Countries Unite on Environment Despite Global Tensions

Even as conflicts raged across the globe last year, countries found common ground where it matters most: protecting our shared home.

The UN Environment Programme released its 2025 report this week, revealing how nations pushed past political differences to rack up real environmental victories. The results show what's possible when the world works together.

One of the biggest wins came in January 2026 when a landmark agreement to protect biodiversity in international waters officially became law. After years of negotiations, the high seas finally have legal protection.

Closer to ground level, over 170,000 square kilometers of natural spaces gained protection or better management. That's an area bigger than New York state, and it's expected to help 2.3 million people who depend on those ecosystems.

The methane monitoring story might be the most dramatic success. UN satellites detected gas leaks from oil and gas facilities in 36 countries. After alerting governments, at least 19 major leaks got fixed. Combined, those leaks had been spewing 1,200 tonnes of methane into the atmosphere every single day.

Meanwhile, 150 oil and gas companies representing 42 percent of global production now transparently report their methane emissions. That kind of accountability was unthinkable just a few years ago.

Countries also launched a new scientific panel on chemicals, waste, and pollution after three years of negotiations. Scientists will now have a dedicated platform to guide policy decisions, similar to existing panels on climate and biodiversity.

At the UN Environment Assembly, nations adopted 11 resolutions covering everything from critical minerals for clean energy to protecting coral reefs and managing AI sustainably. World Environment Day saw over 3,000 events across 155 countries focusing on plastic pollution solutions.

The Ripple Effect

These environmental victories carry benefits far beyond saving ecosystems. The report found that stronger environmental policies could add trillions to global GDP while preventing millions of deaths and helping lift hundreds of millions out of poverty and hunger.

A record 106 countries contributed to the UN's Environment Fund in 2025, the highest number ever paying their full share. That funding enabled environmental work in 151 countries worldwide.

"Even amid global tensions, 2025 was a year in which nations showed that environmental multilateralism is the beacon that rises high above the fog of geopolitical differences," said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

When countries can't agree on much else, they're still finding ways to agree on protecting the air, water, and land we all share.