As the world barrels toward the end of 2025, the mounting impacts of climate change are being felt in both expected and unexpected ways—from the warming of the planet and the struggles of iconic wildlife to the morning rituals of coffee drinkers. The latest climate and environment news from British Columbia, Australia, and even Brazil’s coffee fields reveals a world grappling with the consequences of rising greenhouse gases, shifting policy priorities, and the urgent need for adaptation.
Human activity—especially the burning of fossil fuels and livestock farming—remains the primary driver of climate change, according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The result: ever-increasing levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. NASA climate scientists have sounded the alarm, stating there is “unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate.” As of November 13, 2025, the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii measured atmospheric carbon dioxide at 424.87 parts per million (ppm), with global concentrations surpassing 430 ppm in June—a record high, according to NOAA data.
It’s a stark acceleration from the less than 320 ppm recorded in 1960, and the consequences are everywhere. The world is now about 1.3 degrees Celsius warmer than in the 1800s. The global average temperature in 2023 soared to 1.48 degrees above pre-industrial levels, and in 2024, it breached the critical 1.5-degree mark, reaching 1.55 degrees. The last decade—2015 through 2024—has been the warmest on record, and scientists warn we’re not on track to meet the Paris Agreement’s key target of keeping warming below 1.5 degrees. Without dramatic action, the IPCC projects temperatures could climb as much as 3.6 degrees this century, with all the attendant risks: sea level rise, intense drought, heat waves, and wildfires.
British Columbia (B.C.), long viewed as a leader in Canadian climate action, is facing hard truths about its own progress. An independent review released on November 26, 2025, found the province is only halfway to meeting its ambitious 2030 target: cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 2007 levels. The review, led by Clean Energy Canada’s Merran Smith and Polaris Strategy’s Dan Woynillowicz, argued that the high ambition of the targets has sometimes backfired, fueling public backlash over the costs of policies like the carbon tax and the push for zero-emission vehicles. The authors recommended a recalibration—more realistic targets, better communication, and a focus on the tangible benefits of climate action, such as lower heating and fuel bills.
Yet, as the review was unveiled, B.C. was also rocked by a political earthquake. On November 28, Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s former environment minister, resigned from cabinet in protest over a memorandum of understanding between the federal government and Alberta to build a new oil pipeline to the West Coast. Guilbeault made his reasons clear: “I strongly oppose the Memorandum of understanding between the federal government and the government of Alberta,” he wrote, citing the lack of consultation with B.C.’s government and coastal First Nations, and warning of “major environmental impacts” that would push Canada further from its climate targets.
Premier David Eby echoed these concerns, pointing out that there is no private sector proponent, no viable route, and no support from First Nations for a pipeline from Alberta’s oilsands to B.C.’s north coast. Despite this, the agreement signed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stipulates that any pipeline must be privately financed and ready for federal review by July 1, 2026. To grease the wheels, Ottawa has agreed to suspend its oil and gas emissions cap and clean energy regulations in Alberta, and may even restructure the tanker ban to allow bitumen shipments through B.C. waters.
As politicians wrangle over the province’s energy future, the effects of a changing climate are being felt acutely on the ground—and in the water. The B.C. Wildlife Federation declared a conservation crisis after reporting record-low returns of Interior Fraser steelhead in 2025. “Steelhead are heading to extinction faster than all the other fish,” warned Jesse Zeman, the federation’s executive director. This year, test fisheries captured zero steelhead, with forecasts for spawning populations dropping to less than 19 in the Thompson watershed and fewer than nine in the Chilcotin—down from thousands just four decades ago. Conservationists have long blamed federal reluctance to list the species as endangered for this decline, and now fear that if steelhead can’t be saved, other threatened populations may soon follow.
Environmental challenges are not limited to wildlife or emissions targets. Industrial pollution continues to pose a threat to local ecosystems. A Port Coquitlam company, Ground X Site Services Ltd., was fined more than $450,000 after nine separate incidents of waste effluent discharge into the Pitt River between March and April 2024. According to B.C.’s Environment Ministry, the company’s handling and storage processes for waste soil, hydrovac slurry, and other materials led to repeated contamination, with inspectors finding waste ponds at capacity and signs of erosion. Such incidents highlight the ongoing need for vigilant enforcement and sustainable practices.
Looking for solutions, some in B.C. are turning to innovation. Modular housing, for example, has emerged as a promising strategy to cut construction waste. Rory Richards, a member of the Sechelt First Nation and head of NUQO Modular in North Vancouver, explained that building homes in a factory setting can reduce waste by up to 90%. “With modular construction a project can be done in half the amount of time. So it’s a much more efficient way to build,” Richards said, noting that unused materials can simply be put back on the shelf, rather than ending up in a landfill. Her team, made up of more than 50% Indigenous and women workers, aims to make sustainable, climate-resilient housing a reality for more communities.
Meanwhile, the climate crisis is reshaping life far beyond Canada’s borders. In Australia, the government warned on November 28 that it’s at risk of missing its 2035 climate targets without deeper pollution cuts. Current projections show emissions will fall 48% from 2005 levels by 2035, well short of the official pledge to cut between 62% and 70%. The slow rollout of new transmission infrastructure for solar and wind power has stalled renewable projects and threatens Australia’s ambition to become a green energy export hub. “While the 2035 target is ambitious and achievable, it is not yet being achieved,” Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen told Parliament.
Even the simple pleasure of a morning coffee isn’t immune. On November 29, it was reported that Brazilian coffee growers are switching from the prized arabica variety to robusta, which is more acidic and caffeinated, as rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns make arabica harder to cultivate. For billions, that means a change in the taste and character of their daily cup—an everyday reminder that climate change touches even the most familiar corners of life.
From the halls of government to the rivers of B.C. and the coffee fields of Brazil, the story is the same: the climate crisis is here, and its effects are rippling through ecosystems, economies, and daily routines. The choices made now—by policymakers, businesses, and individuals—will shape not just the headlines, but the lived reality of generations to come.
