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] 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] Green spaces in rural England can offer significant benefits when utilised, including enhanced mental and physical well-being, opportunities for social interaction, stronger community cohesion, and support for environmental sustainability. GOV.UK
• [New] The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently confirmed that it would establish a mandatory due diligence regime in the UK for forest-risk commodities, a policy parallel to the EUDR (the EU Deforestation Regulation). Emperor
• [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] 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] Europe could spend more than 100 billion euros, or 85 billion pounds, a year remediating PFAS pollution while still capturing less than 2% of current emissions. Chemistry World
• [New] Threats: Key threats to the Egyptian Vulture include habitat loss, reduced food availability, collisions with electricity infrastructure, and poisoning from agricultural chemicals. EduRev
• [New] Innovation in counterspace warfare (particularly lasers) and a rise in cyberattacks have increased satellite security risk - > Low Earth Orbit has become crowded. LinkedIn
• [New] The emerging routes hold promises for shorter global shipping paths, yet pose major challenges, including infrastructure gaps, environmental risk, and the need for international governance to manage safety and sovereignty issues. Network for Strategic Analysis (NSA)
• [New] Geopolitical instability across the Middle East and Eastern Europe, ongoing disruption to global shipping routes, volatile currency markets, and the rising cost of raw materials are combining to create a more complex operating environment for anyone who exhibits internationally. Trade Show News Network
• [New] As municipal solid waste volumes continue to grow worldwide, the ability to recover resources, generate renewable energy, and reduce environmental impacts will become increasingly important. Barchart.com
• [New] The Cambodia Environmental Diplomacy Strategy 2026-2030 aims to strengthen Cambodia's response to climate change, while promoting ecosystem conservation and environmental protection, amid warnings that global climate change and ecosystem degradation have reached a dangerous red line. Phnom Penh Post
• [New] Worsening local air pollution will raise healthcare costs by $43 billion, with annual increases of $4 billion in 2035 and $4.5 billion in 2040, contributing to rising household costs alongside rising energy prices and goods inflation. / USA Energy Innovation
• [New] Global supply chains continue to face a complex risk environment driven by geopolitical instability, trade policy uncertainty, climate-related disruption, cyber-security threats, and regulatory change. Transport Intelligence
• [New] Throughout the coming months, El Nino is forecast to bring droughts, heat waves and other extreme weather to every continent on Earth. Scientific American
• [New] In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized biomass-based diesel Renewable Volume Obligations for 2026-2027 at approximately 5.25 billion gallons, a significant increase from 3.35 billion gallons in 2025, directly mandating higher blending volumes. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The Environment Strategy for Scotland which acts as an overarching framework, uniting environmental, climate and sustainability policies to restore nature by 2045, using a precautionary approach. NatureScot
• [New] Environmental data from the European Environment Agency highlights that alpine climate shifts pose substantial long-term economic risks, threatening winter season lengths and necessitating costly artificial adaptation measures. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Building materials account for 13% of annual global emissions, so reducing embodied carbon in the built environment is a priority to reach net-zero carbon by 2050. Portland.gov
• [New] Despite the enormous potential benefits of implementing AI, recent reports led by organizations such as Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Against Disinformation suggest two massive threats posed by using AI. Astutis
• [New] According to the Inter American Development Bank public transportation electrification offers significant opportunities for reducing urban pollution in major cities. Market Data Forecast
• [New] The European Environment Agency defines protecting infrastructure from heat-related risks as one of the adaptation priorities. #
• [New] An analysis of FDA and EPA fish testing data by the Environmental Working Group non-profit found eating one serving of US freshwater fish contaminated with median Pfas levels could be equivalent to drinking highly contaminated water every day for a month. The Guardian

Last updated: 18 July 2026