Our Scans · (LF.12) Responsible Consumption and Production · 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 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

• [New] Fujian province - CATL's headquarters city - the expansion project will add 40 GWh of annual production capacity for sodium-ion power batteries. NextBigFuture.com
• [New] A European sales launch is targeted for H2 2027; EU tariffs on Chinese-made battery-electric vehicles of up to 45% make some form of local production a near-prerequisite for competitive pricing. Automotive World
• [New] The United States needs to prepare the industrial base to surge production, which will require sufficient industrial infrastructure (e.g., capital expenditures) and components (e.g., supply chains) for unmanned production. Center for Strategic and International Studies
• [New] Supply-chain leaders and program managers who have not locked in multi-year solar panel allocations are already competing for capacity they cannot fully see - and the window to secure 2027 and 2028 production slots is closing faster than most forward procurement schedules assume. The Journal of Space Commerce
• [New] Cellulosic biofuel volumes were finalized at 1.36 billion gallons in 2026 and 1.43 billion gallons in 2027, reflecting a more conservative outlook based on expected production. American Farm Bureau Federation
• [New] The vulnerabilities exposed by global events, combined with a desire to reduce carbon footprints, will drive a resurgence of localized and regionalized production. BindasLook.in
• [New] Renaissance is expected to sustain a material ramp-up in output, targeting production of around 300,000 bpd by early 2026, driven by the reactivation of idle wells and expanded field development. The Government and Business Journal
• [New] The burden on developing countries will not only come in the form of energy prices, but also lasting impacts on fertilizer consumption, food security, and food prices, which Birol emphasized is a global problem. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] By creating virtual replicas of real-world production, sourcing, and logistics systems, organizations can simulate the impact of quota exhaustion, price spikes, disruptive events, and regulatory changes before they hit profit and loss statements or production schedules S&P Global, Markets & Markets. FifthRow - Autonomous AI Apps for Research, Strategy, C
• [New] While organic production in the EU is expected to grow, coverage is projected to reach only 12.1% by 2030, which is significantly lower than the anticipated 25%. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The RFNBO rules favour a detour in the production of synthetic fuels, which risks increasing both costs and energy use. EurekAlert!
• [New] PwC leaders expect clear benchmarks for agentic AI, Responsible AI embedded into daily operations, sustainability-driven value creation, a reshaped generalist-plus-strategist workforce, and orchestration layers that turn experimentation into production. VMblog
• [New] Strait of Hormuz disruptions are pushing up fertilizer costs, threatening agricultural production well beyond 2026. CNS Media
• [New] We expect the natural gas-weighted manufacturing index to increase by 1.5% in 2026 and 0.7% in 2027, contributing to slightly higher industrial natural gas consumption over the next two years. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• [New] The column charts in c and e show the median cumulative nickel production across model simulations (n = 500) between 2025 and 2050, and the error bars show the 5th and 95th percentiles. AZOM
• [New] The green transition of the global steel industry is under threat due to the high costs of coal-based production and insufficient investment in environmentally friendly methods. GMK.CENTER
• [New] AI infrastructure will require approximately 175% more electricity by 2030 compared to current consumption levels. Newswire
• [New] Cellulosic biofuels remain an emerging sector, and EPA continues to adjust targets when projected production falls short. American Farm Bureau Federation
• [New] The Commonwealth LNG project is expected to begin operations in 2030 and forms part of Caturus' integrated natural gas strategy spanning upstream production and LNG exports. MarineLink
• [New] New fabs from Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron, and Kioxia, the top memory companies, are not expected to reach volume production until late 2027 or 2028. Fortune
• [New] While Chile could be more severely affected by intense rainfall during critical periods of its season, Peru has continued to consolidate a different production model, supported by more stable conditions in several of its regions and by an operation designed to maintain commercial continuity. Blueberries Consulting
• [New] Robotaxi services will accelerate their rollout nationwide this year, especially considering the mass production of Cybercab. tradingkey.com
• [New] As production scales globally, purchase prices are also expected to move closer to petrol and diesel equivalents across many mainstream segments. heycar

Last updated: 18 May 2026