As we celebrate World Earth Day 2025 amid difficult global conditions, it is worth taking stock of where we are, how the planet is doing, what we can do to help preserve our ecosystem and how biodiversity investments are progressing.
“Mother Earth is running a fever. Last year was the hottest ever recorded: The final blow in a decade of record heat. We know what’s causing this sickness: the greenhouse gas emissions humanity is pumping into the atmosphere – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels. We know the symptoms: devastating wildfires, floods and heat. Lives lost and livelihoods shattered. And we know the cure: rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and turbocharging adaptation, to protect ourselves – and nature – from climate disasters,” António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, said in his message for International Mother Earth Day.
The Good
Starting on a positive note, the first quarter of the year witnessed the adoption of the first global strategy to finance biodiversity by global governments at the resumed COP16 negotiations in Rome on February 27, 2025, an important step toward closing the US$700 billion annual biodiversity funding gap.
The agreement, reached under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), sets a framework for mobilizing financial resources to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) by scaling up investments, reforming subsidies, and strengthening financial mechanisms.
The strategy sets out three key commitments for governments and financial institutions. They are to increase biodiversity-related international financial flows to developing countries, aiming to mobilise at least $30 billion per year by 2030. At least US$200 billion annually by 2030 should be channelled by domestic, international, public, and private sources to scale up positive incentives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. Finally, governments and financial institutions should phase out or reform subsidies harmful to biodiversity by at least US$500 billion per year by 2030
The Bad
Meanwhile, this week also marked the passing of Norway very own country overshoot day for 2025, the last of these milestones for Nordic countries. Denmark celebrated its country overshoot day on March 19th, followed by Finland on April 6th and Sweden on April 10th. A country’s overshoot day marks the date when Earth Overshoot Day would fall if all of humanity consumed at the same level as the people in that country. The estimates are calculated by the Global Footprint Network
Beyond our continued overuse of the planet’s resources, ongoing trends suggest that we are well on way to fail our internationally agreed commitments to mitigate global warming. According to Guterres, “this year is critical.All countries must create new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius – essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe.”
Yet, between disappointing financial performances and political pressures, banks have started to adjust their temperature goals to 2 degrees Celsius, as we noted last week.
The Depressing
However, the most noticeable aspect of April 22nd was how little the day was celebrated. It appears that in the midst of geopolitical and commercial tensions, most organisations simply forgot about Earth Day.
Contrary to the UN Secretary General, the President of the European Commission seems to have been too busy trying to manage the ongoing paradigm shift in US foreign policy to issue a statement or press release to mark the occasion. Indeed a quick search for reactions to Earth Day from the EU only yielded a very simple press release from the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s foreign affairs department, whose Delegation to the People’s Republic of China marked the day by cheering to the Earth with Reusable Cups.
Looking at conservationist organisations, neither Greenpeace nor the WWF were particularly vocal on this occasion either. Not a single one of Greenpeace Denmark, Sweden, Finland or Norway marked the occasion. The WWF’s coverage seems to have included a blog post on a partnership it has with Macy’s Inc and a video about the jungles of Borneo.
The Hope
Although the powers that be appear to have lost interest, that should not discourage the rest of us from seeking inspiration and taking action. EARTHDAY.ORG notes that the theme for this year’s Earth Day is “OUR POWER, OUR PLANET”, while also calling on everyone to unite around renewable energy so we can triple clean electricity by 2030. As it does every other year, this platform offers a host of events, toolkits, and initiatives aiming to raise awareness, inspire change, and foster a deeper connection with nature.
“For years we have been fed the lie that only fossil fuels can power the planet, that is not true,” said Denis Hayes, the organiser of the very first Earth Day, and Board Chair Emeritus of EARTHDAY.ORG. “By the 2030s, the largest source of electricity generation on the planet will be solar power.”
“This presents an enormous opportunity for entrepreneurs, industries, and those seeking well-paying careers.” Tom Cosgrove, Chief Creative and Content Officer, EDO, added. “We acknowledge that our enthusiasm for clean energy faces challenges from well-funded misinformation campaigns — but by championing renewable energy in 2025, we can meet that challenge head on.”
There is a lot of work to do to help preserve our planet. In the face of difficult markets, sustainable investors should hold their ground and not lose faith. Now is not the time to lose hope. In the words of the UN Secretary General, “together, let’s get to work and make 2025 the year we restore good health to Mother Earth.”
