Global Scans · Responsible Consumption and Production · 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 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

• [New] Researchers at MIT have developed a way to predict which materials could be most promising as catalysts in electrochemical ammonia production. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] Thailand is facing a high probability of El Nino-induced drought conditions starting in mid-2026, threatening its rice production with below-normal rainfall. Pan-Asia Farmers Exchange Program
• [New] The Singapore Food Agency will launch a grant to help local agricultural producers offset rising operational expenses caused by the Middle East crisis to ensure uninterrupted local food production. Pan-Asia Farmers Exchange Program
• [New] Palm oil price volatility - a common ingredient in flavored coatings and seasoning systems used in extruded snacks - has been particularly pronounced in recent years due to production disruptions in Malaysia and Indonesia, creating additional cost unpredictability for manufacturers. Woodstone Research & Consulting
• [New] Global food production will need to increase by nearly 50% by 2050 to meet rising demand, encouraging investment in efficient ingredient production technologies. Straits Research
• [New] Falling fish populations and reduced seafood production could undermine food security for billions of people around the world who depend on the ocean as an important source of nutrition. ScienceDaily
• [New] By 2050, global seafood production is expected to reach 160 million metric tons, with seafood accounting for over 30% of protein consumption, particularly in Southeast Asia. Claight Corporation (Expert Market Research)
• [New] Global data-center electricity consumption is projected to double to approximately 945 TWh by 2030, while 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 6.4 billion by 2031. KEN research
• [New] The volume of gas is roughly the combined consumption of Thailand and Singapore in 2024, additionally it raises CO2 emissions by more than 71 million tonnes by 2040. Ember
• [New] Leading Ingredients: Zeolites are expected to lead accounting with approximately 41% share in 2026 through large-scale FCC adoption, throughput optimization, selectivity, and high-value petrochemical production. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The total production of irrigated crops such as coffee, sugarcane and oranges may decline, but that depends on how droughts will evolve in the next two decades. Live Science
• [New] Hydrogen Production is forecast to account for 42.6% share in 2026. FactMr
• [New] By Application: Hydrogen Production is forecast to hold 42.6% share in 2026. FactMr
• [New] The UAE's ambitious hydrogen-focused agenda encompasses the establishment of two dedicated production hubs aptly named 'Oasis,' which will serve as focal points for hydrogen generation. Markets and Data
• [New] Australia's growing production capacity is expected to play an important role in supplying low-carbon hydrogen across the Asia Pacific region. Persistence Market Research
• [New] India is rapidly emerging as one of the fastest-growing hydrogen economies under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which targets 5 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen production annually by 2030. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The Food and Agriculture Organization projects global processed food production to increase by 40% by 2050, supported by urbanization and changing dietary preferences across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Most analysts, including the EIA, still expect eventual relief once Gulf production and shipping return to normal operating conditions, with prices projected to ease toward the $69 range in 2027 as inventories rebuild. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] The International Maritime Organization expects global fleet capacity to continue expanding through the 2020s as trade routes adjust following geopolitical shifts, with longer shipping routes through alternative corridors increasing overall fuel consumption. Persistence Market Research
• Cost-competitive: At a production cost of $2.92 per pound, cultivated meat can be cost-competitive with some conventional meats by 2030 and serve as an affordable ingredient for plant-based and cultivated meat blends. The Good Food Institute
• As cultivated meat production becomes more efficient beyond 2030 as the industry scales, further cost decreases, and environmental impact reductions are expected. The Good Food Institute
• A life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessment (TEA) modeling a large-scale cultivated meat production facility in the year 2030 show that cultivated meat could have a lower carbon footprint and reduced overall environmental impacts, and be cost-competitive with, conventional meat. The Good Food Institute
• Farmers across Europe are warning of a slump in food production and rising prices as crops from maize to salads suffer as a result of extreme heat, drought and wildfires. The Guardian

Last updated: 24 August 2026