Together,
we drew the line

2025 was a year that tested the world's resolve.

The numbers tell part of the story. Over 87 million people worldwide were caught up in deadly floods, intense wildfires and extreme heatwaves this year. And for the first time in history, the three-year average for 2023-2025 exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels – the threshold set as the limit for a liveable planet. Scientists are clear: we have not formally crossed that line, but we are dangerously close.

It was a challenging year for the climate movement in other ways too. Ordinary people faced rising living costs and growing financial pressure. Governments around the world have succumbed to populist narratives and rolled back on climate action, despite public support for it. The Trump administration announced the United States’ withdrawal from the UN climate treaty, and threatened environmental groups and funders with criminal investigations and lawsuits. Europe and the US made deep cuts to development assistance and climate finance. And with needs rising on all sides, funders were increasingly expected to fill the gap — even as growing political and economic uncertainty made many more cautious about their investments.

The results have been increasing restrictions on people’s ability to mobilize and funding shortfalls in many non-profits, including 350.org, which we have adapted to.

And yet, even in the face of this escalating crisis, this year showed what is possible when people organize and act together.

Renewables overtook coal as the world's biggest source of electricity for the first time. The world's highest court affirmed that high-emitting states have a legal obligation to cut emissions and pay reparations (a decision now backed by the United Nations too). G20 leaders, for the first time, agreed to cooperate on taxing the ultra-wealthy. And across 85 countries, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to Draw the Line against fossil fuels and call for a just, renewable future. That momentum, built through Renew Our Power and sustained by national organizing and campaigning across every region, carried all the way to COP30 in Belém – where people took to the streets and our demands set the direction inside the negotiation halls.

These outcomes did not happen by chance. They happened because communities continued to organize, because activists refused to give up, and because solidarity grew stronger across borders and generations. 350 has been proud to act both in leadership and in solidarity – helping to build the pressure, partnerships, and pathways that turn collective action into real change.

This year also brought moments of recognition, which we receive with both pride and humility. 350’s history was featured in the Oxford Handbook of Climate Action, reflecting years of sustained, principled organizing. In the annual Fair Share ranking – which measures the representation of women, including women of color and Indigenous women, in leadership – we ranked 10th out of more than 100 non-profits, and 3rd among medium-sized organizations.

On behalf of the Board of 350.org, I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who made these outcomes and rewards possible – our partners, staff, volunteers, supporters, and donors. With your support and commitment, 350 made it through the stormy seas of 2025 and embarked on 2026 ready to fight harder than ever for a safe and livable future for all.

At a time of profound challenge, we remain clear in our purpose: to build a fair, safe, and livable future for all.

In solidarity,

Rashmi Mistry

Board Chair

Our job this year was to show up — and we did. From COP29 to COP30, we intentionally built pressure, alliances and alignment across sectors and geographies – through Renew Our Power, Draw the Line, and national initiatives in every region. From Kenya to Colombia, Bangladesh to France, Indonesia to the Pacific, this work was local, practical, and grounded in people's daily realities: clean and affordable energy, livelihoods, health, and dignity.

Our local roots fed global reach – together, these efforts created pressure that arrived in Belém with the strength of a macaréu, or a tidal bore. The result: for the first time in UN climate history, almost 90 countries stood together calling for an end to fossil fuels through the Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels (TAFF) roadmap – the biggest breakthrough yet in the global fight to end fossil fuels.

That matters more than ever. 2025 was also a year of determined pushback. Fossil fuel expansion continues, backed by powerful political and financial interests. The right to protest is under attack – peaceful climate activists facing penalties that, in some cases, mirror those for violent crimes. Billionaires and their political allies are dismantling environmental protections and rolling back democratic rights, while misinformation is used to delay the transition we urgently need. This makes our work, and the strength of our movement, more important than ever.

Change doesn't come from a single breakthrough — it comes from steady, collective effort. The connections built at Renew Our Power fed into Draw the Line, and from there into COP30. Each step built on the last. And behind every step were people: Alisi, connecting the voices of the Pacific to the Amazon. Toya, bridging struggles across land and ocean. Porag, helping young people shape national climate decisions. Rachel, turning loss into a call for accountability. And thousands more – organizers, advocates and community leaders doing the patient, unglamorous work of building trust, networks, and political leverage. That is what arrived in Belém. That is what made the TAFF breakthrough possible.

Alongside this work, we also had to adapt to a rapidly changing funding context, which impacted many climate organizations and sadly meant that we had to restrict activities and lay off a number of committed and talented staff. We also updated our strategy to keep pace with the new challenges and opportunities in front of us. It was bruising, but we came out stronger than ever.

The challenges ahead are real. But so is the progress we are seeing and the strength of the movement driving it. Thank you for being part of this work – through your support, your action, and your commitment.

Anne Jellema

Executive Director, 350.org