Category: Climate Change

MIL-OSI: TransAlta Reports Strong 2024 Results, Announces Dividend Increase and 2025 Annual Guidance

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TransAlta Corporation (TransAlta or the Company) (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2024.

“Our business delivered solid results within the upper range of our guidance, driven by high availability across our generation portfolio, along with the enduring performance of our optimization and hedging strategies. During the year, we added 2.2 GW of generation to our fleet, with three contracted wind facilities achieving commercial operation in addition to the acquisition of Heartland Generation. We also returned $214 million, or $0.71 per share, of value to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases at an average price of $10.59 per share,” said John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta.

“Given our confidence in the future, we are pleased to announce that our Board of Directors has approved an eight per cent increase to our common share dividend, now equivalent to $0.26 per share on an annualized basis. This represents our sixth consecutive annual dividend increase, affirming our Company’s commitment to returning value to shareholders,” added Mr. Kousinioris.

“Our portfolio of generating facilities continues to perform well. In 2025, we expect to generate between $450 and $550 million of free cash flow. We maintain a balanced, prudent and disciplined approach to capital allocation and balance sheet strength. We remain focused on advancing development opportunities at our legacy thermal energy campuses, along with pursuing longer term growth options with a commitment to maximizing shareholder value. Looking to 2025 and beyond, I am optimistic about our Company’s momentum and opportunities.”

Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ of $285 million, compared to $289 million for the same period in 2023
Free Cash Flow (FCF)⁽¹⁾ of $48 million, or $0.16 per share, compared to $121 million, or $0.39 per share, for the same period in 2023
Cash flow from operating activities of $215 million, compared to $310 million from the same period in 2023
Net loss attributable to common shareholders of $65 million, or $0.22 per share, compared to $84 million, or $0.27 per share, for the same period in 2023

Full Year 2024 Financial Highlights

Achieved the upper range of both 2024 adjusted EBITDA and FCF guidance
Returned $143 million of capital to common shareholders through the buyback of 13.5 million common shares at an average price of $10.59 per share
Adjusted EBITDA of $1,253 million, compared to $1,632 million from the same period in 2023
FCF of $569 million, or $1.88 per share, compared to $890 million, or $3.22 per share, from the same period in 2023
Net earnings attributable to common shareholders of $177 million, or $0.59 per share, compared to $644 million, or $2.33 per share, from the same period in 2023
Exited 2024 with a strong financial position, with adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA of 3.6 times and available liquidity of $1.6 billion

Other Business Highlights and Updates

Announced an annual dividend increase of eight per cent, now equivalent to $0.26 per share on an annualized basis, which represents the sixth year of consecutive dividend growth
Provided 2025 guidance including adjusted EBITDA of $1.15 to $1.25 billion and FCF of $450 to $550 million, or $1.51 to $1.85 per share
Completed the acquisition of Heartland Generation at a purchase price of $542 million in December 2024, which added 1.7 GW to gross installed capacity
Achieved strong operational availability of 91.2 per cent in 2024, compared to 88.8 per cent in 2023
2024 Total Recordable Injury Frequency of 0.56 compared to 0.30 in 2023
Reduced scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity in 2024 to 0.35 tCO₂e/MWh from 2023 levels of 0.41 tCO₂e/MWh
Achieved commercial operation at the White Rock West and East wind facilities in January and April 2024, respectively
Achieved commercial operation at the Horizon Hill facility in May 2024
Completed the Mount Keith 132kV expansion project during the first quarter of 2024

Key Business Developments

Declared Increase in Common Share Dividend
The Company’s Board of Directors has approved a $0.02 annualized increase to the common share dividend, or 8 per cent increase, and declared a dividend of $0.065 per common share to be payable on July 1, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 1, 2025. The quarterly dividend of $0.065 per common share represents an annualized dividend of $0.26 per common share.

TransAlta Acquired Heartland Generation from Energy Capital Partners

On Dec. 4, 2024, the Company closed the acquisition of Heartland Generation Ltd. and certain affiliates (collectively, Heartland) for a purchase price of $542 million from an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners (ECP), the parent of Heartland (the Transaction). To meet the requirements of the federal Competition Bureau, the Company entered into a consent agreement with the Commissioner of Competition pursuant to which TransAlta agreed to divest Heartland’s Poplar Hill and Rainbow Lake assets (the Planned Divestitures) following closing of the Transaction. In consideration of the Planned Divestitures, TransAlta and ECP agreed to a reduction of $80 million from the original purchase price for the Transaction. ECP will be entitled to receive the proceeds from the sale of Poplar Hill and Rainbow Lake, net of certain adjustments following completion of the Planned Divestitures. TransAlta also received a further $95 million at closing of the Transaction to reflect the economic benefit of the Heartland business arising from Oct. 31, 2023 to the closing date of the Transaction, pursuant to the terms of the share purchase agreement. The net cash payment for the Transaction, before working capital adjustments, totalled $215 million, and was funded through a combination of cash on hand and draws on TransAlta’s credit facilities.

Excluding the Planned Divestitures, the Transaction adds 1.7 GW (net interest) of complementary capacity from nine facilities, including contracted cogeneration and peaking generation, legacy gas-fired thermal generation, and transmission capacity, all of which will be critical to support reliability in the Alberta electricity market.

Mothballing of Sundance Unit 6

On Nov. 4, 2024, the Company provided notice to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) that Sundance Unit 6 will be mothballed on April 1, 2025, for a period of up to two years depending on market conditions. TransAlta maintains the flexibility to return the mothballed unit to service when market fundamentals improve or opportunities to contract are secured. The unit remains available and fully operational for the first quarter of 2025.

Production Tax Credit (PTC) Sale Agreements

On Feb. 22, 2024, the Company entered into 10-year transfer agreements with an AA- rated customer for the sale of approximately 80 per cent of the expected PTCs to be generated from the White Rock and the Horizon Hill wind facilities.

On June 21, 2024, the Company entered into an additional 10-year transfer agreement with an A+ rated customer for the sale of the remaining 20 per cent of the expected PTCs.

The expected average annual EBITDA⁽¹⁾ from the two agreements is approximately $78 million (US$57 million).

Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB)

TransAlta remains committed to enhancing shareholder returns through appropriate capital allocation such as share buybacks and its quarterly dividend. In the first quarter of 2024, the Company announced an enhanced common share repurchase program for 2024, allocating up to $150 million, and targeting up to 42 per cent of 2024 FCF guidance, to be returned to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends.

On May 27, 2024, the Company announced that it had received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to purchase up to 14 million common shares pursuant to an NCIB during the 12-month period that commenced May 31, 2024, and terminates May 31, 2025. Any common shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled.

For the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, the Company purchased and cancelled a total of 13,467,400 common shares at an average price of $10.59 per common share, for a total cost of $143 million, including taxes.

Horizon Hill Wind Facility Achieves Commercial Operation

On May 21, 2024, the 202 MW Horizon Hill wind facility achieved commercial operation. The facility is located in Logan County, Oklahoma and is fully contracted to Meta Platforms Inc. for the offtake of 100 per cent of the generation.

White Rock Wind Facilities Achieve Commercial Operation

On Jan. 1, 2024, the 100 MW White Rock West wind facility achieved commercial operation. On April 22, 2024, the 202 MW White Rock East wind facility also completed commissioning. The facilities are located in Caddo County, Oklahoma and are contracted under two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Amazon Energy LLC for the offtake of 100 per cent of the generation.

Mount Keith 132kV Expansion Complete

The Mount Keith 132kV expansion project, located in Western Australia, was completed during the first quarter of 2024. The expansion was developed under the existing PPA with BHP Nickel West (BHP), which extends until Dec. 31, 2038. The expansion will facilitate the connection of additional generating capacity to the transmission network which supports BHP’s operations.

Year Ended and Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights

$ millions, unless otherwise stated	Year Ended		Three Months Ended
$ millions, unless otherwise stated	Dec. 31, 2024	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2024		Dec. 31, 2023
Operational information
Availability (%)	91.2	88.8	87.8		86.9
Production (GWh)	22,811	22,029	6,199		5,783
Select financial information
Revenues	2,845	3,355	678		624
Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾	1,253	1,632	285		289
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	319	880	(51	)	(35	)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to common shareholders	177	644	(65	)	(84	)
Cash flows
Cash flow from operating activities	796	1,464	215		310
Funds from operations⁽¹⁾	810	1,351	137		229
Free cash flow⁽¹⁾	569	890	48		121
Per share
Net earnings (loss) per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted	0.59	2.33	(0.22	)	(0.27	)
Funds from operations per share^(1),(2)	2.68	4.89	0.46		0.74
FCF per share^(1),(2)	1.88	3.22	0.16		0.39
Dividends declared per common share	0.24	0.22	0.12		0.12
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding	302	276	298		308

Segmented Financial Performance

$ millions	Year Ended				Three Months Ended
$ millions	Dec. 31, 2024		Dec. 31, 2023		Dec. 31, 2024		Dec. 31, 2023
Hydro	316		459		57		56
Wind and Solar	316		257		95		82
Gas	535		801		116		141
Energy Transition	91		122		28		26
Energy Marketing	131		109		27		14
Corporate	(136	)	(116	)	(38	)	(30	)
Adjusted EBITDA	1,253		1,632		285		289
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	319		880		(51	)	(35	)

Full Year 2024 Financial Results Summary

For the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, the Company demonstrated strong financial and operational performance. The results were within the upper range of management’s expectations due to active management of the Company’s merchant portfolio and hedging strategies. During 2024, the Company settled a higher volume of hedges at prices that were significantly above the spot market in Alberta and achieved commercial operation at the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities. On Dec. 4, 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of Heartland Generation, which added 1.7 GW to gross installed capacity. Refer to the Significant and Subsequent Events section of our MD&A dated Dec. 31, 2024, for details on the Heartland acquisition and the Planned Divestitures.

Availability for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, was 91.2 per cent, compared to 88.8 per cent in 2023, an increase of 2.4 percentage points, primarily due to:

The addition of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities; and
The return to service of the Kent Hills wind facilities.

Total production for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, was 22,811 GWh, compared to 22,029 GWh for the same period in 2023, an increase of 782 GWh, or four per cent, primarily due to:

Production from new facilities, including the White Rock West and East wind facilities commissioned in January and April 2024, respectively, the Horizon Hill wind facility commissioned in May 2024, and the Northern Goldfields solar facilities commissioned in November 2023;
Production from the facilities acquired with Heartland;
Favourable market conditions in the Ontario wholesale power market that enabled higher dispatch at the Sarnia facility in the Gas segment that resulted in higher merchant production to the Ontario grid;
The return to service of the Kent Hills wind facilities in the first quarter of 2024; and
Full-year production from the Garden Plain wind facility; partially offset by
Increased economic dispatch at the Centralia facility due to lower market prices compared to the prior year in the Energy Transition segment; and
Higher dispatch optimization in Alberta.

Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, was $1,253 million, compared to $1,632 million in 2023, a decrease of $379 million, or 23.2 per cent. The major factors impacting adjusted EBITDA include:

Gas adjusted EBITDA decreased by $266 million, or 33 per cent, compared to 2023, primarily due to lower power prices in the Alberta market and resulting increase in economic dispatch, an increase in the price of carbon, higher carbon costs and fuel usage related to production and lower capacity payments, partially offset by a higher volume of favourable hedging positions settled, the utilization of emission credits to settle a portion of our 2023 GHG obligation and lower natural gas prices;
Hydro adjusted EBITDA decreased by $143 million, or 31 per cent, compared to 2023, primarily due to lower spot power prices and ancillary services prices in the Alberta market, partially offset by realized premiums above the spot power prices, higher environmental and tax attributes revenues due to higher sales of emission credits to third parties and intercompany sales to the Gas segment and higher ancillary service volumes due to increased demand by the AESO;
Energy Transition adjusted EBITDA decreased by $31 million, or 25 per cent, compared to 2023, primarily due to increased economic dispatch driven by lower market prices which negatively impacted merchant production, partially offset by lower fuel and purchased power costs; and
Corporate adjusted EBITDA decreased by $20 million, or 17 per cent, compared to 2023, primarily due to higher spending to support strategic and growth initiatives; partially offset by
Wind and Solar adjusted EBITDA increasing by $59 million, or 23 per cent, compared to 2023, primarily due to new sales of production tax credits, the return to service of the Kent Hills wind facilities, the commercial operation of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities, partially offset by lower realized power pricing in the Alberta market and higher OM&A due to the addition of new wind facilities; and
Energy Marketing adjusted EBITDA increasing by $22 million, or 20 per cent, compared to 2023, primarily due to favourable market volatility and timing of realized settled trades during the current year in comparison to the prior year and lower OM&A.

Cash flow from operating activities totalled $796 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, compared to $1,464 million in the same period in 2023, a decrease of $668 million, or 46 per cent, primarily due to:

Lower gross margin due to lower revenues, excluding the effect of unrealized losses from risk management activities, partially offset by lower fuel and purchased power;
Higher OM&A due to increased spending on planning and design of an ERP system upgrade, higher spending on strategic and growth initiatives, penalties assessed by the Alberta Market Surveillance Administrator for self-reported contraventions and Heartland acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs;
Higher current income tax expense due to the full utilization of Canadian non-capital loss carryforwards in 2023, which was partially offset by lower earnings before income tax in 2024;
Unfavourable change in non-cash operating working capital balances due to lower accounts payables and accrued liabilities, partially offset by lower collateral provided as a result of market price volatility;
Higher interest expense on debt primarily due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in 2024 compared to 2023; and
Lower interest income due to lower cash balances and lower interest rates.

FCF totalled $569 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, compared to $890 million for the same period in 2023, a decrease of $321 million, or 36 per cent, primarily driven by:

The adjusted EBITDA items noted above;
Higher current income tax expense due to the full utilization of Canadian non-capital loss carryforwards in 2023, partially offset by lower earnings before income taxes in 2024; and
Higher net interest expense due to lower capitalized interest resulting from lower construction activity in 2024 compared to 2023, and lower interest income due to lower cash balances and interest rates in 2024 compared to prior year; partially offset by
Lower distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests relating to lower TA Cogen net earnings resulting from lower merchant pricing in the Alberta market and the cessation of distributions to TransAlta Renewables non-controlling interest;
Lower sustaining capital expenditures due to the receipt of a lease incentive related to the Company’s head office and lower planned major maintenance at our Alberta and Western Australian gas facilities, partially offset by higher major maintenance at our Alberta Hydro assets; and
Higher provisions accrued in the current year compared to the prior year resulting in higher FCF.

Earnings before income taxes totalled $319 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, compared to $880 million in the same period in 2023, a decrease of $561 million, or 64 per cent.

Net earnings attributable to common shareholders totalled $177 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, compared to $644 million in the same period in 2023, a decrease of $467 million, or 73 per cent, primarily due to:

The adjusted EBITDA items discussed above;
Higher asset impairment charges due to an increase in decommissioning and restoration provisions on retired assets, driven by a decrease in discount rates and revisions in estimated decommissioning costs and higher impairment charges related to development projects that are no longer proceeding;
Lower unrealized mark-to-market gains and lower realized gains on closed exchange positions in the Energy Marketing segment mainly driven by market volatility across North American power and natural gas markets;
Higher unrealized mark-to-market losses recorded in the Wind and Solar segment primarily related to the long-term wind energy sales at the Oklahoma facilities;
Higher interest expense due to lower capitalized interest during 2024 resulting from lower construction activity in 2024 compared to 2023;
Lower capacity payments in 2024 for Southern Cross Energy in Western Australia due to the scheduled conclusion on Dec. 31, 2023 of the demand capacity charge under the customer contract, partially offset by the commencement in March 2024 of capacity payments for the Mount Keith 132kV expansion;
Heartland acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs;
Lower interest income due to lower cash balances and lower interest rates during 2024;
Higher spending in connection with planning and design work on a planned upgrade to the ERP system;
Lower income tax expense due to lower earnings; and
Penalties assessed by the Alberta Market Surveillance Administrator for self-reported contraventions pertaining to Hydro ancillary services provided during 2021 and 2022; partially offset by
Lower depreciation and amortization compared to 2023 related to revisions of useful lives of certain facilities in prior and current periods, partially offset by the commercial operation of new facilities during the year and the return to service of the Kent Hills wind facilities;
Higher unrealized mark-to-market gains recorded in the Energy Transition segment primarily related to favourable changes in forward prices;
A recovery related to the reversal of previously derecognized Canadian deferred tax assets; and
Higher net other operating income mainly due to Sundance A decommissioning cost reimbursement.

Fourth Quarter Financial Results Summary

Fourth quarter 2024 results were in-line with management’s expectations due to active management of the Company’s merchant portfolio and hedging strategies, despite lower power prices in the Alberta and mid-Columbia markets. The Company settled a higher volume of hedges that were significantly above average spot prices during the period. The acquisition of Heartland on Dec. 4, 2024 positively contributed to production in the Gas segment and further diversifies TransAlta’s competitive portfolio in the highly dynamic and shifting electricity landscape in Alberta by adding 1.7 GW to gross installed capacity.

Availability for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, was 87.8 per cent, compared to 86.9 per cent for the same period in 2023, an increase of 0.9 percentage points, primarily due to:

The addition of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities which operated with high availability;
The return to service of the Kent Hills wind facilities;
Higher availability in the Hydro segment due to lower planned outages;
Higher availability in the Energy Transition segment due to lower unplanned outages; and
Positive contribution from the addition of the gas facilities acquired with Heartland; partially offset by
Lower availability for the Gas segment due to planned outages at Sarnia, Sheerness and Keephills.

Production for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, was 6,199 GWh, compared to 5,783 GWh for the same period in 2023. The increase of 416 GWh, or seven per cent, was primarily due to:

Higher production in the Wind and Solar segment due to the addition of the Horizon Hill and White Rock West and East wind facilities during 2024;
Higher production in the Hydro segment compared to the same period in 2023 due to water conservation in the fourth quarter of 2023 that resulted in lower production volumes compared to the current period; partially offset by
Lower production in the Energy Transition segment due to higher dispatch optimization, which negatively affected merchant production; and
Lower production in the Gas segment driven by lower availability at the Sarnia facility due to planned outages, higher economic dispatch in Alberta and lower production from Western Australia due to lower demand, partially offset by positive contribution from the Heartland gas facilities.

Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, was $285 million, compared to $289 million in the same period of 2023, a decrease of $4 million, or one per cent. The major factors impacting adjusted EBITDA are summarized below:

Gas adjusted EBITDA decreased by $25 million, or 18 per cent, due to lower realized power prices in Alberta, an increase in the carbon price in Canada and higher OM&A driven by higher maintenance costs at the South Hedland facility, partially offset by a higher volume of favourable hedging positions settled, positive contribution from the Heartland gas facilities and lower capacity payments;
Corporate adjusted EBITDA decreased by $8 million, or 27 per cent, due to higher spending to support strategic and growth initiatives; partially offset by
Wind and Solar adjusted EBITDA increasing by $13 million, or 16 per cent, due to environmental and tax attributes revenues from the sale of PTCs from the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities to taxable US counterparties, higher revenues driven by increased production from the addition of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities and the return to service of the Kent Hills wind facilities, partially offset by unfavourable merchant power prices in Alberta;
Energy Marketing adjusted EBITDA increasing by $13 million, or 93 per cent, due to favourable market volatility and the timing of realized settled trades during 2024 in comparison to the same period in 2023;
Energy Transition adjusted EBITDA increasing by $2 million, or eight per cent, compared to 2023, primarily due to lower fuel and purchased power costs, partially offset by increased economic dispatch due to lower market prices; and
Hydro adjusted EBITDA increasing by $1 million, or two per cent, due to higher merchant revenues driven by higher volumes, partially offset by lower spot power prices and lower environmental and tax attributes revenues.

FCF totalled $48 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, compared to $121 million in the same period in 2023, a decrease of $73 million, or 60 per cent, primarily due to:

The adjusted EBITDA items noted above;
Higher realized foreign exchange losses compared to realized foreign exchange gains in the comparative period;
Higher current income tax expense due to the full utilization of Canadian non-capital loss carryforwards in 2023, partially offset by a higher loss before income taxes in the current period compared to the same period in 2023;
Higher net interest expense due to lower capitalized interest as a result of capital projects being completed in the first half of 2024 and lower interest income due to lower cash balances in 2024; and
Higher dividends paid on preferred shares; partially offset by
Lower distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests due to lower TA Cogen net earnings;
Lower sustaining capital due to lower planned maintenance at the Alberta gas facilities, partially offset by higher planned maintenance at the Sarnia cogeneration facility and Alberta hydro facilities; and
Higher provisions accrued in the current year compared to the prior year resulting in higher FCF.

Net loss attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024, was $65 million, compared to a net loss of $84 million in the same period of 2023, an improvement of $19 million, or 23 per cent, primarily due to:

The adjusted EBITDA items discussed above;
Higher interest expense due to lower capitalized interest in the fourth quarter of 2024 resulting from lower capital activity compared to the same period in 2023;
Heartland acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs in the fourth quarter of 2024;
Higher ERP upgrade costs related to planning and design work;
Penalties assessed by the Alberta Market Surveillance Administrator for self-reported contraventions pertaining to Hydro ancillary services provided during 2021 and 2022;
Higher depreciation and amortization due to the commercial operation of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities during 2024; and
Higher taxes other than income taxes, mainly consisting of property taxes due to the addition of new wind facilities during 2024; partially offset by
Higher realized and unrealized foreign exchange gains;
Lower realized gains on closed exchange positions in 2024 compared to the same period in 2023;
An income tax recovery relative to the prior period expense as a result of a higher loss before income taxes due to the above noted items; in addition to lower non-deductible expenses;
Lower net earnings attributable to non-controlling interest compared to the same period in 2023 due to lower merchant pricing in the Alberta market;
Higher net other operating income mainly due to Sundance A decommissioning cost reimbursement; and
Lower asset impairment charges related to the decommissioning and restoration provisions on retired assets driven by lower discount rates in the current period compared to the same period in 2023, partially offset by impairment charges related to development projects that are no longer proceeding.

Alberta Electricity Portfolio

For the three months and year ended Dec. 31, 2024, the Alberta electricity portfolio generated 3,150 GWh and 11,809 GWh, respectively, compared to 2,989 GWh and 11,759 GWh, respectively, in the same periods in 2023. The annual production increase of 50 GWh, or 0.4 per cent, was primarily due to:

Higher production in the Gas segment due to the addition of gas facilities from the acquisition of Heartland; and
A full-year of production from the addition of the Garden Plain wind facility, which was commissioned in August 2023; partially offset by
Higher dispatch optimization in the Gas segment; and
Lower production from the Alberta hydro facilities due to lower water resources compared to the prior year.

The fourth quarter production increase of 161 GWh, or five per cent, benefited from:

Higher production from the Gas segment due to the Heartland acquisition; and
Higher production from the Alberta hydro facilities due to significant water conservation during the fourth quarter of 2023; partially offset by
Higher economic dispatch for the Alberta gas facilities; and
Lower production in the Wind and Solar segment due to lower wind resource.

Gross margin for the Alberta portfolio for the three months and year ended Dec. 31, 2024, was $191 million and $856 million, respectively, a decrease of $24 million and $392 million, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2023. The annual decrease was primarily due to:

The impact of lower Alberta spot power prices and lower hydro ancillary services prices;
Increased dispatch optimization in the Gas segment driven by lower power prices; and
An increase in the carbon price per tonne from $65 in 2023 to $80 in 2024; partially offset by
Higher gains realized on financial hedges settled in the period;
Higher environmental and tax attributes revenues due to the increased sales of emission credits to third parties and intercompany sales from the Hydro segment to the Gas segment;
The utilization of emission credits in the Gas segment in 2024 to settle a portion of our 2023 GHG obligation;
Higher hydro ancillary services volumes due to increased demand by the AESO; and
Lower natural gas prices.

