Global Scans · Resources · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The world is depleting its natural resources at an alarming rate due to population growth and over consumption. Increased competition for ever-diminishing food and water resources may amplify socio-economically motivated armed conflicts and causing quests for more efficient resources on and beyond Planet Earth.

• [New] Higher temperatures may lead to reduced heating demand in North America, which could weigh on natural gas stocks such as APA Corp., EQT Corp., Range Resources Corp. and EOG Resources Inc. financialpost
• [New] The environmental organization Ecologistas en Accion is challenging the European Commission's decision to grant strategic project status to all six Spanish mines, arguing that it failed to properly consider risks to water resources, biodiversity and protected areas. The Guardian
• [New] Canada has the strong potential to grow its manufacturing base for renewable energy technologies, batteries and battery components, and other strategic applications, underpinned by its abundant low-emissions power and critical mineral resources. IEA
• [New] Heatwaves are among the deadliest natural hazards worldwide and are already placing growing pressure on power grids, water resources, agriculture, and public health across the Middle East and Mediterranean. EurekAlert!
• [New] Constraining new solar and wind resources could cost the U.S. an additional $121.2 billion in electricity and natural gas expenses beginning in 2027 through 2033. Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen
• [New] The Trump administration insists that it needs to be able to plan for two simultaneous conflicts and wants more military resources at hand should a conflict break out with China in the Indo-Pacific region. New York Post
• [New] Global demand for animal-based foods is projected to increase by nearly 70% by 2050 due to population growth and rising incomes, placing immense pressure on land and water resources. Market Data Forecast
• [New] PE firms are rotating capital and investment resources towards businesses perceived as less exposed to near-term AI disruption and macro volatility as PE firms seek deals that allow underwriting confidence. Bain
• [New] In places like Pakistan, where climate vulnerability is among the highest 20% in the world and floods exacerbate tensions over land and resources, intersections among climate change, population displacement and violence can lead to particularly salient health consequences. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] DHL is in talks with multiple major pharma companies that want the logistics giant to take over sites or provide access to its resources as lingering trade disruptions keep complicating already-fragile pharma supply chains. MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
• [New] Climate-driven resource scarcity challenges global governance by intensifying competition over essential resources and could place strain on existing mechanisms for cooperation, conflict prevention and equitable access. GOV.UK
• [New] The federal strategy names energy as a priority sector for AI adoption, and it is directing substantial resources toward the compute and digital infrastructure that will define Canada's economic competitiveness for decades. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] Microsoft said it is working with utilities to plan energy use and invest in grid infrastructure so it can bring data centers online without taking resources away from local customers or driving up electricity prices. Business Insider
• [New] Strengthening relations between Japan and the Philippines could strain the PLA's ability to maintain coercive military activity against both states, requiring additional PLA resources to offset improvements in intelligence and naval capabilities. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations Distributed Energy Systems' program provided $50 million for projects that design and operate distributed energy systems that integrate high levels (> 25% of peak demand) of variable clean energy resources. Energy.gov
• [New] Companies are often hoarding scarce AI chips simply because they fear missing out, not because they have an immediate need for them, resulting in a growing stockpile of underused computing resources. Business Insider
• [New] NASA researchers are exploring how wastewater-recovered resources could support in-space manufacturing. NASA
• Canada, Venezuela, Brazil, Russia, Australia, and the U.S. have the most renewable water resources in the world, yet every community will have different levels of water resources and will be affected by water stress differently. ClimateCheck
• SpaceX specifically cited droughts, water scarcity, local competition for resources, and regulatory restrictions as potential threats to future growth. IMFOUNDER
• Climate change is a major threat to the small-scale fishing communities, particularly in South Asia, a region characterized by widespread coastlines, extreme population density, and high dependence on marine resources for food, income, and employment. Ocean Acidification
• Three supply risks exist in reality: the instability of India's power infrastructure, the state of its power grid development, and constraints on water resources (water electrolysis requires large amounts of fresh water). note
• In certain water-scarce areas of the country such as California or Arizona, AI might compete for limited water resources with other use cases. Atlantic Council
• The Valuing Water Finance Initiative is a global investor-led effort to engage companies with a large water footprint to value and act on water as a financial risk and make the necessary large-scale changes to better protect freshwater water resources and build business resiliency. Ceres: Sustainability is the bottom line

Last updated: 24 June 2026