Successes in climate action

Editorial https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02546-0 Successes in climate action Check for updates T he past year, 2025, did not begin with promising news for climate change action. Shortly after taking office, US President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the Paris Agreement, marking a shift in policy towards continued fossil fuel development. Other political developments throughout the year also showed cause for concern, with the European Union weakening key policies around, for example, deforestation, and COP30 ending without a clear path mapped for phasing-out fossil fuels as well as with a lack of ambition in new climate pledges, with many countries failing to submit new commitments. Away from the political arena, 2025 tied with 2023 as the second warmest year on record, with temperatures nearing the 1.5 °C goal of the Paris Agreement set just 10 years earlier1. Measurements indicate that greenhouse gas concentrations have continued to rise, and impacts ranging from flooding to wildfires to extreme heat were felt worldwide. Indeed, the data, reported news and many people’s lived experiences indicate that climate change is here to be reckoned with now, and that current actions are insufficient to slow its pace or adapt to current and future changes. Simultaneously, the incidence of climate anxiety is rising, both in researchers and the general public2. These fears are not misplaced; for many, climate change is threatening homes, livelihoods and sense of place. Climate change impacts cascade across all aspects of human and environmental systems, making it more difficult to achieve development and wellbeing goals and increasing existing inequalities. nature climate change Nonetheless, taken in a broader context, aspects of human life are improving, such as global increases in education and life expectancy, despite the additional challenges of climate change3. And within the realm of climate action, things are happening that are having an impact and protecting progress so far. During the past year, renewable energy production surpassed coal for the first time, and solar superseded fossil fuels for electricity production in the European Union4. The ratification of the High Seas Treaty represents a policy achievement to protect ocean ecosystems, and the ruling by the International Court of Justice that countries are obligated to reduce emissions provided a clear mandate for mitigation5. Despite frustrations with the COP process, the world continues to show up, making progress on adaptation and financing for climate action. In addition to new developments, there are safeguards and positive feedbacks in place, which prevent substantial backsliding on climate action, despite political turmoil, as Le Quéré et al. argue in a Comment in this issue. For example, climate laws and policies from local to international scales work to guide development and market activity towards climate goals, and networks such as C40 Cities6 facilitate the exchange of information and ideas needed to accelerate action. In the face of something so big and fundamental as the global climate, which sets the conditions and context of existence, actions that happen locally can feel inadequate, a drop in a very large (and perhaps leaky) bucket. Climate adaptation needs more ambition, and it is hard to bridge the gap between the global scale of the problem and the smaller actions that are happening on the local scale. Yet, lives are lived on local scales, and there are initiatives that are working, and should be celebrated and shared. In this issue, we feature a news story showcasing one such effort, where farmers in India received artificial intelligence-based, improved long-range weather forecasts during the monsoon season that supported their ability to adapt to changing conditions. This story also commences a new series, Solutions in Practice, where we will regularly publish reports, written by journalists, to showcase initiatives, policies and efforts on climate change mitigation and adaptation that are working on different scales around the world. We hope that these stories will bring a new perspective into our pages, and inspire continued efforts to understand, predict and mitigate climate change and its impacts. At a time where scientific practice and international collaboration are facing increasing hurdles7, the data and insights that result from climate change research and practice are critically important to sustaining both international and local efforts. In the coming year, we encourage the climate change community to find hope and meaning in the work to be done. The road ahead is hard, and for many unjust, but it is the only one available and will be shaped by the choices we make. Published online: 8 January 2026 References 1. Copernicus: 2025 on course to be joint-second warmest year, with November third-warmest on record. Copernicus https://go.nature.com/4rZ7lRC (9 December 2025). 2. Pearson, H. Nature 628, 256–258 (2024). 3. O’Neill, B. C. Nat. Clim. Change 13, 874–876 (2023). 4. Wiatros-Motyka, M. & Rangelova, K. Global Electricity Mid-year Insights 2025 (Ember, 2025). 5. World Court says countries are legally obligated to curb emissions, protect climate. United Nations https://go.nature.com/4oXt1e8 (23 July 2025). 6. Armarego-Marriott, T. Nat. Clim. Change 15, 1019–1024 (2025). 7. Nat. Clim. Change 15, 337 (2025). Volume 16 | January 2026 | 1 | 1 CREDIT: BRIAN JACKSON / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO Climate action clearly needs greater ambition in the face of increasing physical, biological and social impacts. However, it is important to acknow ledge successes, including safeguards that protect action so far, and there are initiatives being implemented across scales that are effective.  (...truncated)