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 horizontal hydroponic system is a game-changer for large-scale leafy green and herb production - and projected to become a mainstream configuration by 2026 in urban farm environments. Farmonaut
• [New] Thanks to process improvements and onsite production, costs are forecast to fall 20-35% by 2026, closing the gap with conventional fuels. Farmonaut
• [New] Canadian oil sands producers lead by Cenovus Energy Inc. plan to expand production next year despite an impending supply glut that threatens to deepen the slump in crude prices. Canadian Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Feat
• [New] On the forecast side, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects Brent to average $56 a barrel in 2026, down from an average of $69 in 2025, as global oil production is projected to exceed demand and inventories rise. Dubai Diaries
• [New] We forecast U.S. consumption of total distillate fuel oil - often marketed as diesel, which includes petroleum-based distillate fuel oil, renewable diesel, and biodiesel - to increase by around 2% in both 2026 and 2027, reaching record highs in 2027. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• [New] By the second half of 2026, EIA expects production to increase as new pipeline capacity comes online in the Permian Basin and producers raise drilling activity in response to higher prices earlier in the year. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• [New] Base Case: Data center electricity demand reaches 945 TWh by 2030, representing 3% of global electricity consumption. GlobeNewswire
• [New] In the Base Case scenario, global electricity consumption from data centers is projected to double by 2030, reaching around 945 TWh, which would represent just under 3% of total global electricity consumption by 2030. GlobeNewswire
• [New] As AI adoption continues to rise, data center electricity consumption is projected to nearly triple by 2035, reaching 1,300 TWh. Yahoo Finance
• [New] 2026 is the year that AI will scale in production. MSP Channel Insights
• [New] In 2026, the global spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and software is projected to reach 2.52 trillion dollars, representing a 44% year-over-year increase as organizations shift from experimental pilots to core production scaling. icertglobal.com
• [New] A new assessment of announced projects and the likelihood they will become available by 2030, carried out in the 2025 edition of the IEA's Global Hydrogen Review, suggests that an additional 6 Mt of low-emissions hydrogen production has a strong potential to be operational by 2030. IEA
• [New] From around 2030 and through the following several decades, levelized costs of production for both green hydrogen and derivative green ammonia should become increasingly competitive. BNamericas
• [New] Hertha plans to quickly scale up its production of high-purity iron so that, by 2030, it will be able to meet about a quarter of total projected demand for magnets in the U.S. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] Planned primary green steel production capacity for 2050 currently represents less than 2% of today's total global steel production. SEI
• [New] Washington's energy production is already on pace to see severe energy shortages by 2030. Everett Post
• [New] The green scenario projected about 502,000 jobs lost by 2030, largely tied to restructuring in heavy industry, where automation and cleaner production reduce labour needs. earth.com
• [New] Soaring memory prices will impact global smartphone production in 2026. Semiconductor Engineering
• [New] The annual contraction in global smartphone production could widen to 15% or more. TrendForce
• [New] Some of the interest in Canadian opportunities stems from the perception that production in the massive Permian Basin in West Texas has plateaued and is heading into a long-term decline. Canadian Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Feat
• [New] Processing capability development reduces dependency on Asian refiners while creating opportunities for value-added production serving regional manufacturing. Discovery Alert
• Tesla will end production of its Model S sedan and Model X SUV later in 2026, to prioritize AI, autonomy, and producing humanoid robots at its Fremont, CA plant. National Law Review

Last updated: 16 February 2026