I feel you. I, too, can get really caught up in the bad news cycle. Of course, let’s not ignore it. It is also part of our real life. But let’s also celebrate the wins as they come. To wrap up my 2025 year of content, let’s celebrate some notable climate wins this year!

Of course, this list is not conclusive. So please leave your climate wins below so we can continue the celebration!

One disclaimer: just because I am sharing good news from a country does not mean I am ignoring the environmentally bad things that it is doing. That’s for a future post. For now, let’s celebrate!

This is not sponsored, but check out Happy Eco News for more content like this every single day. Another fav of mine is The Garbage Queen!

ENERGY

US Green Energy Record

Throughout 2025, the US was still operating under old policy and budgets, meaning that our green energy rates continued to grow this year! Of course, we know Trump is extremely anti-green energy. I will discuss this more in 2026 when we hit a year of Trump. But for now, let’s keep it positive, shall we?

In June, the US reached nearly 25% energy generation from green energy, up from 18% in 2024. The Detroit News states that, “under former President Joe Biden, the United States backed roughly $100 billion of investments in clean energy.”

Even deeply red states with economies in oil, like Texas, set records for green energy produced in 2025! Other areas of the country hit record highs for green energy production and usage, such as New York and New England, and the use is spreading beyond usual areas for green energy production known as the Sun and Wind belts.

You can learn more about which forms of green energy are the best in this video. For now, let’s celebrate this 2025 win and pay close attention to how this changes under Trump 2.0.

South Korea Mandates Solar Panels over Parking Lots

A question we’ve probably all had: why not slap solar panels on parking lots to shade cars and produce power without destroying biodiversity? Well, that’s exactly what South Korea is doing! Electrek states that, “South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced in August that it has prepared an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use, and Diffusion of New and Renewable Energy to the effect that all publicly- and privately-owned parking lots in the Asian country with room for more than 80 vehicles will be compelled to add solar panels to their lots in a move designed to proactively expand renewable energy and create more solar and construction jobs.”

There are so many benefits to this:

Creation of jobs
Protecting cars from the elements
Creating renewable, cheap, abundant energy
Reduction of pollutants in the air, water, and soil
No plants and habitats or farmland have to be destroyed!

I would love to see more parts of the world do this. Be the voice and see if you can get your city, county, or state to do something like this at your next town hall! I hope that South Korea proves to be a leader in this method and that more countries follow suit.

Making Bicycling Safer and More Accessible

Started in Amsterdam in 2016, the NGO BYCS launched the Bicycle Mayors initiative to empower local cycling advocates as champions for sustainable mobility. This year, they hit 150 Bicycle Mayors in over 34 countries. It’s hard work to convince motorists and city planners alike to adopt more bikeable infrastructure when we are all so used to using cars, and Big Oil has done lots of work and lots of lobbying to keep us that way.

But from showing the proof of efficacy to education efforts and ways to make bike paths more accessible, they are working hard to make more of the world bikeable. Not only do they want more people on bikes, but they also want these communities to be able to bike safely, build community, and normalize going car-free.

Here are some more benefits to going car-free!

Sand Batteries for Green Energy

If your main concern with green energy is the electrical waste, then this is the solution for you! They’re using sand to store heat energy in Finland! According to Happy Eco News, “The 100 megawatt-hour thermal energy storage system captures excess electricity from solar panels and wind turbines when production exceeds demand. This industrial-scale solution from Finnish company Polar Night Energy now serves as the primary heat source for the town’s district heating network, warming homes, offices, schools, and public buildings.”

Not only are they 70% greener than other methods, but they are also only just 25% of the cost, too. Making it another huge win for green energy, as it can also be expensive in certain areas. But just like with other green energy sources, this cannot be used everywhere. But I hope that where this is a viable solution, more towns, states, and countries look to use this!

GENERAL ZERO WASTE

Zero Waste Washington

Residents of Washington state are proving that anyone can be the change! You don’t have to be the president of a country to enact change. Simply organize with like-minded folks to get stuff done.

It can be sad to see what our national government is doing for the planet, but let that fuel you to make changes where you can instead of admitting defeat. I hope this inspires you to do similar things within your state. Zero Waste Washington has gotten the following bills signed by their governor, changing their entire state to be more eco-friendly:

The Recycling Reform Act: working to make Washington recycling more effective, especially as plastic usage rises
Right to Repair: ensuring that everyone has the ability to repair the things they own instead of having to buy new products after new products. This is huge, as companies use planned obsolescence and make their items difficult to repair or replace. And in a tech-run state like Washington, this could change the game for the entire country or even the world!
Right to Repair Wheelchairs: a similar bill, but this one focuses on mobility aids! Apparently, similar legislation has been brought to and/or passed in all 50 US states, yay!
Solar Panel Recycling Program: As I discussed in this video, solar is an amazing source of green energy, but recycling rates are low. This is exciting news as we move to a greener future!

And truly, SO many more. This list is a huge inspiration to me. We can be the change on small scales, and it can trickle upward to make state, national, and even global change. Use your voice!

