Global Scans · Life on Land · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss,

• [New] Nature underpins food systems, clean air and water, energy, climate and disaster resilience, and Canada's identity-yet it faces mounting threats from climate change, urbanization, and biodiversity loss. Mirage News
• [New] Taxing South Korean land values could generate an enormous amount of revenue, and a modest LVT could easily raise enough for a meaningful UBI with no risk of evaporating the tax base. Progress and Poverty
• [New] The Lyme Timber Company is looking at how it could leverage the data it has collected from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology - which maps a portion of land with more granularity than field mapping - to carry out nature-based carbon projects. Environmental Finance
• [New] One-fifth of land currently used for Arabica coffee could become unsuitable by 2050, as rising temperatures reshape key growing regions. RAVE Coffee
• [New] Up to 20% of Arabica-growing land could become unsuitable by 2050. RAVE Coffee
• [New] Through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed in 2022, governments have pledged to halt biodiversity loss, protect at least 30% of land and oceans by 2030, and restore degraded ecosystems. Greenpeace International
• [New] BTG Pactual's Timberland Investment Group illustrates the Latin America opportunity: a reforestation strategy targeting 300,000 hectares of degraded land across Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile, balancing ecological restoration with commercial returns. I4N - Innovate for Nature
• [New] Urban growth in Southeast Asia is rapidly transforming landscapes and placing biodiversity at risk. SpringerLink
• [New] Invasive alien species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity globally, as they negatively impact the ecological stability of invaded habitats and native species, leading to consequent pressures on essential ecosystem functions and services. EU GREEN
• [New] In 2021, the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use set a global target to end forest loss by 2030, including reaching zero gross deforestation. Edie
• [New] Around 80 million people are today living on land in coastal areas below sea level - almost twice previous estimates - dramatically increasing the numbers at risk as sea level rise accelerates in the coming decades. Yale E360
• [New] For generations, Canada's vast forests and the economic opportunities they provide have sustained and powered Canadian towns, economies and communities from coast to coast to coast. Atlas Engineered Products
• [New] LSRS methodologies will serve as a reference framework for eventually bringing land-based emissions - currently estimated at 15% of global GHG emissions but insulated from carbon-pricing schemes-under future regulatory oversight. Capstone DC
• [New] The Greenhouse Gas Protocol's Land Sector and Removals Standard will increase emissions reporting requirements for crop-based biofuels, resulting in higher compliance costs to demonstrate supply-chain traceability. Capstone DC
• [New] Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages Norway's Government Pension Fund Global, has issued Nature Expectations - guidance for portfolio companies as they assess, disclose, and manage risks arising from impacts on land, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems. JD Supra
• [New] Argentina's soybean area is broadly stable and structurally entrenched: 17.4 Mha are forecast for 2026/27, with only marginal scope for expansion given that most arable land is already cropped and remaining land is lower potential or logistically constrained. Commodity Board Europe is an independent commodity mark
• [New] Through the clearance of explosive hazards, UNMAS ensures that land is rendered safe for use, directly enabling agencies like UNHCR and IOM to establish shelters and humanitarian actors to deliver life-sustaining services. UNMAS
• [New] Understanding the competitive landscape is essential for stakeholders seeking sustainable growth opportunities, innovation in responsible finance, and strategic partnerships within the evolving global financial services ecosystem. The National Law Review
• [New] Land leasing and rural revitalization for renewable projects are expected to provide an untapped opportunity in the U.S. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Vector-borne disease risk is shifting in response to land use changes, pet travel, wildlife movement, and climate-related warming and extreme weather. dvm360
• [New] Land rents in the villages of Lower Saxony and Bavaria exploded, because biogas operators could outbid dairy, pig, and arable farmers. Quillette
• [New] 120,610 square kilometers (46,578 square miles), 36,381 square kilometers (14,047 square miles), and 149 square kilometers (58 square miles) of land would emerge by 2300 under high -, medium -, and low-ice melt conditions, respectively. Live Science
• [New] One multi-use solution in Singapore that could bring in money is the future Long Island - three elevated tracts of land double the size of Marina Bay that will be reclaimed off the East Coast to protect the low-lying stretch from rising seas. ST

Last updated: 26 April 2026