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] By 2026, manufacturers are expected to produce auditable, real-time data tied directly to procurement, production, and logistics - not after-the-fact summaries. Atlantic | Tomorrow's Office
• [New] The EU's decarbonization strategy could lead to significant downsizing of European steel production capacity, particularly affecting flat steel producers facing unsustainable operating conditions. OREACO
• [New] As global energy, industrial, and technology sectors accelerate the shift towards sustainability, electrification and smart infrastructure, the importance of platinum production, lithium production, and quartz production will only intensify. Farmonaut
• [New] Global lithium production is projected to surpass 1.5 million metric tons by 2026, driving growth in electric vehicle industries. Farmonaut
• [New] Indonesia's low-cost production will continue to pressure operators in 2026, prompting cutbacks of uneconomic operations and postponements of new projects. Informist Media
• [New] On the supply side, Indonesia is expected to drive global production growth and remain the top refined nickel producer for a longer period of time. Informist Media
• [New] Demand for nickel is expected to strengthen in 2026, rising 4.9%, against 4.5% in 2025, underpinned by improving macro conditions, solid consumption from sectors aligned with the net-zero transition, and stable stainless steel demand. Informist Media
• [New] While some companies opted to diversify their supply chains and shift production to countries less impacted by trade policies, the effects of tariffs will continue throughout 2026. Retail Dive
• [New] Trump has urged US energy firms to take a leading role in rebuilding Venezuela's oil industry, saying they could help restore production and bring output back to stable levels in the OPEC member country. investing.com
• [New] US companies will invest billions in Venezuelan oil production. The Guardian
• [New] Tomorrow's EIA report is expected to show ethanol production range from 320-332 mil. ADM Investor Services
• [New] The latest Optimus 3 robot is unlikely to enter mass production until the end of 2026 at the earliest, but Musk thinks it will scale to 1 million annual units very quickly. Nasdaq
• [New] Robotaxi services will accelerate their rollout nationwide in 2026, especially considering the mass production of Cybercab. Tradingkey
• [New] Industry analysts project AI-related electricity demand will reach 500 terawatt-hours annually by 2030 - roughly equivalent to Spain's entire national consumption. Exzil Calanza
• [New] Siemens and NVIDIA will work together to build AI-accelerated industrial solutions across the full lifecycle of products and production, enabling faster innovation, continuous optimization, and more resilient, sustainable manufacturing. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Production in Venezuela could be boosted within 18 months. The Guardian
• [New] Concerns are mounting over copper supplies, with a fresh study warning that demand will likely outstrip production within a decade, threatening to constrain global technological advancement. The Register
• [New] Less than 9% of 9 billion MT ever produced are recycled, and if plastic consumption and waste management remain as it is currently, 12 billion MT of plastics will be released in the environment by the year 2050, most of which will come from plastic packaging. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Current cumulative plastic production has risen above 8 billion MT worldwide and is expected to progressively increase in the coming decades. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] There will be fiscal sweeteners ahead of 2026 licensing rounds and elections, fiscal stability legislation could become more common, there could be new terms for incremental production and mature assets, with direct negotiations and other hybrid offerings on the rise. Offshore Energy
• [New] Increasingly severe and unpredictable weather events around the globe will continue to disrupt agricultural production, creating supply challenges. Dalhousie University

Last updated: 12 January 2026