Our Scans · (LF.15) Life on Land · 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 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] Without urgent action to stabilise and reduce GHG emissions, global heating will dramatically accelerate, making extreme weather events and unnatural disasters more intense and more likely, with grave human rights implications for billions of people and the critical ecosystems on which we all rely. Pearls and Irritations
• [New] The industrial agricultural system that dominates Western food and fiber supply chains incentivizes practices that promote soil erosion at a rate of 10 to 100 times higher than soil formation ... and monocropping adds threats to local biodiversity, including critical pollinators. Yahoo Life
• [New] The biological cycle of cattle production means meaningful herd growth is unlikely before 2027 at the earliest, with high input costs, aging producer demographics, and competition for land all slowing the rebuild. CNS Media
• [New] The 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference obligates all countries to reduce pesticide risks by 50% by 2030. PubMed
• [New] The loss of summer sea ice estimated to occur in the coming decades will worsen impacts to ecosystems, Arctic people, and global climate. Ocean Visions
• [New] Alaska's North Slope is likely a model for what is taking place across Arctic tundra ecosystems, and we can expect wildfires to worsen if warming continues. Live Science
• [New] Mass-scale expansion of agriculture driven by global population growth risks sacrificing sustainability: forests cleared for farmland, pesticides polluting waterways, and ecosystems pushed beyond recovery accelerating biodiversity loss. The Guardian
• [New] Persistent and widespread environmental populations of mirror bacteria would expose humans, animals and plants to an ongoing risk of infection - a serious threat to humans and to global ecosystems. Michigan State University
• [New] China has laid out ambitious plans to land astronauts on the moon's south pole before 2030, targeting a region believed to contain water ice and other resources vital for long-term human settlement. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] SpaceX is deeply involved in Artemis, having been awarded a contract to develop a lunar lander variant of Starship for the Artemis III mission, which will land the first humans near the lunar South Pole. The Boreal Times
• [New] The incoming EU Deforestation Regulation, which requires full supply chain traceability for cocoa back to the land of origin, will add further compliance costs for companies sourcing from West Africa. CNS Media
• [New] The Newly released standard will be the first global standard available for companies to use to track GHG emissions and CO2 removals from agricultural land use. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] Continued adoption of stringent environmental standards, coupled with the deployment of advanced technologies like satellite-based mineral detection, will empower communities and miners, protect fragile ecosystems, and unlock new value across increasingly global supply chains. Farmonaut
• [New] Microplastics are a growing global concern, with documented effects on marine ecosystems and potential risks to human health. ScienceDaily
• [New] More frequent Bureau of Land Management lease sales, expedited state-level permitting in California, and $7.3 million in Colorado geothermal funding will benefit conventional and enhanced geothermal developers alike. Capstone DC
• [New] The twin thrusts of the Russian advance could link up somewhere along Expressway S61 inside Polish territory, creating a land bridge between the Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus. Belfer Center
• [New] On land, it could escalate the weaponization of migration through Belarus, which serves to amplify political polarization and strain governance in states such as Poland and Lithuania. Belfer Center
• [New] A report from researchers at the University of Johannesburg said that it poses risk to aquatic biodiversity due to ocean deoxygenation. SlashGear
• [New] Latin America and the Caribbean, home to more than 25% of the world's marine biodiversity, have a unique potential to lead the sustainable blue economy. CAF
• [New] The residential segment is expected to grow with a CAGR of 16.8% from 2025 to 2033 with the growing consumer appetite for convenience and intelligent kitchen ecosystems. Market Data Forecast
• [New] The widespread use of agricultural pesticides is a growing threat to global biodiversity. Mirage News
• [New] At the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada, in 2022, nations committed to reducing the risks associated with pesticide use in agriculture by 50% by 2030. Mirage News
• [New] Investec expects a softer 0.2% M/M print for December after November's strong 0.3% rebound, which was boosted by a recovery in car production following the Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack, alongside firmer retail sales. investing.com

Last updated: 16 February 2026