Gross margin for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024 was impacted by:

Lower Alberta spot power prices;
Higher carbon compliance costs due to increase in the carbon price from $65 per tonne in 2023 to $80 per tonne in 2024; and
Higher purchased power due to the contractual requirement to fulfill physical power trades; partially offset by
Higher gains realized on financial hedges settled in the period.

Alberta power prices for 2024 were lower compared to 2023. The average spot power price per MWh for the three months and year ended Dec. 31, 2024, was $52 and $63, respectively, compared to $82 and $134, respectively, in the same periods in 2023. This was primarily due to:

Higher generation from the addition of increased supply of new renewables and combined-cycle gas facilities into the market compared to the prior period; and
Lower natural gas prices.

Hedged volumes for the three months and year ended Dec. 31, 2024, were 2,637 GWh and 9,080 GWh at an average price of $80 per MWh and $84 per MWh, respectively, compared to 1,824 GWh and 7,550 GWh at an average price of $90 per MWh and $110 per MWh, respectively, in 2023.

Liquidity and Financial Position

We maintain adequate available liquidity under our committed credit facilities. As at Dec. 31, 2024, we had access to $1.6 billion in liquidity, including $336 million in cash, which exceeds the funds required for committed growth, sustaining capital and productivity projects.

2025 Outlook and Financial Guidance

For 2025, management expects adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $1.15 to $1.25 billion and FCF to be in the range of $450 to $550 million, based on the following, relative to 2024:

Higher contribution from the wind and solar portfolio due to a full-year impact of new asset additions of the White Rock and Horizon Hill wind facilities;
Contribution from assets acquired with Heartland;
Lower contributions from the legacy merchant hydro, wind and gas assets in Alberta which are expected to step down due to lower expected average power prices in Alberta given baseload gas and renewables supply additions in late 2024 and 2025;
Lower current income tax expense in 2025 compared to 2024 actual; and
Increased net interest expense in 2025 as a result of the Heartland acquisition and lower interest income earned on lower cash deposits and lower capitalized interest on growth projects.

The following table outlines our expectations regarding key financial targets and related assumptions for 2025 and should be read in conjunction with the narrative discussion that follows and the Governance and Risk Management section of the MD&A for additional information:

Measure	2025 Target	2024 Target	2024 Actual
Adjusted EBITDA	$1,150 to $1,250 million	$1,150 to $1,300 million	$1,253 million
FCF	$450 to $550 million	$450 to $600 million	$569 million
FCF per share	$1.51 to $1.85	$1.47 to $1.96	$1.88
Annual dividend per share	$0.26 annualized	$0.24 annualized	$0.24 annualized

The Company’s outlook for 2025 may be impacted by a number of factors as detailed further below.

Market	2025 Assumptions	2024 Assumptions	2024 Actual
Alberta spot ($/MWh)	$40 to $60	$75 to $95	$63
Mid-Columbia spot (US$/MWh)	US$50 to US$70	US$85 to US$95	US$76
AECO gas price ($/GJ)	$1.60 to $2.10	$2.50 to $3.00	$1.29

Alberta spot price sensitivity: a +/- $1 per MWh change in spot price is expected to have a +/-$3 million impact on adjusted EBITDA for 2025.

Other assumptions relevant to the 2025 outlook

	2025 Assumptions	2024 Assumptions	2024 Actual
Energy Marketing gross margin	$110 to $130 million	$110 to $130 million	$167 million
Sustaining capital	$145 to $165 million	$130 to $150 million	$142 million
Current income tax expense	$95 to $130 million	$95 to $130 million	$143 million
Net interest expense	$255 to $275 million	$240 to $260 million	$231 million

Hedging assumptions	Q1 2025	Q2 2025	Q3 2025	Q4 2025	2026
Hedged production (GWh)	2,117	1,758	1,942	1,845	4,713
Hedge price ($/MWh)	$72	$70	$70	$70	$75
Hedged gas volumes (GJ)	14 million	6 million	6 million	6 million	18 million
Hedge gas prices ($/GJ)	$2.98	$3.63	$3.77	$3.65	$3.67

Conference call

TransAlta will host a conference call and webcast at 9:00 a.m. MST (11:00 a.m. EST) today, Feb. 20, 2025, to discuss our fourth quarter and year end 2024 results. The call will begin with comments from John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Joel Hunter, EVP Finance and Chief Financial Officer, followed by a question-and-answer period.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Conference Call

Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/zd49obg6

To access the conference call via telephone, please register ahead of time using the call link here: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI5c12d9a2da0e4e06892f413e217f0350. Once registered, participants will have the option of 1) dialing into the call from their phone (via a personalized PIN); or 2) clicking the “Call Me” option to receive an automated call directly to their phone.

Related materials will be available on the Investor Centre section of TransAlta’s website at https://transalta.com/investors/presentations-and-events/. If you are unable to participate in the call, the replay will be accessible at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/zd49obg6. A transcript of the broadcast will be posted on TransAlta’s website once it becomes available.

Notes

(1)These items (adjusted EBITDA, FCF and annual average EBITDA) are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS. Presenting these items from period to period provides management and investors with the ability to evaluate earnings (loss) trends more readily in comparison with prior periods’ results. Please refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section of this earnings release for further discussion of these items, including, where applicable, reconciliations to measures calculated in accordance with IFRS.
(2)Funds from operations (FFO) per share and free cash flow (FCF) per share are calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Refer to the Additional IFRS Measures and Non-IFRS Measures section of the MD&A for the purpose of these non-‍IFRS ratios.

Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures

We use a number of financial measures to evaluate our performance and the performance of our business segments, including measures and ratios that are presented on a non-IFRS basis, as described below. Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts are in Canadian dollars and have been derived from our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. We believe that these non-IFRS amounts, measures and ratios, read together with our IFRS amounts, provide readers with a better understanding of how management assesses results.

Non-IFRS amounts, measures and ratios do not have standardized meanings under IFRS. They are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and should not be viewed in isolation from, as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, our IFRS results.

Adjusted EBITDA

Each business segment assumes responsibility for its operating results measured by adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is an important metric for management that represents our core operational results. Interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are not included, as differences in accounting treatments may distort our core business results. In addition, certain reclassifications and adjustments are made to better assess results, excluding those items that may not be reflective of ongoing business performance. This presentation may facilitate the readers’ analysis of trends.

Average Annual EBITDA

Average annual EBITDA is a forward-looking non-IFRS financial measure that is used to show the average annual EBITDA that the project is expected to generate.

Funds From Operations (FFO)

FFO is an important metric as it provides a proxy for cash generated from operating activities before changes in working capital and provides the ability to evaluate cash flow trends in comparison with results from prior periods. FFO is a non-IFRS measure. The most directly comparable IFRS measure is Cash Flow from Operations.

Free Cash Flow (FCF)

FCF is an important metric as it represents the amount of cash that is available to invest in growth initiatives, make scheduled principal repayments on debt, repay maturing debt, pay common share dividends or repurchase common shares. Changes in working capital are excluded so FFO and FCF are not distorted by changes that we consider temporary in nature, reflecting, among other things, the impact of seasonal factors and timing of receipts and payments. FCF is a non-IFRS measure. The most directly comparable IFRS measure is Cash Flow from Operations.

Non-IFRS Ratios

FFO per share, FCF per share and adjusted net debt to adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS ratios that are presented in the MD&A. Refer to the Reconciliation of Cash Flow from Operations to FFO and FCF and Key Non-IFRS Financial Ratios sections of the MD&A for additional information.

FFO per share and FCF per share

FFO per share and FCF per share are calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. FFO per share and FCF per share are non-IFRS ratios.

Reconciliation of these non-IFRS financial measures to the most comparable IFRS measure are provided below.

Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures on a Consolidated Basis

The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA by segment and provides reconciliation to earnings before income taxes for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2024:

Three months ended Dec. 31, 2024 $ millions	Hydro		Wind & Solar⁽¹⁾		Gas		Energy Transition		Energy Marketing	Corporate		Total		Equity accounted investments⁽¹⁾		Reclass adjustments		IFRS financials
Revenues	93		104		319		155		14	—		685		(7	)	—		678
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Unrealized mark-to-market (gain) loss	4		23		26		(8	)	19	—		64		—		(64	)	—
Realized gains (losses) on closed exchange positions	—		—		(1	)	2		1	—		2		—		(2	)	—
Decrease in finance lease receivable	—		1		5		—		—	—		6		—		(6	)	—
Finance lease income	—		2		3		—		—	—		5		—		(5	)	—
Revenues from Planned Divestitures	—		—		(1	)	—		—	—		(1	)	—		1		—
Brazeau penalties	(20	)	—		—		—		—	—		(20	)	—		20		—
Unrealized foreign exchange gain on commodity	—		—		(1	)	—		—	—		(1	)	—		1		—
Adjusted revenues	77		130		350		149		34	—		740		(7	)	(55	)	678
Fuel and purchased power	3		8		136		102		—	—		249		—		—		249
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Fuel and purchased power related to Planned Divestitures	—		—		(1	)	—		—	—		(1	)	—		1		—
Australian interest income	—		—		(1	)	—		—	—		(1	)	—		1		—
Adjusted fuel and purchased power	3		8		134		102		—	—		247		—		2		249
Carbon compliance	—		—		39		—		—	—		39		—		—		39
Gross margin	74		122		177		47		34	—		454		(7	)	(57	)	390
OM&A	47		27		67		19		7	68		235		(1	)	—		234
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Brazeau penalties	(31	)	—		—		—		—	—		(31	)	—		31		—
ERP integration costs	—		—		—		—		—	(14	)	(14	)	—		14		—
Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs	—		—		—		—		—	(16	)	(16	)	—		16		—
Adjusted OM&A	16		27		67		19		7	38		174		(1	)	61		234
Taxes, other than income taxes	1		3		4		—		—	—		8		1		—		9
Net other operating income	—		(3	)	(10	)	(9	)	—	—		(22	)	—		—		(22	)
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Sundance A decommissioning cost reimbursement	—		—		—		9		—	—		9		—		(9	)	—
Adjusted net other operating income	—		(3	)	(10	)	—		—	—		(13	)	—		(9	)	(22	)
Adjusted EBITDA⁽²⁾	57		95		116		28		27	(38	)	285
Equity income																		2
Finance lease income																		5
Depreciation and amortization																		(143	)
Asset impairment charges																		(20	)
Interest income																		11
Interest expense																		(92	)
Foreign exchange gain																		17
Loss before income taxes																		(51	)

(1) The Skookumchuck wind facility has been included on a proportionate basis in the Wind and Solar segment.
(2) Adjusted EBITDA is not defined and has no standardized meaning under IFRS. Refer to the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section in this earnings release and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA by segment and provides reconciliation to loss before income taxes for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2023:

Three months ended Dec. 31, 2023 $ millions	Hydro		Wind & Solar⁽¹⁾		Gas		Energy Transition	Energy Marketing		Corporate		Total		Equity accounted investments⁽¹⁾		Reclass adjustments		IFRS financials
Revenues	77		94		246		175	39		—		631		(7	)	—		624
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Unrealized mark-to-market (gain) loss	(2	)	20		53		7	(19	)	—		59		—		(59	)	—
Realized gain on closed exchange positions	—		—		23		—	4		—		27		—		(27	)	—
Decrease in finance lease receivable	—		—		15		—	—		—		15		—		(15	)	—
Finance lease income	—		—		2		—	—		—		2		—		(2	)	—
Unrealized foreign exchange gain on commodity	—		—		1		—	—		—		1		—		(1	)	—
Adjusted revenues	75		114		340		182	24		—		735		(7	)	(104	)	624
Fuel and purchased power	5		8		127		138	—		—		278		—		—		278
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Australian interest income	—		—		(1	)	—	—		—		(1	)	—		1		—
Adjusted fuel and purchased power	5		8		126		138	—		—		277		—		1		278
Carbon compliance	—		—		27		—	—		—		27		—		—		27
Gross margin	70		106		187		44	24		—		431		(7	)	(105	)	319
OM&A	13		25		56		18	10		29		151		(1	)	—		150
Taxes, other than income taxes	1		1		—		—	—		1		3		—		—		3
Net other operating income	—		(3	)	(10	)	—	—		—		(13	)	—		—		(13	)
Adjusted net other operating income	—		(2	)	(10	)	—	—		—		(12	)	—		(1	)	(13	)
Adjusted EBITDA⁽²⁾	56		82		141		26	14		(30	)	289
Equity income																		3
Finance lease income																		2
Depreciation and amortization																		(132	)
Asset impairment charges																		(26	)
Interest income																		12
Interest expense																		(66	)
Foreign exchange loss																		(7	)
Loss before income taxes																		(35	)

The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA by segment and provides reconciliation to earnings before income taxes for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024:

Year ended Dec. 31, 2024 $ millions	Hydro		Wind & Solar⁽¹⁾		Gas		Energy Transition		Energy Marketing		Corporate		Total		Equity accounted investments⁽¹⁾		Reclass adjustments		IFRS financials
Revenues	409		357		1,350		616		168		(34	)	2,866		(21	)	—		2,845
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Unrealized mark-to-market (gain) loss	1		84		(60	)	(36	)	14		—		3		—		(3	)	—
Realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions	—		—		7		2		(15	)	—		(6	)	—		6		—
Decrease in finance lease receivable	—		2		19		—		—		—		21		—		(21	)	—
Finance lease income	—		6		8		—		—		—		14		—		(14	)	—
Revenues from Planned Divestitures	—		—		(1	)	—		—		—		(1	)	—		1		—
Brazeau penalty	(20	)	—		—		—		—		—		(20	)	—		20		—
Unrealized foreign exchange loss on commodity	—		—		(2	)	—		—		—		(2	)	—		2		—
Adjusted revenues	390		449		1,321		582		167		(34	)	2,875		(21	)	(9	)	2,845
Fuel and purchased power	16		30		475		418		—		—		939		—		—		939
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Fuel and purchased power related to Planned Divestitures	—		—		(1	)	—		—		—		(1	)	—		1		—
Australian interest income	—		—		(4	)	—		—		—		(4	)	—		4		—
Adjusted fuel and purchased power	16		30		470		418		—		—		934		—		5		939
Carbon compliance	—		—		145		1		—		(34	)	112		—		—		112
Gross margin	374		419		706		163		167		—		1,829		(21	)	(14	)	1,794
OM&A	86		97		198		69		36		173		659		(4	)	—		655
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Brazeau penalty	(31	)	—		—		—		—		—		(31	)	—		31		—
ERP implementation costs	—		—		—		—		—		(14	)	(14	)	—		14		—
Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs	—		—		—		—		—		(24	)	(24	)			24		—
Adjusted OM&A	55		97		198		69		36		135		590		(4	)	69		655
Taxes, other than income taxes	3		16		13		3		—		1		36		—		—		36
Net other operating income	—		(10	)	(40	)	(9	)	—		—		(59	)	—		—		(59	)
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Sundance A decommissioning cost reimbursement	—		—		—		9		—		—		9		—		(9	)	—
Adjusted net other operating income	—		(10	)	(40	)	—		—		—		(50	)	—		(9	)	(59	)
Adjusted EBITDA⁽²⁾	316		316		535		91		131		(136	)	1,253
Equity income																			5
Finance lease income																			14
Depreciation and amortization																			(531	)
Asset impairment charges																			(46	)
Interest income																			30
Interest expense																			(324	)
Foreign exchange gain																			5
Gain on sale of assets and other																			4
Earnings before income taxes																			319

The following table reflects adjusted EBITDA by segment and provides reconciliation to earnings before income taxes for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023:

Year ended Dec. 31, 2023 $ millions	Hydro		Wind & Solar⁽¹⁾		Gas		Energy Transition		Energy Marketing		Corporate		Total		Equity accounted investments⁽¹⁾		Reclass adjustments		IFRS financials
Revenues	533		357		1,514		751		220		1		3,376		(21	)	—		3,355
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Unrealized mark-to-market loss	(4	)	16		(67	)	(5	)	23		—		(37	)	—		37		—
Realized gain (loss) on closed exchange positions	—		—		10		—		(91	)	—		(81	)	—		81		—
Decrease in finance lease receivable	—		—		55		—		—		—		55		—		(55	)	—
Finance lease income	—		—		12		—		—		—		12		—		(12	)	—
Unrealized foreign exchange gain on commodity	—		—		1		—		—		—		1		—		(1	)	—
Adjusted revenues	529		373		1,525		746		152		1		3,326		(21	)	50		3,355
Fuel and purchased power	19		30		453		557		—		1		1,060		—		—		1,060
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Australian interest income	—		—		(4	)	—		—		—		(4	)	—		4		—
Adjusted fuel and purchased power	19		30		449		557		—		1		1,056		—		4		1,060
Carbon compliance	—		—		112		—		—		—		112		—		—		112
Gross margin	510		343		964		189		152		—		2,158		(21	)	46		2,183
OM&A	48		80		192		64		43		115		542		(3	)	—		539
Taxes, other than income taxes	3		12		11		3		—		1		30		(1	)	—		29
Net other operating income	—		(7	)	(40	)	—		—		—		(47	)			—		(47	)
Reclassifications and adjustments:
Insurance recovery	—		1		—		—		—		—		1		—		(1	)	—
Adjusted net other operating income	—		(6	)	(40	)	—		—		—		(46	)	—		(1	)	(47	)
Adjusted EBITDA⁽²⁾	459		257		801		122		109		(116	)	1,632
Equity income																			4
Finance lease income																			12
Depreciation and amortization																			(621	)
Asset impairment reversals																			48
Interest income																			59
Interest expense																			(281	)
Foreign exchange gain																			(7	)
Gain on sale of assets and other																			4
Earnings before income taxes																			880

Reconciliation of cash flow from operations to FFO and FCF

The table below reconciles our cash flow from operating activities to our FFO and FCF:

	Three Months Ended				Year Ended
$ millions, unless otherwise stated	Dec. 31, 2024		Dec. 31, 2023		Dec. 31, 2024		Dec. 31, 2023
Cash flow from operating activities⁽¹⁾	215		310		796		1,464
Change in non-cash operating working capital balances	(97	)	(135	)	(38	)	(124	)
Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital	118		175		758		1,340
Adjustments
Share of adjusted FFO from joint venture⁽¹⁾	4		3		8		8
Decrease in finance lease receivable	6		15		21		55
Clean energy transition provisions and adjustments⁽²⁾	—		4		—		11
Sundance A decommissioning cost reimbursement	(9	)	—		(9	)	—
Realized gain (loss) on closed exchanged positions	2		27		(6	)	(81	)
Acquisition-related transaction and restructuring costs	11		—		19		—
Other⁽³⁾	5		5		19		18
FFO⁽⁴⁾	137		229		810		1,351
Deduct:
Sustaining capital⁽¹⁾	(67	)	(74	)	(142	)	(174	)
Productivity capital	(1	)	(1	)	(1	)	(3	)
Dividends paid on preferred shares	(13	)	(12	)	(52	)	(51	)
Distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests	(6	)	(19	)	(40	)	(223	)
Principal payments on lease liabilities	(3	)	(2	)	(6	)	(10	)
Other	1		—		—		—
FCF⁽⁴⁾	48		121		569		890
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the period	298		308		302		276
FFO per share⁽⁴⁾	0.46		0.74		2.68		4.89
FCF per share⁽⁴⁾	0.16		0.39		1.88		3.22

(1)  Includes our share of amounts for the Skookumchuck wind facility, an equity-accounted joint venture.
(2)  2023 includes amounts related to onerous contracts recognized in 2021 and a voluntary contribution to the US Defined Benefit Pension Plan for the Centralia thermal facility.
(3)  Other consists of production tax credits, which is a reduction to tax equity debt, less distributions from an equity-accounted joint venture.
(4)  These items are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section in this earnings release .

The table below provides a reconciliation of our adjusted EBITDA to our FFO and FCF:

	Three Months Ended				Year Ended
$ millions, unless otherwise stated	Dec. 31, 2024		Dec. 31, 2023		Dec. 31, 2024		Dec. 31, 2023
Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾⁽⁴⁾	285		289		1,253		1,632
Provisions	2		(1	)	10		(1	)
Net interest expense⁽²⁾	(64	)	(41	)	(231	)	(164	)
Current income tax recovery (expense)	(20	)	5		(143	)	(50	)
Realized foreign exchange gain (loss)	(20	)	9		(27	)	(4	)
Decommissioning and restoration costs settled	(12	)	(15	)	(41	)	(37	)
Other non-cash items	(34	)	(17	)	(11	)	(25	)
FFO⁽³⁾⁽⁴⁾	137		229		810		1,351
Deduct:
Sustaining capital⁽⁴⁾	(67	)	(74	)	(142	)	(174	)
Productivity capital	(1	)	(1	)	(1	)	(3	)
Dividends paid on preferred shares	(13	)	(12	)	(52	)	(51	)
Distributions paid to subsidiaries’ non-controlling interests	(6	)	(19	)	(40	)	(223	)
Principal payments on lease liabilities	(3	)	(2	)	(6	)	(10	)
Other	1		—		—		—
FCF⁽⁴⁾	48		121		569		890

(1)  Adjusted EBITDA is defined in the Additional IFRS Measures and Non-IFRS Measures of this earnings release and reconciled to earnings (loss) before income taxes above.
(2) Net interest expense includes interest expense less interest income and excludes non-cash items like financing amortization and accretion.
(3)  These items are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. FFO and FCF are defined in the Non-IFRS financial measures and other specified financial measures section of in this earnings release and reconciled to cash flow from operating activities above.
(4)  Includes our share of amounts for Skookumchuck wind facility, an equity-accounted joint venture.

TransAlta is in the process of filing its Annual Information Form, Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes, as well as the associated Management’s Discussion & Analysis (MD&A). These documents will be available today on the Investors section of TransAlta’s website at www.transalta.com or through SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

TransAlta will also be filing its Form 40-F with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The form will be available through their website at www.sec.gov. Paper copies of all documents are available to shareholders free of charge upon request.

About TransAlta Corporation:

TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Western Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with clean, affordable, energy efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada’s largest producers of wind power and Alberta’s largest producer of hydro-electric power. For over 112 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud member of the communities where we operate and where our employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Future-Fit Business Benchmark, which also defines sustainable goals for businesses. Our reporting on climate change management has been guided by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S2 Climate-related Disclosures Standard and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. TransAlta has achieved a 70 per cent reduction in GHG emissions or 22.7 million tonnes CO2e since 2015 and received an upgraded MSCI ESG rating of AA.

For more information about TransAlta, visit our web site at transalta.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes “forward-looking information,” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, and “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are not facts, but only predictions and generally can be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as “may”, “will”, “can”, “could”, “would”, “shall”, “believe”, “expect”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “forecast”, “foresee”, “potential”, “enable”, “continue” or other comparable terminology. These statements are not guarantees of our future performance, events or results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual performance, events or results to be materially different from those set out in or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements about the following, among other things: the strategic objectives of the Company and that the execution of the Company’s strategy will realize value for shareholders; our capital allocation and financing strategy; our sustainability goals and targets, including those in our 2024 Sustainability Report; our 2025 Outlook; our financial and operational performance, including our hedge position; optimizing and diversifying our existing assets; the increasingly contracted nature of our fleet; expectations about strategies for growth and expansion, including opportunities for Centralia redevelopment, and data centre opportunities; expected costs and schedules for planned projects; expected regulatory processes and outcomes, including in relation to the Alberta restructured energy market; the power generation industry and the supply and demand of electricity; the cyclicality of our business; expected outcomes with respect to legal proceedings; the expected impact of future tax and accounting changes; and expected industry, market and economic conditions.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on many assumptions including, but not limited to, the following: no significant changes to applicable laws and regulations; no unexpected delays in obtaining required regulatory approvals; no material adverse impacts to investment and credit markets; no significant changes to power price and hedging assumptions; no significant changes to gas commodity price assumptions and transport costs; no significant changes to interest rates; no significant changes to the demand and growth of renewables generation; no significant changes to the integrity and reliability of our facilities; no significant changes to the Company’s debt and credit ratings; no unforeseen changes to economic and market conditions; and no significant event occurring outside the ordinary course of business.

