When it comes to climate change and the environment, it can sometimes feel as though the news is relentlessly negative. While the challenges facing our planet are real, they are not the whole story. Around the world, people, communities, businesses and governments are making progress in ways that often go unnoticed. Here are five encouraging developments that remind us that positive change is possible.

Renewable energy keeps breaking records

The transition to clean energy continues to gather pace. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the world added a record amount of renewable energy capacity in 2024, with solar power leading the way. In 2025, renewable electricity generation overtook coal globally for the first time, a milestone that would have seemed almost unimaginable a decade ago.

While there is still much work to do, renewable energy is becoming cheaper, more accessible and more widespread every year. That matters because cleaner electricity can help reduce emissions across everything from transport to manufacturing.

Forest protection is making a difference

Protecting forests remains one of the most important ways to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. Encouragingly, recent figures from Brazil show continued progress in reducing deforestation.

The Amazon saw a significant decline in forest loss during 2025, while monitoring data released in 2026 showed some of the lowest monthly deforestation levels ever recorded. Other Brazilian forests are also showing signs of recovery, with the Atlantic Forest recording its lowest level of deforestation in four decades.

These improvements demonstrate that conservation policies, enforcement and community-led action can produce tangible results.

More people want climate action than ever before

It’s easy to feel alone when environmental issues dominate the headlines. In reality, concern for the planet is widely shared.

One of the largest global climate surveys ever conducted by the United Nations found that around four in five people want stronger action on climate change. The findings suggest that people across different countries, cultures and age groups recognise the importance of protecting the environment and creating a more sustainable future.

That growing public support is helping to drive change in businesses, communities and governments alike.

Nature is finding new champions

Conservation is no longer confined to scientists, campaigners and policymakers. Increasingly, artists, musicians and creators are finding innovative ways to support nature.

One example is the Sounds Right initiative, which enables nature sounds used in music to generate royalties for biodiversity projects. The scheme has already attracted support from well-known artists and is helping to fund conservation work in some of the world’s most important ecosystems.

Projects like these may not solve environmental challenges on their own, but they help bring nature into everyday conversations and remind us of its value.

Clean technology is becoming the obvious choice

Perhaps one of the most encouraging trends is that many sustainable technologies are no longer niche alternatives. Solar panels, battery storage, electric vehicles and energy-efficient technologies are increasingly being adopted because they make economic sense as well as environmental sense.

As costs continue to fall and innovation continues to accelerate, clean technologies are becoming available to more people and businesses around the world. In many cases, the greener option is now also the practical option.

A reason for optimism

Hope is not about ignoring the challenges we face. Rather, it comes from recognising that progress is possible and that positive change is already happening.

The environmental story is not simply one of problems and setbacks. It is also a story of innovation, determination and collective action. The more we notice these successes, the easier it becomes to imagine – and help create – a better future.

References

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026
Ember – Global Electricity Review 2026
Brazil National Institute for Space Research (INPE) – Amazon deforestation monitoring data (PRODES programme)
Brazilian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change – Deforestation and conservation updates
SOS Mata Atlântica & INPE – Atlas of the Atlantic Forest (monitoring deforestation in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – People’s Climate Vote
Sounds Right – Music royalties supporting biodiversity and conservation projects
International Energy Agency (IEA) – Global renewable energy growth and outlook
Ember Climate – Clean power and global electricity transition data