Reusable Cups at NFL Games

I know what you’re thinking, why on earth am I, a proud anti-mega corporation influencer, shouting out the NFL and PepsiCo? Well, two reasons:

This proves our collective power via voting with our dollars! Pepsi sees that it’s popular and profitable to be zero waste. Do I love that their motive is profits? No. But a win is a win!
This makes zero waste more mainstream. When we take zero waste to normalized events like sports and games and other public places, we make it normal to be zero waste. This is a win for the entire movement and will hopefully break some stigma around what we do.

CONSERVATION

Land Back Win in California!

I’m happy to make a full video on the Land Back movement in the future, but for now, let’s celebrate this win! According to the Government of California, “Governor Gavin Newsom announced in June that the state’s support for the return of over 2,800 acres of ancestral land to the Shasta Indian Nation. This return is one of the largest in state history and part of the state’s ongoing efforts to right the historical wrongs committed against the Native communities of California.

On top of this, California has set a hefty goal of 30x30: conserving 30% of lands and waters by 2030. This is proof that we don’t have to wait for our national government to do the work we want them to: we can start smaller!

California has accomplished quite a bit this year for public lands which is huge, in general, but especially in the wake of what the Trump administration has rolled back for the planet. Learn more here!

Sea Turtles Bounce Back!

A study released in April showed signs that globally, sea turtles are doing really well.

AP news states that, “The study looked at 48 populations of sea turtles around the world. Scientists measured the impacts of threats such as hunting, pollution, coastal development, and climate change on the marine animals. In more than half of the areas studied, threats are declining overall, the study found.

“But there are some exceptions. Sea turtle populations in the Atlantic Ocean are more likely to be recovering than those in Pacific waters. And leatherback turtles are not faring as well as other species.”

So, while most turtle species are doing really well, we should still be concerned for leatherback turtles. Keep an eye on this as more studies are done, and keep fighting for the overall climate as every climate win helps every critter on the planet!

Reforesting the UK

Reforestation and rewilding efforts are some of the best ways that we can change our local landscapes for the better. Ensuring that we plant native species and remove invasive ones fosters habitat for native critters in return. We have a long way to go in the path of destruction from colonialism, but the UK is adding drops to the bucket by having its largest tree-planting year this year. They reached 27% higher numbers than last year and 156% higher than two years prior!

Not only this, but they are working to designate more lands as protected to prohibit future tree cutting and ensure native habitats are protected. One way they’re doing this is by establishing the first new National Forest in over 30 years!

Alveus Sanctuary Wolf Rehabilitation

The Alveus Sanctuary recently raised $1 million to begin the Alveus Research & Recovery Institute. Wolves have been driven to extinction or endangerment all across the globe due to their poor social stigmas. But wolves play massively important roles in their ecosystems. Their presence or absence can be felt by every critter in the ecosystem to include us! That means they are a keystone species.

In an effort to help specifically Red Wolves and Mexican Gray Wolves, the Alveus Sanctuary is starting a breeding program to “help prevent extinction by preserving remaining genetic diversity and maintaining populations of endangered species under human care. The ultimate goal of conservation breeding programs is to reintroduce endangered species back into the wild.”

Stay tuned as this sanctuary was only JUST funded, so more news will be coming out in 2026!

Deforestation Down in the Amazon

I’m sure we are all aware by now that deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest is awful. Even most people who don’t really care about the climate know that this is happening. But, great news, July 2024-July 2025 (when compared to similar windows) saw a decrease in 11% of deforestation. But what does the future hold?

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has declared a national goal of stopping deforestation by 2030. Since he rose to power in 2023, they have already cut their deforestation in HALF. Keep your eyes on this item to see them reach their goal, likely before 2030!

POLITICS

No Kings Protests

Yes, the No Kings rallies are connected to the climate, and if you’re not sure how, check out this video. While we are still seeing the rise of oligarchy in the US and the rise of fascism around the globe (sorry, I’ll get back to positive news now), we have to celebrate this win: the protests drew around 7 million people to the streets to rally together. This is noted as the single largest protest in American history!

People stopped shopping, took off work, and gathered with friends, families, neighbors, and maybe even enemies to stand up to the injustice we are facing. We showed our elected officials that we stand together and we far outnumber them. We reminded ourselves of our collective power and took note of who stands with us!

Stay tuned for more similar protests. If you can’t protest, you can still take action from home. Everyone has an activist role to play. Do not downplay someone else’s action. We are all on the same team. Remind yourself of your power via your voice, your money, and your actions. We can fight these injustices!

Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC!

As fascism rises, it is a breath of fresh air to see such a boldly anti-fascist, anti-war, pro-human candidate win such a prominent US city mayoral election. Congrats to Zohran and the city of New York for using your voice! This was a wonderful way to wrap up 2025. This time last year (I’m literally writing this on election day), I was devastated at a Trump 2.0 administration on the horizon. I’m sad to see it play out exactly as was predicted. But, they sure did not see this wrench in their plan. They did not see us stand so strongly united against them. They did not see us voting for progressive policies and candidates and making our cities, counties, and states work for us. We will not sit idly by. Let this mayoral win remind you that no matter where you live. Do your research and be sure to vote all year long in every election so we can push back against the regime.

Once again, check out Happy Eco News and The Garbage Queen for more eco good news all year long. And if you liked this post, let me know! I’m happy to make more of it.

As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

Good Climate News Round Up for 2025