These assumptions are based on information currently available to TransAlta, including information obtained from third-party sources. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted. Factors that may adversely impact what is expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in power prices; changes in supply and demand for electricity; our ability to contract our electricity generation for prices that will provide expected returns; our ability to replace contracts as they expire; risks associated with development projects and acquisitions; any difficulty raising needed capital in the future on reasonable terms or at all; our ability to achieve our targets relating to ESG; long-term commitments on gas transportation capacity that may not be fully utilized over time; changes to the legislative, regulatory and political environments; environmental requirements and changes in, or liabilities under, these requirements; operational risks involving our facilities, including unplanned outages and equipment failure; disruptions in the transmission and distribution of electricity; reductions in production; impairments and/or writedowns of assets; adverse impacts on our information technology systems and our internal control systems, including increased cybersecurity threats; commodity risk management and energy trading risks; reduced labour availability and ability to continue to staff our operations and facilities; disruptions to our supply chains; climate-change related risks; reductions to our generating units’ relative efficiency or capacity factors; general economic risks, including deterioration of equity and debt markets, increasing interest rates or rising inflation; general domestic and international economic and political developments, including potential trade tariffs; industry risk and competition; counterparty credit risk; inadequacy or unavailability of insurance coverage; increases in the Company’s income taxes and any risk of reassessments; legal, regulatory and contractual disputes and proceedings involving the Company; reliance on key personnel; and labour relations matters.

The foregoing risk factors, among others, are described in further detail under the heading “Governance and Risk Management” in the MD&A, which section is incorporated by reference herein.

Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully when evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on them. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made only as of the date hereof and we do not undertake to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. The purpose of the financial outlooks contained herein is to give the reader information about management’s current expectations and plans and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Note: All financial figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

For more information:

*Investor Inquiries:*	*Media Inquiries:*
Phone: 1-800-387-3598 in Canada and US	Phone: 1-855-255-9184
Email: investor_relations@transalta.com	Email: ta_media_relations@transalta.com

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI: Donegal Group Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MARIETTA, Pa., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Donegal Group Inc. (NASDAQ:DGICA) and (NASDAQ:DGICB) today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024.

Significant items for fourth quarter of 2024 (all comparisons to fourth quarter of 2023):

Net premiums earned increased 4.6% to $236.6 million
Combined ratio of 92.9%, compared to 106.8%
Net income of $24.0 million, or 70 cents per diluted Class A share, compared to net loss of $2.0 million, or 6 cents per Class A share
Net investment gains (after tax) of $0.2 million, or 1 cent per diluted Class A share, compared to $1.8 million, or 5 cents per Class A share, are included in net income (loss)

Significant items for full year of 2024 (all comparisons to full year of 2023):

Net premiums earned increased 6.2% to $936.7 million
Combined ratio of 98.6%, compared to 104.4%
Net income of $50.9 million, or $1.53 per diluted Class A share, compared to $4.4 million, or 14 cents per diluted Class A share
Net investment gains (after tax) of $3.9 million, or 12 cents per diluted Class A share, compared to $2.5 million, or 8 cents per diluted Class A share, are included in net income
Book value per share of $15.36 at December 31, 2024, compared to $14.39 at year-end 2023

Financial Summary

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
	2024		2023		% Change		2024		2023		% Change
	(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

Income Statement Data
Net premiums earned	$	236,635	$	226,185	4.6	%	$	936,651	$	882,071	6.2	%
Investment income, net	12,050		10,710		12.5		44,918		40,853		10.0
Net investment gains	256		2,243		-88.6		4,981		3,173		57.0
Total revenues	249,954		239,468		4.4		989,605		927,338		6.7
Net income (loss)	24,003		(1,970)		NM²		50,862		4,426		NM
Non-GAAP operating income (loss)¹	23,801		(3,742)		NM		46,927		1,919		NM
Annualized return on average equity	18.1%		-1.7%		19.8 pts		9.9%		0.9%		9.0 pts

Per Share Data
Net income (loss) – Class A (diluted)	$	0.70	$	(0.06)	NM		$	1.53	$	0.14	NM
Net income (loss) – Class B	0.64		(0.06)		NM		1.38		0.11		NM
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) – Class A (diluted)	0.69		(0.11)		NM		1.41		0.06		NM
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) – Class B	0.63		(0.11)		NM		1.27		0.04		NM
Book value	15.36		14.39		6.7	%	15.36		14.39		6.7	%

^¹_{The “Definitions of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section of this release defines and reconciles data that we prepare on an accounting basis other than U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).}^²_{Not meaningful.}

Management Commentary

Kevin G. Burke, President and Chief Executive Officer of Donegal Group Inc., stated, “We concluded 2024 with strong performance in the fourth quarter that we believe reflected our unrelenting focus in recent years on execution, whether on strategic initiatives to broaden our market capabilities or on profit-improvement measures to enhance our operating performance. As we move into 2025, we are striving to further enhance our performance while also pursuing intentional, strategic premium growth.

“For the fourth quarter of 2024, our loss ratio improved substantially compared to the prior-year quarter, as premium rate increases contributed to higher net premiums earned and numerous underwriting initiatives we implemented in recent years resulted in lower claim activity. Our weather-related loss ratio compared favorably to both the prior-year quarter and our previous five-year average for the fourth quarter of the year. Net development of reserves for claims incurred in prior years had virtually no effect on the loss ratio for the fourth quarter of 2024 or 2023.

“We effectively mitigated the higher costs associated with our major systems modernization project and higher underwriting-based incentive costs by implementing targeted expense-reduction strategies across our operations. We remain committed to refining the efficiency of our insurance operations, leveraging our substantial investments in technology, data and analytics, to maintain a sustainable expense ratio.”

Mr. Burke concluded, “As the insurance industry landscape continues to evolve, our dedicated team will maintain focus on the effective execution of the strategies we believe will lead to successful achievement of our long-term objectives. We will continue to implement premium rate increases as needed to maintain rate adequacy and achieve targeted risk-adjusted returns. We are also actively pursuing new business opportunities across our regional footprint, concentrating primarily on high quality new commercial middle market and small business accounts, while also seeking strategic new business growth within our personal lines segment. We have refined our state-specific strategies and action plans to meet current market challenges and opportunities. We believe that the successful execution of those actions will allow us to further enhance underwriting performance, drive sustainable measured growth and strengthen our competitive position with our independent agents, ultimately increasing the value of our stockholders’ investment in Donegal Group Inc.”

Insurance Operations

Donegal Group is an insurance holding company whose insurance subsidiaries and affiliates offer property and casualty lines of insurance in three Mid-Atlantic states (Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania), five Southern states (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia), eight Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin) and five Southwestern states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah). Donegal Mutual Insurance Company and the insurance subsidiaries of Donegal Group conduct business together as the Donegal Insurance Group.

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
	2024		2023		% Change		2024		2023		% Change
	(dollars in thousands)

Net Premiums Earned
Commercial lines	$	136,701	$	133,602	2.3	%	$	539,683	$	533,029	1.2	%
Personal lines	99,934		92,583		7.9		396,968		349,042		13.7
Total net premiums earned	$	236,635	$	226,185	4.6	%	$	936,651	$	882,071	6.2	%

Net Premiums Written
Commercial lines:
Automobile	$	42,922	$	39,888	7.6	%	$	184,989	$	174,741	5.9	%
Workers’ compensation	20,934		22,283		-6.1		103,533		107,598		-3.8
Commercial multi-peril	50,431		48,010		5.0		213,959		195,632		9.4
Other	9,790		10,544		-7.2		45,439		50,458		-9.9
Total commercial lines	124,077		120,725		2.8		547,920		528,429		3.7
Personal lines:
Automobile	54,078		54,609		-1.0		243,036		215,957		12.5
Homeowners	30,958		34,653		-10.7		140,613		139,688		0.7
Other	2,329		2,706		-13.9		10,712		11,623		-7.8
Total personal lines	87,365		91,968		-5.0		394,361		367,268		7.4
Total net premiums written	$	211,442	$	212,693	-0.6%		$	942,281	$	895,697	5.2	%

Net Premiums Written

The 0.6% decrease in net premiums written¹ for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, as shown in the table above, represents the combination of 2.8% growth in commercial lines net premiums written and a 5.0% decrease in personal lines net premiums written. The $1.3 million decrease in net premiums written for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 included:

Commercial Lines: $3.3 million increase that we attribute primarily to solid premium retention and a continuation of renewal premium increases in lines other than workers’ compensation, offset partially by planned attrition in classes of business we have targeted for profit improvement.
Personal Lines: $4.6 million decrease that we attribute primarily to planned attrition due to non-renewal actions and lower new business writings, offset partially by a continuation of renewal premium rate increases and solid policy retention.

The $46.6 million increase in net premiums written for the full year of 2024 compared to the full year of 2023 included:

Commercial Lines: $19.5 million increase that we attribute primarily to strong premium retention and a continuation of renewal premium increases in lines other than workers’ compensation, offset partially by planned attrition in states we exited or classes of business we have targeted for profit improvement.
Personal Lines: $27.1 million increase that we attribute primarily to a continuation of renewal premium rate increases and solid policy retention, offset partially by planned attrition due to non-renewal actions and lower new business writings.

Underwriting Performance

We evaluate the performance of our commercial lines and personal lines segments primarily based upon the underwriting results of our insurance subsidiaries as determined under statutory accounting practices. The following table presents comparative details with respect to the GAAP and statutory combined ratios¹ for the three months and full years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

	Three Months Ended				Year Ended
	December 31,				December 31,
	2024		2023		2024		2023

GAAP Combined Ratios (Total Lines)
Loss ratio – core losses	52.3	%	61.8	%	54.0	%	57.5	%
Loss ratio – weather-related losses	3.3		5.9		7.2		8.3
Loss ratio – large fire losses	4.0		4.8		4.9		5.2
Loss ratio – net prior-year reserve development	-0.2		-0.4		-1.6		-1.9
Loss ratio	59.8		72.1		64.5		69.1
Expense ratio	32.8		34.1		33.7		34.7
Dividend ratio	0.3		0.6		0.4		0.6
Combined ratio	92.9	%	106.8	%	98.6	%	104.4	%

Statutory Combined Ratios
Commercial lines:
Automobile	115.7	%	104.8	%	102.6	%	97.3	%
Workers’ compensation	105.6		107.9		104.4		96.6
Commercial multi-peril	79.4		107.8		95.0		112.3
Other	84.7		95.0		80.0		85.5
Total commercial lines	97.3		105.8		98.2		101.6
Personal lines:
Automobile	96.5		119.7		97.4		109.7
Homeowners	76.2		101.3		99.6		108.6
Other	106.3		59.2		99.5		75.8
Total personal lines	89.5		111.1		98.3		108.2
Total lines	94.0	%	107.8	%	98.3	%	104.2	%

Loss Ratio – Fourth Quarter

For the fourth quarter of 2024, the loss ratio decreased to 59.8%, compared to 72.1% for the fourth quarter of 2023. The core loss ratio, which excludes weather-related losses, large fire losses and net development of reserves for losses incurred in prior accident years, was 52.3% for the fourth quarter of 2024, which improved significantly compared to 61.8% for the fourth quarter of 2023. For the commercial lines segment, the core loss ratio of 55.2% for the fourth quarter of 2024 improved from 59.6% for the fourth quarter of 2023, primarily as the result of ongoing premium rate increases in all lines except workers’ compensation and reduced exposures in underperforming states and classes of business. For the personal lines segment, the core loss ratio of 48.4% for the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased significantly from 65.1% for the fourth quarter of 2023, due largely to the favorable impact of premium rate increases on net premiums earned for that segment.

Weather-related losses of $7.7 million, or 3.3 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased from $13.4 million, or 5.9 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the fourth quarter of 2023. Our insurance subsidiaries did not incur significant losses from any single weather event during the fourth quarters of 2024 or 2023. The impact of weather-related loss activity to the loss ratio for the fourth quarter of 2024 was lower than our previous five-year average of 5.2 percentage points for fourth quarter weather-related losses.

Large fire losses, which we define as individual fire losses in excess of $50,000, were $9.5 million, or 4.0 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $10.8 million, or 4.8 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the fourth quarter of 2023. The modest decrease primarily reflected lower average severity in homeowner fire losses.

Net development of reserves for losses incurred in prior accident years had virtually no impact to the loss ratio for the fourth quarter of 2024 or 2023. For the fourth quarter of 2024, our insurance subsidiaries experienced unfavorable development primarily in personal automobile and commercial automobile losses that was offset by favorable development in commercial multi-peril losses and other lines of business. For the fourth quarter of 2023, our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable development in personal automobile, workers’ compensation, homeowners and commercial automobile losses, offset partially by unfavorable development in commercial multi-peril and other commercial losses.

Loss Ratio – Full Year

For the full year of 2024, the loss ratio decreased to 64.5%, compared to 69.1% for the full year of 2023. The 2024 core loss ratio decreased by 3.5 percentage points to 54.0% from 57.5% for 2023. For the commercial lines segment, the core loss ratio of 54.4% for 2024 improved from 56.5% for 2023, primarily as the result of ongoing premium rate increases in all lines except workers’ compensation and reduced exposures in underperforming states and classes of business. For the personal lines segment, the core loss ratio of 53.5% for 2024 decreased from 59.1% in 2023, due largely to the favorable impact of premium rate increases on net premiums earned for that segment.

Weather-related losses for the full year of 2024 were $67.7 million, or 7.2 percentage points of the loss ratio, compared to $72.9 million, or 8.3 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the full year of 2023. The loss ratio impact of weather-related losses for the full year of 2024 was in line with the previous five-year average of 7.0 percentage points of the loss ratio.

Large fire losses were $45.8 million, or 4.9 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the full year of 2024, relatively in line with $45.4 million, or 5.2 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the full year of 2023.

Net favorable development of reserves for losses incurred in prior accident years of $15.0 million reduced the loss ratio for the full year of 2024 by 1.6 percentage points. For the full year of 2024, our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable development in losses primarily in the commercial multi-peril, personal automobile and homeowners lines of business, offset partially by unfavorable development in the workers’ compensation and commercial automobile lines of business. Net favorable development of reserves for losses incurred in prior accident years of $16.7 million reduced the loss ratio for the full year of 2023 by 1.9 percentage points. For the full year of 2023, our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable development in losses primarily in the commercial automobile, personal automobile, workers’ compensation and homeowners lines of business.

Expense Ratio

The expense ratio was 32.8% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 34.1% for the fourth quarter of 2023. The expense ratio was 33.7% for the full year of 2024, compared to 34.7% for the full year of 2023. The decrease in the expense ratios for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 primarily reflected the impacts of various expense reduction initiatives, including agency incentive program revisions, commission schedule adjustments, targeted staffing reductions, and hiring restrictions for open employment positions, among others. These impacts were offset partially by an increase in underwriting-based incentive costs as well as higher technology systems-related expenses that were primarily due to increased costs related to our ongoing systems modernization project, a portion of which Donegal Mutual Insurance Company allocates to our insurance subsidiaries. We expect the impact from allocated costs from Donegal Mutual Insurance Company to our insurance subsidiaries related to the ongoing systems modernization project peaked at approximately 1.3 percentage points of the expense ratio for the full year of 2024 and will subside gradually in 2025 and subsequent years.

Investment Operations

Donegal Group’s investment strategy is to generate an appropriate amount of after-tax income on its invested assets while minimizing credit risk through investment in high-quality securities. As a result, we had invested 95.6% of our consolidated investment portfolio in diversified, highly rated and marketable fixed-maturity securities at December 31, 2024.

	December 31, 2024					December 31, 2023
	Amount			%		Amount			%
	(dollars in thousands)
Fixed maturities, at carrying value:
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S.
government corporations and agencies	$	170,423		12.3	%	$	176,991		13.3	%
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	409,560			29.5		415,280			31.3
Corporate securities	440,552			31.8		399,640			30.1
Mortgage-backed securities	304,459			22.0		278,260			21.0
Allowance for expected credit losses	(1,388		)	-0.1		(1,326		)	-0.1
Total fixed maturities	1,323,606			95.5		1,268,845			95.6
Equity securities, at fair value	36,808			2.7		25,903			2.0
Short-term investments, at cost	24,558			1.8		32,306			2.4
Total investments	$	1,384,972		100.0	%	$	1,327,054		100.0	%

Average investment yield	3.3%					3.1%
Average tax-equivalent investment yield	3.4%					3.2%
Average fixed-maturity duration (years)	5.2					4.3

Net investment income of $12.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased 12.5% compared to $10.7 million in net investment income for the fourth quarter of 2023, due primarily to higher average invested assets and an increase in the average investment yield compared to the prior-year fourth quarter. Net investment income of $44.9 million for the full year of 2024 increased 10.0% compared to the full year of 2023, due primarily to higher average invested assets and an increase in the average investment yield compared to the prior year.

Net investment gains were minimal for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $2.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. We attribute the gains to the quarterly increases in the market value of the equity securities held at the end of the respective periods.

Net investment gains were $5.0 million for the full year of 2024, compared to $3.2 million for the full year of 2023. We attribute the gains to the change in the market value of the equity securities held at the end of the respective periods.

Our book value per share was $15.36 at December 31, 2024, compared to $14.39 at December 31, 2023, as increases from net income and unrealized gains within our available-for-sale fixed-maturity portfolio during 2024 were partially offset by the dividends we declared during the year.

Definitions of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We prepare our consolidated financial statements on the basis of GAAP. Our insurance subsidiaries also prepare financial statements based on statutory accounting principles state insurance regulators prescribe or permit (“SAP”). In addition to using GAAP-based performance measurements, we also utilize certain non-GAAP financial measures that we believe provide value in managing our business and for comparison to the financial results of our peers. These non-GAAP measures are net premiums written, operating income or loss and statutory combined ratio.

Net premiums written and operating income or loss are non-GAAP financial measures investors in insurance companies commonly use. We define net premiums written as the amount of full-term premiums our insurance subsidiaries record for policies effective within a given period less premiums our insurance subsidiaries cede to reinsurers. We define operating income or loss as net income or loss excluding after-tax net investment gains or losses, after-tax restructuring charges and other significant non-recurring items. Because our calculation of operating income or loss may differ from similar measures other companies use, investors should exercise caution when comparing our measure of operating income or loss to the measure of other companies.

The following table provides a reconciliation of net premiums earned to net premiums written for the periods indicated:

	Three Months Ended December 31,								Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			% Change		2024		2023		% Change
	(dollars in thousands)

Reconciliation of Net Premiums
Earned to Net Premiums Written
Net premiums earned	$	236,635		$	226,185		4.6	%	$	936,651	$	882,071	6.2	%
Change in net unearned premiums	(25,193		)	(13,492		)	86.7		5,630		13,626		-58.7
Net premiums written	$	211,442		$	212,693		-0.6	%	$	942,281	$	895,697	5.2	%

The following table provides a reconciliation of net income (loss) to operating income (loss) for the periods indicated:

	Three Months Ended December 31,								Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			% Change		2024			2023			% Change
	(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss)
to Non-GAAP Operating Income (Loss)
Net income (loss)	$	24,003		$	(1,970	)	NM		$	50,862		$	4,426		NM
Investment gains (after tax)		(202	)		(1,772	)	-88.6	%		(3,935	)		(2,507	)	57.0	%
Non-GAAP operating income (loss)	$	23,801		$	(3,742	)	NM		$	46,927		$	1,919		NM

Per Share Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss)
to Non-GAAP Operating Income (Loss)
Net income (loss) – Class A (diluted)	$	0.70		$	(0.06	)	NM		$	1.53		$	0.14		NM
Investment gains (after tax)		(0.01	)		(0.05	)	-80.0	%		(0.12	)		(0.08	)	50.0	%
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) – Class A	$	0.69		$	(0.11	)	NM		$	1.41		$	0.06		NM

Net income (loss) – Class B	$	0.64		$	(0.06	)	NM		$	1.38		$	0.11		NM
Investment gains (after tax)		(0.01	)		(0.05	)	-80.0	%		(0.11	)		(0.07	)	57.1	%
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) – Class B	$	0.63		$	(0.11	)	NM		$	1.27		$	0.04		NM

The statutory combined ratio is a standard non-GAAP measurement of underwriting profitability that is based upon amounts determined under SAP. The statutory combined ratio is the sum of:

the statutory loss ratio, which is the ratio of calendar-year incurred losses and loss expenses, excluding anticipated salvage and subrogation recoveries, to premiums earned;
the statutory expense ratio, which is the ratio of expenses incurred for net commissions, premium taxes and underwriting expenses to premiums written; and
the statutory dividend ratio, which is the ratio of dividends to holders of workers’ compensation policies to premiums earned.

The statutory combined ratio does not reflect investment income, federal income taxes or other non-operating income or expense. A statutory combined ratio of less than 100% generally indicates underwriting profitability.

Dividend Information

On December 19, 2024, we declared regular quarterly cash dividends of $0.1725 per share for our Class A common stock and $0.155 per share for our Class B common stock, which we paid on February 18, 2025 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 4, 2025.

Pre-Recorded Webcast

At approximately 8:30 am EDT on Thursday, February 20, 2025, we will make available in the Investors section of our website a pre-recorded audio webcast featuring management commentary on our quarterly and annual results and general business updates. You may listen to the pre-recorded webcast by accessing the link on our website at http://investors.donegalgroup.com. A supplemental investor presentation is also available via our website.

About the Company

Donegal Group Inc. is an insurance holding company whose insurance subsidiaries and affiliates offer property and casualty lines of insurance in certain Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, Southern and Southwestern states. Donegal Mutual Insurance Company and the insurance subsidiaries of Donegal Group Inc. conduct business together as the Donegal Insurance Group. The Donegal Insurance Group has an A.M. Best rating of A (Excellent).

The Class A common stock and Class B common stock of Donegal Group Inc. trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbols DGICA and DGICB, respectively. We are focused on several primary strategies, including achieving sustained excellent financial performance, strategically modernizing our operations and processes to transform our business, capitalizing on opportunities to grow profitably and providing superior experiences to our agents, policyholders and employees.

