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] 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
• [New] Population growth - especially the expansion of the world's middle class, which could number more than 5 billion in 2030 - is inducing an exponential increase in consumption and pollution so high that it has become a threat to public health worldwide. AXA.com
• [New] Strengthening taxonomic research, digital documentation, and ecosystem protection will be crucial for preserving India's rich natural heritage and achieving long-term environmental sustainability. National Defence Institute
• [New] Spike Aerospace is developing the Spike S-512 Diplomat, a next-generation quiet supersonic business jet designed to dramatically reduce travel times while addressing the environmental, safety, and community considerations that will define the future of high-speed flight. Spike Aerospace
• [New] Reducing red meat consumption to no more than 60 g per day will meet the 2030 CCC recommendation and provide benefits to population health and the environment while having little impact on food expenditure or nutrient intake. / UK Nature
• [New] The water, energy use and pollution associated with AI will double in just four years. Broadband Breakfast
• [New] If the world can cut plastic pollution by 83% by 2040, its governments will save $19 billion annually on plastic waste collection and disposal. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• [New] Enterprises across Germany, Japan, and China are deploying IoT sensor networks, wearable biometric devices, and predictive analytics platforms to simultaneously monitor environmental hazards and workforce health in real time. MarkNtel Advisors
• [New] The El Nino, a natural warming cycle, should further heat a globe already warming from fossil fuel pollution and will likely turbocharge extreme weather across the planet. 29 News
• [New] The reduction of pollution and climate impacts could save the world $4.2 trillion per year by 2030. United Nations
• [New] A share of around 28.3% is predicted to be held by the U.K. in 2026, spurred by regulatory pressure and environmental concerns, especially around river pollution. Persistence Market Research
• [New] China will likely lead in Asia Pacific in 2026 with a share of around 43.7%, owing to strict environmental enforcement and industrial upgrades. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The European Environment Agency identifies crop failure, wildfires, heat stress and flooding as the near-term risks with the highest confidence. Bruegel | The Brussels-based economic think tank
• [New] Threats in contested environments - specifically proliferated low Earth orbit, where satellites must be as low-SWaP as possible because of the high volume of satellites present - are signal jamming and signals intelligence. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] Current U.S. travel advisories for much of the Middle East remain at the higher end of the four-level warning system, reflecting a volatile environment in which religious sites, symbolic locations and soft targets can face elevated risk. The Traveler
• [New] The U.S. National Science and Technology Council has developed its own National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy, and even within the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, there is an action team addressing the threat of cosmic impacts. Scientific American

Last updated: 11 July 2026