Global Scans · Climate Action · 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 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

• [New] By 2030, the world is projected to face a 40% global water deficit under the business-as-usual climate scenario. InternationalDayForests
• [New] As part of UNFCCC reporting guidelines and the Cancun Adaptation Framework, many GCC countries have started developing National Adaptation Plans that urge countries to outline climate risks and coping strategies, laying the foundation for coordination and climate finance. OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION ( ORF )
• [New] Without climate action, the death rates from non-optimal temperatures are projected to reach up to 65.79 per 100,000 people in the Gulf region by 2090. OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION ( ORF )
• [New] Investing just 1-2% of global GDP in climate adaptation by 2100 could prevent a decline in productivity of up to 34%. The Cool Down
• [New] The Climate Change Committee recommends a 25% cut in meat consumption by 2040, a 35% cut by 2050 (40% for beef and lamb), and a 20% reduction in dairy consumption by 2035. Foodrise
• [New] The EU has outlined plans to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) by the early 2030s to support climate targets, energy security and industrial growth. Innovation News Network
• [New] Climate migration is on the rise, with projections suggesting that at the current pace, over 216 million people will be displaced within their own countries by 2050, further increasing demands on already strained public health systems. Nature
• [New] The UN's scrutiny of national climate plans signals imminent shifts in codes, procurement conditions, and finance that will influence sustainable construction strategies and accelerate decarbonising the built environment. Whole Life Carbon
• [New] Effective, integrated management is pivotal in 2026, as climate variability and monocultures increase risks. Farmonaut
• [New] Climate change imperatives will elevate green skills by 2026. Learni
• [New] High-intensity rainfall flooding is an escalating global urban hazard, with exposure growing as cities expand and climate change intensifies. Nature
• [New] Scope 3 emissions disclosures will become mandatory in 2027, while climate risk reporting under SB 261 remains voluntary due to ongoing legal challenges. / USA ESG News
• [New] The EU's collective climate initiatives, such as the European Green Deal, seek to make Europe the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Springer Nature Switzerland
• As climate change accelerates and the Arctic Ocean shifts from year-round to purely seasonal ice cover, a transpolar passage will open up by the mid-21st century, if not sooner. commonspace.eu
• For financial institutions (and lawyers advising them), the ECB decision and current UK regulatory approach underscore that climate and environmental risk governance should be treated as a prudential matter, not merely a sustainability disclosure issue. Mishcon de Reya LLP

Last updated: 15 March 2026