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] The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, lasting from 2021 through 2030, is a global movement aiming to support and scale up global restoration efforts while raising awareness of the importance of multi-scale restoration. IUCN
• [New] The 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets the ambitious target of conserving at least 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030, with a focus on areas that offer important ecosystem services. Project Syndicate
• [New] Tuvalu is a small Polynesian island nation in the west-central Pacific Ocean, known for its unique marine ecosystems and extreme climate vulnerability. INSIGHTS IAS - Simplifying UPSC IAS Exam Preparation
• [New] India's SpaceTech sector has rapidly evolved into a leading global ecosystem, aiming for a $40 billion space economy by 2040, supported by significant policy reforms and private sector innovation. Scribd
• [New] Covering about one-third of the planet's land area, forests help regulate carbon and hydrologic cycles and reduce risks of drought, desertification, soil erosion, landslides and floods. United Nations
• [New] With millions of tons of PET produced every year, improving recycling efficiency could significantly reduce plastic pollution and help protect ecosystems worldwide. Futurity
• [New] By capitalizing on data, technologies, and community stewardship, their 2026 operations illustrate a transformative shift - where environmental best practices and socially responsible initiatives support economic opportunities without compromising the integrity of precious ecosystems. Farmonaut
• [New] Bullion River's 2026 gold mining plan aims to restore 75% of disturbed land using innovative environmental practices. Farmonaut
• [New] Nearly 150 communities in Alaska - many in the Y-K Delta - will need to relocate fully or partially in the coming years because of permafrost thaw, land subsidence, erosion, or some other combination of climate-driven factors. NPR
• [New] The impact on the ecosystem and protected species would be larger than estimated, while warning that the destruction of protected species is against the law in Croatia. Balkan Insight
• [New] A new regulation will allow US border authorities to require non-citizens to be photographed at airports, seaports, land crossings and any other point of departure, expanding on an earlier pilot program. The Guardian
• [New] Rising need for nature-based solutions: Achieving Rio Convention targets requires expanding 1 billion ha by 2030, with protected forests and avoided deforestation needing US billion annually, while reforestation requires US billion. INSIGHTS IAS - Simplifying UPSC IAS Exam Preparation
• [New] Bioenergy production has the potential to compete with food production for land, meaning Brazil has to balance needs for conservation and agricultural expansion. Bizclik Media Ltd
• [New] India's manufacturing ecosystem is scaling rapidly, both supporting domestic solar deployment and creating export opportunities. Soleos Solar Energy Private Limited
• [New] Residents in rural southeast Michigan are pushing back on a proposed large-scale solar installation by DTE, fearing it will disrupt farmland, ecosystems, and local rural character. RuralOrganizing
• [New] China's hydropower, lithium, and solar projects in Tibet threaten fragile ecosystems, downstream water security, and local communities, highlighting the tension between green ambitions and human rights. IANS
• [New] For India to fully realize its MedTech potential, technology adoption must be matched by ecosystem alignment. Mint
• [New] Brasilia, Brazil, Greenpeace Brazil has projected messages to country delegates at the Pre-COP in Brasilia calling for urgent action to end forest destruction as a new Greenpeace International's poll showed nine out of 10 people surveyed want forests protected to fight climate change. Mirage News
• [New] Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to ensure that 30% of the total area of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and marine and coastal ecosystems is under effective restoration by 2030. IUCN
• [New] Chestnut signed a long-term agreement to acquire and restore 60,000 acres of native biodiversity with Microsoft Corporation to help them achieve their goal of being carbon negative by 2030. Oxbow Partners

Last updated: 02 November 2025