Global Scans · 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] Fundo Pucheguin will become part of a 4-million-acre swath of conservation land across Chile and Argentina - a victory for nature, people and wildlife. Patagonia Works
• [New] The carbon dioxide removal industry - tied to biodiversity and nature-based solutions - could grow to $1.2 trillion by 2050. Council Fire
• [New] Invasive plants threaten native plant health and biodiversity in both agricultural and natural systems in Maryland. Maryland.gov Enterprise Agency Template
• [New] The General Directorate of Forestry, operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, plans to produce 118 million saplings in 2026 while reinforcing its wildfire-fighting capacity with new land and air vehicles. Daily Sabah
• [New] Additional Investments: Taiwan will provide credit guarantees of $250 billion to facilitate additional investment by Taiwanese enterprises, supporting the establishment and expansion of the full semiconductor supply chain and ecosystem in the United States. U.S. Department of Commerce
• [New] Companies that strategically invest in digitalization, low-carbon solutions, operational efficiency, and collaborative ecosystems will be best positioned to navigate the energy transition and unlock long-term value in the evolving global oil and gas landscape. Cognitive Market Research
• [New] Future US arms sales in the Indo-Pacific will increasingly bundle economic incentives with geopolitical demands, potentially accelerating Chinese development of alternative technology ecosystems and economic frameworks to insulate partners from Western leverage. Drone Warfare
• [New] The SpaceX IPO is the catalyst that could supercharge the entire ecosystem. Ainvest
• [New] From the rainforests of Brazil to the wetlands of India, World Land Trust works with local partners to protect habitats under threat. The European Magazine
• [New] Many high-value materials are lost, ending up in landfills or informal recycling sites across the Global South, where cheap recovery exposes communities and ecosystems to serious risks. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
• [New] The Maryland Department of Agriculture has revised and expanded its Prohibited Invasive Plant List, adding multiple nonnative species determined to pose a threat to native ecosystems. The BayNet
• [New] To meet global biodiversity, climate and land restoration targets, NbS investment must increase 2.5 times to US$ 571 billion annually by 2030-equivalent to just 0.5% of global GDP. UNEP - UN Environment Programme
• [New] 3 °C of global warming could expose 3.25 billion people to lethal heat and humidity, decimate fresh water supplies and global food production, cause the extinction of plants and animals, lead to the collapse of marine ecosystems, and trigger catastrophic sea-level rise. Corporate Knights
• [New] Amur honeysuckle and other invasive shrubs represent a serious threat to the biodiversity and ecosystem services of forests in the eastern United States. SpringerLink
• [New] The EU has committed to substantially increasing tree coverage, pledging to plant an additional three billion trees by 2030 as part of its Biodiversity and Forest Strategies. Euronews
• [New] The USDA will be moving forward with the next phase of Roadless Rule rescission, which would put millions of acres of national forests at risk of development and commercial timber harvest. Outdoor Alliance
• [New] The National Hurricane Center designates a system as a possible tropical cyclone to enable regular advisories when it has not yet become a tropical depression or storm, but could produce winds of 39 mph or higher affecting land within 72 hours. The Daily Caller
• [New] The Labour government has faced criticism for chaotic mismanagement after watering down plans for mandatory ID cards for working people, offering temporary support to pubs shortly after announcing plans to raise tax rates, and altering plans for a so-called tractor tax on agricultural land. The Guardian
• [New] In Tanzania, rising night-time temperatures and drought are forecast to reduce yields significantly, pushing optimum zones upslope by 150-200 m, which threatens biodiversity and farmland. Worth
• [New] By 2050, up to half of the current coffee-growing land may no longer be viable due to a changing climate. Worth
• [New] World Coffee Research surveyed some of the growing body of scientific literature and found conclusions which confirm predictions of 50% reduction in land area suitable for Arabica coffee production by 2050. Worth
• [New] The NLC region has many habitats facing major threats from feral animals, weeds, and saltwater intrusion in wetland ecosystems. Mirage News

Last updated: 25 January 2026