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] The services segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.2% from 2025 to 2033, owing to the increasing complexity of data ecosystems and the growing need for specialized expertise in implementation, integration, and managed analytics. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Spain has recorded damage to 22,000 hectares of agricultural land: a figure that could nearly double according to the agriculture minister. youth4planet
• [New] The initiative, led by Brazil and a coalition of tropical forest countries, could bridge the gap between biodiversity and climate agendas. EN Integrity Next
• [New] The future of ageing in Asia will be defined not by a single solution, but by a seamless ecosystem of care. PingAn
• [New] By 2026, an organization's ability to govern its AI ecosystem will determine its capacity to innovate. Rootstack
• [New] Costs nearly doubled over the years, to more than $1.2 billion, and opponents voiced concerns about a desalination plant's potential impact on the environment - arguing that its super salty discharge into Corpus Christi Bay could create dead zones in the sensitive, mostly enclosed coastal ecosystem. Insurance Journal
• [New] What were once relatively contained, cost-driven programs are now sprawling, global ecosystems that demand new ways of thinking about governance, technology and risk. Staffing Industry Analysts
• [New] Oxygen-depleted ocean zones are increasing rapidly, threatening marine ecosystems and global seafood supply chains. Informosio
• [New] Ecosystem instability has led to unpredictable catch volumes and increased vulnerability to disease outbreaks in both wild and farmed populations. Market Data Forecast
• [New] By 2026, the vertical farming model is positioned as a core strategy for increasing food production in cities, reducing environmental risk in forestry and mine rehabilitation projects, and expanding scalable agriculture where arable land is limited. Farmonaut
• [New] Freelancer, the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, today announced the Boom: Trajectory Unknown Challenge - a global competition seeking breakthrough AI/ML solutions to predict where materials land after sudden, violent disruptions. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Ottawa is putting at risk its goals to protect nearly one-third of Canada's land and waterways, with tens of millions of dollars in federal funding about to run out. Lethbridge News Now
• [New] By 2026, over 70% of leading U.S. coal companies will implement land reclamation for sustainable agriculture use. Farmonaut
• Grasslands and extensive grazing play an irreplaceable role in global biodiversity and throughout the year numerous initiatives will raise global awareness of their importance for food production, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the health of ecosystems. BioNet
• In 2026, African diamond mining is projected to affect over 1.2 million hectares of land and forest ecosystems. Farmonaut
• An additional area of land twice the size of Wales will be needed by 2050 to meet the UK's targets for net zero and biodiversity alone. farminguk
• Tropical forests, which harbor more than half of all terrestrial species, continue to be lost at approximately 10 million hectares per year, despite pledges at COP26 to end deforestation by 2030. Gray Group International
• Fashion and textiles: Cotton production (which uses 2.5% of global arable land and 6% of global pesticide use), leather supply chains linked to cattle ranching and deforestation, and synthetic fibers contributing to microplastic pollution all create biodiversity risks. Gray Group International
• The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which predates the GBF, aligns closely with its targets and adds EU-specific requirements including legally binding nature restoration targets (the Nature Restoration Law adopted in 2024). Gray Group International
• Regulatory requirements for biodiversity impact assessments, net gain requirements (the UK requires 10% biodiversity net gain on all new developments), and environmental permitting delays create project timeline and cost risks. Gray Group International
• A palm oil supply chain in Borneo faces different biodiversity risks than one in West Africa, even though both involve deforestation pressure. Gray Group International
• The Government of Zambia has announced an ambitious plan to increase its electricity generation capacity to approximately 10,000 megawatts by 2030, aiming to address persistent power shortages and support long-term economic growth. Industrial Info Resources

Last updated: 05 April 2026