Turkey, Vietnam, and Japan, are among those making cuts of 98% or more to their coal-power pipeline. (Carbon Brief)
Positive News Roundup — May 2025
A coating made of algae may increase coral settlement by more than 20 times, according to a recent study that was published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology. The research team hopes that this finding will help to rebuild coral reefs all over the world. (Good News Network)
According to Rystad Energy, China added a record 60 GW of new solar capacity in the first quarter of 2025, with rooftop installations accounting for 36 GW. This is the largest quarterly total for distributed PV in the nation's history. (PV Magazine)
Helmeted honeyeaters, which were critically endangered, have returned to Cardinia in south-east Victoria for the first time in 42 years. They were previously discovered in the area before the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983. (The Guardian)
Positive News Roundup — June 2025
For the first time since 2015, a golden eagle was sighted in northern England, suggesting that the birds, which are currently thought to be locally extinct, may soon be moving south from Scotland into England. (Mongabay)
In China, 90.4% of the country's surface-water sections were deemed to have excellent water quality. (Good News Network)
In the first quarter of 2025, Colombia's environment ministry reported a 33% decrease in deforestation, attributing this decrease to strengthened partnerships with local communities and coordinated enforcement efforts. (Daily Climate)
Positive News Roundup — July 2025
An analysis by energy think tank Ember found that solar output in at least 13 countries reached a new monthly high in June, amounting to more than 40 percent of generation in the Netherlands and 35 percent in Greece. (Yale E360)
Zapmap's most recent data indicates that the United Kingdom had 82,369 electric vehicle (EV) charging points, with 8,670 of these having been installed since the beginning of the year. (Edie)
Switzerland's Federal Council has implemented new legislation that mandates the declaration of the fact that all foods produced by animals that underwent “painful procedures” on the label. (Plant Based News)
Positive News Roundup — August 2025
A Swiss start-up is utilising the space between rail lines to lay removable solar panels helping to minimise for large-scale solar farms or additional land use, by using this often un-used space. (Happy Eco News)
Glasgow has managed to achieve its air pollution target for the first time, thanks to a decrease in vehicle emissions in the city centre. (STV News)
Ecosystems in California which were once damaged are now being restored thanks to a unique approach to native seed production that prioritizes local adaptation over generic solutions. (Happy Eco News)
Positive News Roundup — September 2025
The electric Mercedes-Benz GLC offers an optional Vegan Package with certified vegan seats, steering wheel, door trims, and centre console. Mercedes-Benz claims this makes it the first carmaker in the world to feature the Vegan Trademark. (Plant Based News)
Global solar energy capacity grew by 64% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024. (Canary Media)
The government has announced that burning on England’s deep peat will be prohibited as part of efforts to restore habitats for rare wildlife and to mitigate air pollution and flooding. (The Guardian)
Positive News Roundup — October 2025
To support ocean conservation, Spain created six new marine zones, adding an impressive 17,000 square kilometres of protected waters: five of these zones are marine protected areas (MPAs), and one is a seabird sanctuary. This strategic expansion brings Spain's total marine protection to 22.45 percent, narrowing the gap between it and its 2025 goal of 25 percent. (The Optimist Daily)
Panatere, a Swiss company, has patented and has now inaugurated the world's first two solar foundries for the remelting of steel for reuse. (Good News Network)
Brazilian biologists have recorded the longest known jaguar swim, which was an estimated 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) across an artificial reservoir in the Cerrado savanna. (Mongabay)
Positive News Roundup — November 2025
Car parks may not seem like a good way to combat climate change, but South Korea is showing that they can. From this month, solar canopies or carports will have to be installed in any car park with more than 80 spaces. (The Optimist Daily)
It is predicted that the world will add a record amount of solar and wind for the fourth consecutive year, helping to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. (Yale E360)
The largest sand battery in the world has been successfully installed in Finland as part of cutting-edge renewable energy storage solutions that have reduced carbon emissions by almost 70%. (Happy Eco News)
Positive News Roundup — December 2025
According to new research, banana peels may be an underutilized powerhouse when it comes to growing healthier, taller crops, sometimes outperforming synthetic fertilizers. (The Optimist)
The isolated North Sea oil field of Nini, once a representation of the extraction of fossil fuels, is getting ready to play a new role: storing millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide beneath the ocean floor. (The Optimist Daily)
Canary Media wrote that the progress on a solar project expected to be the largest in the Upper Midwest, and the fifth-largest in the U.S. by the time it’s fully completed in 2026, is moving closer to completion. The first phase of the project should begin sending electricity to the grid this fall.