Safe Harbor

We base all statements contained in this release that are not historic facts on our current expectations. Such statements are forward-looking in nature (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) and necessarily involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements we make may be identified by our use of words such as “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate” and similar expressions. Our actual results could vary materially from our forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause our actual results to vary materially from the forward-looking statements we have previously made include, but are not limited to, adverse litigation and other trends that could increase our loss costs (including social inflation, labor shortages and escalating medical, automobile and property repair costs), adverse and catastrophic weather events (including from changing climate conditions), our ability to maintain profitable operations (including our ability to underwrite risks effectively and charge adequate premium rates), the adequacy of the loss and loss expense reserves of our insurance subsidiaries, the availability and successful operation of the information technology systems our insurance subsidiaries utilize, the successful development of new information technology systems to allow our insurance subsidiaries to compete effectively, business and economic conditions in the areas in which we and our insurance subsidiaries operate, interest rates, competition from various insurance and other financial businesses, terrorism, the availability and cost of reinsurance, legal and judicial developments (including those related to COVID-19 business interruption coverage exclusions), changes in regulatory requirements, our ability to attract and retain independent insurance agents, changes in our A.M. Best rating and the other risks that we describe from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any obligation to update such statements or to announce publicly the results of any revisions that we may make to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

Investor Relations Contacts

Karin Daly, Vice President, The Equity Group Inc.
Phone: (212) 836-9623
E-mail: kdaly@equityny.com

Jeffrey D. Miller, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (717) 426-1931
E-mail: investors@donegalgroup.com

Financial Supplement

Donegal Group Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss)
(unaudited; in thousands, except share data)

	Quarter Ended December 31,
	2024		2023

Net premiums earned	$	236,635	$	226,185
Investment income, net of expenses	12,050		10,710
Net investment gains	256		2,243
Lease income	77		85
Installment payment fees	936		245
Total revenues	249,954		239,468

Net losses and loss expenses	141,435		163,154
Amortization of deferred acquisition costs	39,853		39,149
Other underwriting expenses	37,649		38,032
Policyholder dividends	826		1,225
Interest	269		156
Other expenses, net	255		233
Total expenses	220,287		241,949

Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)	29,667		(2,481		)
Income tax expense (benefit)	5,664		(511		)

Net income (loss)	$	24,003	$	(1,970	)

Net income (loss) per common share:
Class A – basic	$	0.71	$	(0.06	)
Class A – diluted	$	0.70	$	(0.24	)
Class B – basic and diluted	$	0.64	$	(0.06	)

Supplementary Financial Analysts’ Data

Weighted-average number of shares
outstanding:
Class A – basic	28,979,432		27,702,646
Class A – diluted	29,224,696		27,726,318
Class B – basic and diluted	5,576,775		5,576,775

Net premiums written	$	211,442	$	212,693

Book value per common share
at end of period	$	15.36	$	14.39

Donegal Group Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Income
(unaudited; in thousands, except share data)

	Year Ended December 31,
	2024		2023

Net premiums earned	$	936,651	$	882,071
Investment income, net of expenses	44,918		40,853
Net investment gains	4,981		3,173
Lease income	314		347
Installment payment fees	2,741		894
Total revenues	989,605		927,338

Net losses and loss expenses	604,118		609,178
Amortization of deferred acquisition costs	160,311		154,214
Other underwriting expenses	155,254		151,748
Policyholder dividends	4,073		5,313
Interest	946		620
Other expenses, net	2,564		1,201
Total expenses	927,266		922,274

Income before income tax expense	62,339		5,064
Income tax expense	11,477		638

Net income	$	50,862	$	4,426

Net income per common share:
Class A – basic and diluted	$	1.53	$	0.14
Class B – basic and diluted	$	1.38	$	0.11

Supplementary Financial Analysts’ Data

Weighted-average number of shares
outstanding:
Class A – basic	28,155,276		27,469,250
Class A – diluted	28,245,356		27,562,785
Class B – basic and diluted	5,576,775		5,576,775

Net premiums written	$	942,281	$	895,697

Book value per common share
at end of period	$	15.36	$	14.39

Donegal Group Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)

			December 31,		December 31,
			2024		2023
			(unaudited)

ASSETS
Investments:
	Fixed maturities:
		Held to maturity, at amortized cost	$	705,714	$	679,497
		Available for sale, at fair value	617,892		589,348
	Equity securities, at fair value		36,808		25,903
	Short-term investments, at cost		24,558		32,306
		Total investments	1,384,972		1,327,054
Cash			52,926		23,792
Premiums receivable			181,107		179,592
Reinsurance receivable			420,742		441,431
Deferred policy acquisition costs			73,347		75,043
Prepaid reinsurance premiums			176,162		168,724
Other assets			46,776		50,658
		Total assets	$	2,336,032	$	2,266,294

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Liabilities:
	Losses and loss expenses		$	1,120,985	$	1,126,157
	Unearned premiums		612,476		599,411
	Accrued expenses		2,917		3,947
	Borrowings under lines of credit		35,000		35,000
	Other liabilities		18,878		22,034
		Total liabilities	1,790,256		1,786,549
Stockholders’ equity:
	Class A common stock		329		308
	Class B common stock		56		56
	Additional paid-in capital		369,680		335,694
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(28,200)		(32,882)
	Retained earnings		245,137		217,795
	Treasury stock		(41,226)		(41,226)
		Total stockholders’ equity	545,776		479,745
		Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	2,336,032	$	2,266,294

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI Video: Open Forum: Protecting People from a Changing Climate | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Climate change disproportionately displaces vulnerable populations with limited resources to adapt or relocate. Rising sea levels, extreme weather and environmental degradation force millions from their homes, worsening poverty and instability.

How can communities mitigate climate impacts and build resilience to climate change?

Speakers: William Marshall, Fatou Jeng, M. Sanjayan, Rosmarie Wydler-Wälti, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Johanna Hoffman

The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide a crucial space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability.

This Annual Meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organizations, 1000 Forum’s Partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets.

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
X ► https://twitter.com/wef
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

#Davos2025 #WorldEconomicForum #wef25

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edXk8TYrKqQ

MIL OSI Video –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Delivers Keynote Address to Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Conference

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Speaker Johnson delivered the keynote address at the 2025 Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) global conference in London, England. Appearing remotely to the more than 4,000-person audience, Speaker Johnson warned against the threat of “soft despotism,” and encouraged leaders to “be prepared to steer their aims towards policies and mediating institutions that reduce government dominion over our lives and advance prosperity.”

“The only way to reverse this trend into further technocratic tyranny is to recommit to our foundational principles and live them out. What made the West, and what made our nations great, must now guide us once again,” Speaker Johnson said.

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full address here.

Below are excerpts from the address:

“Here in America, as you are all seeing, we’re in the midst of a great change. In our national election a few months ago, our people delivered truly a mandate to make our country great again and to restore common sense in our public policy. Here and elsewhere, the radical big government progressives pushed that pendulum too far and too aggressively to the left, and the people rose up and said, enough. And now that pendulum is beginning to swing back to the center, and we’ve been given a once-in-a-generation opportunity to demonstrate now to our nation and the new demographics of voters who have come into our Republican Party for the first time, that it really is our conservative policies that lead to human flourishing, because they’re better for individuals and families and communities, individual states, and our nation as a whole,” Speaker Johnson said.

“In America, we still believe in peace through strength, and we still understand our role in the world. A strong America is good for free people everywhere because it helps to keep the terrorists and the tyrants at bay. But to maintain our strength and leadership, our foreign policy must be centered on our own national interest. It’s a matter of common sense for each of our countries to acknowledge that we must each take care of our own houses before we help take care of the neighborhood,” Speaker Johnson said. “As we seek to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous, we will encourage all our friends and allies to do the same in and for their own countries. The survival of the West will depend upon that. And this is how we will turn the tides, by refocusing and marshalling our many shared interests toward our own national interest.”

“This trend is reflected in political apathy and the growing tendency of people to simply submit to governments whose laws have become so offensively intrusive and whose centers of power feel distant and inaccessible. If there is nothing to fight for, then why fight at all, Speaker Johnson said. ”This is the vision of the left, for the people to feel so powerless that they give in and just accept their fate as mindless vassals under the safe protection of the state. And the only way to reverse this trend into further technocratic tyranny is to recommit to our foundational principles and live them out. What made the West and what made our nations great must now guide us once again.

Below is the full transcript of Speaker Johnson’s address as delivered:

Thank you, my dear friend, the Baroness. Good morning. I wish I could be there with all of you in person, and I am truly sorry that I’ve been prevented from making the trip now for the second year in a row. I was unexpectedly elected Speaker of the House just days before the inaugural ARC Conference in October 2023, and I had to send my last-minute regrets. And now, just days before this second conference that I had so much been looking forward to, I found myself once again with late breaking developments in Congress, this time involving our budget and government funding that simply doesn’t allow me to leave the country. But there’s no place I’d rather be than there with you this week as we had long planned, but I’m glad to at least have this opportunity to join you remotely.

We find ourselves in a very unique and consequential moment in history here in America and throughout the West. And I believe the timing of the ARC Conference is truly providential. I joined the ARC Advisory Board two years ago because I was so intrigued by the idea of bringing together so many thought leaders and change makers from around the world to, as we determined, ‘shape a hope-filled vision for the future.’ My friends, there really is great reason for our hope.

Here in America, as you are all seeing, we’re in the midst of a great change. In our national election a few months ago, our people delivered truly a mandate to make our country great again and to restore common sense in our public policy. Here and elsewhere, the radical big government progressives pushed that pendulum too far and too aggressively to the left, and the people rose up and said, enough. And now that pendulum is beginning to swing back to the center, and we’ve been given a once-in-a-generation opportunity to demonstrate now to our nation and the new demographics of voters who have come into our Republican Party for the first time, that it really is our conservative policies that lead to human flourishing, because they’re better for individuals and families and communities, individual states, and our nation as a whole.

In recent decades, our government had become too large, too inefficient, and too powerful. And in too many cases, it had also been weaponized and corrupted. That is precisely what the framers of our Constitution feared and what political philosophers and historians over the centuries have warned against. Almost two centuries ago, Alexei de Tocqueville wrote of big government: “After having thus successfully taken each member of the community in its powerful grasp and fashioned him at will, the supreme power then extends its arm over the whole community. It covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated rules, minute and uniform, which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate to rise above the crowd.”

De Tocqueville noted that “such a power does not tyrannize, but it compresses, extinguishes, and stupefies a people till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals of which the government is the shepherd.” Tocqueville called it soft despotism, a condition in which citizens voluntarily and gradually just surrender their rights and independence to the government, lured by the promise of security and stability. This kind of despotism doesn’t arrive through violence or open tyranny. Instead, it comes quietly, insidiously, through comfort and convenience.

Tocqueville warned of a future where citizens would become passive spectators in their own democracy, willful stewards of their carefully managed decline. Soft despots don’t break down your door and confiscate your weapons, they don’t arrest you in public for criticizing the government, and they don’t station soldiers on street corners to ensure your compliance. Soft despots ensure your compliance through normal democratic channels.

Regulations? Oh, they keep you safe.

Censorship? That’s to protect you from misinformation.

Surveillance? That’s necessary for your security, see.

Dependence? It offers you stability.

And we see these forces at work in our society today. The architects of this soft despotism have taken shape too often as government bureaucrats and big tech and corporate elites, international institutions, media gatekeepers, and the welfare state. And their benevolent rule has given us nations without borders, grossly inefficient bureaucracies, a culture of surveillance, and a citizenry that is apathetic, distracted, and dependent. The dynamics are the same around the world. Whether you’re in Detroit or Manchester, Lyon or Berlin, the supreme power of big government has extended its arm over all of us. And the casualties of the soft despotism that’s taken hold have been the loss of our heritage, our national identities, our patriotism, and our prosperity.

In this civilizational moment, as our friend Oz Guinness describes it, will we choose renewal, replacement, or decline? In the U.S., we have just embarked on a new path of renewal. We are determined to bring about a new golden age in America, as President Trump says, and we are convinced that we can, if we return to the timeless foundational principles which lead to human flourishing.

The challenge we have today is ensuring that the current generations of our countrymen recognize and recommit to those principles. And what are they? In less than 17 months, the U.S. will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. As G.K. Chesterton observed, “America was founded on a creed that is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity,” he said. From. the second paragraph of the Declaration, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration, almost all of them professed to be Christians, and at least half of them had received formal religious training in their education. Having studied the Bible, they recognize that we are not simply born equal, but rather created equal and that it is our Creator who endows us with our rights and not the state. They also recognize that all of us are made in the image of our Creator and thus every single person has an inestimable dignity and value. And that value is not related in any way to the color of our skin or where we live or what our talents are or anything else. Our value is inherent because it is given to us by God.

The founders of our country also understood that man has a fallen nature and that fallen men with power and no accountability can become a serious problem. Because power corrupts and as Lord Acton observed, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” So, our system of government was meticulously designed with careful safeguards, like the separation of powers and checks and balances. And our founders emphasized that a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, could not long survive without a vibrant practice of religious faith, because they understood that is a necessary element to foster personal responsibility and to keep a general moral consensus among the people. A healthy, self-governing society relies on the moral character of its citizens.

It’s ironic, but on this day in America, we’re observing one of our 11 federal holidays, and this one’s known as President’s Day, which originally began as an annual celebration of George Washington’s birthday. In his farewell address, the father of our country noted this. He said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” Our second president, John Adams, reminded his countrymen that the American Constitution was, “made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” The founders emphasized the importance of balancing individual liberty with personal responsibility. And our fourth president, James Madison, argued that every citizen should put the nation above their own self-interest.

The timeless virtues that are rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition served as the foundation of America and of all Western civilization. But in recent decades, changes have happened rapidly, and left-wing social movements have advanced very aggressively. Many world leaders, convinced that national borders were obstacles to unity and social progress, sought to dismantle them in favor of global integration.

But a key downside to the new global order is that it ultimately led to a devaluing of local communities and a weakening of national identity, which was replaced instead by a divisive new racial, sexual, and gender-based identity. If Americans aren’t American anymore, and Brits aren’t British anymore, and Germans aren’t German anymore, then naturally something else will fill the void. If everyone is a citizen of the world, then no one is really accountable any longer to their own nation or to their own local community.

Unfortunately, these ideas have taken hold. We have heard a little bit about polls this morning. Here’s a few more. 50% of Germans under the age of 30 say they feel more European now than German. Only 40% of Americans say they are extremely proud to be American. Only one in five British adults consider themselves to be very patriotic. This trend is reflected in political apathy and the growing tendency of people to simply submit to governments whose laws have become so offensively intrusive and whose centers of power feel distant and inaccessible. If there is nothing to fight for, then why fight at all?

This is the vision of the left, for the people to feel so powerless that they give in and just accept their fate as mindless vassals under the safe protection of the state. And the only way to reverse this trend into further technocratic tyranny is to recommit to our foundational principles and live them out. What made the West and what made our nations great must now guide us once again.

During his trip through America, Tocqueville marveled at what he said was, “The extreme skill with which the inhabitants of the United States succeed in proposing a common object for the exertions of a great many men and in inducing them voluntarily to pursue it.” Those neighbors and local volunteers joined together to found seminaries, hospitals, prisons, libraries, and schools. They built society together with their own hands.

In all of our shared history in the West, it has remained true that strong communities have formed a bulwark against tyranny. Strong mediating institutions ground us in the needs of our community and the outgrowth of these institutions formed the basis for a healthy, engaged citizenry. Edmund Burke called them “little platoons.” He was referring to the families and churches and civic organizations and community groups which began at the smallest, most local level. Burke argued this bottom-up voluntary approach to society would deepen our sense of duty and shared responsibility to one another and also act as an important safeguard against a distant state authority.

While the spirit of voluntary association is currently on life support throughout the West, it is not dead. We see it in America every time there is a natural disaster. I’ve participated in this as a local citizen, and I’ve witnessed it often as an elected official.

This past September, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the United States. It was an historic storm. For five straight days, torrential rains and 100-mile-per-hour winds swept across the Atlantic, devastating homes and communities and businesses. It hit western North Carolina the hardest. As the Speaker of the House, tasked with ultimately passing the relief efforts through Congress, I wanted to take a trip to ground zero to witness the scope of this destruction and meet with the individuals whose aid our aid would eventually impact.

One of our first visits in the state was to the First Baptist Church in Swannanoa, North Carolina. When we arrived, we were met with what looked like a military-grade aid station. It was so impressive. There were doctors and nurses and carpenters and chefs and scores of volunteers. The storm knocked out almost all of their cell and internet service throughout the entire region. So, I asked the pastor’s wife at that church, how did all this come together?

She informed me that an elderly woman in the community, who had recently purchased an entire cow to store in her deep freezer for the winter months, had lost her home in the storm, but somehow the deep freezer had survived. She was worried that the hundreds of pounds of meat in her freezer would spoil without electricity, so she loaded it into a vehicle and dropped it off somewhere she knew it would go to good use, and that was the local church.

Neither the pastor nor his wife were trained butchers, but they knew they had hungry mouths in the community, so they turned their sanctuary into a makeshift butcher shop and started cooking for the surrounding people. As the smell of grilled beef wafted above the small town, citizens showed up. And they continued to show up. And from that point forward, the church became the central hub for disaster relief, organized not by the state or the federal government, but by local neighbors, the community. It filled in where the bureaucracy could not.

In times of disaster, local organizations are often the first to respond, well before the broken and bureaucratic federal agencies ever arrive. And they often have a much higher mission success rate, by the way. In my home state of Louisiana, organizations like the Cajun Navy, an interconnected group of volunteers with boats and trucks, have saved thousands of Louisianians during storms like Hurricane Katrina.

I tell these stories because they serve as evidence that strong communities, built on the spirit of voluntary association and shared responsibility are still very much alive. But it is a shame that it takes a natural disaster for us to recognize their value. This level of civic engagement should be the rule and not the exception, because the same principles that drive effective local action in times of crisis can also inform national policy and global leadership.

In the last line of the Declaration of Independence, our founders wrote the following, “For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” America’s founders were willing to die for the cause of liberty, and this acknowledgment in our nation’s birth certificate signaled a commitment that America would place our national interest over our individual interests, and those of foreign nations.

While we have gradually lost sight of this concept, the new American government is proof positive that we can rekindle that spirit once again. On this national holiday of ours, I’ll quote the president that I most fondly remember from my youth, and that’s Ronald Reagan. He reminded us of this famous admonition. He said, “We cannot escape our destiny, nor should we try to do so. The leadership of the free world was thrust upon us two centuries ago in that little hall in Philadelphia. In the days following World War II, when the economic strength and power of America was all that stood between the world and the return of the Dark Ages, Pope Pius XII said, the American people have a great genius for splendid and unselfish actions.

Into the hands of America, God has placed the destinies of an afflicted mankind.” American leadership clearly did help bring about decades of peace and economic growth and prosperity for the Western democracies.

In America, we still believe in peace through strength, and we still understand our role in the world. A strong America is good for free people everywhere because it helps to keep the terrorists and the tyrants at bay. But to maintain our strength and leadership, our foreign policy must be centered on our own national interest. It’s a matter of common sense for each of our countries to acknowledge that we must each take care of our own houses before we help take care of the neighborhood. As we seek to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous, we will encourage all our friends and allies to do the same in and for their own countries. The survival of the West will depend upon that. And this is how we will turn the tides, by refocusing and marshalling our many shared interests toward our own national interest.

Recent elections in places France, Italy, like Netherlands and Germany signal that millions of freedom-loving people around the world share our concerns about unchecked power and the erosion of national sovereignty. As leaders in government, academia, media, and the arts, we must be prepared to steer their aims toward policies and mediating institutions that reduce government dominion over our lives and advance prosperity. In short, we must not let this civilizational moment pass us by.

So how do we do it? As leaders, we should be working at every level to shift control away from established power centers and back to the people. The local school board will not be nearly as powerful if there is a thriving parent-teacher association holding them accountable. The county commission’s grip on zoning laws is weakened when neighborhoods take control of development initiatives. And organizations like the World Economic Forum lose their dominance when organizations like our ARC seek to challenge their hegemony.

History has proven that centralized governments thrive when their subjects are powerless and indifferent. If we want to protect our rights from tyranny, we have to focus, work, and build closest to home. And we must hold our elected leaders accountable.

President Reagan reminded us of another thing. He said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on so that they will know the same liberty, opportunity, and security that we have too often taken for granted.”

This is our civilizational moment. The West is finally awakening once again. We have to seize this opportunity, and by God’s grace, we will. I hope you all enjoy this historic conference, and I thank you again for the opportunity to share with you this morning, and I so wish I was there in person. God bless you.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Case Reintroduces Measures To Halt Potentially Destructive Deep-Seabed Mining

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) has reintroduced two measures in the 119^th Congress (2025-2027) calling for moratoria on the mining of our world’s deep seabed unless and until its potentially destructive consequences are fully understood and an appropriate international protective regulatory regime is established.

“Our deep oceans and seabed are the last unexplored regions of our world, yet what we do know of them is that they are among our most intricate and fragile,” said Congressman Case.

“Over half of all known coral species are found in the deep sea, and as many as 10 million marine species may inhabit the deep sea, a massive and interrelated biodiversity seen nearly nowhere else on the planet.”

Joining Case as co-sponsors of the measures are Members of Congress Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), the ranking member (senior Democrat) of the House Natural Resources Committee, Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

“Mining in pristine, fragile ecosystems like the seabed could open a Pandora’s box of unintended consequences, ranging from decimating fish and marine mammal populations to destroying ecosystems and inhibiting carbon sequestration,” said Congressman Huffman.

“Extracting industries should not have carte blanche access to what are some of the last untouched places on our planet. I’m glad to join Rep. Case in these bills to prevent the exploitation of seabeds before the proper research and regulations can be established.”

“Deep sea mining poses significant risks. It has the potential to disrupt delicate ocean chemistry, harm deep sea life, and increase ocean acidification,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “I’m grateful to partner with Congressman Case on this moratorium to protect the ocean ecosystem from exploitation.”

“Deep sea mining can devastate our marine habitats and the species that live there, as well as negatively impact our climate,” said Congresswoman Norton. “I’m proud to join Congressman Case in supporting legislation to pause our deep-sea mining activity pending further study and ensure we do not sign off on any harmful deep sea mining activities abroad.”

Case continued: “Some of these species have had surprising benefits to humanity, including enzymes from one microbe found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents being used to develop COVID-19 tests. In addition, the deep ocean is one of our planet’s largest and most important stores of carbon and could play a critical role in the fight against climate change.”

Among the deep-seabed mining areas most sought after by the industry for immediate unregulated mining is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an abyssal plain as wide as the continental United States punctuated by seamounts which extends to just hundreds of miles southeast of Hawai‘i Island. Yet little if anything material is known about the marine ecosystem of this area or its connection to Hawaii’s own unique marine and related ecosystem.

“The marine life and natural processes not only of this zone but of our world’s oceans, and their relationships to our international ecosystems in terms of biodiversity, weather and other macro-environmental interdependencies, are in all likelihood imperiled by the imminent commencement of large-scale unregulated commercial seabed mining operations,” said Case. “Seabed mining could take a number of destructive forms, including methods which would shear off seamounts on the ocean floor, the functional equivalent of strip mining.”

Case said the American Seabed Protection Act will place a moratorium on deep-sea mining activities in American waters or by American companies on the high seas. It also tasks the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Academies of Science with conducting a comprehensive assessment of how mining activities could affect ocean species, carbon sequestration processes and communities that rely on the ocean.

The International Seabed Protection Act will require the United States to oppose international and other national seabed mining efforts until the President certifies that the International Seabed Authority has adopted a suitable regulatory framework which will guarantee protection for these unique ecosystems and the communities that rely on them.

The introduction of the measures comes as the International Seabed Authority considers regulations that could open the international seabed for mining. While both companies and countries are lining up to secure mining permits, many are concerned about the impact on marine ecosystems, habitats and communities.

“The more we learn about the deep ocean, the more we understand its essential connections to the health of the entire ocean and to the climate,” said Addie Haughey, Earthjustice Legislative Director for Lands, Wildlife and Oceans.

“Some mining industry interests would unleash unproven technology in sensitive and still unknown deep ocean ecosystems that belong to all of us. This gamble with the ocean, with a dubious rate of return economically, is not worth it. We support this legislation and appreciate Rep. Case’s vital leadership on this important effort.”

