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] Plastic pollution will become more abundant by cumulative mass than all life on Earth, with a plethora of potential negative consequences across scales of biological organization, from molecular and cellular to population and ecosystem level. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] An estimated 710 million metric tons of global plastic pollution is expected between 2016 and 2040 (1). PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Sulphur oxide emissions and associated particulate pollution in some of the world's busiest and most environmentally sensitive shipping corridors will be substantially reduced. gCaptain
• [New] MetricStream can help organizations gain better visibility into their global supply chains along with ensuring comprehensive risk management processes to identify, prevent, and minimize risks pertaining to human rights and environmental protection. Metricstream
• [New] Future work integrating higher-resolution environmental data and multi-model climate ensembles could help refine projections and strengthen invasion risk assessments under ongoing global change. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Plastic pollution is found nearly everywhere on Earth and threatens ecosystems, wildlife, and potentially human health. CNW Group
• [New] By 2050, passenger demand will increase by 79% due to population growth and urbanization, which underscores the urgent need to tackle emissions across the entire spectrum of vehicle-related activities, from daily operation to production-related environmental impacts. Nature
• [New] While transportation accounts for 23% of energy-related CO₂ emissions globally, decarbonization strategies often fail to effectively incorporate the transformative potential of local built environment design. Nature
• [New] Alternative proteins (AP), including any protein-rich ingredients sourced from plants, insects, fungi, algae, or animal cells, present an opportunity for the consumption of protein-dense foods with a lower environmental impact than conventional livestock products. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The expansion of AP could provide nutritious solutions while also diversifying the protein-rich food basket and addressing concerns about environmental impact, animal welfare, and human health. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Plastic waste is a key global environmental concern with annual plastic consumption currently at over 300 million tons, which is expected to double in the next 20 years. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Climate change, pollution, deforestation, and habitat destruction are threatening ecosystems across the globe at an alarming rate. observanceguide.com
• [New] WWF cites similar projections, noting that plastic pollution entering the environment could reach 280 million metric tons per year by 2040, the equivalent of a dump truck every second. Plastic Bank
• [New] India is the rotational president of Brics for 2026 in a deteriorating international environment which is more uncertain, more unpredictable and more fraught than in previous years. BRICS
• [New] Climate change is going to make dealing with air pollution in America more difficult. Andy Masley

Last updated: 30 May 2026