Climate setbacks and global shifts define 2025: inside climate news reviews a turbulent year for environmental policy

2025 proved to be a pivotal yet troubling year for climate action, marked by significant policy reversals, devastating natural disasters, and an alarming acceleration toward dangerous global warming thresholds. The year’s environmental landscape was dominated by the Trump administration’s aggressive dismantling of environmental protections, which surpassed even the most pessimistic predictions from climate advocates and policy experts.

On the international stage, the United States effectively abandoned its climate leadership role, creating a vacuum that China has increasingly moved to fill. This geopolitical shift has profound implications for global climate negotiations and the pace of worldwide decarbonization efforts. The retreat from American environmental leadership comes at a critical time when coordinated international action is essential to meet climate targets.

The year was punctuated by a relentless series of climate-driven disasters that underscored the urgency of the crisis. From unprecedented heatwaves to destructive storms and wildfires, 2025’s natural catastrophes served as stark reminders of the accelerating impacts of global warming on communities worldwide.

Inside Climate News executive editor Vernon Loeb and reporter Dan Gearino provide an in-depth analysis of the year’s most significant climate developments in their annual review. Their discussion examines both the setbacks and unexpected bright spots in climate action, offering crucial context for understanding how 2025’s events will shape environmental policy and climate action in the years ahead. As the world continues its concerning trajectory toward dangerous temperature increases, their insights help illuminate the path forward.