Here we are in 2025. When I went through my coaching and ecotherapy trainings we talked about the importance of visioning an outcome and to create a consistent habit to achieve that outcome. To achieve the latter I've decided to join the Ultimate Blog Challenge to cultivate my devotion to the restoration of our connection to the planet, while also addressing significant challenges faced in the world of corporate sustainability.

So, here we go - my vision for an ecofriendly 2025. If you close your eyes too and imagine, consider writing your ideas down and sharing with me here or in your own venue.

Rewilding Efforts

As an ecologist my true love is sitting alone in the rainforest listening and watching as nature happens. The ants taking leaves back to the home to grow yummy fungus. The water striders exploring the corners of the streams, teasing everyone about the ability to walk on water. The monkeys chattering overhead while moving through the canopy. The snakes exploring the vines, hoping to catchy a frog.

We have seen a focus on rewilding over the past few years. An attempt to return nature to what it once was. I hope this effort can continue, so that everyone can experience my vision in their own way.

To get a sense of what this looks like, Rewilding Magazine shared their top stories of 2024 which included pollinator pathways, biodiversity in your backyard, downsizing your lawn, wildlife gardeners, and how to get your neighbors to rewild too!

At a larger scale, there were some wins for nature in 2024.

Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative in Kazakhstan was recognized for 20 years of careful, persistent, collaborative effort that has seen the Saiga Antelope recover from near extinction to over 2.8 million animals – one of the most significant recoveries of a mammal population ever.

American Prairie surpassed half a million acres and earlier in the year they joined Fort Belknap Indian Community in their Swift Fox reintroduction program.

Rewilding Argentina are bringing the spots back to the landscape! This year, the first female Jaguar was set free in El Impenetrable National Park, reigniting hope for the existing (all male) wild population for the first time in 35 years.

In partnership with the Galapagos Conservancy, the Galapagos National Park Directorate returned 136 juvenile captive-bred tortoises to the Cinco Cerros area on Isabela Island’s Cerro Azul volcano.

Diversity and Indigenous Practices

The last year has brought attention to decolonizing the work we do on sustainability. And while, many companies are getting rid of their DEI programs, we cannot the deny the benefits everyone has seen from these programs. It’s not time to pause now, but a time to take learnings and push forward for increased equity in sustainability.

Following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, companies have begun scaling back hiring initiatives, grants for Black founders, and other DEI efforts. In the last decade, the representation of women and individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds on Fortune 500 boards rose by 67%. Despite this positive change, they also state that 55.3% of the Fortune 500 board seats are held by white men.

Only 25% of employees with physical or mental disabilities report a sense of belonging in the workplace, compared to 39% of employees without disabilities. In 2024, CIPD released a report on Neurodiversity in the Workplace, shedding light on the current state of neurodiversity awareness and inclusion. The report found that 60% of employers surveyed prioritize neuro-inclusive practices within their organizations. However, 31% of organizations acknowledged that neurodiversity is not formally addressed by HR, senior leaders, line managers, or employee resource groups.

DEI initiatives are not only an ethical imperative but a strategic business driver. Data shows that diverse companies are 70% more likely to capture new markets, highlighting the connection between inclusion and market expansion. This is reflected in the view of 96% of business leaders studied by Edume, who agree that DEI-focused learning can support long-term competitive advantage in their companies.

We have also seen a great many landback efforts to give lands back to indigenous tribes.

In the United States, there are more than 500 separate tribal nations and 325 American Indian reservations. Land Back has been described as an effort by Indigenous people and nations to reclaim land taken from them during the colonization of North America. It’s also about Indigenous people reasserting sovereignty over homelands, resources, sacred spaces, and stewardship choices.

After 20 years of bargaining, the Haida Nation won formal recognition from the provincial government of British Columbia acknowledging Haida Gwaii as Indigenous territory.

On June 18, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced California’s support for the return of over 2,800 acres of ancestral land to the Shasta Indian Nation.

Indigenous Papuans have finally gained legal recognition of their customary rights over a tropical rainforest area in South Sorong Regency. The newly acknowledged Indigenous lands of the Knasaimos Peoples cover 240,000 acres in Indonesia’s Southwest Papua province.

The largest dam removal project in US history was finally completed at the end of August. It’s a significant win for Tribal nations on the Oregon-California border, which have fought for decades to restore the Klamath River to its natural state and depend on the river.

The EU Council's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) taims to protect the environment and human rights across supply chains mentions Indigenous Peoples' rights in recital 25a and 44c.

We Solve Our Waste Problem

Waste is one of our biggest issues - from plastic to tires to phones and more. Most waste doesn’t actually get recycled even if we put it in the recycling bin. Sadly most waste we try to compost also does not end up being composted due to its materials or lack of adequate composting facilities.

Imagine knowing that everything you have is reused, repaired, and that what you place in the recycling actually is reincarnated as another product. Some of this is on us to make sure we find another use for those clothes for example, but we can also start using blockchain to track where our products come from and where they go. This holds the manufacturers and watse companies responsible.