As 2025 draws to a close, the data confirms a year of stark contrasts. While physical climate impacts reached record-breaking levels, the global energy system hit a historic turning point. At Green World Views, we have cross-referenced reports from the WMO, IEA, and the UN to bring you the definitive top ten climate stories of 2025.
Global Shocks: The Reality of a Warming World
1. A Persistent Warming Trend (Joint-Second Hottest Year)
2025 is on track to be the joint-second warmest year on record, following the unprecedented heat of 2024. While the 1.5°C threshold has been breached for two consecutive calendar years, scientists emphasize that this represents a persistent warming trend rather than a permanent breach of the 20-year Paris Agreement average. However, the proximity to this limit has added immense pressure to global negotiations (Source: Copernicus/WMO).
2. The Thwaites Glacier: A Fracture Cascade
New research published in 2025 has confirmed a "fracture cascade" in West Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier. Satellite data revealed that the Eastern Ice Shelf is becoming increasingly unstable, with researchers from the British Antarctic Survey noting that the destabilisation is advancing more rapidly than previously modelled, threatening long-term sea-level stability.
3. The Largest Coral Bleaching Event in History
The fourth global coral bleaching event, which began in late 2023, officially became the largest ever recorded in 2025. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data shows that over 80% of the world’s reefs have now faced heat stress, with devastating impacts across the Great Barrier Reef, the Caribbean, and the Red Sea.
4. 2025’s "Hyper-Summer" and Global Disasters
Extreme weather dominated the headlines, from catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles to the simultaneous tropical cyclones Ditwah and Senyar, which caused over 1,800 deaths in Indonesia and Malaysia. In Europe, a "hyper-summer" saw heatwaves strain infrastructure and cause significant agricultural losses across the Mediterranean (Source: Earth.org).
UK Updates: Policy and Protection
5. The UK’s North Sea Future Plan
In November 2025, the UK government published the "North Sea Future Plan." This landmark policy implements a ban on new oil and gas exploration licences. Crucially, it introduces "Transitional Energy Certificates" to manage production from existing fields while redirecting investment toward offshore wind and carbon capture (Source: Gov.uk).
6. The North Sea Grid "Super-Link"
A major milestone in energy security was reached as the UK officially activated new subsea interconnectors, linking its offshore wind capacity directly to the European grid. This allows the UK to export surplus green energy during high-wind periods and import during lulls, stabilizing prices and reducing reliance on gas.
7. Extreme Flooding and the Move to "Natural" Resilience
Following record rainfall in late 2024 and early 2025, the UK government accelerated its Natural Flood Management programme. This shift focuses on restoring wetlands and "slowing the flow" in upland areas rather than relying solely on traditional concrete barriers, following severe flooding in the Midlands and Yorkshire.
Global Policy and Energy Shifts
8. COP30: The Belém Package
Hosted in Brazil, COP30 concluded with the "Belém Political Package." While it stopped short of a binding fossil fuel phase-out, it secured a commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2035 and launched the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a new fund aimed at providing $25 billion for forest conservation (Source: UN News).
9. A Historic First: Renewables Overtake Coal
In a monumental shift for the global energy transition, renewable electricity generation officially surpassed coal in the first half of 2025. Data from energy think tank Ember shows renewables reaching a 34.3% share of the global mix, while coal’s share fell to 33.1%, marking the first time in the industrial era that coal was not the primary source of power.
10. Carbon Capture: The Scale-Up Year
While Direct Air Capture (DAC) remains a debated tool, 2025 marked the first full year of operation for major industrial-scale facilities. New membraneless capture technologies were also announced, potentially reducing the cost of carbon removal to $70 per metric ton, making the technology a more viable part of the Net Zero toolkit (Source: World Economic Forum).
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Summary: The Tipping Point
2025 has been a year of "firsts"—the first time renewables beat coal, the first time the 1.5°C limit was tested so consistently, and the first time a major G7 economy (the UK) officially called time on new fossil fuel exploration. We are no longer waiting for the transition; we are in the middle of it.
Disclaimer on Accuracy: Green World Views is committed to providing accurate and reliable information based on reputable scientific and journalistic sources. However, climate science and policy are rapidly evolving fields. We encourage our readers to verify specific data points with primary sources, such as the IPCC, WMO, or official government publications, as new information becomes available.