Top Ten Environmental Events of 2025

Pope Francis (1936-2025)

Top Ten Environmental Events of 2025 

By Don Gordon — Christians Caring for Creation

Once again, I want to name my top 10 environmental events for the year. These are events or decisions that I believe will have significant impact on the environment for our future. Feel free to leave comments or offer you own list of what you believe these events were in 2025. At the end of the blog, I listed an additional 5 events or decisions receiving honorable mention.

1. Global Temperatures Cross a Critical Threshold

Scientists confirmed that 2025 ranks among the three warmest years in recorded history, with global temperatures exceeding key thresholds climate agreements have sought to avoid. For the first time, the three-year average (2023–25) appears to surpass the 1.5 °C threshold above pre-industrial levels that scientists warn is critical for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change — from extreme heatwaves and drought to flooding and ecosystem collapse. This sustained warming underscores the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a rapidly changing climate.

2. The World Mourns Pope Francis, a Voice for Creation

In April 2025, Pope Francis died at the age of 88. I considered him the moral voice for the eath for our generation helping is see the connection of faith, justice, and ecological care. During his 12-year papacy, Francis made ecological concern a cornerstone of his message, urging Catholics and the world to see climate change as a moral challenge and not merely a scientific or political issue. His landmark encyclical Laudato Si emphasized “integral ecology” — the idea that care for creation, concern for the poor, and pursuit of justice are inseparable. His moral framing inspired faith-based and secular communities alike to act on climate and environmental protection — a legacy many now seek to carry forward.

3. The United States Leaves the Paris Climate Agreement

On January 20, the United States withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time, placing the nation among a rare group of countries outside the treaty (alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen). The Paris pact — ratified by 195 countries in 2016 — aimed to keep warming at 1.5 °C below pre-industrial levels. By exiting the agreement, the U.S. relinquished its commitment to global leadership addressing climate change. Climate scientists criticized the decision: Piers Forster, director of the University of Leeds’ Priestley International Centre for Climate, called it “a sad day for evidence-based policy” and warned that it weakens global cooperation on emissions reduction and climate resilience.

4. EPA Scales Back Environmental Protections

Throughout 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deregulated many industrial sectors, sharply reducing environmental protections, rescinding emissions standards, and cutting key enforcement mechanisms. EPA leadership also made huge budget and workforce reductions, arguing this would stimulate economic activity. Critics warned that loosening pollution standards would jeopardize air and water quality across the countr and disproportionately impact the poor already burdened by environmental hazards.

5. Offshore Wind Projects Paused Along the East Coast

Toward the end of the year, the federal government ordered a 90-day halt on several major offshore wind projects off the East Coast, citing national security concerns. The decision drew swift opposition from state leaders in the Northeast and renewable energy advocates who argued the suspension jeopardized clean energy goals, regional jobs, and long-term decarbonization strategies.

6. Coral Reefs Face Widespread Bleaching

The 2023–2025 global coral bleaching event persisted through 2025, affecting more than 80 % of reef systems. This bleaching is caused by warmer oceans. Coral reefs, often described as the “rainforests of the sea,” are essential for biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal protection. Scientists see widespread bleaching as both a signal of warming oceans and a looming test for marine resilience, with long-term consequences for tropical ecosystems and communities that depend on them.

7. A Landmark Treaty Protects the High Seas

In a rare diplomatic win for nature, a landmark High Seas Treaty entered into force in 2025, empowering nations to establish marine protected areas beyond national boundaries for the first time. This achievement followed negotiations at the United Nations and enables conservation of ocean biodiversity in areas previously open to unchecked industrial use. The treaty sets legal groundwork for safeguarding ecosystems critical for climate regulation and species survival.

8. Renewable Energy Surpasses Coal Worldwide

2025 saw renewable energy production overtake coal production globally for the first tome, driven by rapid expansion of wind and solar capacity. As solar and wind costs continue to decline, investors increasingly favor clean energy, shifting the global power mix. This trend reflects both technological progress and market incentives that make renewables more economically viable. This trend is happening even while politicians attempt to thwart it.

9. Clean Energy Projects Halted After Federal Funding Reversals

In 2025, the Trump administration moved to freeze, rescind, or withdraw support from numerous clean energy and manufacturing projects funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Several initiatives — including battery manufacturing plants, grid modernization efforts, and renewable energy investments — had already broken ground and spent millions of federal dollars when funding was suspended. State officials and industry leaders warned that the abrupt reversals created uncertainty for local economies and investors, while supporters of the move argued it was necessary to cut federal spending and redirect energy policy toward fossil fuels.

10. Public Lands Opened to Expanded Resource Use

New federal policies opened millions of acres of U.S. national forests and public lands to expanded logging and extraction, with streamlined environmental review processes. Conservation groups, tribal leaders, and recreation advocates pushed back, warning the changes would harm biodiversity, water resources, and the long-term resilience of forest ecosystems. These public lands already face increased wildfire pressures and pest outbreaks.

Honorable Mentions

• PFAS policy debates intensified over who should bear cleanup costs for “forever chemicals.”

• Courts continued to shape environmental policy, clarifying limits on federal regulatory authority.

• Atlantic salmon returned to English rivers for the first time in years.

 • Most nations missed climate pledge deadlines ahead of COP30.

 • The EU and China reaffirmed climate cooperation amid shifting global leadership.

Why These Stories Matter for C3

Know well the condition of your flocks,

and give attention to your herds.”

Proverbs 27:23, NRSV

Whether we are stewards of a flock in biblical days or all creation in modern times, Christians Caring for Creation believes that paying attention is an act of faithfulness. The events highlighted here are not abstract headlines; they shape the air we breathe, the water we drink, the lands we steward, and the communities most vulnerable to environmental harm. While the forces driving environmental change are often global and complex, caring for creation is always a moral and spiritual issue. As we look toward 2026, C3 remains committed to real knowledge and spiritual guidance for the flourishing of all God’s creation