Our Scans · (LF.15) Life on Land · Weekly Summary

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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] Annual NbS investments must almost triple by 2030 to meet global goals on biodiversity, climate and land. Mirage News
• [New] The new and extended protected areas will help preserve some of Greece's most beautiful and ecologically significant mountain regions, offering a haven for biodiversity while also providing opportunities for travelers to experience nature at its best. Travel And Tour World
• [New] Australia works very hard to protect the fragile nature of the land where we grow things and to really manage the risk of pests, diseases and weeds. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] A state regulator is requiring California's last nuclear power plant to conserve 4,000 acres of surrounding land to keep operating until 2030. SightLine | U308
• [New] On land, Nokia and Gulf Bridge International announced a new high-capacity terrestrial route through Iraq, designed to reinforce links between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia with the project expected to be online by 2030. Verdict
• [New] A Brazilian initiative, known as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, is trying to raise $100bn, which will be used to compensate countries that leave their forests untouched. Al Jazeera
• [New] The US will soon begin strikes to intercept narcotics shipments making their way from Venezuela to the United States via land routes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] The US will soon strike narcotics shipments making their way from Venezuela to the United States via land routes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] The forest roadmap to be developed for COP 31 in Turkey could help drive stronger alignment and transparency across UN processes - from the UN Forum on Forests' 2017-2030 plan to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's 2030 target to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The Conversation
• [New] Investing in a stable climate, healthy land and nature, and a pollution-free planet could deliver annual gains of US$ 20 trillion, avoid millions of deaths, and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hunger. Circular Online
• [New] If business as usual logging persists, the environment reforms will fall far short of what Australia's forests - and their plants and animals - need. The Conversation
• [New] Shifting focus to terrestrial impacts, biodiversity is facing unprecedented threats, as outlined in the ERM and GlobeScan research, which identifies climate change as the top sustainability priority for 2025. WebProNews
• [New] The total global disaster cost exceeds $2.3 trillion annually when cascading and ecosystem costs are taken into account, making hydrometeorological disasters a systemic threat to regional financial stability. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
• [New] Tree canopy cover must reach 16.5% of England's land area by 2050. Edie
• [New] Feeding a projected 10 billion people by 2050 will require bold and smarter choices in how the world manages its land, soil and water. Secretary-General
• [New] Less than 2% of land in the UK is currently used to grow fruit and vegetables, and many growers report that financial pressures mean they may be forced to close within 2026. Landworkers Alliance
• [New] England alone has enough brownfield land for 1.4 million homes and rooftops could generate more than 60% of the UK's solar energy target. FM Industry
• Global land degradation affects over 3.2 billion people and increases vulnerability to emerging pathogens. Businessday NG
• With climate change and unchecked development threatening the fragile ecosystems of the Hindu Kush Himalaya, a new action plan grounded in Bhutan's philosophy of regenerative development has won regional consensus. The Frontier Manipur
• Without a formal process within the Paris Accord to end deforestation we will continue to see destruction of ecosystems, which is all we have to remove large volumes of carbon from the atmosphere and protect the planet's biodiversity. Australian Conservation Foundation
• New biodiversity targets include halving the establishment of invasive non-native species by 2030 compared with the year 2000. Edie
• The Land Use Framework will help ensure that England's landscapes meet society's future needs, as the setting for people's lives, for growth, for food, energy and timber production, for recovering nature, managing climate change and for people's enjoyment and connection with nature. GOV.UK
• Ecosystem degradation and collapse abroad will directly impact the UK. GOV.UK

Last updated: 15 December 2025