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] Although grazing land may have already peaked in the last 20 years, the size of overall agricultural land reduction by 2050 suggested in EL2 is probably without precedent. Nature
• [New] A transformed future food system could result in the largest absolute reduction (-274 Mha) in agricultural land in more than 2,000 years, whereas current trends suggest a net increase by 2050 (6%, six models from 1% to 7%). Nature
• [New] Agriculture-related net CO2 emissions from land use change in the EL2 scenario fell by 85% versus 2020 levels (four models, -117% to -66%) and are 76% lower relative to BAU by 2050 (four models, -113% to -67%). Nature
• [New] An international agreement commits nations to conserve and effectively manage at least 30% of land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030. Religion Media Centre
• [New] Extreme heatwaves are becoming hotter, longer and more severe as climate change intensifies, putting lives, wildlife and ecosystems at severe risk. Friends of the Earth
• [New] Queensland is a land of opportunity. The Premier of Queensland
• [New] Saudi Arabia, which has sought in recent years to avoid a new war on its southern borders, is facing a more complex equation with the threat shifting from land to sea, and the targeting of one of the most important alternative routes for its oil exports. Al Jazeera
• [New] The rediscovery of the Bolivian killifish is a case in point: the survival of certain species indicates pockets of critical ecosystem service value that, if lost, might trigger rapid collapse. Shaping Tomorrow
• [New] Insects are facing a multitude of anthropogenic stressors, and the recent decline in their biodiversity is threatening ecosystems and economies across the globe. Beyond Pesticides
• [New] Transboundary impacts of pesticide use in food production Approximately 3.7 Tg of pesticides are used annually in global crop production to help protect yield, but pesticides pose risks to ecosystem and human health. Beyond Pesticides
• [New] The cost of losses to biodiversity might amount to more than $1.1 billion annually. Beyond Pesticides
• [New] By making subnet tokens available on a major centralized exchange, Kraken's integration could significantly improve liquidity, price discovery, and accessibility across the rapidly expanding Bittensor ecosystem. MEXC
• [New] For the Iranian people, that their land and lives might be preserved, and that they might have respite from targets both external and internal. I'm Listening
• [New] The area of high-quality farmland in England and Wales is projected to collapse by 75% in the next two decades without adaptation, all while supply chains are disrupted by biodiversity collapse abroad, as a government security assessment recently warned. The Guardian
• [New] The fragmentation of land borders and seaport deployment presents expansion opportunities for ABC solution providers targeting underserved infrastructure segments. Persistence Market Research
• [New] While ABC e-gates have achieved significant deployment penetration at major international airports, seaports, and land borders represent an emerging high-growth opportunity with substantially lower current infrastructure penetration. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The world population is expected to grow by nearly 2 billion people over the next three decades, which is placing immense pressure on existing arable land. Market Data Forecast
• [New] An extra £5bn will be spent on drones that operate on land, sea and air, but some military experts are still questioning whether it is enough. The Guardian
• Biodiversity loss could amplify vulnerabilities in global supply chains by affecting soil fertility, crop pollination, and pest control services. Shaping Tomorrow
• Climate change's role as a driver of biodiversity loss is expected to intensify, potentially overtaking land use change beyond 2050 as the dominant factor (AXA IM, 2026). Shaping Tomorrow
• Despite hundreds of corporations pledging zero deforestation by 2030, investments in sustainable supply chains remain minimal, undermining progress toward ecosystem protection. Shaping Tomorrow

Last updated: 02 August 2026