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? 

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.

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.

The Trump administration recently ordered additional 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.

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.

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.