Global Scans · Nature · Weekly Summary

WHAT''S NEXT?: Oceans, animals, and land are all under threat from climate change and human activities. The effective and efficient conservation of agricultural biodiversity is vital to meeting the global challenges of food and nutritional security for an expanding world population. But, the signs are of continued degradation of our global natural resources and environment.

• [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] 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] Countries flexible enough to adapt their defense-industrial base, with industries ready to innovate, such as countries on NATO's Eastern Flank, will be better positioned to adjust to the changing nature of warfare that Ukraine has pioneered. The Soufan Center
• [New] While climate change is expected to reduce the extent of suitable habitat for the Australian tree fern in both South Africa and La Reunion, the current situation is troubling. Center for Invasive Species Prevention
• [New] Planteers' mission is to capture CO2 in water and unleash the potential of the oceans as the largest carbon sink on our planet. Carbon Removal Updates
• [New] In the EU, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group has launched a field test for a new sustainability reporting standard for non-EU companies with significant EU operations that will require them to disclose their environmental and social impacts for the first time. We Mean Business Coalition
• [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] 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] Advancing new climate and clean energy policies at the state level is essential to keep momentum for climate action going and continue progress towards The Nature Conservancy's 2030 goals. The Nature Conservancy
• [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] 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] Cultivated meat has the potential to replace conventional meat products coming from animals which were kept in intensive keeping systems and therefore end the suffering of the over 85 billion farm animals slaughtered for human consumption globally every year. FOUR PAWS in US - Global Animal Protection Organization
• [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] Animal rights groups flagged livestock transport as a growing risk for animal welfare across Europe, calling for tighter restrictions on moving animals in vehicles during extreme heat. CNS Media
• [New] Beyond California, scientists are raising alarms over the planet's warming oceans, which - coupled with a strong El Nino - could increase temperatures for land dwellers in the coming weeks. Los Angeles Times
• [New] Northern Ireland is regarded as one of the most nature-depleted parts of the world, with 12% of species at risk of extinction. BBC News
• [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] More than half of global GDP depends on healthy ecosystems, yet nature continues to decline at a staggering rate, putting economic stability, climate progress and long-term prosperity at risk. Innovation Zero 2025
• [New] Studies from the World Wildlife Fund emphasize that expanding high-altitude tourism infrastructure drives habitat fragmentation and threatens endemic alpine flora and fauna. Market Data Forecast
• [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] 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