The 15 Most Urgent Environmental Threats of 2025: A Call to Action
The world has been chopping down 10 million hectares of trees every year to make space to grow crops and livestock.
While the climate crisis has many factors that play a role in the exacerbation of the environment, some warrant more attention than others. Here are some of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime, from deforestation and biodiversity loss to food waste and fast fashion.
1. Global Warming From Fossil Fuels
In 2024, global fossil fuel CO2 emissions hit a record 37.4 billion tonnes, up 0.8% from 2023. Coal, oil, and gas contributed 41%, 32%, and 21%, respectively. China led emissions at 32%, followed by the U.S. (13%), India (8%), and the EU (7%). Atmospheric CO2 concentrations reached 422.5 ppm, 52% above pre-industrial levels. This surge highlights the urgent need for accelerated climate action to mitigate the worsening impacts of global carbon emissions.
The climate crisis is a defining challenge of our time, as greenhouse gas emissions trap heat, driving global warming. This has led to severe consequences, including devastating bushfires in Australia and the U.S., locust infestations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and a historic Antarctic heatwave. Scientists warn of tipping points like Arctic permafrost melt, rapid Greenland ice sheet loss, and Amazon deforestation. Immediate action is critical to reduce emissions, embrace renewable energy, and phase out fossil fuels to mitigate further catastrophic effects.
2. Poor Governance
Economists and environmentalists advocate raising the cost of greenhouse gas-emitting activities, like carbon taxes, to drive low-carbon innovation. Governments must also boost green innovation funding and address other market failures to cut emissions effectively. While 27 countries, including Sweden, Canada, and Japan, have adopted carbon taxes, these policies often fail to align with pollution profiles. Sweden’s $127 per tonne tax reduced emissions by 25% since 1995 while growing its economy by 75%.
The United Nations is ill-equipped to address the climate crisis, as its structure was designed to prevent war, not enforce climate action. Its agreements, like the Paris Agreement, rely on voluntary participation without penalties for non-compliance. The agreement aims to limit global warming to below 2°C but lacks enforceable mechanisms. Equity issues persist, allowing developing nations more emissions to advance technologically, with some countries, like China, potentially exploiting these allowances.
3. Food Waste
A third of food produced—1.3 billion tons—is wasted yearly, enough to feed 3 billion people. Food waste contributes to one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, ranking as the third-largest emitter. In developing countries, waste occurs post-harvest, while in developed nations, it’s largely at retail. Aesthetic standards drive massive produce loss.
4. Biodiversity Loss
Over the past 50 years, human activity has rapidly increased, depleting Earth’s resources. A 2020 WWF report revealed a 68% decline in wildlife populations from 1970 to 2016, primarily due to habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade. The sixth mass extinction is accelerating, with over 500 species of land animals at risk of extinction within 20 years. Climate change is also threatening species like emperor penguins, with populations in Antarctica potentially wiped out by 2100.
5. Plastic Pollution
In 1950, global plastic production was 2 million tons annually; by 2015, it surged to 419 million tons. A Nature report by Science Journal reveals that 14 million tons of plastic enter oceans yearly, threatening wildlife. Without action, this could rise to 29 million tons by 2040, reaching 600 million tons including microplastics.
6. Deforestation
Every hour, forests the size of 300 football fields are destroyed, and by 2030, only 10% of Earth’s forests may remain. Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia are the main countries affected.
Agriculture, including livestock and crops like sugar cane and palm oil, drives deforestation. Forests, especially the Amazon, are vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, and preventing soil erosion, but legal deforestation continues to threaten their survival.
7. Air Pollution
Outdoor air pollution is a major global environmental issue, causing an estimated 4.2 to 7 million deaths annually, according to the World Health Organisatiion (WHO). In Africa, air pollution-related deaths rose from 164,000 in 1990 to 258,000 in 2017. Major sources include industrial activities, motor vehicles, biomass burning, and dust storms. According to a 2023 study, air pollution in South Asia, high pollution levels reduce life expectancy by about five years. Many countries in Asia and Africa lack proper air quality standards, contributing to 92.7% of global life years lost. In Europe, a recent report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) showed that over half a million deaths in the EU were linked to toxic pollutants in 2021.
8. Melting Ice Caps and Sea Level Rise
The Arctic is warming over twice as fast as the rest of the planet, causing sea levels to rise more than twice the rate of the 20th century. Sea levels are increasing by an average of 3.2 mm annually and could rise by 0.7 meters by 2100. According to satellite data, the Greenland Ice Sheet poses the greatest risk to sea levels, with significant ice loss, including 60 billion tons lost in the summer of 2023.
