Meet the 2025 Grist 50

Text below from Grist.

Our climate is changing. The impacts of that change are growing deadlier every year. And efforts to reduce emissions, increase resilience, and keep people safe in the U.S. have faced increasing headwinds from a federal government committed to dismantling climate action and funding.

But make no mistake: Climate solutions are still moving forward. In every corner of the country, people are working as tirelessly as ever to address this crisis in creative, holistic, and equitable ways. And as national and international policies largely fail to meet the moment — or, in some cases, actively fly in the face of progress — the work of those standing up for communities and within industries to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate is more important than ever.

The 2025 Grist 50 list highlights the work of 50 such people who are making a real difference and moving the needle. The impact they’re having in their communities and sectors shows that progress is still possible.

Since 2016, the Grist 50 has put a spotlight on bold, surprising climate solutions and the personal journeys behind them. And this year marks the 10th Grist 50 list. That’s 500 stories of innovation, initiative, and action.

This year’s list features artists who are inspiring climate action through music and watercolors; entrepreneurs who are breaking down barriers for EV adoption and green jobs; and land stewards who are fostering resilience on farms, in forests, and even in cemeteries. The people on this year’s list hail from small towns and big cities, from the Caribbean to the Midwest. They’re working in academia, in local governments, in startups, in nonprofits. Together, these 50 stories are a snapshot of the progress that is still unfolding all over the country — and a testament to the strength, diversity, and creativity of the many people pushing it forward.

Read the stories of climate leaders to watch in: Arts + Media, Business + Tech, Food + Land, Policy + Advocacy, and Science + Energy.