Global Scans · Environment · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT:? Our natural environment is under ever-increasing threat. Landscape and ocean adaptation plus stabilizing biodiversity strategies will play an important role in maintaining global food productivity as climate changes. Evidence is mounting that any economic strategy that ignores carbon pollution will impose tremendous costs on the global economy and will result in fewer jobs and less economic growth over the long term. The global market for commercial "Earth observation" data is expected to hit $3.5 billion by 2024. Battles over environmental regulation could become particularly pointed in the coming years.

• [New] UN-Habitat and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which generates and compiles major global demographic, economic, and social data, project a global population of about 9.7 billion by 2050, with about 68% living in urban areas-around 6.6 billion people. World Socialist Web Site
• [New] Megatrends are clusters of interdependent global trends observed today that together have the potential to cause significant shifts in environmental, economic, and social conditions. Center for Invasive Species Prevention
• [New] There could be more than 100,000 satellites orbiting the Earth by 2030. DebateUS
• [New] Space Force hopes to address more general space junk issues in low-Earth orbit through testing in-orbit debris removal technologies. DebateUS
• [New] Canada's bilingual consumer environment, combined with rising South Asian and East Asian male populations in urban areas, is creating strong opportunities for culturally localized product positioning. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Critical raw materials, such as metals and rare earth elements, will shape Europe's ability to achieve autonomy in advanced materials. Scientific Advice Mechanism
• [New] Environment and Climate Change Canada is monitoring the ice island's movement, as it has done following previous Arctic ice shelf calving events, while evaluating potential risks to vessels and offshore infrastructure. ScienceDaily
• [New] Chimpanzee habitat in Guinea-Bissau is threatened by extractive industries, particularly industrial mining. ScienceDaily
• [New] Drought is expected to increase in frequency, duration, and intensity at both regional and global scales, resulting in increased environmental security risk. Drought.gov
• [New] Climate change will intensify the frequency of extreme weather events in Australia and most other parts of the world, with profound implications for human society and the natural environment. PubMed Central (PMC)
• By 2040-2060, climate and environmental pressures have intensified beyond historical design assumptions. Indico at ESA / ESTEC (Indico)
• By 2040, Earth Observation is routinely used to support policy decisions, regulatory frameworks, and legal processes. Indico at ESA / ESTEC (Indico)
• By 2050, Earth system prediction has become fundamentally AI-enabled. Indico at ESA / ESTEC (Indico)
• By 2040-2060, the global Earth Observation landscape has shifted away from free and open data. Indico at ESA / ESTEC (Indico)
• Just as brands in the RMG sector now face buyer-driven pressure on environmental standards, local food companies should also commit to gradually sourcing certified sustainable produce by 2030. The Daily Star
• Aquacultural pollution - a putrid cocktail of nitrogen, phosphorus, and dead fish - is now a widespread hazard in Asia, where 90% of farmed fish are located. National Geographic
• The Ministry of Climate Change & Environment created the UAE National Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan (2019-2030) to spur the shift to a circular economy at the federal level. Grc
• Emerging EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act compliance pressures on composite manufacturers are expected to intensify, potentially increasing operational costs for producers who cannot demonstrate closed-loop fiber recovery pathways. / USA Persistence Market Research
• The environmental impact of metals used in the energy transition is significant, with annual metal-related damage under the NZE pathway peaking around 2035 at nearly three times the 2023 level before declining. AZOM

Last updated: 19 September 2026