Global Scans · Nature · Weekly Summary

WHAT''S NEXT?: Oceans, animals, and land are all under threat from climate change and human activities. The effective and efficient conservation of agricultural biodiversity is vital to meeting the global challenges of food and nutritional security for an expanding world population. But, the signs are of continued degradation of our global natural resources and environment.

• [New] In South Korea, construction began on a national animal-free testing facility, scheduled for completion in 2026. Humane World Action Fund
• [New] The private industry will have its debut by HAL-L&T launching the first fully indigenously manufactured Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle early 2026, which will carry OceanSat-3A, an Earth observation satellite for oceanography and environmental monitoring. ArabNews
• [New] A controversial scheme will begin to reflect sunlight to Earth with satellites in 2026, so that dark places can be temporarily lit for visibility or energy production. New Scientist
• [New] The programs, which are underway at the Matsitama Copper Project, the Semarule Rare Earth Elements (REE) Project, and the Foley Uranium Project, are scheduled to resume in mid-January 2026. / Botswana MiningFeeds
• [New] A race for critical minerals, shifting policies in China and the West, and new investment trends are reshaping the mining and metals outlook as supply risks and environmental challenges persist. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] By 2026, popular styles will include European modern, biophilic minimalism (inspired by nature), and mid-century revival. Home Lighter
• [New] With Russia relying on old vessels that fall below safety standards to transport its oil, even minor failures or collisions could trigger a large-scale spill, posing an environmental threat to shared waters. Atlantic Council
• [New] The causes of water pollution, and its effects on people, flora and fauna, is currently one of the biggest environmental threats to Africa. Greenpeace Africa
• [New] In South Africa, water pollution is threatening the people and ecology surrounding the UmBilo river in KwaZulu Natal. Greenpeace Africa
• [New] Defra will be clarifying methods of killing in their animal welfare action plan and specifically acknowledging that live boiling of lobsters and crabs is not an acceptable killing method. BusinessMole
• [New] With an Indicated Resource of 4.5 Mt (million tonnes) grading 0.6 pc Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO), and an Inferred Resource of 3.3 Mt grading 0.63 pc TREO, Olserum has the potential to become Europe's first operating rare earths mine. Total Market Solutions
• [New] European Green Transition continues to define the potential of a highly prospective rare earth element (REE) project in Sweden, while extending its mergers and acquisitions strategy to encompass companies beyond the transition economy. Total Market Solutions
• [New] Globally, there's consensus that the life-support systems of our planet rely on healthy oceans, and there are expectations that ocean issues will continue to rise on the multilateral agenda. Yahoo News Canada
• [New] As we move toward 2026 and beyond, smart home watering systems powered by AI services are becoming increasingly essential for tackling environmental and resource management challenges. Farmonaut
• [New] We expect environmental regulation and SAF adoption to intensify in 2026, materially impacting airline costs and ticket pricing. cockpitinnovation
• [New] The location industry is poised for a transformative year in 2026, with direct-to-device services becoming a premium smartphone feature, low-Earth orbit constellations enhancing accuracy, and a shift toward whole-of-government defences to counter hybrid warfare threats. Location Business News
• [New] Collaborations amongst space economy: Earth observation and broadband satcom An important leap will come from the strategic collaboration between Satcom and Earth Observation (EO) - moving beyond separate data streams to integrated solutions. ET Edge Insights
• [New] In 2026, we will see the maturation of Dynamic, Software-Defined Satellites in both Geostationary and Low Earth Orbit constellations. ET Edge Insights
• [New] Using a combination of satellite imagery, weather and ground-level environmental datasets, challenge registrants - who can form teams of up to three members - will develop AI models to forecast water quality based on key parameters (alkalinity, salinity and phosphorous) for rivers in South Africa. Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach
• [New] 2026 will be defined by nutrition innovations across multiple categories, driven by consumers seeking products with tangible health benefits, ethical and environmental alignment, and convenient, science-backed solutions. CNS Media
• With more than half of the world's GDP highly or moderately dependent on nature and biodiversity, ecosystem losses pose a systemic risk to companies and their shareholders. ShareAction
• In Belem, Greenpeace will demand concrete commitments: zero deforestation by 2030, direct financing and environmental governance that puts life as a priority. Mirage News
• Conde Nast, whose titles include Vogue, committed to no longer featuring new animal fur in editorial content or advertising, a policy that shaped what designers could realistically expect from fashion's most influential media platforms. ethos

Last updated: 03 January 2026