The bills are also endorsed by the Benioff Ocean Science Lab, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Earthworks, Marine Conservation Institute, Blue Climate Initiative – Tetiaroa Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Case summarized: “Paired together, these bills will establish the United States as an international leader in protecting our precious oceans through a responsible process to address the potentially devastating effects of

Attachments:

·         Text for the American Seabed Protection Act is here.

·         Text for the International Seabed Protection Act is here.

·         Text of Case remarks on the measures is here.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why the US return to tariffs and protectionism ‘reeks of hypocrisy’ – podcast

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

Amani A/Shutterstock

When Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs during his first term as US president, it sparked a trade war with China. As the Trump administration ratchets up its threat to tax imports from its allies and economic rivals alike, the world is bracing for another wave of costly economic disruption.

This protectionist shift is all the more remarkable given how the US championed trade liberalisation for decades.

So what does it actually take for a country to use protectionism to grow its economy? Some developing countries have successfully used tariffs to do so, while others have struggled. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we talk to Jostein Hauge, a development economist at the University of Cambridge, about who wins and who loses from tariffs and protectionism.

The main argument against taxing imports through tariffs is that the higher costs of imported goods will be passed onto consumers. The main argument in favour is that tariffs can help to protect a country’s domestic economy, explains Hauge:

By using tariffs, you can, if they are used effectively, and if they’re successful, help domestic firms become better at producing what they’re producing and eventually become competitive in the world economy. Sometimes that’s successful, other times that’s not successful. It can also be an effective way of raising taxes, especially for countries that don’t have a lot of tax revenue, especially developing countries.

A number of developing countries successfully used tariffs and other forms of protectionism to grow their economies in the 1950s and 1960s, as Hauge explains:

South Korea gradually went from being a low-income, low-tech economy towards becoming extremely important players in global industries like electronics, automotive and steel.

The US has also used tariffs throughout its history, with varying degrees of success. It was the most protectionist country in the world in the 1800s, using tariffs to grow its economy. But the Smoot-Hawley Act in 1930, which introduced a range of taxes on imports to the US, actually contributed to worsening the Great Depression.

From the 1970s, however, the US aggressively pushed for trade liberalisation and backed the creation of the World Trade Organization in the 1990s. That’s why Hauge says the current return to US protectionism, which began during the first Trump administration and continued under Biden, “reeks of hypocrisy”.

When rich countries were ahead in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, it made sense for them to preach the virtues of free trade to the rest of the world. That is also why we’re seeing this protectionist turn right now, especially in the United States, but also to some degree in Europe, because now certain countries are starting to become competitive once again. In particular, China is now challenging the economic power of the United States, especially within a lot of manufactured goods, so the United States is now turning away from this doctrine of free trade, saying actually protectionism is useful.

Listen to the conversation with Jostein Hauge on The Conversation Weekly podcast, which also includes an introduction from Tracy Walsh, economy and business editor at The Conversation US.

This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with assistance from Katie Flood and Gemma Ware, Sound design was by Michelle Macklem, and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

Clips in this episode from CN N, Bloomberg Television, BBC News, CBS News and NBC News.

Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here.

Jostein Hauge does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Why the US return to tariffs and protectionism ‘reeks of hypocrisy’ – podcast – https://theconversation.com/why-the-us-return-to-tariffs-and-protectionism-reeks-of-hypocrisy-podcast-250329

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE discussed cooperation in agriculture

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Dmitry Patrushev met with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, First Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

February 20, 2025

Dmitry Patrushev met with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, First Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

February 20, 2025

Previous news Next news

Dmitry Patrushev met with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, First Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev met with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, First Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. The main topics of the talks were cooperation in the field of agriculture and the financial and banking sector.

“The relations between our countries are developing dynamically. We sincerely appreciate the constructive dialogue that has been built in many areas. One of the key areas is the agro-industrial complex. Over the past year, the turnover of agricultural products and food between the countries has grown by almost a third. We expect that this positive trend will continue this year,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister added that our country is ready to increase supplies of grain, meat and confectionery products to the United Arab Emirates. Russia is actively developing the production and export of halal products that meet all the standards applied in the UAE.

The meeting also considered the possibility of intensifying dialogue between financial institutions of the two countries.

The discussion of bilateral issues was attended by the Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohammed bin Hadi Al Husseini, the Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, the Director of the Department of Economy and Tourism of the Emirate of Dubai Hilal Saeed Khalfan Al Marri and the UAE Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia Mohammed Ahmed Sultan Essa Al Jaber.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Job Opening: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Source: Greenpeace Statement –
This is a permanent role based in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, or Manila.

Greenpeace activists and volunteers gather at a wind farm at Baru beach during Buru Baru festival to hold letters forming a banner reading: ‘#ActionForClimate.’ Part of a Global Day of Action in Bantul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. © Ulet Ifansasti / Greenpeace

About the Role

The Executive Director will provide visionary leadership, ensuring alignment with Greenpeace’s core values. This includes overseeing operations in four countries, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, driving international collaboration, and maintaining accountability across governance, human resources, and financial management. The role requires a proactive approach to campaign contributions within Greenpeace’s global objectives.

The job holder will have the following key responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

Develop and communicate a clear vision and strategic objectives aligned with Greenpeace’s mission.

Empower staff and volunteers to foster a shared sense of purpose and organisational culture.

Monitor external developments and implement responsive strategies as needed.

Operation, Finance, and Fundraising

Oversee all organisational functions, ensuring strategies and policies align with core values.

Maintain financial discipline and ensure adherence to auditing practices.

Collaborate with the Fundraising Director to explore alternative funding streams and improve grassroots contributions from individual donors across the region.

Recruit, train, and develop staff with a focus on accountability and high performance.

Change Management

Drive organisational transformation through strategic planning, operational efficiency, and transparent decision-making.

Align global objectives with mission-focused strategies to enhance morale, inclusivity, and overall effectiveness.

Determine and implement effective management structures and systems to achieve organisational objectives.

Foster cross-country collaboration to enhance efficiency and inclusivity.

Communications and Network

Enhance internal communication and information flow across departments, countries and hierarchy levels.

Build and maintain productive relationships with NGOs, media, government, and relevant stakeholders.

Governance and Relationship to The Board

Create and adapt annual, mid-term and long-term strategies in partnership with the Board and Greenpeace International.

Ensure compliance with legal, statutory, and regulatory responsibilities.

Identify and mitigate organisational risks while maintaining operational effectiveness.

Provide regular reports to the Board, ensuring informed decision-making.

Campaign Advocacy and Representation

Create and adapt annual, mid-term and long-term strategies in partnership with the Board and Greenpeace International.

Ensure compliance with legal, statutory, and regulatory responsibilities.

Identify and mitigate organisational risks while maintaining operational effectiveness.

Provide regular reports to the Board, ensuring informed decision-making.

Personnel, Health, and Safety

Lead and implement impactful campaigns on rainforest conservation, climate justice, ocean, plastic and coal reduction.

Drive grassroots mobilisation, engage key stakeholders, and amplify GPSEA’s successes through strategic advocacy efforts.

Represent GPSEA at international meetings and in public forums.

Act as a spokesperson for the organisation.

Personnel, Health, and Safety

Ensure adherence to best practices in all operational areas, balancing ambition with available resources.

Skills and Experience

Environment movement background.

Proven leadership in a complex organisation, with a focus on effective management and accountability.

Deep understanding of global environmental issues and sustainability principles.

Strong systems thinking, strategic planning, and horizon-scanning skills.

Ability to inspire and unite diverse stakeholders around a compelling vision.

Commitment to Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA) and grassroots campaigning.

Financial literacy and a positive attitude toward digital innovation.

Fluency in English; additional language skills are an asset.

Personal Attributes

Responsive and adaptive.

Highly emotionally intelligent with strong interpersonal skills.

Courageous, empathetic, and humble leadership style.

Committed to social and environmental justice.

Activist spirit with a passion for Greenpeace’s mission.

Understanding of Southeast Asia’s cultural and operational dynamics.

Greenpeace’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Greenpeace values diversity as essential to its mission and success. The organisation fosters an inclusive environment that respects varied cultural experiences and perspectives, promoting solutions rooted in social and environmental justice.

Deadline for applications: March 20, 2025

Jobs

Do you have a passion for this planet and want to do more? Work with us!

TAKE ACTION
MIL OSI NGO –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Further night closures planned for SH1 between Johnsonville and Tawa for resurfacing works

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

People travelling on State Highway 1 between Johnsonville and Tawa need to prepare for night-time closures from this Sunday, 23 February for resurfacing works.

While originally scheduled for this week have, these works have been delayed due to rain. It means extra time is needed to complete the works on this section of the highway.

Weather permitting, night works are planned from Sunday, 23 February until Thursday, 27 February. It will affect the highway’s northbound lanes, as well as the Takapu Road on and offramps.

Crews will be resurfacing northbound lanes north of Johnsonville as well as the Tawa/Glenside onramp.

Local road detours will be available via Johnsonville and Glenside along Middleton Road.

Every effort is being made to reduce the impact of the work on the public. It is being done at night when fewer vehicles on the road. Closing the northbound lanes allows the project to be completed quicker with lower traffic management costs. It is also safer for road workers and the public.

Drivers can expect resurfacing work on the highway to continue during March between Newlands and Tawa. An update will be provided once its timing is confirmed.

This work on State Highway 1 is a key part of wellington’s state highway summer maintenance programme.

On an average, more than 30,000 vehicles use the northbound lanes on State Highway 1 between Ngauranga and Porirua every day. This is why regular resurfacing and road maintenance is essential – it improves the road’s surface, making it more resilient and safer for drivers.

Work schedule and detour maps:

Sunday, 23 February, Monday, 24 February and Tuesday, 25 February. 9 pm – 4.30 am

Northbound road closure between Johnsonville and Glenside. Vehicles will need to follow the detour using Johnsonville off-ramp and Glenside on-ramp

Wednesday, 26 February. 9 pm – 4.30 am

Northbound road closure between Glenside and Tawa. Vehicles will need to follow detour using Glenside off-ramp and Takapu road on-ramp.

Thursday, 27 February. 9 pm – 4.30 am

Tawa/Grenada onramp CLOSED

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 20, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: Solar Pools and Libraries with First $50 million for bill busting upgrades

Source: Australian Ministers for Infrastructure and Transport

Batteries to soak up excess solar at a council childcare centre, solar panels to cut bills for the local library and the community pool going all-electric are just some of the projects the Albanese Government is backing with its $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund (CEUF).

Today 58 local government bodies around the nation will get on with bringing down their energy bills for good, with $50 million in grants for energy upgrades going out the door.

Whether it’s the neighbourhood sports club, the community hall, the local pool or library, local government brings us together and keeps us thriving. Each year 8 million people use community sporting infrastructure, including local councils. Now the Albanese Government is working with councils, so they can save on their bills and invest more into their communities.

One-off grants of between $25,000 to $2.5 million have been awarded through the merit-based program, with local government providing at least 50 per cent of project costs.

Successful funding applications include 31 upgrades to local aquatic centres and five grants for smart electric vehicle charging infrastructure for local government vehicles.

In Melbourne, Collingwood Leisure Centre will go electric, with its air, pool and hot water system using 100% renewable energy and storage.

In Western Sydney, council-owned early learning centres will free up funding to invest more into our next generation by cutting bills with batteries that soak up excess solar to be used across their own and other community buildings. While in Broken Hill they’ll unlock their sunny skies with the council installing solar panels over the car park and replacing gas heating with electric heat pumps.

Meanwhile in Darwin, the Casuarina Library will be cooler this summer with an energy upgrade, while further upgrades to Parap Pool and West Lane carpark will see the council save $83,500 a year.

In Tasmania, a local council will ensure people keep on moving, installing smart electric vehicle chargers and dynamic load management to support electrification and decarbonisation of its vehicle fleet.

The highly popular Albanese Labor Government initiative saw Round 1 oversubscribed, with 165 applications overall for the first $50 million package of funding. Round 2 is expected to open shortly, with unsuccessful applicants from round 1 warmly encouraged to reapply.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen:

“Local councils run many of the sport and public facilities that keep our communities and clubs thriving. We want facilities that Australians know and love, like cricket grounds and local pools, to be able to save on their energy bills and spend more on the things they do best.

“The Albanese Government is not just providing short term relief on power bills, with our Community Energy Upgrades Fund and Energy Savings Package, we’re helping communities bring down bills for good.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Local Government Kristy McBain:

“We’ve heard loud and clear from councils about the need to upgrade ageing facilities with more energy-efficient technology, to bring down their overheads and to lower their emissions – which is exactly why we launched the Community Energy Upgrades Fund.

“We now have transparent grant programs that every postcode can apply for, we’ve delivered record funding increases for local roads, and we’ve brought local councils back to the table as a trusted delivery partner after a decade of neglect – with this program a real testament to what we can achieve for our communities when we work together.”

Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson:

“The Albanese government is investing in energy efficiency measures for community facilities because it has a triple-whammy effect of cutting emissions, cutting running costs, and allowing those savings to be used for other local services.

“These projects are helping to deliver a cheaper, cleaner energy future for Australians.”

BACKGROUND:

STATE	SUCCESSFUL COUNCILS	TOTAL GRANT FUNDING
NSW	17 Blue Mountains City Council, Campbelltown City Council, Coolamon Shire Council, Council of the City of Broken Hill, Cowra Shire Council, Dubbo Regional Council, Inner West Council, Junee Shire Council, Ku-Ring-Gai Council, Leeton Shire Council, Lockhart Shire Council, Mid-Western Regional Council, Northern Beaches Council, Parkes Shire Council, Port Macquarie Hastings Council, Wagga Wagga City Council, Wingecarribee Shire Council,	$15.3 million
VICTORIA	15 Ballarat City Council, Banyule City Council, Cardinia Shire Council, City of Maribyrnong, Colac Otway Shire, Corangamite Shire Council, Glen Eira City Council, Mansfield Shire Council, Melbourne City Council, Merri-Bek City Council, Mildura Rural City Council, Surf Coast Shire, Wyndham City Council, Yarra City Council, Yarra Ranges Shire Council	$23.9 million
QUEENSLAND	7 Aurukun Shire Council, Brisbane City Council, Cassowary Coast Regional Council, Mackay Regional Council, Maranoa Regional Council, Murweh Shire Council, Paroo Shire Council	$4.5 million
SOUTH AUSTRALIA	7 Barunga West Council, City of West Torrens, Corporation of the City of Unley, District Council of Loxton Waikerie, Rural City of Murray Bridge, The Barossa Council, The Flinders Rangers Council,	$2.3 million
WESTERN AUSTRALIA	5 City of Armadale, City of Melville, City of Swan, Town of East Fremantle, Town of Port Hedland	$2.8 million
TASMANIA	5 Brighton Council, Clarence City Council, Devonport City Council, Huon Valley Council, Launceston City Council,	$674,011
NORTHERN TERRITORY	2 Central Desert Regional Council, City Darwin	$580,528

Note: This media release was originally published by the Climate and Energy portfolio: Solar pools and libraries with first $50 million for bill busting upgrades (https://minister.dcceew.gov.au)

MIL OSI News –

February 20, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Exclude Catastrophe Mitigation Payments from Income Taxes

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet joined nine of their Senate colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025 to prevent disaster mitigation funds from being taxed as part of gross income. These funds help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
“Coloradans know the damage caused by wildfires and other natural disasters too well. This is a critical step we can take to keep our families and homes safe and give communities the resources they need to rebuild,” said Hickenlooper.
“This commonsense legislation takes a critical step toward empowering individuals and communities to better protect themselves from the devastating effects of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene,” said Tillis. “By excluding qualified catastrophe mitigation payments from income tax, we are incentivizing property owners to make the necessary improvements that reduce damage and save lives. This proactive approach to disaster preparedness not only helps families rebuild faster but strengthens our resilience in the face of future disasters.”
“The devastating fires in Southern California underscored the urgent need to empower homeowners to take proactive steps to keep their families and homes safe,” said Padilla. “As these disasters become more frequent and more extreme due to the climate crisis, we should incentivize — not penalize — taxpayers for protecting their homes. That’s why the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act would provide a tax exemption on payments from state-based programs for homeowner investments in critical disaster-related improvements.”
“Louisianans understand the impact of devastating storms, but with the help of state and local programs, we have tools to rebuild and return to wholeness,” said Cassidy. “If communities need tax relief, let’s give it to them!”
“We have seen how natural disasters have devastated communities around the country, and we must ensure we have the resources and programs in place to respond,” said Schiff. “Homeowners should not face additional taxes for wanting to protect their homes and our bipartisan legislation will provide the needed tax relief to help affected Americans recover from these disasters.”
The bill defines a “qualified catastrophe mitigation payment” as any amount received for making improvements to an individual’s property for the sole purpose of reducing the damage that would be done to such property by a windstorm, earthquake, flood, or wildfire.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Building climate resilience into food systems in the Eastern Gangetic Plains

Source: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

The world’s highest concentration of rural poverty occurs in the Eastern Gangetic Plains of Bangladesh, India and Nepal – a region that is home to 450 million people.

Livelihoods in this part of the world rely greatly on agriculture. Opportunities to work with smallholder farmers can lay the foundations for a more productive, sustainable and diversified agricultural economy.

Among the research-for-development professionals on the ground is a team working on the Rupantar project, an ACIAR-supported initiative led by Dr Tamara Jackson of the University of Adelaide.

The Rupantar project operates at a whole-of-system level. It spans both social and farming practices and extends all the way through to policy settings, market opportunities and other agrifood system barriers holding smallholders back. It also builds on prior investments by ACIAR and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Included in this integrated approach are considerations for climate impacts.

This concern saw 15 team members from the Rupantar project visit the University of Adelaide and regional South Australia and Victoria in October 2024. Funded as part of a DFAT Australia Awards Fellowship program, the study tour focused on climate resilience and adaptation.

The Rupantar project

‘Rupantar’ has a common meaning in Bangla, Hindi and Nepali. It means change on a level so profound that it is transformative. Launched in 2021, the Rupantar project is identifying opportunities for inclusive and diversified food production innovation.

Given the partnership model typical of ACIAR projects, these opportunities need to be priorities for local communities. They also need to be sustainable and to fit with longer-term climate, nutrition and available water resource projections.

Achieving this level of integration requires working on multiple levels at the same time. There is ground-up innovation – from personal to organisational. Then there are high-level policies that work down and can make important change on the ground.

Our hypothesis is that an integrated approach to livelihood change – coupled with inclusive and collaborative approaches – will result in more effective and sustainable development pathways.

Dr Tamara Jackson,
University of Adelaide

‘So, our goal is to understand the processes and practices needed to diversify food production in ways that improve farm livelihoods and reduce inequity, production risk and unsustainable resource use.’

The on-the-ground work with smallholders is implemented at sites in West Bengal (India), Rangpur (Bangladesh) and Koshi Province (Nepal). Implementation involves actioning ‘diversification pathways’ that were co-developed collaboratively with local partners.

Diversification pathways

The aim of these pathways is twofold. The first is to test diversification options and select the most appropriate crop and livestock options that are priorities for local communities. These are then implemented within existing networks and are aligned with institutional settings.

The second aim is to monitor the changes associated with the pathways, including long-term sustainability.

The project is also mindful that diversification can look very different to different members within households and can include off-farm income from seasonal male migration and greater reliance on women household members.

In all, three types of diversified systems are being explored:

• plant-based production, including crops and horticulture
• livestock-based, including chickens, goats and dairy that are especially important to women’s income
• irrigation-constrained systems.

‘The project is working on strengthening what already works about a farming system in the Eastern Gangetic Plain and building on innovations from prior projects, such as ACIAR’s introduction of conservation agriculture cropping practices,’ said Dr Jackson.

Long-running ACIAR initiatives in the Eastern Gangetic Plains worked with smallholder farmers across Bangladesh, India, and Nepal to introduce sustainable practices and innovations to intensify production.

The project team has spent the first 2 years on the ground running baseline surveys and mapping villages to better understand the system.

Implementation started in 2023 once it became clear what would work best in different settings. The visit to Australia in 2024 provided project partners with opportunities to observe what diversified and climate-resilient Australian farms look like.

Participants included Rupantar project partners from provincial government, cooperatives, farmer producer companies, NGOs, local university partners and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.

Climate-smart innovation

Dr Jay Cummins from International Agriculture for Development hosted the study tour group and developed the course that focused on addressing the climate realities in collaboration with the Rupantar project.

The 20-day study tour was entitled ‘Supporting climate-smart, resilient food production networks in the Indo-Gangetic Plains’.

Key experts shared their experiences responding to climate change and on-farm visits examined how Australian agriculture builds climate resilience into its practices in different environmental and socioeconomic settings.

‘Included were visits to more rainfed, dryland cropping systems in the Mallee and, in addition, to irrigated production systems in the Murray–Darling Basin,’ said Dr Cummins.

The Australia Awards program provided a valuable mechanism to connect the participants with a whole range of Australian organisations and professionals, which in turn will help build international networks and collaboration.

Dr Jay Cummins
International Agriculture for Development

In the Eastern Gangetic Plain, food production can be heavily focused on wet season rice crops. In Australia, the visitors were able to explore dry season opportunities for diversified production of crops and livestock, including in mixed farming systems. They saw how Australian farmers manage risks around water scarcity and drought. At South Australian Riverland sites, discussions included irrigation and water management that present different diversification options.

Participant perspectives

Loxton farmer Brycen Rudiger (left)discusses the challenges of growing wheat in the Mallee region with Nepali participant Gautam Bhupal (right).

Among the participants were Dr Deepa Roy from India, Ms Bimala Pokhrel from Nepal and Dr Mamunur Rashid from Bangladesh.

Dr Roy is an agricultural extension expert based at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, India. She told ACIAR that smallholder farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains face numerous challenges that can lock them into poverty.

These range from small and fragmented landholdings that make mechanisation difficult, to a lack of agronomic knowledge, limited agricultural support services, limited market access, financial constraints and climatic hazards.

‘Through the course several key insights and learnings emerged that may help our farmers in understanding and adopting climate resilient technologies,’ said Dr Roy.

Key insights for participants included:

• assessing the carbon footprint of farming and taking action to reduce it
• introducing efficient soil moisture management strategies such as mulching
• adopting agronomic practices such as crop rotations and climate-resilient crops
• building soil fertility
• advocating for improved climate forecasting
• adopting grower-led research and extension
• developing digital tools to monitor the adoption of innovation
• providing financial management training to smallholder farmers
• using podcasts and radio to provide farm advisory services.

Overall, Dr Roy said that the course equipped attendees with a holistic understanding of climate-smart practices. ‘It helped us not only to strengthen technical knowledge but also to develop critical soft skill and a deeper understanding of sustainable climate resilient farming.’

It’s a point of view shared by Ms Pokhrel, who works with the Ministry of Industry Agriculture and Cooperatives in Koshi Province, Nepal. She said the course enriched efforts to both help farmers and policymakers with future planning. And it worked by enhancing both her professional and personal capacity.

‘What stood out was the extent that Australian farmers have already adopted technology to mitigate against climate change,’ said Ms Pokhrel. ‘This was particularly stark when it came to soil health and sustainable soil management practices. One of the key learnings is that we can tailor these practices for our context in the Koshi Province and, in that way, improve crop productivity by improving soil health.’

Mr Rashid agreed. He is a research fellow at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. He noted that while ACIAR is helping to introduce conservation agriculture to Bangladesh, South Australian farmers have already adopted these soil and soil-moisture conserving practices.

They are also growing more legume crops for soil health and fertiliser benefits, adopting risk-aversion strategies amid climate variability, and introducing carbon farming to adapt to climate change.

