GRID-Arendal in 2025

2025 was a defining year for GRID-Arendal. It was the first year under our new strategy and, at the same time, one of the most demanding years in our history.

Our new strategy challenged us to be clearer about who we are and where we add value. Rather than pursuing growth through volume, we prioritised focus, quality, and transformative potential. Project development became more strategic and anticipatory. Partnerships deepened, particularly with UNEP, culminating in a renewed Memorandum of Understanding and secured core funding from Norad to support UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy. Our science-based work continued to inform policy processes on climate, oceans, biodiversity, and pollution, while our communication work strengthened the bridge between science and global decision-making arenas such as UNEA 7 and the plastics treaty negotiations.

Across the organisation, we worked to align strategy, resources, and impact more closely than before. The result is a GRID-Arendal that is more focused, more intentional, and better positioned to contribute to the systemic changes required to address the three planetary crises.

2025 was not an easy year. But it was a year of clarity, consolidation, and renewed purpose.

GRID-Arendal wants to do the right work, in the right way and for the right reasons, in accordance with our core values and strategy. The work should always add up to something bigger than the individual projects – making the world a better place.

This is a core responsibility within project development at GRID-Arendal. The role is central to delivering the organisation’s strategy by strengthening coherence across projects and supporting a shift from stand-alone initiatives to more integrated, systemic approaches.

This work is now guided by our strategic priorities which must be embedded in all our future work. To drive long-term, systems-level change, we must clearly define and prioritise our target audience, those with the authority to influence, challenge, and change the systems in question: decision-makers.

Knowledge-based decision-making, drawing on science, citizen science, and local and Indigenous knowledge, remains at the core of our work. We are now more explicit in our ambition to challenge the status quo, prioritising action on the structural drivers of environmental change rather than responding only to its symptoms.

We have strengthened our project development approach to be more strategic, forward-looking and collaborative across all impact areas. By investing earlier in idea development, partnerships and narrative building, we are better positioned to influence agendas and prioritise initiatives with stronger strategic alignment and transformative potential.

This approach has also enhanced internal collaboration and shared ownership. By aligning expertise around common programme goals and emerging issues, we are reducing fragmentation, improving efficiency and strengthening our ability to respond to complex environmental challenges

Externally, the shift has reinforced GRID-Arendal’s role as a trusted partner at the science-policy interface. We hope partners will increasingly seek our engagement not only for implementation, but for strategic framing, knowledge synthesis, and thought leadership. This has opened space for deeper, longer-term collaborations and increased our influence in shaping environmental agendas.

A clear example of this approach is our recent engagement with Horizon Europe. We submitted seven proposals, of which 3 were directly funded, one was placed on the reserve list, and 6 of the project proposals scored above the eligibility threshold.

This cross-organisational effort reflects strong collaboration and shared ownership across the organisation. The three funded projects alone will secure work for the coming four years and significantly expand our reach and impact.

This approach positions GRID-Arendal to further strengthen its role as a catalyst for transformative change. By continuing to invest in programme development and thought leadership, we are better equipped to anticipate emerging issues and support decision-makers before risks escalate into crises – and to contribute to reversing the current environmental crisis.

The potential is significant. At the same time, sustaining this approach requires discipline, continuous learning and the courage to remain selective. The challenge ahead is to maintain a strong strategic focus while staying flexible and responsive in a rapidly changing context.

In 2025, GRID-Arendal consolidated its strategic role in support of UNEP – a role firmly embedded in our by-laws and formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding.

In May, we signed a new MoU with UNEP for the period 2025–2029, aligned with UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy 2026–2029 and its delivery on the Pact for the Future and UN 2.0. The partnership is focused on addressing the root causes of the three planetary crises and enabling the systemic changes needed to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. To translate this ambition into action, we developed a joint work plan with UNEP defining clear areas of collaboration in support of the Medium-Term Strategy.

Following the signing of the MoU, we engaged in consultations with the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify GRID-Arendal’s mandate and secure sustainable financing for this role. These discussions culminated on 5 December in a new Grant Agreement with Norad, providing NOK 10 million annually to support delivery of UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy. This agreement is the result of 18 months of sustained dialogue to secure predictable funding for our core mandate of supporting UNEP, as outlined in our by-laws. It ensures long-term, strategically aligned collaboration with UNEP.

On 31 July, we welcomed Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, for a strategic dialogue on GRID-Arendal’s mandate and future direction. The visit underscored the importance of predictable and flexible financing to enable long-term, systems-level impact across climate, oceans and pollution. It also reflected strong recognition of GRID-Arendal’s role at the science–policy interface and our contribution to advancing Norwegian environmental and development priorities through partnership with UNEP.

The Norad grant enables delivery on three shared outcomes aligned with both UNEP and Norwegian priorities: strengthened climate resilience and reduced emissions; healthy and resilient ocean and coastal ecosystems and communities; and reduced exposure of people and planet to harmful chemicals and pollution.

Taken together, these milestones mark an important step in 2025: we have clarified, consolidated, and financed GRID-Arendal’s strategic role in support of UNEP – reinforcing our function as a trusted partner and a key instrument for Norwegian environmental and development policy.

At GRID-Arendal, we are committed to delivering high-quality, science-based work that informs sound environmental policy and decision-making, and leads to tangible outcomes for people and nature. Grounding our work in the best available science, and communicating clearly on urgent issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, is more important than ever in an era marked by mis- and disinformation. By combining scientific integrity with accessible communication, we strengthen the foundation for informed, evidence-based action.

