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] The IEA highlights that 22 Mt of potential production could miss any chance of operating by 2030 if investment decisions on announced projects are not taken by early 2027. Green Hydrogen Organisation
• [New] Low-emissions hydrogen production reached almost 1 Mt in 2025 and is expected to register record growth in 2026, accounting for more than 1% of global production, strongly concentrated in China, Europe and North America. IEA
• [New] One of the key findings: at higher production volumes, hydrogen pipelines become significantly more cost-effective than conventional transmission lines - with up to 28% lower specific CAPEX per ton of green ammonia by 2050. ILF.com
• [New] With a planned annual production of around 26,000 tons of green hydrogen, the production plant in Emden shall contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gases from 2027 on. ILF.com
• [New] The UK will invest £50 mn to boost domestic production of critical minerals, in a bid to reduce reliance on increasingly pressurised global supply chains. Emperor
• [New] Tower Semiconductor will invest approximately $3 billion to expand its production capacity for silicon photonics and silicon-germanium semiconductors in Japan. note
• [New] Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC will invest another $100bn (£74bn) in Arizona as it expands its production in the US, a move the Commerce Department said will create tens of thousands of American jobs. BBC News
• [New] TSMC says its third Arizona fab, announced in spring 2024, will not begin volume production until at least the end of the decade according to its own docs. theregister
• [New] Battery manufacturing capacity is set to more than triple by 2030, while EV production capacity could rise more than tenfold, driven by strong industrial policy and increasing foreign investment, including from China. IEA
• [New] Across Europe, governments are quietly rebuilding civil defence systems, expanding military production, discussing conscription, increasing defence budgets, and warning citizens to prepare emergency food, water, medicine, batteries, and cash. Armstrong Economics
• [New] BloombergNEF expects road transport fuel consumption to peak by 2029 and then begin to decline. E-TECH EUROPE 2026
• [New] We expect South Korean automotive production to decrease by 7.6% in 2026 and by 3.5% in 2027. atradius
• [New] Chinese automotive production growth is expected to slow down from 12.2% in 2025 to 1.9% in 2026. atradius
• [New] We expect Japanese automotive production to contract by 3.6% in 2026 and by 2% in 2027. atradius
• [New] We expect global production of motor vehicles and parts to decrease by 0.2% in 2026, after a 2.9% increase last year. atradius
• [New] Consumption of natural gas in the electric power sector We forecast U.S. natural gas consumption in the electric power sector will increase in 2026 and 2027, reaching a record next year. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• [New] The IEA forecasts global gas demand will decline 0.5% in 2026, the first annual drop since 2022, citing higher LNG prices and weaker consumption. More News From NowHere
• [New] Shell forecasts global LNG demand will rise by approximately 65% by 2050, driven primarily by Asian demand, coal-to-gas switching, industrial growth and increasing electricity consumption, including from AI data centers. More News From NowHere
• [New] Washington has accelerated procurement and expanded production capacity, though replenishing key weapons systems is expected to take several years. More News From NowHere
• [New] Rheinmetall (Germany) and Lockheed Martin (US) agreed to establish European production of ATACMS tactical missiles at Rheinmetall's Unterluss facility, with manufacturing expected to begin from 2027, supporting NATO's effort to expand European defence industrial capacity. More News From NowHere
• [New] The United States will grant Ukraine a production license for Patriot interceptor missiles, allowing future manufacturing in Ukraine in cooperation with US industry, adding that the United States is prepared to purchase Ukrainian-made drones. More News From NowHere
• [New] The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 emphasizes improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing infrastructure resilience across water production and distribution systems. MarkNtel Advisors
• [New] South Korea will additionally focus on maintaining an unwavering supply chain based on lessons learned from the Middle East war, including offering tax benefits for the domestic production of strategically important items. UPI

Last updated: 20 July 2026