Climate change\u2019s ubiquitous presence looms over the world like a grey cloud, pushing millions into a constant state of fear.<\/p>\n
The internet is saturated with bad news, not all of it accurate. But the reality is extreme weather events are getting worse, planetary boundaries have been breached, and fossil fuel emissions<\/a> are at an all-time high \u2013 despite the stark consequences of baking our planet.<\/p>\n These headlines often drown out the good news, meaning landmark progress and conservation efforts are pushed aside. So, to end the year with a much-needed silver lining, here are five of the biggest climate wins you may have missed in 2025. <\/p>\n The ICJ\u2019s historic climate ruling<\/p>\n In July, the UN\u2019s highest court<\/a>delivered a historic opinion on climate change, outlining states\u2019 responsibilities under international law. It was the largest case ever seen by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with more than 150 submissions from states, international organisations, and civil society groups.<\/p>\n In a 133-page advisory opinion, the ICJ affirmed that a \u201cclean, healthy and sustainable environment\u201d is a human right, just like access to water, food and housing. Although not legally-binding, it has helped lay down the legal foundations to hold big polluters to account and empower communities that have been hit the hardest by climate change.<\/p>\n It adds to the momentum built by the groundbreaking Urgenda case, which marked the first time a court anywhere in the world ordered a government to take stronger climate action. \u201cWe\u2019ve never been in a better place to use the law to protect people and the planet from climate change,\u201d says Dennis van Berkle, Legal Counsel at Urgenda. <\/p>\n 2025 was a groundbreaking year for climate litigation, with several cases hitting the headlines. In November, the hearing between Belgian farmer Hugues Falys and TotalEnergies<\/a> finally began, almost two years after the case was filed. <\/p>\n Falys is taking the fossil-fuel giant to the commercial court of Tournai to seek compensation for damage to his farm that he says is directly caused by climate change.<\/p>\n The High Seas Treaty<\/p>\n The European Union and six of its member states formally ratified the United Nations treaty to protect the high seas back in May \u2013 a move described as a \u201chistoric step\u201d towards conserving the world\u2019s oceans.<\/p>\n Ratification means that the states have formally agreed to the treaty becoming binding international law. This often involves aligning national legislation with what the treaty outlines.<\/p>\n The High Seas Treaty<\/a>paves the way for protecting marine life in areas outside of national maritime boundaries, which covers nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans. These regions are under growing threats from pollution, overexploitation, climate change and biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n It allows for the creation of marine protected areas and supports the global goal of safeguarding at least 30 per cent of the world\u2019s oceans by 2030.<\/p>\n \u201cEU leadership is essential in confronting the biodiversity and climate crises,\u201d says Nathalie Rey of the High Seas Alliance. \u201cThis bold move sends a clear message that ocean protection is not optional \u2013 it\u2019s a global priority.\u201d<\/p>\n A boom in renewable energies<\/p>\n Despite petro-states blockingCOP30<\/a>from establishing a fossil-fuel phaseout roadmap, worldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year \u2013 and for the first time on record, renewable energies generated more power than coal.<\/p>\n A report by think tank Ember found that global solar generation grew by a record 31 per cent in the first half of the year, while wind generation also increased by 7.7 per cent. Together, the renewable energy forms grew by more than 400 terawatt hours, which was more than the overall global demand increase in the same period.<\/p>\n Solar energy<\/a> shone the brightest in 2025, and was crowned the \u201ckey driver\u201d in the world\u2019s transition to clean energy due to its ultra-low cost. A study from the University of Surrey named solar the cheapest source of power, costing as little as \u20ac0.023 to produce one unit of power.<\/p>\n Due to the price of lithium-ion batteries falling by 89 per cent since 2010, the study also found that making solar-plus-storage systems is now equally as cost-effective as gas power plants.<\/p>\n It could help progress in moving away from fossil fuels at Colombia\u2019s Global Fossil Fuel Phaseout conference, which will be co-hosted with the Netherlands in April next year.<\/p>\n Economies are growing – without emissions<\/p>\n