Beyond Bad News: Environmental Wins You May Have Missed
It’s no secret that environmental protections in the United States have been eroding at a striking pace.
The Trump administration has made deregulation a centerpiece of its agenda — repealing power plant climate pollution limits, overturning vehicle emissions standards, pushing to open federal lands to private development, and dramatically scaling back enforcement of existing environmental laws. Legal actions against polluters have recently dropped to record lows, and just last month, the administration announced plans to clear-cut nearly 2 million acres of old-growth forest in Western Oregon.
The onslaught of bad news makes it easy to miss the hopeful stories and incremental progress brewing in the background. Environmental wins persist — at home and on the global stage — community by community, courtroom by courtroom, species by species.
Here are some recent wins that deserve your attention. Read to the end to learn what you can do to support more good news.
Protecting Land & Forest
Indigenous activists force Brazil to protect the Amazon.
The Tapajos, Madeira, and Tocantins Rivers in the Brazilian Amazon are home to dozens of Indigenous communities whose food, livelihoods, and cultural identity are inseparable from the land and water. In 2025, President Lula signed a decree privatizing stretches of all three rivers — opening them to destructive dredging for corporations like U.S.-based Cargill — without consulting the Indigenous communities whose territories would pay the price. What began as a blockade of around 50 people at Cargill's grain terminal in Santarém grew to nearly 2,000 protesters from four river basins over 33 days, ultimately forcing the government to revoke the decree. "What won today was life," said the Tapajos and Arapiuns Indigenous Council. "The river won, the forest won, the memory of our ancestors won." It's a powerful reminder that sustained, collective action works — and that Indigenous communities remain among the most effective environmental defenders on the planet. Learn more.
A historic Mayan forest alliance takes shape - with caveats.
In late 2025, Mexico, Guatemala and Belize announced plans to create the Great Mayan Jungle Biocultural Corridor — a 14-million-acre reserve spanning three countries that would become the second largest in the Americas, behind only the Amazon. Formalized through the Calakmul Declaration, the agreement includes concrete commitments to combat illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, arson, and illegal hunting. Guatemala is making the largest land contribution, encompassing 27 existing protected areas, and President Arévalo has already declined to renew the contract of a petroleum company that had been operating for 40 years in a Guatemalan reserve. Critically, the three governments agreed to establish both an environmental council and an Indigenous advisory council, potentially giving local communities meaningful power over what happens inside the reserve's borders. The announcement was welcomed cautiously by environmental groups, however, as it came at the same meeting where leaders discussed expanding Mexico's Maya Train — a controversial rail line already criticized for slicing through jungle habitat — into Guatemala and Belize. As Guatemala's environment minister put it: "We don't want it to be an international cooperation agenda, nor a business agenda. We want it to be the Maya forest agenda."
Wins on the Water
The High Seas Treaty enters into force.
On January 17, 2026, after nearly two decades of negotiations, a landmark international agreement began governing the high seas — the vast international waters covering nearly half the planet's surface. For the first time, there is a legally binding framework to establish marine protected areas and regulate human activity in these shared waters. The treaty enables the global community to work toward protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 — a critical goal for migratory sharks, rays, sea turtles, whales, and seabirds that spend their lives crossing national borders with no protection to follow them.
Courts defend salmon in the Pacific Northwest. "One of the foundational symbols of the West," wrote U.S. District Judge Michael Simon in his February 2026 order, "the beating heart and guaranteed resource protected by treaties with several Native American tribes — is disappearing from the landscape." The Columbia River Basin was once the world's greatest salmon-producing river system, but decades of dam operations have pushed some wild runs to the brink. Half of historical Snake River salmon populations have already been lost, and the southern resident orcas that depend on Chinook salmon as their primary food source are endangered alongside them. A federal judge in Portland ordered changes to operations of eight dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers to reduce that harm, requiring dam operators to spill water over the dams 24 hours a day from March through mid-November — including continuous fall and winter spill that has never been required before. The ruling came after the Trump administration abandoned a landmark 2023 agreement that had committed $1 billion to salmon recovery and tribal clean energy projects. Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and Washington state all joined as allies in the case, reinforcing the deep connection between tribal sovereignty and the fate of the river. Advocates called it a necessary stopgap while the fight to remove the four Lower Snake River dams continues.
A legal win for clean water and endangered species.
Cadmium is a carcinogen that accumulates in fish tissue, works its way up the food chain, and ends up in the bodies of the animals — and people — who depend on healthy waterways. Coal combustion and phosphate fertilizers account for over 90% of the cadmium found in surface waters. On March 3, 2026, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that the EPA violated the Endangered Species Act when it nearly tripled allowable cadmium levels in U.S. waters without assessing harm to wildlife. The court's decision protects Atlantic sturgeon, sea turtles, salmon, steelhead, and orcas, and establishes a clear precedent: the EPA cannot ignore migratory and wide-ranging species when setting nationwide water quality standards. As the judge wrote, "EPA does not have discretion to avoid its obligations under the ESA."
