Conservation and Climate in 2025: What This Year Taught Me , and What 2026 Asks of Us

 As 2025 came to an end, I found myself reflecting not just on global headlines or reports, but on conversations, projects, and moments in the field that shaped how I see conservation and climate action today.

This year didn’t feel like a year of dramatic breakthroughs. It felt like something quieter,  and perhaps more important: a year of consolidation, learning, and reckoning.

Here are a few reflections on what 2025 gave us, and what I believe 2026 will demand from all of us working with nature, communities, and climate:

1.       Nature-Based Solutions Are No Longer a Trend, they’re a Responsibility

In 2025, it became clear to me that Nature-based Solutions are no longer something we experiment with. They are something we, as conservationists, must do well, or not do at all.

Across different projects and discussions, I saw:

·       More serious investment in forest conservation and restoration

·       Stronger expectations around social and biodiversity integrity

·       Less tolerance for vague “green” narratives

The question shifted from “Can nature help?” to “Are we respecting nature and the people who protect it?”

That shift matters.

 

2.      Communities Are Not Beneficiaries; they should be invited to lead.

One of the strongest lessons of 2025 was reaffirming something many of us already knew, but don’t always practice consistently:

·       Conservation only works when local and Indigenous communities lead.

This year, I saw more emphasis on:

·       Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)

·       Community governance and decision-making

·       Long-term benefit-sharing, not short-term incentives

Not because it looks good in proposals, but because projects without strong local ownership simply don’t last.

 

3.      Climate and Biodiversity Can No Longer Be Separated

2025 made it impossible to ignore the connection between climate and biodiversity.

In practice, this meant:

·       Carbon projects being questioned for their ecological impact

·       Conservation projects being asked to demonstrate climate relevance

A growing understanding that healthy ecosystems are not a “co-benefit”,  they are the foundation

This integration is uncomfortable at times, but necessary. Simplistic metrics no longer capture real impact.

 

4.      Honesty Became More Valuable Than Optimism

One thing I appreciated in 2025 was a gradual shift toward more honest conversations.

We talked more openly about:

·       What hasn’t worked

·       Where governance failed

·       Why some projects struggled despite good intentions

This kind of honesty doesn’t weaken conservation, it strengthens it. Credibility matters more than perfect narratives.

 

What I Expect, and Hope, for 2026

If I had to summarize 2026 in one word, it would be delivery.

1.       Higher Standards Will Be the Norm

In 2026, I expect:

·       Stricter criteria for climate and conservation finance

·       Less space for superficial impact claims

·       More demand for real data, real governance, and real accountability

This will challenge many actors, but it will also protect the integrity of the work.

2.      Local Capacity Will Define Long-Term Success

Funding alone won’t be enough.

Projects that invest in:

·       Local technical skills

·       Institutional strengthening

·       Financial sustainability beyond donors will be the ones that endure.

The real question in 2026 won’t be “How much money was invested?” but “What will remain in 10 years?”

 

3.      Adaptation Will Take Its Place Beside Mitigation

For years, mitigation dominated the conversation. I believe 2026 will rebalance that.

Expect more focus on:

·       Ecosystem-based adaptation

·       Water and food security

·       Community resilience in the face of unavoidable climate impacts

·       Nature will increasingly be seen not just as a carbon sink, but as essential infrastructure for life.

 

4.      Storytelling Will Become a Tool for Accountability

In a crowded climate space, storytelling will matter, but not the polished kind.

What we’ll need more of in 2026:

·       Stories grounded in evidence

·       Voices from communities and practitioners

·       Visual narratives that connect people emotionally and intellectually

·       Good storytelling won’t hide complexity, it will help us understand it.

 

A Closing Thought

2025 reminded me that conservation is not about quick wins. It’s about patience, consistency, and humility.

Every forest protected, every community empowered, every ecosystem restored is part of a much longer story. In 2026, our challenge is not to promise more, but to do better, with integrity and care.

The climate crisis is already here. So is our responsibility.

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