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] Environmental standard implementations demand carbon-neutral mining operations by 2035, requiring substantial renewable energy infrastructure investments. Discovery Alert
• [New] The world faces escalating climate and environmental challenges, with agricultural waste volumes soaring and the soil health of global farmlands under constant threat from intensive operations and synthetic inputs. Farmonaut
• [New] Traditional built infrastructure projects account for 79% of global greenhouse gas emissions, threaten wildlife and habitat, and are not always effective. Environment America Research & Policy Center
• [New] In June of last year, investors representing $865 billion in assets issued a statement urging high-emitting companies to act, describing air pollution as both a public health and financial risk. Sustainability Online - A business news platform with a
• [New] Quantifying the deadly threat that PM2.5 from wildfires poses to human health shows the need for effective, urgent mitigation strategies, backed by Environmental Protection Agency monitoring and regulation. KPRC Click2Houston
• [New] The need for robust space situational awareness has never been greater, given the increasing congestion in low Earth orbit and the growing threat of space debris. Aerospace & Defense News
• [New] By 2050, we will put roughly 12,000 Mt of plastic waste in landfills or the environment. The Revelator
• [New] The environmental fallout is already visible: sprawling piles of fiberglass composites scarring the West Texas landscape, posing risks to soil, water, and wildlife. Energy News Beat
• [New] Featuring models for 15-day weather forecasts, short-term severe-storm prediction, and multi-sensor data integration, NVIDIA's Earth-2 suite is expected to expand potential applications in commercial risk modeling and climate science. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Scientists are working towards protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 and promoting sustainable fishing practices to mitigate the environmental impact of bottom trawling. Yahoo News
• [New] While there are many exciting and safe destinations like Japan, Iceland, and Kenya, there are places with significant risks due to political instability, conflict, or environmental concerns. Longevity
• [New] In order to reduce drift, minimize volatility, and protect ecosystems, the EPA has brought in a number of measures, including that the maximum application rate will be cut in half, reducing the amount of the chemical released into the atmosphere and environment. Newsweek
• [New] The ECB will continue to assess banks against its detailed climate and environment-related risk requirements, with the potential for financial penalties where they are not met. KPMG
• [New] Both countries and the E.U. expect new Wi-Fi and satellite low Earth orbit constellations to play a critical role in the wireless networks of the future, increasing speeds and expanding coverage in places not covered by today's high-capacity cellular networks. www.hoganlovells.com
• [New] With critical growing regions in the Black Sea and South America facing immediate environmental threats, the global community is watching a calm before the storm scenario unfold where any further disruption could trigger a rapid escalation in consumer prices. The Chronicle-Journal
• [New] Further west in Arizona, a group of more than a dozen environmental organizations and Native American tribes is warning about the environmental impact that bollard construction will have on endangered wildcats, bears, and other wildlife, along with disrupting water flows during river-swelling rains. The Marshall Project
• [New] China's statement that it could launch 200,000 small satellites within the next seven years and surpass Starlink is expected to have a major impact on the security environment in Northeast Asia.
• [New] The global political environment in the next ten years is expected to be a multipolar or fragmented order in which middle and great powers contest, set, and enforce regional rules and norms with greater risk of multipolarity without multilateralism. Democracy Without Borders
• [New] With satellite connectivity reaching a turning point for enterprises in 2025, in 2026 will mark another epochal shift as low-Earth orbit systems move from niche infrastructure into the core global digital strategy. Verdict
• [New] Mexican operations implementing advanced environmental technologies could capture green premium pricing while satisfying increasingly stringent corporate supply chain requirements. Discovery Alert
• [New] EPA's pattern of allowing the use of existing stocks has long been a concern for public health and environmental advocates, who have called for the discontinuance of use upon findings of elevated risk factors or illegal uses that do not comply with statutory standards. Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog

Last updated: 14 February 2026