Improved water management

Both Ms Pokhrel and Mr Rashid were especially impressed by Australian water management systems in drought-prone landscapes. They think these kinds of Australian practices have a role to play at the project sites.

While the cost and expertise required to adopt and maintain technologies such as drip irrigation systems used in Australia may be beyond the capacity of many smallholder farmers, the study tour has already inspired a new water conservation pilot project.

The Bangladesh team will launch ‘Conserving soil moisture through mulching technique in chili farming’ in the Rupantar project areas, focusing on farmers in northern Bangladesh, who experience frequent floods and droughts.

The Rupantar project delegation on tour in the northern Mallee of South Australia.

‘This initiative aims to use soil moisture and reduce irrigation in chilli farming, aided by Chameleon soil water sensors that can support decision-making for the farmers of the Rupantar project,’ said Mr Rashid.

Ms Pokhrel was greatly impressed by the grower-centric research, development and extension infrastructure built around farmers’ needs in Australia. For her, this was typified by organisations such as the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Almond Board.

She thinks there are opportunities to ‘sensitise’ the different boards in Nepal to this approach.

Surprises for the project partners included the large size of farms given the small number of people working in agriculture.

What also surprised us is the rate of technology adoption by farmers, along with their dedication and the satisfaction they receive from the agricultural profession.

Ms Bimala Pokhrel
Nepal

‘Mallee Sustainable Farming System was impressive and working with farmers groups and developing the communication material in local languages are the things that we can develop for our smallholder farmers too.’

Finally, they praised the networking opportunities provided by the course, including with farmers, and opportunities to understand the people, country and culture.

ACIAR Project WAC/2020/148: ‘Transforming smallholder food systems in the Eastern Gangetic Plain’

MIL OSI News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Two in five scientists in our survey reported harassment and intimidation. Often, the perpetrators are inside the institution
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hales, Director, Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, Griffith University

Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

The goal of science is to uncover truths and create new knowledge. But this is not always welcome. Increasingly, scientific findings are being attacked or downplayed. And scientists themselves face intimidation or harassment.

In our global study of more than 2,000 scientists across six areas of science, two-fifths (41%) of respondents had, as a result of their work, been harassed or intimidated at least once over a five-year period.

Intimidation efforts included online abuse, physical threats, and threats to budgets or employment. Harassment, while personal, could be meted out by superiors, colleagues or outsiders. Some scientists felt their leaders had thrown them under the bus to protect the institution’s reputation.

Who’s doing the intimidation? Strikingly, a majority of cases of intimidation and harassment actually came from inside the institution for most fields. That is, it was perpetrated by senior colleagues or managers. But for climate scientists, most intimidation efforts came from outside.

Intimidation of scientists doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In recent years, there has been a rise in populist leaders who pour scorn on “elites” and evidence. Scientific issues are increasingly politicised. Disinformation is rampant. This atmosphere adds to the pressure faced by scientists, especially those working in politically sensitive areas such as climate science or COVID.

Harassment and intimidation can silence or isolate scientists.
Hayk_Shalunts/Shutterstock

What did we find?

We used an online database of scientists to find and contact experts publishing in six fields: climate science, medical health, humanities and social science, food and plant science, astronomy, and other STEM areas.

More than 2,000 responded to our survey on whether they had experienced various types of intimidation or harassment. We asked respondents for more detail on the perpetrators, what triggered the incident, and what effect it had on them.

Many respondents had a clear view as to what the intimidation or harassment was meant to do. The motivations of perpetrators varied greatly. But the most common reasons were to damage their reputation, to stop them from publishing certain types of research, or to “put me in my place”.

Specific fields of science were more prone to harassment and intimidation – in particular climate science, and humanities and social science.

Among those scientists who had been intimidated, climate scientists reported online abuse three times more often than astronomers. Climate science is politically charged, because climate change is clearly linked to pollution from some of the world’s largest industries – oil, gas and coal. Astronomy is not. Half of the climate scientist respondents experiencing intimidation saw the bad behaviour as a way to discourage them from undertaking specific research and speaking about it.

Researchers from humanities and social sciences faced similar levels of online abuse to climate scientists.

When it came to personal harassment, there was a clear gender dimension. Among those who reported experiencing harassment, female scientists were more than four times more likely to report “unwelcome or inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature” than their male counterparts. Women were affected almost twice as much as men by non-sexual forms of personal harassment.

Our findings follow earlier research finding similar rates of intimidation. For instance, a 2021 survey of 321 scientists working on COVID-19 found 15% had received death threats and 22% received threats of sexual violence.

Intimidation and harassment are damaging

The consequences of intimidation are profound and far-reaching. Many scientists told us the experience had caused lasting damage, whether to wellbeing, career prospects or research activities.

More than 40% of those affected said their career prospects had worsened following incidents of harassment. Just over a third (34%) reported a decline in their desire to work in science. Scientists who experienced intimidation often cut back their collaboration with colleagues (35%), leaving them more isolated.

Many of our respondents described flow-on effects such as decreased access to funding (35% of respondents) and less public communication from their institution about their work (23%).

Scientists targeted with multiple types of harassment reported very damaging effects, from difficulty finding their next job to poor mental health.

Intimidation slows progress

Intimidation and harassment have a chilling effect on science. This, in turn, could hinder progress on crucial issues such as climate change, public health and technological advancements.

The disproportionate impact on women and researchers in politically sensitive fields threatens to undermine diversity and inclusivity in science.

Without targeted interventions, women in science may continue to suffer disproportionate levels of harassment and intimidation. This will have long-term implications for gender diversity in scientific leadership and the direction of research in various fields.

In the United States, the Trump administration’s withdrawals from the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization are likely to further embolden anti-science movements. Many American scientific institutions are engaged in anticipatory obedience of the Trump administration’s demands that diversity and anti-discrimination programs be abolished, or climate change stop being mentioned. Many even go beyond what is explicitly sought.

Female scientists are targeted in different ways.
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

What can be done?

Science and academia is often seen as a bastion of free inquiry and open discussion. One of our most surprising findings was how common intimidation was within scientific institutions.

The key to beating intimidation is organisational support and clear strategies, not obedience. These include:
- genuine commitment to institutional policies protecting scientists from both internal and external intimidation
- formal, well-resourced support systems for researchers facing harassment or pressure (not the HR office)
- programs to increase public understanding of the scientific process to build trust and resilience to misinformation
- boosting international collaboration between scientists and policymakers to ensure resilience against country-specific efforts to undermine science
- educating the public on the importance of scientific independence and of fostering respectful dialogue around contentious topics.
As populist movements gain traction in many countries, scientists working on controversial issues will face heightened scrutiny – and potentially more intimidation.

Climate science is likely to remain a particularly contested field. As the damage wrought by climate change becomes more and more apparent, it will get even more contentious.

Over the last few centuries, science has produced breakthroughs in many areas. But the integrity of science is not guaranteed. Harassment and intimidation from both inside and outside institutions has a very real effect on scientists.

The future of evidence-based decision-making and ability to tackle global challenges depends on fostering an environment where scientists can work free from fear and undue pressure.

Robert Hale receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

David Peetz undertook research over many years with occasional financial support from governments from both sides of politics, employers and unions. He has been and is involved in several Australian Research Council-funded projects, including this one.

Ian Lowe was president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 2004 to 2014.

Carolyn Troup and Georgina Murray do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Two in five scientists in our survey reported harassment and intimidation. Often, the perpetrators are inside the institution – https://theconversation.com/two-in-five-scientists-in-our-survey-reported-harassment-and-intimidation-often-the-perpetrators-are-inside-the-institution-248013
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres urges Caribbean leaders to keep pushing for peace, climate action and sustainable development

Source: United Nations 2

19 February 2025 Peace and Security

In an address on Wednesday to Caribbean leaders meeting in Barbados, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced a potential plan to support an “effective force” in Haiti as armed gangs continue to terrorize the population.

Mr. Guterres was speaking during the opening of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Meeting in the capital Bridgetown, where he called for unity to achieve progress in peace and security, climate and sustainable development.

“A unified Caribbean is an unstoppable force,” he said. “I urge you to keep using that power to push the world to deliver on its promises.”

‘Trouble in paradise’

The Secretary-General noted that the region’s “exquisite beauty is famed the world over, but there is trouble in paradise.”

He told leaders that “wave after wave of crisis is pounding your people and your islands – with no time to catch your breath before the next disaster strikes.”

Caribbean countries are experiencing uncertainty fuelled by geopolitical tensions, the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring debt and interest rates, and a surge in the cost of living.

Global solutions exist

These are all happening “amidst a deadly swell of climate disasters – ripping development gains to shreds, and blowing holes through your national budgets,” and as countries “remain locked-out of many international institutions – one of the many legacies of colonialism today.”

The UN chief insisted that “the cure for these ills is global,” and the world needs to deliver on hard-won global commitments to address the immense challenges the international community is facing.

He listed three key areas “where, together, we must drive progress.”

Peace in Haiti

Mr. Guterres called for unity for peace and security, “particularly to address the appalling situation in Haiti – where gangs are inflicting intolerable suffering on a desperate and frightened people.”

He said CARICOM and its Eminent Persons Group have provided invaluable support in this regard.

“We must keep working for a political process – owned and led by the Haitians – that restores democratic institutions through elections,” he said.

Security and stability

A UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission is currently on the ground to back up the Haitian National Police.

The Secretary-General said he will soon report to the Security Council on the situation in the country, including proposals on the role the UN can play to both support stability and security, and address the root causes of the crisis.

He intends to present a proposal similar to the one for Somalia, in which the UN assumes responsibility for the structural and logistical expenditures necessary to put the force in place. Salaries are paid through a trust fund that already exists.

“If the Security Council will accept this proposal, we will have the conditions to finally have an effective force to defeat the gangs in Haiti and create the conditions for democracy to thrive,” he said, drawing applause.

© WFP/Fedel Mansour

Hurricane Beryl last July caused devastation on Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Climate crisis opportunity

His second point – unity on the climate crisis – underlined “a deplorable injustice” as Caribbean countries “have done next to nothing” to create it. Moreover, they have “fought tooth and nail for the global commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.”

Mr. Guterres said countries must deliver new national climate plans ahead of the COP30 UN climate conference later this year. The plans must align with the 1.5 goal, with the G20 group of industrial nations leading the way.

“This is a chance for the world to get a grip on emissions,” he said. “And it’s a chance for the Caribbean to seize the benefits of clean power, to tap your vast renewables potential, and to turn your back on costly fossil fuel imports.”

As finance is required, he underscored the need for confidence that the $1.3 trillion agreed at the previous COP will be mobilized. Developed countries also must honour their promises on adaptation finance and make meaningful contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund.

“When the Fund was created, the pledges made were equivalent to the new contract for just one baseball player in New York City,” he remarked.

Finance for sustainable development

Meanwhile, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “are starved of adequate finance, as debt servicing soaks-up funds, and international financial institutions remain underpowered.”

The Secretary-General said Caribbean countries have been at the forefront of the fight for change, pioneering bold and creative solutions. He said the Pact for the Future, together with the Bridgetown Initiative, marks significant progress.

Mr. Guterres thanked Caribbean leaders for supporting the Pact, which UN Member States adopted last year.

Key deliverables include support for an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion annually and commitment to reform international financial institutions to allow greater participation by developing countries.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey, Van Hollen, Whitehouse, and Sanders Demand Answers from Justice Department on Forced Resignation of Assistant U.S. Attorney Over Illegal Pressure to Freeze National Green Bank Funding

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (February 19, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today wrote to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz about revelations that Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Cheung was pressured to find evidence of a crime as a justification for freezing the release of billions of dollars in congressionally approved federal funds for the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. These programs, which are part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, leverage private capital to cut energy bills for families and small businesses, improve resiliency against climate change-fueled disasters, and create local economic opportunity while combatting climate change. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also signed the letter.

In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The reports that Ms. Cheung was pressured to circumvent this standard suggest a deliberate attempt to weaponize the Justice Department for political purposes. Indeed, according to one report, ‘Cheung’s resignation came in connection with a Justice Department effort to assist President Donald Trump’s new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who said last week that he would try to rescind $20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean energy projects.’”

The lawmakers continue, “Federal prosecutors have an obligation to comply with the legal ethics rules governing their conduct, including their duty to refuse illegal or unethical orders from superiors. Not even a month into the second Trump administration, several career prosecutors have already resigned rather than participate in legally and ethically questionable actions, igniting a crisis within the Justice Department. The Department must not become an instrument of political retribution or partisan maneuvering.”

The lawmakers urge the Office of the Inspector General, “to immediately open an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Cheung’s resignation, the directives she received, and the broader pattern of political interference in prosecutorial decisions. The integrity of our justice system depends on the independence of prosecutors and their ability to enforce the law free from political influence. If substantiated, these allegations represent an existential threat to the rule of law and demand swift corrective action.”

Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27-billion national climate financing network based on the National Climate Bank Act, which he introduced along with Senator Van Hollen. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Senators Markey and Van Hollen and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) — the House lead on the climate financing legislation — welcomed the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in April 2023.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: $10 million Good Neighbours Program to tackle pest and weeds across NSW
Source: New South Wales Premiere

Published: 20 February 2025

Released by: Minister for Agriculture

The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its election commitment to tackle pest and weed infestations between neighbouring public and private lands across the state through its $10 million investment in new or expanded, on the ground, biosecurity projects.
The Good Neighbours Program, led by Local Land Services, will undertake 21 initial projects in priority areas across NSW.

The initiative is part of the Government’s $945 million commitment to addressing biosecurity threats to the state’s $20 billion primary industries sector.

The Good Neighbours projects will target pest animals and problem weeds, including feral deer, feral pigs, tropical soda apple and hudson pear.

Improved on-ground outcomes will be achieved through coordinated pest animal and weed control programs, as well as capacity-building workshops, training and education for landholders and land managers.

The 21 projects will be delivered in partnership with respective public land managers including Forestry Corporation, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and local councils.

The Good Neighbours Program highlights the importance of public and private land managers working together to prevent the spread of pests and weeds and protect the NSW economy, environment and community.

Pest animals and weeds impact more than 70 per cent of the state’s threatened species and endangered ecological communities, posing a significant agricultural threat.

The Good Neighbours Program brings together a range of stakeholders and agencies to combat the issue and educate landholders and land managers about their shared general biosecurity duty under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 to control pests and weeds on their properties.

The program will run until mid-2026, with additional projects to be funded. Visit nsw.gov.au/good-neighbours to learn more.

Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said:

“Effective pest and weed management are critical to supporting agricultural productivity and biodiversity in NSW, and it’s best achieved by working as a united front.”

“The Good Neighbours program demonstrates the NSW Government’s commitment to protecting our natural environment and agricultural industry by focusing our resources on areas where we can work together to achieve the best results.

“As the saying goes, everybody needs good neighbours. Biosecurity is a shared responsibility, and we all have a part to play.”

Local Land Services Project Manager Good Neighbours Program, Dale Kirby said:

“When it comes to coordinated pest animal and weed control programs, many hands make light work.”

“We can achieve far better outcomes when private and public landholders work together, with expert advice and support from Local Land Services, to reduce impacts and limit the spread of pests and weeds across the landscape.”

MEDIA: Michael Salmon | Minister Moriarty | 0417495018

Good Neighbours projects
- Cane Toad Program (North Coast) – Joint efforts between the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Local Land Services, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Landcare and private landholders to control cane toads on the North Coast.
- Chinese Violet Program (North Coast) – This program is based in the Tweed Shire, where Rous County Council is targeting Chinese violet on the fringes of the Heritage Wollumbin National Park and Jerusalem National Park.
- Job’s Tears Eradication Program (North Coast) – Led by Rous County Council, Landcare and landholders, this program aims to eradicate Job’s tears from creek lines in the Kyogle and Lismore shires.
- Tropical Soda Apple Eradication (TSA) Program (North Coast) – This program targets Tropical soda apple across the Lismore, Kyogle, Ballina, Byron, Richmond Valley and Tweed local government areas, led by Rous County Council, community groups and landholders.
- Far South Coast Coastal Weeds Program (South East) – Tackling weeds such as coastal bitou bush and sea spurge on the Far South Coast between Tuross and Wonboyn, led by Far South Coast Landcare, local councils, Local Land Services and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
- Hudson Pear Control Program – Kinchega National Park (Western) – Combating Hudson Pear in the middle reaches of Stephens Creek to the west of Kinchega National Park, led by the managers of Kars and Eureka stations, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Castlereagh Macquarie County Council and Local Land Services.
- Jumping Cholla Control Program (Western) – Targeting Jumping cholla in the Living Desert State Park and nearby Limestone and Nine Mile stations in the Broken Hill area, with the help of the station owners, Broken Hill City Council, Castlereagh Macquarie County Council and Local Land Services.
- Parthenium Weed Eradication (North West) Management and control of Parthenium weed across two Travelling Stock Reserves (TSR) at Croppa Creek, led by North West Local Land Services and supported by local councils, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, TSR users, landholders and Traditional Owners.
- Mt Stuart Boxing Glove Control Program (Western) – Tackling the spread of Boxing glove cactus in Tibooburra, south of the Sturt National Park, in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Mt Stuart Station neighbours, Castlereagh Macquarie County Council, Crown Lands and Local Land Services.
- North Coast Branch Pig Control Program (North Coast and Northern Tablelands) – Feral pig control led by the North Coast branch of the National Parks and Wildlife Service across 12 reserves from western Richmond River to the coast, from Ballina in the north to Hat Head in the south.
- Orange Hawkweed Eradication Program (South East) – A collaboration between Snowy Monaro Council, Snowy Valleys Council, Local Land Services, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and private landholders targeting Hawkweed in the Kosciuszko National Park and surrounding private land.
- Strategic Weed Management and Control – Blackberry and St John’s Wort (Central West) – Coordinated control of priority weeds within Goobang National Park, led by Parkes Shire Council, Macquarie and Lachlan Valley Weeds Committee, Central West and Central Tablelands regional weeds committees and neighbouring landholders.
- Wild Horse Cross Tenure Eradication Program (North Coast) – Wild horse control focused on the Barcoongere area, south of Grafton, in conjunction with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, National Parks and Wildlife Service and landholders.
- Bathurst Joint Weed Program (Central Tablelands) – Working with the Forestry Corporation of NSW and private landholders to control weeds such as broom, gorse and Chilean needle grass between state forest and private land in Bathurst.
- Bathurst Pest Program – Feral Pig Management Program (Central Tablelands) – Support for a feral pig baiting program involving the Forestry Corporation of NSW, Crown Lands and neighbouring land managers.
- Feral deer control – Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (Central Tablelands, Hunter, Greater Sydney and South East) – Coordinated efforts between the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Local Land Services, the Invasive Species Council, Crown Lands and public land managers to reduce the impacts of feral deer.
- Forestry Pest Management Neighbour’s Program (Western, Central West, Central Tablelands, North West, Riverina and Murray) – Targeting feral pig populations on properties with state forest boundaries in the Western NSW region, led by the Forestry Corporation of NSW and state forest neighbours.
- Koala Habitat Restoration (North Coast) – Protecting and restoring koala habitat in the Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie areas in conjunction with private landholders, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Landcare groups, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
- North Coast Feral Deer Management Program (North Coast) – An existing feral deer coordinated control program based in the Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie areas involving local councils, Forestry Corporation of NSW, National Parks and Wildlife Service and private landholders.
- Red Cestrum Management and Control (North Coast) – This program is focused on controlling Red cestrum infestations on the Dorrigo Plateau, led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Bellingen Shire Council and private landholders.
- Tamworth Peri Urban Pest Species Project (North West) – Targeting feral goats, pigs and deer within the Tamworth Local Government Area, supported by Tamworth Regional Council, Crown Lands and private landholders.
MIL OSI News –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Faster water approvals to supercharge housing delivery
Source: New South Wales Premiere

Published: 20 February 2025

Released by: Minister for Housing, Minister for Water

The Minns Labor Government is slashing red tape to get more homes built faster across the state, unveiling a clear blueprint to speed up approvals and ensure new properties are connected and ready to turn on the tap sooner.
The Housing Approval Reform Action Plan is a joint initiative between the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Sydney Water, and WaterNSW to streamline approvals and accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure.

After more than a decade of underinvestment and stalled approvals, the NSW Government is taking action, establishing a cross-government team to fast-track water and wastewater infrastructure, ensuring developments stay on track and homes are delivered sooner.

Every new home requires essential infrastructure. From providing drinking water and wastewater management to handling stormwater, a robust water cycle management plan is a key factor in assessing land use and development proposals in NSW.

Government agencies evaluate a wide range of potential impacts on water quality, including stormwater management, erosion and sediment control during construction and wastewater disposal.

Beyond accelerating housing construction, the plan will focus on protecting, enhancing, and restoring waterways and water sources to ensure long-term sustainability.

The Housing Approval Reform Action Plan streamlines housing delivery and eases system pressure through clear actions, including:
- Expanding risk-based triaging for all referrals to ensure homes that are ready can be connected without delay.
- Streamlining the removal of groundwater process on building sites to ensure construction can commence quickly and safety.
- Revising key performance indicators to mitigate inefficiencies.
- Support developers and Water Servicing Coordinators in getting their applications right from
  the start.
- Facilitating early engagement for smoother applications.
Following an industry forum in August 2024, these reforms were shaped with key stakeholders and construction industry leaders, who highlighted real-world obstacles slowing housing development, to break down barriers and get more homes built faster.

This action plan strengthens the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to building a better NSW, including:
- $2.2 billion infrastructure investment to fund more housing, critical infrastructure and better planning for housing.
- Over $250 million to continue the overhaul of the planning system and planning reforms.
- The development of the NSW Pattern Book and accelerated planning pathway for those who use the pre-approved patterns.
- $5.1 billion to build 8,400 new public homes, the largest investment in social and affordable housing.
- Creation of Housing Delivery Authority that recently announced plans to fast-track the delivery of 6,400 new homes.
To learn more, please visit: https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/plans-and-strategies/housing-approval-reform-action-plan/

Minister for Housing and Water Rose Jackson said:

“Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater might not be front of mind, but they’re make-or-break for getting homes built and ready to live in.

“We’re cutting red tape, speeding up approvals, and pulling every lever we’ve got to get more homes on the ground faster—because NSW can’t afford delays.

“This plan is about fixing the system. The entire NSW water sector has come together with developers to find solutions that actually work and get things moving.

“These are practical changes that will slash approval timeframes and address industry concerns—while still doing the right thing by our water sources and environment.”

NSW Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia Katie Stevenson said:

“When applications for apartment buildings get the stamp of approval from planning, there are often further strings attached where significant excavations need additional sign-off from water authorities and this adds costly further delays to the delivery of new housing.

“Today’s announcement effectively declares 2025 as a year of cultural change for the three water authorities involved in the pre-construction approval of new housing – it is the sort of leadership we need to align all aspects of the government’s activities toward the resolution of the housing crisis.

“We appreciate the priorities outlined in the action plan, along with the specific activities and timelines it includes, which have been created through extensive consultation with the industry.”
MIL OSI News –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Expanding Next-Generation Battery Innovation Company

Source: US State of New York

Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Charles Schumer today announced that BAE Systems is investing $65 million to expand operations in the Village of Endicott, Broome County. The company will add a total of 150,000 square-feet to its existing site to make way for the addition of a new battery production line and lab space, and new office space. As a result of the expansion, the company has committed to creating up to 134 good-paying jobs onsite. BAE Systems is a global defense, aerospace and security company with approximately 93,500 employees worldwide. The BAE Systems facility in Endicott designs, develops and produces a broad portfolio of safety-critical electronic systems from flight and engine controls to power and energy management systems. The company has been operational at the Huron Campus site since 2011.

