The ocean sustains us, feeding over 3 billion people, buoying economies, stabilizing the climate and housing most species on Earth. Yet ocean protection is chronically underfunded and underprioritized — even as rising water temperatures and withering ecosystems put these vital benefits at risk. 

2025 could change that. 

A series of major ocean moments are happening this year, from international summits to renewed negotiations on deep-sea mining and a global plastics treaty. Leaders will have many opportunities to secure a better future for the ocean and those who depend on it. WRI’s Global Ocean Director Tom Pickerell lays out what to watch. 

Cow, oat, almond, soy, coconut, pea — milk choices today are seemingly endless. But which are best for the environment? We dug into the data. 

From seaweed farms in Kenya to wetland restoration in Mozambique, new WRI research shows that countries across sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly using nature to protect against climate change — solutions that can also create jobs, clean the air, secure water supplies and more. 

With up to 84 times the warming power of carbon dioxide, methane has an outsized impact on climate change. That’s why some scientists are exploring ways to not just reduce methane emissions, but remove it from the atmosphere. 

Methane comes from both human-driven sources (such as agriculture) and natural sources (such as wetlands). But evidence suggests that natural methane emissions are also rising due to human-caused climate change, creating dangerous feedback loops.

Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions grew by 51% from 1990 to 2021📈🏭 But where exactly do emissions come from? 

Our new video breaks down the biggest sources.