Top Environmental Policies Passed in 2025: Global Shifts Toward Sustainability

The year 2025 was one of the turning points of the global environmental policy as some of the largest economies introduced new sustainability models and regulations. India was the pioneer in extensive changes of waste management, emissions and environmental auditing. Simultaneously, a number of countries were developing international environmental agendas by organizing laws and treaties. The new global efforts to fight the pollution and climate change were reflected in the push of the European Union to green transitions and the new environmental protection laws of Ghana and the ongoing negotiations of the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty, 2025. This tide notwithstanding, there were significant policy shifts in the United States, which redefined the environmental governance issues in other parts of the world.

India’s Major Environmental Policy Advancements

In the year 2025, India unveiled some compelling programs that put it on the forefront in controlling the environment.

• End-of-Life Vehicles Rules, 2025 facilitated processes of recycling and disposal of vehicles to minimize pollution of heavy metals.
• The accountability was enhanced by Environment Audit Rules, 2025 which formalised the registration and certification of auditors.
• The rules of Management of Contaminated Sites, 2025 developed the first organized process of the identification and recovery of polluted lands in India.
• The sector-based emission reduction targets established by the Draft Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity Target Rules were in accordance with the climate commitments of India.
• Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 had their amendments, which provided flexible Paper Recycling EPR norms to recycled plastics in food-grade uses.
• Draft Guidelines on Solar Waste Management were guidelines of managing and storing solar panel and photovoltaic modules waste.

International Environmental Policies and Global Cooperation

It was observed that a number of countries and organizations enhanced environmental governance in the whole globe:

• The Environmental Protection Act, 2025 in Ghana has brought together the existing environmental law and has increased the EPA authority regarding the hazardous waste and climatic response.
• Through the support of the #BeatPlasticPollution momentum, negotiations at the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty reached a great milestone of a legally binding agreement that is likely to be finalized before the end of 2025.
• The new resource efficiency rules, the enterprise-level support of sustainability, and a specific Green Fund accelerated the green transition in the European Union.

In 2025, ISSB sustainability disclosure framework identified new corporate reporting standards on climate-related risks and opportunities, which were standardized.