If the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, global sea levels could rise by 6 meters. The Antarctic contributes 1 mm per year to sea level rise, and Canada’s last intact Arctic ice shelf recently collapsed, losing 80 square kilometers in two days.
According to research and advocacy group Climate Central, sea level rise could flood coastal areas, displacing 340 to 480 million people by century’s end. Cities like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, and Dubai are at high risk.
9. Ocean Acidification
Global temperature rise is a key driver of ocean acidification, as oceans absorb about 30% of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Increased carbon emissions from human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and wildfires, result in more carbon being absorbed into the sea, lowering ocean pH. Even slight changes in pH can significantly impact marine life, leading to issues like the dissolution of organisms’ shells. A major consequence is coral bleaching, where rising temperatures disrupt the relationship between coral reefs and algae, causing reefs to lose their color. Ocean acidification also hinders coral reef recovery, with some studies linking it to plastic pollution, further damaging ecosystems and contributing to coral bleaching.
10. Agriculture
Studies show that the global food system accounts for one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock and fisheries contributing 30%. Crop production also emits gases like nitrous oxide due to fertilizers. Cattle ranching uses 60% of agricultural land but only supplies 24% of global meat consumption. Agriculture consumes vast amounts of land and freshwater, using three-quarters of the world’s freshwater. Experts urge a shift to plant-based diets to reduce the environmental impact of conventional agriculture.
11. Food and Water Insecurity
Rising temperatures and unsustainable farming practices are exacerbating water and food insecurity globally. Over 68 billion tonnes of topsoil are lost annually, at a rate 100 times faster than it can naturally replenish. This soil, contaminated with biocides and fertilizers, ends up polluting water sources. Exposed soil is more susceptible to erosion due to the lack of plant roots and mycelium that normally stabilize it. Over-tilling, while temporarily boosting productivity, damages the soil structure, leading to compaction and increased erosion. By 2050, global food demand is expected to rise by 70%, yet over 820 million people already face hunger, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns, “Unless immediate action is taken… there is an impending global food security emergency.” Additionally, with only 3% of Earth’s water being freshwater, 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water, and two-thirds of the world may face water shortages by 2025.
12. Fast Fashion and Textile Waste
The fashion industry is a major environmental issue, accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions and producing more greenhouse gases than aviation and shipping combined. It also contributes to nearly 20% of global wastewater, with textile dyeing responsible for around 93 billion cubic meters, according to the UN Environment Programme.
Each year, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is generated, with estimates rising to 134 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste, including non-biodegradable clothing, ends up in landfills. Additionally, microplastics from synthetic materials leach into soil and water, and massive amounts of discarded clothing are dumped in developing countries, such as Chile’s Atacama Desert.
The fast fashion industry contributes significantly to environmental degradation, relying on cheap, fast production of low-quality clothing. While some companies commit to net-zero emissions by 2050, many still ignore their impact on climate change. Other environmental issues like overfishing and urban sprawl also require coordinated, practical solutions for lasting change.
13. Overfishing
Over three billion people worldwide rely on fish as their main protein source, with 90% of the world’s 18.9 million fishermen being small-scale, using simple methods like rods and reels. However, overfishing, fueled by the growing global population and increased food consumption, has led to 30% of commercially fished waters being overfished. This results in environmental harm, including algae blooms, destruction of fishing communities, and biodiversity loss. The UN and FAO aim to maintain fish stocks at sustainable levels through stricter ocean regulations. A key step was the WTO’s 2022 ban on fishing subsidies, which often encourage overfishing.
14. Cobalt Mining
Cobalt, a critical component of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, is in high demand due to global decarbonisation efforts. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the largest supplier, with up to 20% of its production coming from artisanal mining. However, cobalt mining raises serious concerns, including worker exploitation, environmental damage, and social issues. Mining activities in the DRC also cause pollution, increase radioactivity, and affect local communities through air and water contamination, leading to health problems.
15. Soil Degradation
Organic matter is a crucial component of soil as it allows it to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Plants absorb CO2 from the air naturally and effectively through photosynthesis and part of this carbon is stored in the soil as soil organic carbon (SOC). Healthy soil has a minimum of 3-6% organic matter. However, almost everywhere in the world, the content is much lower than that.
According to the UN, about 40% of the planet’s soil is degraded. Soil degradation refers to the loss of organic matter, changes in its structural condition and/or decline in soil fertility and it is often the result of human activities, such as traditional farming practices including the use of toxic chemicals and pollutants. If business as usual continued through 2050, experts project additional degradation of an area almost the size of South America. But there is more to it. If we do not change our reckless practices and step up to preserve soil health, food security for billions of people around the world will be irreversibly compromised, with an estimated 40% less food expected to be produced in 20 years’ time despite the world’s population projected to reach 9.3 billion people.
