From Seeds August – September 2025
In a world increasingly shaped by wildfires, floods, and record-breaking heat, Christian hope is something different from optimism.
Hope is grounded in God’s dream for the world, requiring energy and commitment even when the dream appears world-weary and tattered.
And surely it helps even faithled hope to read or hear signs of good news, however fragile, and however sceptical we might feel about what governments are or are not doing. While the climate crisis undeniably remains urgent, a few recent developments suggest some momentum building – in policy, justice, and clean energy.
In the UK, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently reported that since 1990, the UK has cut greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50% as the economy has started, tentatively, to grow. The CCC acknowledged that more action is needed, particularly in heating and agriculture, but it confirmed that net zero by 2050 is still achievable – if government action keeps pace. It’s a reminder that targets are important, and achievable with consistent effort, innovation, and policy support.
Second, a landmark ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) could reshape how climate inaction is judged under international law. The case was brought by Pacific Island nations, led by the low-lying island of Vanuatu. They argued that countries have a legal duty to prevent climate harm. The ICJ agreed. In what has been described as a David versus Goliath ruling, the ICJ affirmed that states must protect both current and future generations from environmental damage.
Lea Main-Klingst, a lawyer at ClientEarth, called the decision a breakthrough: ‘The age of producing and bankrolling fossil fuels with abandon is over. This new-found clarity will equip judges with definitive guidance that will likely shape climate cases for decades to come.’
The ruling isn’t legally binding, but its moral weight could strengthen future climate litigation and diplomatic pressure.
And finally, as the global energy transition appears to be accelerating, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that ‘fossil fuels are running out of road’. In 2024, 92.5% of all new electricity capacity came from renewable sources, including solar, wind, and hydro.
He didn’t deny that there have been serious setbacks. In the United States, clean energy programmes have faced major cuts, and climate research has been defunded under the second Trump administration. Globally, emissions still reached new highs in 2024, revealing the gap between progress and impact.
But Guterres said, ‘Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies – they are sabotaging them. The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing’, and he highlighted the role of renewables in strengthening global energy security. ‘There are no price spikes for sunlight, no embargoes for wind,’ he said.
Taken together, do these developments offer cautious hope? They show that carbon cuts are possible, that legal frameworks are evolving, and that renewables are no longer aspirational but are a present-day force. At the same time, they underscore how fragile and uneven this progress remains.
The path ahead requires urgency and resolve. But in a year of mixed signals, these breakthroughs remind us that change is happening – and that a liveable future is still within reach.