World Environment Day 2025 comes as communities around the world face mounting climate challenges, but local efforts are showing that real change can happen when people fight for their environmental rights. Human Rights Watch highlights three recent victories that demonstrate how grassroots action can protect both people and the planet.
In Malaysia’s Sarawak state, the government said in February it would stop giving out temporary permits for oil palm plantations to protect forests. These permits had let companies clear Indigenous lands before proper surveys were done, wiping out some of the world’s oldest forests. Indigenous groups had been pushing for this change for years.
A US appeals court in April revived a lawsuit by Louisiana residents trying to stop new chemical plants in “Cancer Alley.” The residents say unfair policies pushed Black and poor families into the most polluted areas in the country. A lower court had dismissed their case, but now they can present their arguments in court.
In Panama, Indigenous communities facing rising seas have pushed the government to create a national relocation policy. The Environment Ministry announced a draft plan in February to help communities like those on Gardi Sugdub island—home to the Guna people—move to safer areas while preserving their culture and rights.
These examples show that while climate challenges keep growing, communities are finding practical solutions that can work in other places too, offering hope in the face of what often feels like an overwhelming crisis.