GRID-Arendal is committed to driving transformative change, recognising that a healthy and equitable planet can only be achieved through collaboration, innovation, and the courage to challenge existing paradigms. By embracing co-creation, fostering shared learning, and taking impactful action, we aspire to shape a future where both people and nature thrive in harmony.

Our strategy for 2025-2030 sets a new direction in our work, to not only make science understandable and accessible to policy- and decision-makers but to also focus on shifting the unworkable systems and structures that are responsible for creating the climate, nature, and pollution crises we are experiencing. This approach is known as transformative change, and is increasingly being identified by the UN as needed if we are to rebalance our relationship with nature. By adopting different ways of working, we not only deliver the practical solutions to tackle climate change, nature loss, and pollution, but we are able to connect with policy- and decision-makers to address the root causes of these crises.

In 2025 we released our most recent dedicated impact report, which summarised key impact resulting from our work. Some of the key highlights included:

The Vanishing Treasures project, implemented with UNEP and in-country partners, sought to improve protection of endangered species such as snow leopards, Royal Bengal tigers, and mountain gorillas, while supporting the mountain communities that share their habitats. The project has led to reduced human-wildlife conflict and strengthened conservation efforts. Through pilot projects, capacity-building initiatives, and policy development, it transformed relationships from conflict to coexistence. Specifically, we supported:

1. 5 countries
2. 4 strategic plans influenced or drafted
3. Over 4,700 people trained and over 53,800 hectares ofland restored or under improved management.

Our work on oceans resulted in strengthening ocean governance in the Abidjan Convention and its member countries through enhancing region and national policy and capacity for integrated ocean governance; tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and empowering local communities and stakeholders. Key achievements include:

1. the development of the first Regional Integrated Ocean Governance Policy for the Abidjan Convention;
2. national sustainable ocean governance processes initiated in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Togo;
3. support to marine protected area governance in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Namibia; and
4. fisheries law reforms and innovative monitoring in Guinea (Conakry).

Finally, as the world moves towards a new agreement on plastic pollution through the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, GRID-Arendal is working hard to support these efforts. In partnership with UNEP and IUCN, GRID-Arendal has supported 23 countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and South America. Support includes national policy landscape readiness assessments; plastic trade data and source inventories; material flow analyses; and negotiation capacity building. A media support initiative has engaged 350 journalists via webinars, travel grants, and a toolkit to enhance reporting on the INC process.

In 2025, we managed a diverse and active project portfolio across our core thematic programmes. Our organisation implemented a total of 87 projects, reflecting both strong operational capacity and broad thematic engagement across Climate, Nature, Pollution, and supporting programmes.

Collaboration remains a defining feature of GRID-Arendal’s work. Across the portfolio, projects were delivered in partnership with 193 unique partners, demonstrating extensive international cooperation and multi-stakeholder engagement. On average, each project involved nearly three partners, with several large initiatives bringing together broad, multi-institutional consortia.

The portfolio structure reflects a balanced mix of small, medium, and large projects, ensuring both flexibility and strategic impact. A significant share of projects conclude in 2025, marking an important delivery phase and positioning the organisation for continued renewal and development of new partnerships. The project portfolio also shows a balanced distribution in size and scope: 30 small projects (under 250k. NOK), 39 medium-sized projects (250k–1M NOK), and 18 large projects (over 1M NOK).

In 2025 our digital platforms continued to serve as important global entry points for environmental knowledge. Grida.no had more than half a million active users, and 638,000 sessions – a 6% increase from 2024. Around 64% of traffic came from organic search, underlining the website’s role as a trusted global reference and discovery platform. Approximately 70% of users accessed the site via desktop, pointing to a predominantly professional and workplace-based audience.

GRID-Arendal’s media visibility grew significantly in 2025. The organisation was featured in over 360 media articles reaching an estimated 82.7 million people. An 800% increase from 2024, demonstrating a shift towards more impactful media placements. The organisation also continued to strengthen its support to journalists. In 2025, 16 journalists were supported through travel grants, contributing to an active and growing network of more than 250 journalists worldwide.

Across its programmes, GRID-Arendal published 8 reports, 6 policy briefs, and 6 story maps and toolkits, supported over 30 countries, contributing to knowledge and dissemination. In addition, the organisation delivered webinars and training sessions, supporting capacity building and stakeholder engagement across projects.

Together, these figures illustrate not only the breadth of our work, but also the strength of our partnerships and our capacity to deliver across a diverse and growing portfolio.

Looking ahead, GRID-Arendal is increasingly positioned as a trusted intermediary between science and policy. In a fragmented and polarised information landscape, where environmental issues are often contested or oversimplified, this role is not only relevant, it is essential. By translating credible science into policy-relevant knowledge and enabling informed public debate, we directly contribute to UNEP’s mandate to advance evidence-based environmental decision-making.

Building on the momentum of 2025, we will continue to design and deliver high-quality, science-based work that supports practical solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. At the same time, our strategy challenges us to go further: to address the root causes of these crises by engaging with the systems and structures that drive them. This requires focus, collaboration, and the courage to question established ways of working — both externally and within our own organisation.

The path ahead will demand discipline and adaptability. Yet the direction is clear. By aligning strategy, partnerships, and impact more closely than ever before, GRID-Arendal is committed to helping rebalance the relationship between people and nature – and to supporting the transformative change that a healthy and equitable planet requires.