Global Scans · Climate · Weekly Summary

• [New] Carbon pricing could add ¥91.8bn to energy costs by 2050 under its Sustainable Scenario, compared with ¥3.8bn under the Middle Degradation Scenario and ¥3.1bn under the High Degradation & Climate Change Progression Scenario. FoodNavigator.com
• [New] Although still modest, Arctic crude flows could provide a growing offset to Russia's Black Sea export losses, potentially affecting both the discount applied to Russian crude and the effectiveness of Western sanctions over the medium term. investing.com
• [New] Retreating sea ice is extending the summer navigation season, while disruption in the Middle East has made traditional shipping routes through Suez and the Strait of Hormuz longer, more expensive and less predictable. investing.com
• [New] The recent extreme weather could ruin homegrown supplies and potentially drive up animal feed costs, leading to greater costs for consumers. The Independent
• [New] Experts at institutions ranging from Zurich Insurance to Tavoni's think-tank estimate 2026's flash drought is likely to deal a short-term economic blow to Europe of at least €50bn, which could rise significantly if the water shortages drag on. Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen
• [New] The collapse of water and sanitation systems has fuelled cholera outbreaks and worsened food insecurity, with famine risks rising across Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile. Al Jazeera
• [New] Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing region as governments are promoting digital agriculture to improve food security while using land and water more efficiently. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The estimated yearly spending required to achieve universal water supply and sanitation by 2030 is much more than present levels of investment. Straits Research
• [New] The Ministry of Climate Change & Environment created the UAE National Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan (2019-2030) to spur the shift to a circular economy at the federal level. Grc
• [New] Aquacultural pollution - a putrid cocktail of nitrogen, phosphorus, and dead fish - is now a widespread hazard in Asia, where 90% of farmed fish are located. National Geographic
• [New] By the mid-2020s, heat waves, floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events had become more frequent and severe across many parts of Asia, increasing risks to food security, water resources, infrastructure, and public health. EBSCO
• [New] Energy is among the EU's focal points, as the EU aims to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and increase renewable energy sources to 42.5% of total energy consumption (European Commission, n. d. - d). Scientific Advice Mechanism
• [New] Water companies must have improved 75% of storm overflows by 2035, and 100% by 2045. / UK CIWEM
• [New] There are renewed warnings that threats to food and water security in the Pacific arising from a stronger than usual El Nino climate pattern will compound the shocks emanating from the ongoing Middle East conflict. Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
• [New] Nepal is responsible for only a tiny fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet its Himalayan communities face mounting dangers as temperatures rise and glaciers retreat. The Guardian
• [New] The kind of increasingly frequent heatwaves we have experienced and greatly reduced rainfall that we could see over successive summers with climate change, plus a projected increase in demand for water, have raised the prospect that England could at some point run out of water. BBC News
• [New] Nasa plans a sustainable moon base staffed by astronauts and robots near the lunar south pole, where permanently shadowed craters are thought to hold tons of frozen water that could be turned into rocket fuel and drinking water. The Guardian
• [New] Attacks targeting critical infrastructure could have serious real-world consequences, including disruptions to hospitals, electrical systems and water treatment facilities. KDBC
• [New] Water and food security will form another major pillar of WGES 2026, reflecting the growing pressure that climate change is placing on essential resources. GCC BUSINESS WATCH
• [New] Launched at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, the Global Cooling Pledge unites about 75 countries and 70 non-state actors in the objective to cut down cooling-related emissions by 68% by 2050, while ensuring equitable access to sustainable cooling solutions to address extreme heat. IIFIIR
• 2026's El Nino is expected to bring hotter and drier weather in Singapore from June to October, overlapping with the traditional peak dengue season from May to October. CNA
• Forecast to be a super El Nino, it is expected to usher in even more severe extreme weather events as the global climate edges closer and closer to temporarily overshooting the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial times. Greenpeace International

Last updated: 14 September 2026