“BAE Systems’ decision to further expand its business represents yet another win for New York State and for the Southern Tier, which is laser focused on becoming a global hub for next-generation battery innovation efforts,” Governor Hochul said. “Since taking office, I have remained committed to bringing jobs back to Upstate New York. This incredibly successful company chose to grow its operations here, spurring top-quality, good-paying job creation in the region because they have seen firsthand how hardworking New Yorkers are.”

Senator Charles Schumer said,“BAE Systems is adding 130+ good-paying jobs right here in the Southern Tier to make sure the next generation of America’s batteries are stamped ‘Made in Upstate NY.’ This $65 million expansion to add a new battery production line, research lab, and office helps show how we can bring this supply chain back from overseas, with the Southern Tier leading the way to make sure the future of battery manufacturing is manufactured in Broome County, not Beijing. BAE Systems is a vital part of the Southern Tier economy, with a world-class workforce of over 1200 people, and selecting this area for their major battery production expansion is no accident. I’m proud of the millions in federal support I’ve delivered – via the American Rescue Plan and my bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act – to the region to make it a global center for battery research and set the stage for today’s announcement. Today BAE is helping add another loop to establish this region as a core of manufacturing and innovation for America’s battery belt.”

The project involves the expansion of BAE Systems battery production line, including the purchase and installation of machinery and equipment to efficiently produce an energy storage system for electric/hybrid electric aircraft. This facility will include an automated state-of-the-art production line, an engineering lab, and an aftermarket center, and is expected to be fully complete in 2027.

Empire State Development is assisting the project with up to $8.5 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for the job creation commitments. Broome County is also providing assistance for the project.

BAE Systems Senior Director Jim Garceau said, “This facility expansion reinforces our commitment to the Southern Tier and builds on New York State’s vision to create a regional hub for battery innovation. With this investment, we will enhance our capabilities to address the emerging needs of the next-generation hybrid/electric aircraft.”

Bolstering Next-Generation Battery Innovation
Governor Hochul and Senator Schumer were instrumental in the company’s decision having worked closely with company officials to ensure that the project would move ahead in New York’s Southern Tier region which is laser-focused on supporting next-generation energy efforts – a top priority for the governor and senator.

In January 2024, the Governor and Senator announced that the U.S. National Science Foundation had designated the New Energy New York (NENY) Storage Engine as a Regional Innovation Engine (NSF Engine), which was created by the Senator’s bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law. The NENY Storage Engine, anchored at Binghamton University in the Southern Tier Region, will receive up to $15 million in federal funding for two years and up to $160 million over 10 years to establish a hub that will accelerate innovation, technology translation and the creation of a skilled workforce to grow the capacity of the domestic battery industry. Through Empire State Development, New York State will match up to 20 percent for the first five years of the project as well as provide support through established programs. The NENY Storage Engine was chosen for its diverse, cross-sector coalition that will build a leading ecosystem driving battery technology innovation, workforce development and manufacturing to support U.S. national security and global competitiveness.

Schumer has long fought to secure federal investment to boost the Southern Tier’s battery manufacturing and R&D. In 2021, Schumer created the Build Back Better Regional Challenge in the American Rescue Plan that he led to passage as Majority Leader. The senator personally advocated for the selection of the Binghamton University-led New Energy New York’s (NENY) battery hub proposal, helping deliver a $63.7 million federal investment with a $50 million funding match from New York State. In 2023, Schumer also delivered the prestigious federal Tech Hub designation, also created by his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law for the Binghamton University-led NENY proposal.

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Governor Hochul’s strategic and laser-focused support for next-generation clean energy companies accelerates this cutting-edge industry’s growing presence in New York State. BAE Systems’ expansion will create top-quality jobs and opportunities in the Southern Tier, furthering the region’s leadership in battery technology innovation.”

New York State’s Climate Agenda
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “BAE Systems has been a major driver of economic growth in Broome County, and I congratulate them on their new $65 million expansion. Thanks to strategic investments from Governor Hochul and Senator Schumer, New York has become a testbed for battery storage innovation, and NYPA will continue to support firms like BAE Systems developing cutting-edge technology and spurring economic growth with low-cost power.”

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “With this investment in next generation battery technology at their Broome County location, BAE Systems is supporting local jobs and strengthening the state’s clean energy supply chains, ensuring New York continues to lead the way in innovation and clean tech economic opportunity. The expansion will also advance clean transportation in the aviation industry and support NYSERDA’s efforts in research, development, and demonstration of new technologies in the energy storage sector.”

State Senator Lea Webb said, “It’s exciting to see BAE Systems expand its next-generation battery innovation operations right here in the Southern Tier, bringing up to 134 new jobs to the Village of Endicott, ” said State Senator Lea Webb. “This investment strengthens our region’s role as a leader in clean energy technology and advanced manufacturing. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to growing our local economy and everyone who made this expansion possible. This investment not only creates new opportunities for workers but also reinforces New York’s leadership in the future of sustainable energy solutions.”

Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “Years of hard work and dedication have made our area a designated hub for battery innovation and manufacturing. BAE’s expansion to include a new battery production line will further establish our community as a leader in clean-energy technology. Their work on electric/hybrid bus and aircraft battery systems are game changers for the industry and for our local workforce. I’d like to thank BAE Systems for their continued investment in our community, and the Governor and Empire State Development for their ongoing support of this important work.”

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, “BAE Systems’ expansion in Endicott is another major win for Broome County, reinforcing our region’s role as leader in next-generation battery innovation while creating even more job opportunities for our community. Thank you to Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to economic growth in the Southern Tier and to BAE Systems for choosing to expand here in Broome County.”

Village of Endicott Mayor Nick Burlingame said, “BAE Systems’ decision to expand its operations in Endicott is a testament to the strength of our community, our workforce, and our region’s commitment to innovation. This investment not only reinforces Endicott’s legacy as a hub for cutting-edge technology but also brings new opportunities for local families and businesses. We are proud to support BAE Systems as they continue to grow and shape the future of clean energy and battery innovation right here in our village. We look forward to the jobs, economic impact, and advancements this expansion will bring to Endicott.”

For additional information about BAE Systems, visit: https://jobs.baesystems.com/global/en/.

Accelerating Economic Development in the Southern Tier
Today’s announcement advances the Southern Tier Strategic Plan and complements “Southern Tier Soaring” strategy by facilitating economic growth and community development. These regionally designed plans focus on attracting a talented workforce, growing business and driving next-generation innovation. More information is available here.

About Empire State Development
Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development.

The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state’s world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Photos/Video: Kaine, Heinrich, and Environmental Leaders Hold Press Conference on Trump’s War on Affordable, American-Made Energy

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

FULL VIDEO OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE IS AVAILABLE HERE.

PHOTOS & VIDEO OF KAINE ARE AVAILABLE HERE.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and environmental leaders held a press conference calling for the end of President Trump’s war on affordable, American-made energy, which will raise energy costs for Americans and kill high-quality jobs. The senators were joined by Natural Resources Defense Council’s Senior Vice President of Climate Jackie Wong, Sierra Club’s Executive Director Ben Jealous, and League of Conservation Voters’ Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld.

In the hours following his inauguration on January 20, 2025, President Trump signed a slew of executive orders, including the national energy emergency order, to withdraw support for renewable energy—despite its benefits to America’s economy and environment—and grant his administration new powers to promote fossil fuels at the cost of bedrock environmental laws. Kaine and Heinrich introduced legislation to terminate the national energy emergency President Trump declared. The legislation is privileged, meaning that the Senate will be required to vote on it. The vote is expected next week.

“We are producing more energy now than at any other point in our history, and the U.S. is the envy of the world when it comes to energy innovation and production. The passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have accelerated clean energy projects and created jobs, and we are on an amazing trajectory,” said Senator Kaine. “Trump’s sham emergency threatens to screw all of that up. Why? Because he’d rather benefit Big Oil and suspend environmental protections than lower costs and create jobs for the American people. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting to terminate President Trump’s emergency.”

“America is producing more energy than ever before including both conventional and renewable sources. This is happening because of the year-over-year certainty Democrats created with tax structures and permitting that has allowed us to make solar, wind, and energy storage cheaper, faster, and less capital intensive to add to the electric grid. We made it possible to build big things in American once again,” said Senator Heinrich, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “But now, Trump’s fake emergency declaration is causing enormous uncertainty. If you’re thinking about opening a new factory, you don’t know what your tax structure will be in the next 12 months. If you’re trying to site and build a new transmission line, the federal agencies you work with just had a ton of their expert staff sacked, making it more difficult to get a permit. This is going to kill skilled trades jobs and drive up the cost of your electricity bills by as much at $480 a year by 2030. Trump’s war on affordable, American-made energy is killing jobs and raising costs on working families.”

“Trump falsely declared an energy emergency as a pretext to assert authority he lacks and to justify a raft of actions meant to lock us into decades more dependence on the fossil fuels that are driving the climate crisis. There is no energy emergency. There is a climate emergency. Trump’s actions will make it worse,” said Jackie Wong, Senior Vice President for Climate and Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council.

“In the last four years, if you’re under 52, you’ve seen something happen for the first time in your adult life, which is America opening big new factories from coast to coast to give birth to big new industries,” said Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “Trump threatened the jobs of 77,000 workers in the wind industry on day one, sent shockwaves through their families and communities, and threatened to derail the United States from seizing the greatest economic opportunity on Planet Earth right now. Donald Trump’s objective here is to cut taxes and allow fossil fuel industries to continue to destroy beautiful places across this country in the interest of greed when we’ve got a better alternative. It’s time for our country’s people to rise up and demand the President of the United States put their interests first.”

“We are NOT in an energy emergency. In fact, Trump inherited a thriving clean energy economy with more than 400,000 new jobs and more cheaper and cleaner energy than ever before. Yet Trump and Musk are desperate to impound, freeze, and repeal the very clean energy investments that lower energy bills and create jobs – the majority of which are in districts currently represented by Republicans – so they can pay for tax cuts for their billionaire buddies. Trump and Musk are firing civil servants who help keep our electricity grid safe and secure and gutting clean energy industries that employ thousands of other workers. And Trump and Musk are threatening our air and water and pushing to open up our most precious public lands for permanent destruction so Trump can make good on his promise to Big Oil CEOs to drill, drill, drill,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, LCV SVP for Government Affairs.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Farewell Address to Staff – Masatsugu Asakawa

Source: Asia Development Bank

Speech by Masatsugu Asakawa, President, Asian Development Bank, 19 February 2025, ADB headquarters, Manila, Philippines

My very dear colleagues, here we are, together again in this room, where I stood before you five years ago to say, “hello,” and “call me Masa.” What a journey it has been!

I don’t think any of us could have predicted what was in store for us on that February day back in 2020. Within just a few weeks, we were in the grip of a pandemic that drove us into lockdown, causing tremendous hardship and drastically changing how we work.

My friends, our journey as an ADB family is forever connected to the journey of this region. And I believe we have shaped that journey, for the better.

We have done our part to help our developing member countries to get through the pandemic and on a path to recovery; to be ready to tackle emerging crises and urgent threats, including the climate crisis; and to maintain focus on long-term development.

I was so pleased to see highlights of this good work in the video you showed and to hear perspectives from Bruce, Nelly, and Bruno. Thank you very much for your kind words.

I am deeply humbled that you credit our achievements to my contributions as President. But even more important, these achievements tell a story about what all of us can do when a challenge comes our way, and we face it together.

So let me take a few moments to share a few reflections on how you have shaped me during this journey.

I. Meeting unprecedented development challenges with quick and decisive action

First, we needed quick, decisive, and bold action, at every step: as the pandemic struck, as the climate crisis mounted, and as there were calls to evolve to deliver better and faster.

I remember coming to my office upstairs almost every day during lockdown. I held videoconferences with ministers and heads of state to see what assistance they needed. I knew ADB needed to respond without delay. And we did, thanks to you.

I truly believe that our assistance helped to prevent grave suffering for millions, and fiscal collapse across our region. Our response, including budget and vaccine support, were spectacular achievements.

The same is true for our climate action. I remember the intense discussions we had before going to Glasgow in 2021 for COP26. These paved the way for our $100 billion climate finance ambition, Energy Transition Mechanism, IF-CAP, and a just transition commitment across our climate operations. This was a real turning point that positioned us as the Climate Bank for Asia and the Pacific.

II. Reforming and innovating to adapt to changing circumstances

And then, we forged ahead with reforms, to unlock an additional $100 billion in lending capacity through CAF; to take stock, and make key shifts, through the NOM and midterm review of Strategy 2030; and to elevate critical agendas including private sector development, domestic resource mobilization, food security, digitalization, and gender equality.

You also made sure that the poorest and most vulnerable in our region were not left behind. The ADF replenishment, including the novel financing you prepared, is helping people in places like Afghanistan and Myanmar, and small island developing states.

All of this was made possible by thinking outside the box. The unprecedented circumstances we faced over the past five years demanded that ADB change quickly and do things differently. You did not hesitate to meet the demands of the moment.

The circumstances also required ADB to balance many needs. Our operations shifted appropriately during the pandemic, to support response and recovery. It took some time for our climate financing to ramp back up, but it did. I know we will also continue to expand our contributions in areas like education and RCI.

III. The priority of wellbeing

As you can see, my friends, there was a lot on my mind over the past five years. A lot of things kept me up at night. But if I may, I’d like to emphasize my most important concern. It was to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff.

I spoke to you often during the pandemic. I even sent you a musical greeting on my flute! I hope that it brought you some comfort to know that you were not alone.

Another experience that I have not talked about as much is the evacuation of our local staff from Afghanistan when the government fell in 2021. It was such a dangerous and unpredictable situation, and we had very few options. But we had to find a way to get our staff to safety. After consulting with heads of state and coming up with a complex plan, we managed to get everyone out, just in time.

That experience reminded me that staff wellbeing must remain ADB’s highest priority. And the reason is clear: ADB’s most valuable asset is its staff. Even more simply, we are family. And I am so touched by the way you treated me like family.

Colleagues in our field offices, you were always so warm and welcoming when I visited the countries where you live and work. The memories of our beneficiaries, the historical sites, and the delicious local cuisine—and the selfies I took with you!—will stay with me forever.

IV. In praise of staff

Ever since I announced my intention to step down, I have been flooded with good wishes and praise for what ADB has done for the region during my Presidency. But I firmly believe that these successes are not coming from me. They are coming from you.

You have been so innovative, so responsible, and so loyal to our mission. I always knew that whenever we faced a problem, I could consult staff, and you would come up with quick and relevant solutions. That is why, from Day 1, I felt nothing but optimism that we would achieve our mission. And I was never disappointed.

Closing

Your work over the last five years has put our region on the strongest possible foundation to build lasting prosperity, to stay resilient through crises and disasters, and to ensure that growth is inclusive and sustainable.

Asia and the Pacific will indeed remain an engine for global growth for decades to come. And you helped make that possible. I am honored by the ways you stepped up to accomplish everything that I asked of you—and everything the region needed from us. I am in awe of what you have achieved. And my trust in you will never fade.

I will step away now, but I know that the course we have navigated these past five years will take us to an even brighter future. I will be cheering for you every step of the way.

And so, my dearest colleagues, my beloved friends and ADB family, thank you for a job well done. I wish you health, happiness, and good fortune on this unforgettable journey.

Thank you.

MIL OSI Economics –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Budd Call for Inquiry Into Chinese AI Application on Pentagon Devices
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

DNI’s 2024 Annual Threat Assessment rates China as “most active and persistent threat” to U.S. government

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) in requesting information from the Pentagon about how many of its employees have used their government devices to access DeepSeek, a Chinese AI application. In a letter to Acting Chief Information Officer at the Department of Defense (DOD), Leslie A. Beavers, the senators also pressed for information surrounding potential cyber threats from the use of DeepSeek, and what practices are being implemented to prevent future cyber security risks.

“We write to express our concern that Department of Defense (DOD) employees accessed the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek on their work devices and, as a result, Chinese servers,” wrote the senators.

“It is also our understanding, based on the DoD’s Use of Mobile Applications 2023 report, that misuse of mobile applications on DoD personnel devices may not be simply a series of isolated incidents. While our immediate concern is to understand the impact of DoD employees’ access to DeepSeek on national security, we are also interested in understanding the DoD’s policy regarding mobile device applications to the end of ensuring we are diminishing cybersecurity risks associated with certain platforms,” they continued.

Joining U.S. Senators Tuberville and Budd in sending the letter are U.S. Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Read full text of the letter below or here.

“Dear Ms. Beavers,

We write to express our concern that Department of Defense (DOD) employees accessed the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek on their work devices and, as a result, Chinese servers.

We understand that the National Security Council (NSC) is currently reviewing the national security implications of DeepSeek and expect this will be an ongoing conversation between Congress, the NSC, and relevant agencies. However, in the immediate term, we request that the Department provide information regarding potential impacts to the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) and the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN) of the recent incident.

The office of the Director of National Intelligence’s 2024 Annual Threat Assessment states that “China remains the most active and persistent cyber threat to the U.S. Government, private-sector and critical infrastructure networks”. This is evidenced by the recent Salt Typhoon Hack, a breach of at least eight U.S. telecommunications providers, among many other reports of cyberattacks originating from China.

It is also our understanding, based on the DoD’s Use of Mobile Applications 2023 report, that misuse of mobile applications on DoD personnel devices may not be simply a series of isolated incidents. While our immediate concern is to understand the impact of DoD employees’ access to DeepSeek on national security, we are also interested in understanding the DoD’s policy regarding mobile device applications to the end of ensuring we are diminishing cybersecurity risks associated with certain platforms.

Therefore, we request answers to the following questions by no later than March 4, 2025.
- How many Department employees connected their work computers and/or mobile devices to Chinese servers via the DeepSeek Application?
- Has the DeepSeek app now been deleted from all DoD devices? If not, what steps will you take to ensure the DeepSeek app is removed from all DoD devices?
- What steps have been made to limit access on DoD devices to only those applications with a justified and approved need?
- What is the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA’s) initial assessment about whether Chinese servers were able to access and exfiltrate sensitive information due to Department personnel use of DeepSeek?
- How has the use of the DeepSeek app by Department personnel impacted the operational and cybersecurity risks to the DISN as well as the DODIN?
- What guidance or training has DISA shared with Department employees regarding accessing Chinese AI app DeepSeek or any other Chinese-affiliated app?
- We understand that the Navy issued guidance against using open-source AI systems for official work. What guidance (if any) are the other services and/or the Department issuing to employees?
- What is DISA’s process for assessing which networks, websites and or applications have a connection to the People’s Republic of China and what are DISA’s standard operating procedures when made aware of such a connection?
- What action (if any) has been taken regarding the DoD employees who connected their work computers and/or mobile devices to Chinese servers via the DeepSeek Application?
- Have all of the recommendations from Management Advisory: The DoD’s Use of Mobile Applications (Report No. DODIG-2023-041) been implemented? If not, why not?
Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to hearing from you and working with the Department of Defense to keep our networks safe from persistent cyber threats.

Sincerely,”

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: New Ambassadors Program Begins in Alaska with Projects Exploring Three Food Systems
Source: US Geological Survey
Breadcrumb

News
New Ambassadors Program Begins in Alaska with Projects Exploring Three Food Systems
Projects from the first cohort of Alaska CASC Ambassadors recently launched, supporting food security in Alaska through research on invasive European green crabs, food systems on Kodiak Island, and mariculture policy.

The Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) launched its inaugural Ambassadors Program, funding three one-year projects focused on food security in Alaska. Each project addresses critical environmental challenges related to food security – including invasive species education, mapping local food systems, and mariculture policy.

1. Invasive Species Education. In Ketchikan, researchers are working to increase public awareness of the invasive European green crab – a threat to native species and habitats. First discovered in Alaska in 2022, efforts to control the spread of European green crabs have gained momentum. However, the invasive green crab is easily confused with a native green crab, leading to potential accidental harm to the native species. To help people distinguish the species, researchers will develop educational materials and lead in-person classes. For instance, the invasive species can be identified by three raised bumps between the eyes, which the native green crabs lack. By improving identification skills, the researchers aim to prevent accidental harm to native crabs and support future management efforts.

2. Local Food Systems. On Kodiak Island, a Food System Vulnerability Assessment is underway to evaluate challenges and opportunities in the region’s food supply. Researchers and community partners are gathering input from local growers and harvesters and are considering both wild food harvests and cultivated foods. The researchers will use climate projections from the Scenarios Network for Arctic Planning’s Garden Helper Tool, which models and visualizes future temperature and precipitation patterns to help growers in the region. Other findings from the assessment can help guide climate adaptation strategies that support local food production.

3. Mariculture Policy. In Southeast Alaska, researchers are examining how state and federal laws, such as harvest limits and seasonal restrictions, impact Tribal fisheries including salmon, hooligan, and clams. Researchers are exploring ways to include Indigenous Knowledge into marine regulations, ensuring that traditional harvesting practices and community needs are represented in decision-making. By fostering dialogue between policymakers and Tribal leaders, the project aims to strengthen trust, improve resource management, and support sustainable fisheries for future generations.

MIL OSI USA News –
February 20, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Two in five scientists report harassment and intimidation. Often, the perpetrators are inside the institution
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hales, Director, Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, Griffith University

Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

The goal of science is to uncover truths and create new knowledge. But this is not always welcome. Increasingly, scientific findings are being attacked or downplayed. And scientists themselves face intimidation or harassment.

In our global study of more than 2,000 scientists across six areas of science, two-fifths (41%) of respondents had, as a result of their work, been harassed or intimidated at least once over a five-year period.

Intimidation efforts included online abuse, physical threats, and threats to budgets or employment. Harassment, while personal, could be meted out by superiors, colleagues or outsiders. Some scientists felt their leaders had thrown them under the bus to protect the institution’s reputation.

Who’s doing the intimidation? Strikingly, a majority of cases of intimidation and harassment actually came from inside the institution for most fields. That is, it was perpetrated by senior colleagues or managers. But for climate scientists, most intimidation efforts came from outside.

Intimidation of scientists doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In recent years, there has been a rise in populist leaders who pour scorn on “elites” and evidence. Scientific issues are increasingly politicised. Disinformation is rampant. This atmosphere adds to the pressure faced by scientists, especially those working in politically sensitive areas such as climate science or COVID.

Harassment and intimidation can silence or isolate scientists.
Hayk_Shalunts/Shutterstock

What did we find?

We used an online database of scientists to find and contact experts publishing in six fields: climate science, medical health, humanities and social science, food and plant science, astronomy, and other STEM areas.

More than 2,000 responded to our survey on whether they had experienced various types of intimidation or harassment. We asked respondents for more detail on the perpetrators, what triggered the incident, and what effect it had on them.

Many respondents had a clear view as to what the intimidation or harassment was meant to do. The motivations of perpetrators varied greatly. But the most common reasons were to damage their reputation, to stop them from publishing certain types of research, or to “put me in my place”.

Specific fields of science were more prone to harassment and intimidation – in particular climate science, and humanities and social science.

Among those scientists who had been intimidated, climate scientists reported online abuse three times more often than astronomers. Climate science is politically charged, because climate change is clearly linked to pollution from some of the world’s largest industries – oil, gas and coal. Astronomy is not. Half of the climate scientist respondents experiencing intimidation saw the bad behaviour as a way to discourage them from undertaking specific research and speaking about it.

Researchers from humanities and social sciences faced similar levels of online abuse to climate scientists.

