2025 in Review

This past year has been a massive one for our environment and climate, and for our organisation as well. From national environmental law reform to newly protected nature reserves here at home, here’s some of the biggest wins our environment and climate movement has achieved for nature this year: 

• After a decades long effort pressuring the government to reform Australia’s national environment laws, a deal was struck with the Greens this November on a package that moves us in the right direction.
• Here in the ACT, our years long grassroots campaigns succeeded in protecting Bluett’s Block and Coombs Peninsula as nature reserves.
• We have firmly placed stopping urban sprawl on the ACT Government’s agenda with the successful launch of our long term, grassroots and major campaign to save Canberra’s Western Edge in August.
• After mounting community pressure, the ACT Legislative Assembly voted to ban fossil fuel sponsorships from our schools in March.
• We placed the spotlight on the decline of Canberra’s Grassland Earless Dragon, and as a result secured increased funding for the species rehabilitation and triggred an investigation by the Commisioner for the Environment on the loss of Grasslands in the ACT.
• We have turned attention to the ACT Government’s growing complacency on climate change with the launch of a new grassroots campaign to push for an ambitious new climate strategy for the ACT.
• Renewables surpassed fossil fuels to become the world’s leading source of energy, and we’re seeing this overtake happen here in Australia too.
• At the global level, the International Court of Justice made a landmark ruling that countries are legally obliged to protect and prevent harm to the environment, and that countries must take action to reduce climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.

None of these wins would have been possible without the tireless work and generosity of people across the world, the country and right here in Canberra. We are absolutely in awe of the growing strength of our organisation and the grassroots environment movement we represent here in the ACT. In particular, this year we have seen:

• A complete turn around in our organisation’s finances thanks to significant contributions from you, our supporters, enabling us to bring on two new members of staff and launch two new major campaigns.
• A rapidly growing number of Conservation Council volunteers, from just a handful at the start of the year to now over 60 people regularly volunteering.
• A big increase in our readership, with 350 new subscriptions to our newsletter.
• The development of our new strategic plan, based on consultation with our member groups.
• The addition of four new member groups to our organisation, bringing us to a total of 49 environmental groups/organisations that we now represent across the ACT.
• The facilitation of 52 meetings developing policy and actions across our four advocacy working groups (Biodviersity, Climate, Transport and Environmental Justice).
• The organisation of 17 free events for the public, from educational webinars, to guided walks, to forums, to various celebrations of our community.

It is this growing grassroots strength that is powering us into 2026 so we can continue to fight for nature and a safe climate, because as we all know there is still lots of work to be done. 

But for now, we say a massive thank you for the year that’s been and wish you a most restful and celebratory holiday period. We hope you get the chance to take a dip in our sparkling ocean or walk through the sun dappled eucalyptus trees during this special time of year.

Until 2026,

From Grit, Simon and Aoibhinn, the Conservation Council Team.