The Guardian has announced its 2025 climate pledge, updating its commitment to environmental journalism in the face of what it describes as a global pushback against green progress. The pledge follows a campaign that saw more than 50,000 readers support the newspaper's annual environment drive in the past three weeks.
The outlet says it remains focused on exposing the causes of the climate crisis, particularly as news cycles are dominated by autocrats and war. It highlights its coverage of the Trump administration's defunding of climate research agencies, the firing of scientists, and the blocking of access to climate data. The Guardian published the US National Climate Report in full to keep it in the public domain.
Investigations by Guardian reporters have examined how money from climate deniers and fossil fuel interests funds thinktanks linked to far-right groups in Britain and Europe. They also hold corporate enablers to account, including public affairs firms lobbying to weaken climate policy and banks financing 'carbon bomb' projects.
Despite bleak trends, the Guardian reports on resistance and positive change, such as youth activists campaigning to 'villainise big oil' and communities creating low-carbon solutions. Series like 'This is climate breakdown' and 'My DIY climate hack' have highlighted personal stories and grassroots innovations.
The newspaper notes alarming climate data: 2024 was the hottest year on record, exceeding the 1.5C target for the first time; winter temperatures at the north pole rose more than 20C above average in early 2025; and the remaining carbon budget for 1.5C has just two years left at current emissions rates. The Guardian also reports that its own greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 48% since 2020, on track for a 67% reduction by 2030.
