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WRI DIGEST *↓*
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*In this issue:*

* Can a New Era of US Mining Avoid Past Harms? ( #blurb1 )
* Did the Ocean’s ‘Super Year’ Deliver? ( #blurb2 )
* EU Delays Landmark Deforestation Law — Again ( #blurb3 )
* More US Coal Plants Ordered to Remain Open ( #blurb4 )
* ICYMI: Our Biggest Stories of 2025 ( #blurb5 )

Construction on the desert ( [link removed] )

Photo by The Desert Photo/Shutterstock

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Can a New Era of US Mineral Mining Avoid Past Harms? ( [link removed] )
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As the U.S. fast tracks critical mineral mines to keep up with booming demand, tensions around new mining ventures are growing.

Critical minerals like lithium and nickel are key to a clean energy future, and domestic production will reduce the country’s heavy reliance on imports. Yet the mining industry has a poor environmental and social track record — especially among Tribal Nations and Native communities.

On the cusp of a new mining era, what will it take to avoid repeating past harms?

Read more ( [link removed] )

Trash collection on the ocean ( [link removed] )

Photo by Zigmunds Dizgalvis/iStock

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Expert Q&A: Did the ‘Super Year’ for the Ocean Deliver? ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )
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2025 was expected to be a game-changing year for the ocean, with several major decisions regarding plastic pollution, ocean protection, deep-sea mining and more. WRI’s Global Ocean Director Tom Pickerell explains where we saw real progress — and fell short.

Read more ( [link removed] )

Crops ( [link removed] )

Photo by James Anderson/WRI

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Critical EU Deforestation Law Delayed Again ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )
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The EU’s landmark Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) could drastically cut global forest loss driven by commodities like beef, cocoa and coffee. But ongoing delays hamper its potential.

Read more ( [link removed] )

Coal plant by a river ( [link removed] )

Photo by alexeys/iStock

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More Coal Won’t Solve US Energy Woes ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )
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The Trump administration recently ordered ( [link removed] ) additional ( [link removed] ) coal-fired power plants to remain open past their scheduled retirement dates, the latest in a series of moves to prop up the declining US coal industry. Our experts weighed in on why coal won’t fix the country's energy challenges.

Read more ( [link removed] )

People walking in front of a city thermometer ( [link removed] )

Photo by Eduardo Ripoll Vidal/Alamy

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Our Biggest Stories of 2025 ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )
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From climate politics to AI, rising energy costs, extreme weather and beyond, our major stories of 2025 unpack some of the year’s biggest trends and challenges.

Read more ( [link removed] )

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Vital Visualizations
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U.S. critical mineral demand outstrips domestic production ( [link removed] )

U.S. demand for critical minerals is expected to far outpace the country’s production in coming years, prompting federal policies to ramp up domestic mining.

Read more ( [link removed] )

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WRI on Social
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LINKEDIN / JANUARY, 2026 ( [link removed] )
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Top visual stories of 2025 LinkedIn graphic ( [link removed] )

Explore some of our most popular charts and graphics from last year, covering everything from global temperature rise to the changing drivers of deforestation.

View on LinkedIn ( [link removed] )

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January 21, 2026
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( [link removed] ) *Stories to Watch 2026 ( [link removed] )*

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