2025 climate reckoning: from los angeles wildfires to ocean tipping points, a year that changed everything

The year 2025 will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the climate crisis, marked by devastating disasters, troubling scientific discoveries, and surprising signs of hope. The year began catastrophically with month-long wildfires consuming 78 square miles of Los Angeles, killing 30 people directly but potentially 440 when accounting for deadly smoke exposure. Meanwhile, President Trump’s return to office brought sweeping rollbacks of environmental protections and climate policies, including the elimination of EV tax credits and clean energy programs.

Scientists delivered sobering news about planetary health in 2025. Ocean acidification pushed Earth past its seventh of nine critical “planetary boundaries,” threatening marine ecosystems worldwide. Even more alarming, researchers confirmed that coral reef decline has triggered the planet’s first major climate tipping point, with half of all coral cover lost in just 50 years. The UN’s COP30 climate summit failed to strengthen fossil fuel commitments, leaving the world on track for catastrophic 2.3-2.8 degrees of warming. Adding to environmental concerns, the AI boom’s data centers emerged as a major threat, forcing fossil fuel plants to stay online and consuming 17 billion gallons of water annually for cooling.

Yet 2025 also showcased unstoppable positive momentum. For the first time in history, renewable energy generated more global electricity than coal in the first half of the year. Electric vehicle adoption soared to nearly 96% market share in Oslo, while solar costs plummeted below fossil fuel infrastructure. Despite federal setbacks, U.S. states and cities doubled down on climate action with ambitious emissions targets and green building codes, proving that climate progress can persist even amid political headwinds.