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Curiously Green Issue #70 – Rounding up 2025
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Welcome to the final Curiously Green of the year. Today’s edition rounds off the year with year end reviews from two of the most important and ethical digital advocacy organisations, a highlights reel from Wholegrain and some suggestions for last minute Christmas reading too.
From myself and all of the Wholgrain team, we wish you the very best for the festive period and a joyous and positive start to 2026.
Andy Davies
Curiously Green Manager
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All Tech is Human 2025 review
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In a year where tech news has been dominated by big tech companies, AI and algorithms, it’s heartening to be reminded that there are organisations who are working to make the internet a better place for people and the planet.
Two such organisations have just released their year end reviews and I can think of no more important and positive work to highlight at the end of 2025.
First up is this round up from All Tech is Human, an organisation that “brings together people, organizations, and ideas to grow and strengthen the Responsible Tech ecosystem”.
Their report highlights the work they have been doing to ensure that our tech future is shaped by human agency and collective action. The report details the success of their Responsible Tech Guide and growth of their community. It points to a future where responsibility, ethics and sustainability is at the forefront of tech development not taking a back seat to the search for profit and expansion.
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Climate Action Tech 2025 review
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Secondly a round up from Climate Action Tech, a volunteer run organisation with an outsized influence. Their review highlights the work they’ve done around promoting and advocating for open source software and the right to repair.
As a CAT member myself I think one of the most important things they do is provide space for discussion, ideation and debate. At a time when AI has dominated tech conversations and cooled some interest in digital sustainability, “CAT remains a space outside of work where we can question things, try new stuff, and support each other in climate action.”
As with All Tech is Human the report highlights the importance of human agency and community for tech in 2026 and beyond. CAT has big plans to help facilitate action and leadership in the new year. All power to them.
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It wouldn’t feel right to send out an end of year newsletter without highlighting some of the work that the Wholegrain team have been doing this year.
When I look at the sites the studio has put out this year there is a lot to be proud of, but with my Humane Web hat on, I can’t look past the collaborative project undertaken with The Engine Room, a technology focussed social justice organisation in Latin America.
If ever a project embodied our Humane Web principles it’s this one. We built them a sub site to host a report titled “Working towards healthier information ecosystems: Collective visions from civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean” and the research that accompanies the report. Wholegrain collaborated with Latin American design agency La Propia Agencia to build a beautiful and extremely light weight site. It’s a site that is highly accessible in all senses of the word, a site that welcomes users of multiple languages, whatever their needs, whatever their device capabilities or connection speed.
It’s a site that showcases creativity and prioritises people and the planet in the name of stronger and healthier civil ecosystems.
A worthy endeavour to highlight.
In case you missed them here are our three most popular articles written in 2025
- An update to the original Website Carbon Calculator. This year we moved Website Carbon to V4 of the Sustainable Web Design Model. Wholegrain built Website Carbon in 2018 and things have come a long way since! This article details what the changes meant for the tool.
- In June this year the European Accessibility Act 2025 came into effect. It requires “any business that is trading, or plans to trade, in the EU needs to provide accessible digital services”. Our Growth Manager Bailey breaks down some of the implications of the new legislation and reminds us why digital accessibility is so important.
- 2026 promises to be dominated by the decisions and actions taken by big tech. Our digital activity often relies on a handful of companies and it’s easy to feel trapped by the platforms we use. This article reminds us that our personal agency and tech choices can have a big impact on the footprint of our on-line activities. Will it encourage you to change your on-line habits?
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Inspired? Join the Wholegrain Digital team
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Help us shape a greener, more holistic web
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If you’re interested in being part of the Wholegrain Digital team, we’re always happy to hear from individuals dedicated to making a difference in the world via digital sustainability.
We are currently looking for a Senior WordPress Developer to join our team, to help us build world class websites.
If you don’t fit the roles advertised at any time, you’re always welcome to get in touch with the team by replying to this newsletter to learn more about us and explore options in a casual conversation.
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Some analog climate inspiration
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The Christmas break is the perfect time to put your devices to one side and curl up with a good book. Yale Climate Connections have put together a list of fiction books on Climate Futures.
I’m a big advocate of fiction to help illuminate how our world can change and what our future lives might look like. The creativity and imaginations of authors give us a window into why our actions matter right now as well as what we should prepare ourselves for in the future. If you’ve never read any “Cli-Fi” , 2026 is the perfect time to start.
If you prefer non-fiction our friends Pluto Press can help.
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We want to hear from you!
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Remember to share what you’ve seen, and/or been up to this month and your plans for 2026!
Don’t forget, we want to hear more from you, the Curiously Green community! If you’re heard or read something that may be of interest, please share any links, and your thoughts with us.
Even better, we’d love to know what you’re working on. If you have any case studies or projects you’d like to share, or new approaches you’ve tried that may be of interest, this is a great way to share with like minded folk so please head over to our submission form and tell us all about it!
We can’t wait to hear from more of you. 💚
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