Clean Energy Momentum
Wind and solar overtake fossil fuels in Europe.
For the first time ever, wind and solar panels generated more electricity than fossil fuels across the European Union in 2025 — 30% of EU electricity compared to 29% from coal, oil and gas. Experts are calling it a structural energy tipping point, not just a symbolic one: renewables are no longer an alternative, they are becoming the backbone of Europe's energy system. Low-carbon sources — renewables and nuclear combined — now supply 71% of EU electricity, and coal's share fell to a record low of 9.2%. The transition hasn't been without friction — political pushback has weakened some CO2-cutting measures, and an EU deal with Trump to increase purchases of U.S. energy has raised questions about Europe's long-term trajectory. But the direction of travel is clear, and the numbers don't lie.
Climate accountability laws spread across U.S. states.
For years, fossil fuel companies have profited while states and cities bear the costs of climate damage — flooded streets, heat-related illness, crumbling infrastructure. Vermont and New York are pushing back, passing "climate superfund laws" that require large fossil fuel companies to pay into funds that help states protect residents — think climate-resilient housing, restored wetlands, and air conditioners in schools. The laws are already under attack from Trump's Department of Justice, but legal experts argue the administration's own rollback of federal climate authority may actually undercut its case. Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Illinois are considering similar bills. Meanwhile, New York City became the first American city to launch a congestion pricing program, charging drivers $9 to enter Manhattan's central business district during peak hours. In the first six months, traffic dropped 11%, accidents fell 14%, and particulate pollution — a leading risk factor for premature death — dropped 22% across the affected area. It's a model other cities are watching closely.
France bans "forever chemicals”.
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — don't just threaten human health. They seep into soil and groundwater, accumulate in wildlife, and have been detected everywhere from Mount Everest to deep-sea ecosystems. On January 1, 2026, France became one of the first countries to ban them, prohibiting the production, import, or sale of PFAS-containing products where safer alternatives exist — including cosmetics, clothing, and ski wax — and mandating expanded testing of drinking water. France isn't alone: several U.S. states including California have already banned PFAS in cosmetics, Denmark is moving to ban them in clothing by mid-2026, and the EU is studying a broader ban. The momentum suggests France's law may be less an outlier than an early signal of where the world is heading.
Animal Welfare Wins
Mexico bans dolphin shows.
In June 2025, the Mexican Congress passed a nationwide ban on the use of dolphins in shows, therapy, entertainment, research, and any activity unrelated to conservation — along with a prohibition on captive breeding. The legislation came after years of campaigning by animal welfare organizations who documented the chronic stress, abnormal behaviors, and diseases suffered by dolphins confined to artificial tanks. Mexico joins Costa Rica and Chile as one of only three Latin American countries to take this step, and advocates hope it sets a precedent for Spain and beyond.
Indonesia ends elephant riding.
In a major win for animal welfare, Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry issued a binding directive at the end of 2025 requiring all conservation and tourist facilities to cease elephant riding activities nationwide. Facilities that fail to comply risk having their operating permits revoked. Mason Elephant Park in Bali — one of the last venues offering elephant rides — halted the practice in January 2026 after receiving official warnings. The shift reflects a growing global expectation that tourism should be humane, prioritizing observation and education over exploitation.
U.S. funding package delivers for wildlife.
In a rare display of bipartisan agreement, a federal funding package signed into law in January 2026 delivered meaningful protections for animals. Dangerous riders that would have stripped Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves and grizzly bears were defeated. Wild horses and burros were protected from slaughter, with $144 million in program funding maintained. The EPA was directed to develop non-animal chemical testing methods to reduce vertebrate animal testing. And enforcement of the Big Cat Public Safety Act was strengthened. As Humane World Action Fund noted, animal protection remains one of the few genuinely bipartisan concerns left in Washington.
What You Can Do
Give to environmental nonprofits.
Environmental nonprofits receive less than 2% of total charitable dollars in the U.S. Consider increasing giving to organizations doing legal, on-the-ground conservation work — groups like Earthjustice, Columbia Riverkeeper, Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana, and the High Seas Alliance are winning real fights in courtrooms and on the water.
Support Indigenous-led efforts.
Many of the wins above were led or supported by Indigenous communities. Seek out and fund organizations centering Indigenous sovereignty in environmental work — including Amazon Watch and Rainforest Action Network.
Explore impact investing.
Consider shifting investments out of conventional funds and into private vehicles that put capital to work in the real economy — renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry, cooperative enterprises, and community lending. Humanize Wealth specializes in helping clients align their investments with their values — and the future they want to build.
Choose ethical wildlife tourism and community-based ecotourism.
Skip venues that profit from captive animal entertainment and seek out responsible, observation-based wildlife experiences instead. When possible, choose tourism operators that are locally owned and managed — keeping economic benefits in the community while protecting the ecosystems that make those experiences possible.
Stay informed — and share good news.
Progress is easy to miss when bad news dominates. Sharing stories like these helps sustain the collective energy that makes change possible. For more on converting hope into action, check out our earlier post A Time for Hope in Action.