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] The area of high-quality farmland in England and Wales is projected to collapse by 75% in the next two decades without adaptation, all while supply chains are disrupted by biodiversity collapse abroad, as a government security assessment recently warned. The Guardian
• [New] The unchecked spread of synthetic industrial chemicals - particularly endocrine disruptors - is a growing yet underrecognized risk to human health, biodiversity, and the future viability of modern economic systems. The Idea Farm
• [New] The rediscovery of the Bolivian killifish is a case in point: the survival of certain species indicates pockets of critical ecosystem service value that, if lost, might trigger rapid collapse. Shaping Tomorrow
• [New] Biodiversity loss, long overshadowed by more immediate climate concerns, is now increasingly recognized as an independent and accelerating risk driven by habitat destruction, overexploitation, and climate change itself (AXA IM, 2026). Shaping Tomorrow
• [New] Biodiversity loss is emerging as a silent but accelerating threat that could disrupt industries, supply chains, and livelihoods worldwide. Shaping Tomorrow
• [New] In the EU, alien invasives are estimated to have an annual economic cost of €12 billion, and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 recognises their spread as a major threat to Red List species. Environment
• [New] Land application of biosolids containing PFAS could create health risks for people who rely on contaminated farmland for food and drinking water. WRAL
• [New] By 2050, the combined effects of land subsidence and sea-level rise could expose an additional ~222 km2 of land in the GBA to coastal flooding. Springer Nature
• [New] Around the world, 5-8% of crop production would be lost without animal pollination, and pollination also provides many services to ecosystems, such as enhancing biodiversity and increasing food production without threatening the environment. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] A broad, constantly changing strategy could accelerate exactly what Washington fears: Chinese chip independence, allied hedging, and a non-U.S. AI hardware ecosystem. Educational Technology and Change Journal
• [New] Climate change's role as a driver of biodiversity loss is expected to intensify, potentially overtaking land use change beyond 2050 as the dominant factor (AXA IM, 2026). Shaping Tomorrow
• [New] Land use near biodiversity risk zones: Near is now defined as 100 meters. / Mexico Watershed
• [New] In the UK, where the threat of fires is more present in grass than in forests, blazes have broken out from cities to national parks this month after a scorchingly hot start to summer. The Guardian
• [New] In countries such as Japan, large-scale ground-mounted solar projects (mega-solar) have raised concerns about land conversion and associated ecological impacts, while wind power development has raised concerns about collision risk and habitat impacts on birds and other wildlife. Nature
• [New] Land areas bordering the northern Gulf of Guinea are forecast to receive above-normal rainfall, in contrast to below-normal rainfall for the Greater Horn of Africa. World Meteorological Organization
• [New] President Sheinbaum says passenger service on the Interoceanic Train will not resume until early 2027, as her government reworks a deadly stretch of track in Oaxaca and tries to secure land rights for a safer route. Mexico News Daily
• The current high temperatures are expected to drag out over a sweltering 10 days and the oppressive heat on land has been accompanied by high global ocean temperatures that experts warn could cause mass-mortality events for some species. The Guardian
• The Great Green Wall initiative, launched by the African Union, aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs by 2030 in the Sahel. UNCCD
• Globally, up to 40% of the Earth's land is degraded, affecting nearly half of humanity and threatening food security, biodiversity and economic development. UNCCD
• 6-4 The Scottish Government Scottish Biodiversity Strategy commits to protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030. NatureScot
• Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 which sets targets for halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and restoring Scotland's biodiversity. NatureScot
• Land Use and Agriculture Just Transition Plan which sets out how Scottish Government will move to a net-zero, climate-resilient economy by 2045, whilst ensuring fair process and creating green jobs, particularly in high-emission sectors. NatureScot
• As a low-lying island nation, Palau faces risks from climate change, including coastal erosion, extreme weather and pressure on marine ecosystems. The Fintech Times

Last updated: 20 July 2026