Global Scans · Life on Land · Weekly Summary

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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] Tree canopy cover must reach 16.5% of England's land area by 2050. Edie
• [New] New biodiversity targets include halving the establishment of invasive non-native species by 2030 compared with the year 2000. Edie
• [New] The Land Use Framework will help ensure that England's landscapes meet society's future needs, as the setting for people's lives, for growth, for food, energy and timber production, for recovering nature, managing climate change and for people's enjoyment and connection with nature. GOV.UK
• [New] Ecosystem degradation and collapse abroad will directly impact the UK. GOV.UK
• [New] In the water sector, 2024 price review final determinations will see new investment in the water sector over the next 5 years, with water companies planning £3 billion of investment by 2030 into nature-based solutions and increasing biodiversity. GOV.UK
• [New] Collaboration will help accelerate progress for nature in Nigeria by connecting private sector leadership with national biodiversity and climate priorities turning global goals into national action. Peoples Daily Newspaper
• [New] Recent cuts to USAID alone put at risk more than $500 million in annual funding for global biodiversity programs. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Europe's drying trend will have far-reaching impacts, hitting food security, farming and water-dependent ecosystems, especially groundwater-fed habitats. The Guardian
• [New] Marine biodiversity hotspots are increasingly at risk, acidifying faster than the global average. Defence Industry and Space
• [New] Without a formal process within the Paris Accord to end deforestation we will continue to see destruction of ecosystems, which is all we have to remove large volumes of carbon from the atmosphere and protect the planet's biodiversity. Australian Conservation Foundation
• [New] While still speculative, by the late 2050s we may see the emergence of integrated health ecosystems that seamlessly connect medical care, wellness management, and human enhancement. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] While still speculative, by the late 2050s we may see the emergence of integrated learning ecosystems that seamlessly connect formal education, workplace learning, and personal development. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] Digital learning ecosystems will support 70% of educational activities, providing access to global knowledge resources, virtual collaboration, and interactive learning experiences. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] While still speculative, by the late 2050s we may see the emergence of integrated health ecosystems that seamlessly connect prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and wellness. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] While still speculative, by the late 2050s we may see the emergence of integrated health ecosystems that seamlessly connect medical care, wellness, and longevity management. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] Environmental groups and some vessel operators have criticized the Executive Order, warning it could cause irreversible harm to marine ecosystems and undermine international efforts to regulate DSM responsibly. Passle
• [New] Invasive species are impacting biodiversity, degrading ecosystem function, and creating new risks to communities across the United States. USGS
• [New] While the ocean plays a critical role in regulating our climate and supporting biodiversity and the livelihoods of billions of people on the planet, the blue economy is still lacking in investment to reach its full potential. COP30 Virtual Ocean Pavilion 2025 (3-21 November)
• [New] Scientists from Duke University have developed a model that can predict the amount of mercury being released into a local ecosystem by deforestation and small-scale gold mining. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] Alongside NDCs, leaders will grapple with mobilising climate finance, including for the Brazil-led important Tropical Forests Forever Facility, finalising the rules of Article 6 on carbon markets, advancing adaptation amid worsening climate impacts and driving a just global energy transition. NewClimate Institute
• [New] 90% of disasters in the last decade were water-related, and with increasing disruption of the hydrological cycle by both climate change and human activity, floods, storms and droughts are increasingly affecting water management, economic development and natural ecosystems. Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
• [New] Marine parks such as Gorgona contribute to the 30 x30 global agreement to conserve 30% of land, water and ocean by 2030, as outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Guardian

Last updated: 07 December 2025