When it came to personal harassment, there was a clear gender dimension. Among those who reported experiencing harassment, female scientists were more than four times more likely to report “unwelcome or inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature” than their male counterparts. Women were affected almost twice as much as men by non-sexual forms of personal harassment.

Our findings follow earlier research finding similar rates of intimidation. For instance, a 2021 survey of 321 scientists working on COVID-19 found 15% had received death threats and 22% received threats of sexual violence.

Intimidation and harassment are damaging

The consequences of intimidation are profound and far-reaching. Many scientists told us the experience had caused lasting damage, whether to wellbeing, career prospects or research activities.

More than 40% of those affected said their career prospects had worsened following incidents of harassment. Just over a third (34%) reported a decline in their desire to work in science. Scientists who experienced intimidation often cut back their collaboration with colleagues (35%), leaving them more isolated.

Many of our respondents described flow-on effects such as decreased access to funding (35% of respondents) and less public communication from their institution about their work (23%).

Scientists targeted with multiple types of harassment reported very damaging effects, from difficulty finding their next job to poor mental health.

Intimidation slows progress

Intimidation and harassment have a chilling effect on science. This, in turn, could hinder progress on crucial issues such as climate change, public health and technological advancements.

The disproportionate impact on women and researchers in politically sensitive fields threatens to undermine diversity and inclusivity in science.

Without targeted interventions, women in science may continue to suffer disproportionate levels of harassment and intimidation. This will have long-term implications for gender diversity in scientific leadership and the direction of research in various fields.

In the United States, the Trump administration’s withdrawals from the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization are likely to further embolden anti-science movements. Many American scientific institutions are engaged in anticipatory obedience of the Trump administration’s demands that diversity and anti-discrimination programs be abolished, or climate change stop being mentioned. Many even go beyond what is explicitly sought.

Female scientists are targeted in different ways.
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

What can be done?

Science and academia is often seen as a bastion of free inquiry and open discussion. One of our most surprising findings was how common intimidation was within scientific institutions.

The key to beating intimidation is organisational support and clear strategies, not obedience. These include:
- genuine commitment to institutional policies protecting scientists from both internal and external intimidation
- formal, well-resourced support systems for researchers facing harassment or pressure (not the HR office)
- programs to increase public understanding of the scientific process to build trust and resilience to misinformation
- boosting international collaboration between scientists and policymakers to ensure resilience against country-specific efforts to undermine science
- educating the public on the importance of scientific independence and of fostering respectful dialogue around contentious topics.
As populist movements gain traction in many countries, scientists working on controversial issues will face heightened scrutiny – and potentially more intimidation.

Climate science is likely to remain a particularly contested field. As the damage wrought by climate change becomes more and more apparent, it will get even more contentious.

Over the last few centuries, science has produced breakthroughs in many areas. But the integrity of science is not guaranteed. Harassment and intimidation from both inside and outside institutions has a very real effect on scientists.

The future of evidence-based decision-making and ability to tackle global challenges depends on fostering an environment where scientists can work free from fear and undue pressure.

Robert Hale receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

David Peetz undertook research over many years with occasional financial support from governments from both sides of politics, employers and unions. He has been and is involved in several Australian Research Council-funded projects, including this one.

Ian Lowe was president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 2004 to 2014.

Carolyn Troup and Georgina Murray do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Two in five scientists report harassment and intimidation. Often, the perpetrators are inside the institution – https://theconversation.com/two-in-five-scientists-report-harassment-and-intimidation-often-the-perpetrators-are-inside-the-institution-248013
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs and Marine Police detected six large-scale maritime smuggling cases involving cigarettes and drugs during joint anti-smuggling operations (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs and Marine Police detected six large-scale maritime smuggling cases involving cigarettes and drugs during joint anti-smuggling operations (with photo)
Hong Kong Customs and Marine Police detected six large-scale maritime smuggling cases involving cigarettes and drugs during joint anti-smuggling operations (with photo)
******************************************************************************************

Hong Kong Customs and the Marine Police conducted joint operations from February 12 to 19 targeting large-scale maritime smuggling activities and six cases involving suspected illicit cigarettes and suspected dangerous drugs were detected. During the joint operations, a total of about 16.93 million sticks of suspected illicit cigarettes and 459 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds were seized. Customs and police officers conducted anti-smuggling operations in Sai Kung and Lantau Island from February 13 to 16 and detected four suspected illicit cigarettes smuggling cases. A total of 4.1 million sticks of suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $19 million and a duty potential of about $13.5 million, found in four goods vehicles and the waters nearby. The four goods vehicles involved in the cases were also detained. At small hours on February 18, Customs found a suspicious unattended fishing vessel in Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized 12.83 million suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $57 million and a duty potential of about $42 million, inside the compartments of the vessel. Later on the same day, Customs intercepted a suspicious fishing vessel in the waters off Lamma Island, during which persons onboard the fishing vessel threw numerous nylon bags into the sea. Customs officers then took immediate action to board the vessel and retrieved the subject nylon bags from the water. Upon inspection, a total of about 459kg suspected cannabis buds, with an estimated market value of about $118 million, were found inside the nylon bags. Three local men, aged between 44 and 60, suspected to be connected with the case were arrested in the operation. Investigations on the above mentioned six cases are ongoing. Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities at the forefront. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to fiercely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies. Customs will continue co-operating and exchanging intelligence with the Police, Mainland and international law enforcement agencies, with targeted anti-smuggling operations carried out at suitable times to disrupt these activities. Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Under the Dangerous Drug Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years. Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking or illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour report hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

Ends/Wednesday, February 19, 2025Issued at HKT 22:27

NNNN

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Leads Bipartisan Effort to Improve Important Weather Forecasting Tools

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the collection of weather and soil moisture data and improve the accuracy of extreme weather warnings and agriculture forecasts.
“The mesonet and soil moisture monitoring probes are crucial tools for Kansans. Weather affects everything on the farm, and a deeper understanding of what’s happening above and below the ground provides farmers more certainty when making crop decisions,” said Senator Marshall. “Better weather data collection for Kansas also helps us predict wildfires and tornadoes before they arrive, which has the potential to save lives in cases of extreme weather. I’m proud to introduce this important, bipartisan legislation.”
“For Hawai‘i and other states vulnerable to floods, droughts, and severe weather, better data means better forecasts, better prepared communities, and faster emergency response times,” said Senator Schatz. “This same data also helps farmers and ranchers navigate droughts.”
The Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025 codifies and expands the National Mesonet Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and updates other programs that are crucial to Kansans, such as the National Drought Information System and the Soil Moisture Monitoring Network.
You may click HERE to read the full bill text.
BACKGROUND:
Mesonets are weather observation data tools that observe and track mesoscale weather events, and they are crucial for collecting hyperlocal meteorological data, such as soil moisture and stream gauges, to better forecast weather, flood, fire, and agricultural impacts.
Improving the National Mesonet Program and outlining its objectives through this bill would give NOAA authority to address critical gaps in weather data and forecasting.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: The 21st Century Packhorse Librarians to Visit Mountain Gateway Museum

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: The 21st Century Packhorse Librarians to Visit Mountain Gateway Museum

The 21st Century Packhorse Librarians to Visit Mountain Gateway Museum
jejohnson6
Wed, 02/19/2025 – 14:07

The Mountain Gateway Museum will host the 21st Century Packhorse Librarians on March 1 to distribute free books.

The free, family friendly event will take place at the museum’s new location (78-C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, NC) from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Books ranging from children’s board books, to young adult titles, adult fiction, poetry, and more, will be available.

Inspired by the Packhorse Librarians of the 1930s who brought books to the community, Kirsten Turner launched a modern take on the group following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The 1930s version was part of the Works Progress Administration programs delivering books to the communities of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, while employing around 200 women. Often these women rode or walked into town on horses or mules loaded with books. Turner will deliver books from a trailer instead of a horse.

For more information, please call the museum at 828-785-9528 or visit our website at mgmnc.org. To learn more about the 21st Century Packhorse Librarians, visit them on Facebook at 21st Century Packhorse Librarians.

About Mountain Gateway Museum
A regional branch of the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, the Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center (MGM) is the westernmost facility in the N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources’ Division of State History Museums.

Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of historic Mill Creek in downtown Old Fort (McDowell County), the museum uses artifacts, exhibitions, educational programs, living history demonstrations, and special events to teach people about the rich history and cultural heritage of the state’s mountain region, from its original inhabitants through early settlement and into the 20th century.

As part of its education outreach mission, MGM also assists non-profit museums and historic sites in 38 western NC counties with exhibit development and fabrication, genealogical research, photography archives, traveling exhibitions, and consultations.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.

Feb 19, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How refugee entrepreneurs are supplying sustainable energy to the camps they live in

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen, Research Advisor on Humanitarian Energy, University of Oxford

Refugees are providing energy within camps home to millions of displaced people around the world, my research has found.

There are now more than 120 million forcibly displaced people globally. Although United Nations humanitarian agencies provide firewood and small electric lanterns, these are often not enough for most families.

To make up the shortfall, entrepreneurial refugees in the camps I visited have become energy suppliers by establishing shops, phone charging stations, even cinemas.

While visiting camps administered by the UN Refugee Agency in Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and other countries across Africa, I was struck by the hum of electricity and the smell of cooking in the camps’ markets. Energy was everywhere.

A mobile phone and electronics market shop at the Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya.
Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen, CC BY-NC-ND

In all the camps I visited, people were selling clothes, cooking bowls and toys, as well as lighting and electrical appliances. These shops all used energy – computers totted up bills and printed receipts, radios played music, and people everywhere were using mobile phones and the internet. Fans and motors were working hard to keep things cool and the power on. Refugees buy these products at local markets – which are often run by refugees themselves.

After conducting over 170 interviews with refugees and humanitarian practitioners, it became clear refugees buy their own energy to run many of these cafes and shops: buying their own diesel, generators, or electricity technologies including solar panels and batteries.

Formal refugee energy access provided by humanitarian agencies or national governments is projected to be very low: Chatham House statistics suggest 94% of forcibly displaced people living in camps have no meaningful access to power, and 81% lack anything other than the most basic fuels for cooking.

Renewable connections

Local energy businesses operating around the camps in Rwanda and Kenya, such as BBOX or MESH Power, provide solar solutions such as selling solar panels and solar home systems from which refugees can have lighting, charge their phones and plug in electrical appliances. These renewable systems help to lower the costs – but sometimes the companies are not able to expand their businesses within refugee camps due to UN restrictions.

As one of the refugees I spoke to in Rwanda explained: “You can see two types of solar business really. Those using energy that is easy to get to – off-the-shelf products and services – to keep the lights on in the night, or offer cool drinks or a fan. And those businesses where really energy is the business … where people can use solar home systems or other technologies.”

Sadly, this picture is not uniform across the world. For example, buying diesel in refugee camps or purchasing kerosene for lanterns can be very expensive. Spending by displaced people on simple cooking fuels and technologies, as well as basic lighting, is estimated to be around US$200 (£160) per year per family, for less than four hours of energy a day.

Buying from external energy suppliers often comes at great cost to refugee families as energy in refugee camps can be incredibly expensive. Estimates suggest that refugee households in Kenya and Burkina Faso spend between 15% and 30% of their income on energy – a figure that in the UK would mean a household was in a situation of extreme fuel poverty.

In total, refugee households around the world spend at least US$2.1 billion (£1.68 billion) on energy each year.

Refugee-led businesses

In the face of such challenges, refugee energy entrepreneurs are expanding the range of energy services and products available to refugee communities in terms of sustainability: providing new solar solutions and electricity connections from solar-powered energy sources. For members of the refugee community who use this service, this can reduce the cost of energy.

These refugee-led enterprises often start after refugees have saved or borrowed money from friends and family to start their energy businesses – for example, by buying a solar panel and battery and charging customers to use the electricity it generates. Sometimes referred to as micro-enterprises or energy entrepreneurs, they go beyond being passive users of electricity and become active participants in the energy economies of refugee camps.

Examples of such businesses include Kakuma Ventures, based in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, which provides wifi and solar energy access to more than 1,500 people in the camps.

A grid pylon next to refugee homes at Kigeme refugee camp, Rwanda.
Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen, CC BY-NC-ND

Another example is Patapia, based in camps in Uganda, which helps refugee women launch and grow businesses powered by clean energy. Successful refugee-led energy businesses are highlighted by the work of climate change charity Ashden through its Humanitarian Energy Award, and its support for local businesses leading the way on sustainable energy in humanitarian settings.

Indeed, many new global initiatives and humanitarian programmes are starting to take seriously the role of refugee-led organisations and businesses. Take the work of Last Mile Climate, which is dedicated to helping grassroots initiatives, refugee-led businesses, charities, humanitarian agencies and government organisations tackle climate-related challenges.

Refugees are also writing on this issue in the media, highlighting how important the issue of inclusivity is in delivering the sustainable energy transition in humanitarian contexts.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Sarah Rosenberg-Jansen received funding from the Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF)

– ref. How refugee entrepreneurs are supplying sustainable energy to the camps they live in – https://theconversation.com/how-refugee-entrepreneurs-are-supplying-sustainable-energy-to-the-camps-they-live-in-242862

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How satellites revolutionised climate change science

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Will de Freitas, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

aappp / shutterstock

Until relatively recently, humans were limited by the horizon. Climate scientists of the early 20th century could gather data from the world around them and perhaps what they were able to see from a hot air balloon or plane. But the really big picture – the global snapshot – remained out of sight.

This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

The first satellite of any kind was the USSR’s Sputnik 1, launched in 1957. But it wasn’t until the 1960s that satellites designed specifically to observe the Earth and its climate made it into orbit and gave us the first overview of weather patterns. By the 1970s Nasa’s Landsat satellites were able to monitor things like tree cover.

Jonathan Bamber, a climate scientist at the University of Bristol, says this “revolutionised our ability to carry out a comprehensive and timely health check on the planetary systems we rely on for our survival”. Data that once required months or even years of fieldwork was suddenly available in the time it took a satellite to orbit the planet.

These days, this data can be remarkably precise and detailed. Bamber says: “We can measure changes in sea level down to a single millimetre, changes in how much water is stored in underground rocks, the temperature of the land and ocean and the spread of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases, all from space.”

Here’s a map of sea level rise, from Bamber’s article highlighting five satellite images that show how fast our planet is changing:

The sea is rising quickly – but not evenly.
ESA/CLS/LEGOS, CC BY-SA

“This image,” writes Bamber, “shows mean sea level trends over 13 years in which the global average rise was about 3.2mm a year. But the rate was three or four times faster in some places, like the south western Pacific to the east of Indonesia and New Zealand, where there are numerous small islands and atolls that are already very vulnerable to sea level rise.”

Read more:
Five satellite images that show how fast our planet is changing

In recent years, scientists have used AI to sift through and analyse satellite data. Bamber’s latest research, published in January this year, illustrates this nicely.

A team of scientists, lead by Tian Li also of the University of Bristol, gathered millions of satellite images of glaciers in Svalbard, a remote and icy archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. In their write up, they note that human researchers once painstakingly looked through this sort of data.

“This process”, they write, “is highly labour-intensive, inefficient and particularly unreproducible as different people can spot different things even in the same satellite image. Given the number of satellite images available nowadays, we may not have the human resources to map every region for every year.”

Their solution was to use AI to “quickly identify glacier patterns across large areas”. The satellite-AI combo meant they could examine Svalbard’s retreating glaciers – surely among the least accessible places on the planet – in “unprecedented scale and scope”.

They found that 91% of the many glaciers that flow into the sea around the archipelago have been “shrinking significantly”. They note that the same types of glacier can be found across the Arctic, and “what happens to glaciers in Svalbard is likely to be repeated elsewhere”.

Read more:
We built an AI model that analysed millions of images of retreating glaciers – what it found is alarming

Many of those glaciers can be found in Greenland, home of the northern hemisphere’s largest ice sheet. In research published earlier this month, Tom Chudley of Durham University used satellite images to assess crevasses (cracks in the glaciers) in Greenland.

A large glacier in west Greenland flows into the sea. That iceberg filled fjord is several miles wide.
Copernicus Sentinel / lavizzara / shutterstock

Chudley also combined satellite images with computerised analysis. His work made use of “ArcticDEM”, three dimensional maps of the polar regions based on high resolution satellite images.

“By applying image-processing techniques to over 8,000 maps, we could estimate how much water, snow or air would be needed to “fill” each crevasse across the ice sheet. This enabled us to calculate their depth and volume, and examine how they evolved.“

His conclusion was very blunt: the Greenland ice sheet is falling apart.

Read more:
The Greenland ice sheet is falling apart – new study

Health watchdogs

Many of you will be well aware that satellites are being used to monitor the health of the planet. What’s less well known is the role they can play in monitoring human health.

Dhritiraj Sengupta, a satellite scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, says satellites have become Earth’s new health and nature watchdog. His article details how satellites can map mosquito breeding sites to combat malaria, for instance, or can identify air pollution hotspots in cities.

In his own research, he’s used satellite-derived chlorophyll data to assess the risk of cholera. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that helps them use sunlight to make their food and grow.

“Many bacteria like Vibrio cholerae which causes cholera, thrive in stagnant water,” Sengupta writes. “My team worked with the European Space Agency to show that its presence can be modelled using the concentration of chlorophyll found on the surface of bodies of water.”

Read more:
How satellites have become Earth’s new health and nature watchdogs

So far, so good. Satellites have undeniably been useful for climate scientists. But in the longer-term, the satellites themselves may have an unforeseen effect on the climate.

Last year, SpaceX announced it would “deorbit” 100 of its Starlink satellites to burn up in the atmosphere. Fionagh Thomson is a space expert, also at Durham University. She says that “atmospheric scientists are increasingly concerned that this sort of apparent fly-tipping by the space sector will cause further climate change down on Earth.”

Particles from the satellites themselves won’t have a huge effect compared to the “440 tonnes of meteoroids that enter the atmosphere daily, along with volcanic ash and human-made pollution from industrial processes on Earth.”

But one team “recently, and unexpectedly, found potential ozone-depleting metals from spacecraft in the stratosphere, the atmospheric layer where the ozone layer is formed.” The worry is that satellite debris may help form certain types of clouds that lead to ozone loss and may add to the greenhouse effect.

She notes that this is all uncertain and needs more research. “But,” she writes, “we’ve also learnt that if we wait until indisputable evidence is available, it may be too late, as with the loss of ozone. It’s a constant dilemma.”

Something for SpaceX scientists to look into, perhaps, once they’ve finished rescuing stranded astronauts from the International Space Station.

Read more:
Satellites are burning up in the upper atmosphere – and we still don’t know what impact this will have on the Earth’s climate

– ref. How satellites revolutionised climate change science – https://theconversation.com/how-satellites-revolutionised-climate-change-science-250312

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Amid Rising Living Costs, Climate Change, Secretary-General Tells Second Food Systems Summit Stocktake ‘All Hands on Deck’ Needed to Create Healthy, Resilient Structure

Source: United Nations 4

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s opening remarks, as delivered, at the Member States’ briefing on the second Food Systems Summit Stocktake, in New York today:

It is a real pleasure to join our permanent representatives and welcome you all today.

As you all know transforming our food systems is essential to driving progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and delivering for everyone, everywhere — sufficient, nutritious food — now and in the future, particularly as we go towards the five years to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

That is why, in 2021, the UN Secretary-General convened the UN Food Systems Summit. This established the foundation for a new, integrated approach to food systems — placing food at the heart of our efforts to address poverty, zero hunger, inequality, climate change and biodiversity loss. It has reshaped the global narrative, building an engine of transformation that recognizes food systems as a key lever to accelerate and reinforce SDG progress.

Building on this momentum, the first Summit Stocktake, hosted by the Government of Italy in 2023, reaffirmed strong political will among nations. Countries pledged to increase the pace of their efforts towards sustainable, inclusive and resilient food systems transformation.

But, it also highlighted persistent gaps and challenges. Among them, an urgent need to enhance public-private-community partnerships, and strengthen private sector engagement.

These crucial issues identified at the first stocktake, resulted in the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action. The Call identified six critical areas for concerted action, including: securing concessional finance, investments, budget support and debt restructuring. It also emphasized addressing food security in crisis situations.

The proposed SDG Stimulus — of $500 billion a year — was recognized as a game-changer, offering fiscal space and resources, including through Special Drawing Rights rechannelling. Finance was emphasized as a critical component of food systems transformation, along with support of our multilateral development banks in unlocking investments in this field.

Given the global context riddled with challenges of rising living costs, social inequalities, climate change and geopolitical tensions, we will need all hands on deck to reach food systems transformations with the impact to advance on the 2030 Agenda.

Now, in just over five months, Addis Ababa will host the second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake.

We are grateful to the Government of Ethiopia for hosting this important event and for making our commitment to take the second stocktake to a developing country, a reality. Worth noting also is its leadership and extensive work on its policy environment, infrastructure development and the production of food that engages small holder farmers across the country. We are grateful to Italy, which has agreed to co-host, for its legacy and continued leadership and support to food systems transformation. It is important that we see leadership and sustainability of that support at the country level.

The Stocktake will be different — it has to be — in response to many of the requests for us to have more focus and impact.

First, we will be reflecting on progress since 2023, with a report from the system, but also a shadow report from our stakeholders. Second, we will be partnering to track commitments and outcomes through national food systems pathways to accelerate SDG implementation. And third, unlocking investments to sustain and scale transformative initiatives aligned with the SDGs.

In preparations for the Stocktake, we are committed to an inclusive, cross-sectoral efforts and consultations. We will hold a second briefing in Nairobi next week engaging UN headquarters in Nairobi, Rome and Geneva. In addition, we will hold five regional briefings, on the margins of the United Nations Regional Forums on Sustainable Development, from March to May.

We will also be engaging all our resident coordinators in UN country teams, at the country level so that they are fully engaged with our Member States in bringing to Addis Ababa the progress, and of course, the challenges and opportunities.

At the same time, we will push progress towards food systems transformation, including through important gatherings this year — the fourth Financing for Development Conference in Spain, thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Brazil, the second World Summit on Social Development in Qatar and the third United Nations Ocean Conference in France.

These are all critical platforms to drive progress, harness collective action and create new investment opportunities.

As Member States, you are at the forefront of this transformation. Your leadership and coordination will be instrumental in ensuring that the Stocktake inspires real action at the national level. The United Nations is with you — committed to creating sustainable, inclusive, healthy and resilient food systems everywhere, across all our regions, reaching everyone.

We thank you for this important opportunity that will help us to shape the Stocktake in Addis Ababa in July.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: FinTech Grad Student Nick Savignano Earns Competitive International Business Fellowship

Source: US State of Connecticut

Graduate student Nick Savignano ’25 has always been the type of person to roll up his sleeves and help others, whether spearheading a new project at work or clearing debris after Hurricane Katrina.

When Savignano, a graduate student in the FinTech program, heard about a program that connects postgraduate business students with small- and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world, he was immediately interested.

He recently learned that he was accepted as a Fellow in the prestigious DHL GoTrade GBSN Fellowship Program and is waiting to learn what industry and country he will be paired with during the eight-month program, which begins in March. The Fellowship program, which is remote, will also give him the chance to engage with global experts, participate in workshops, and develop new skills and mentorship.

“Figuring out how to address problems and challenges and coming up with unique solutions is all very exciting for me. I’m going to give it my heart and soul,’’ he said. Savignano said he is looking forward to collaborating with people from another part of the world and the opportunity to work with another fellow.

Students from 45 Countries Competed for 61 Fellowships

The Fellowship program is highly competitive, said Natalie Timinskas, Coordinator of Students Programs at the Global Business School Network (GBSN). This year, the organization received almost 300 applications from master’s and Ph.D. candidates from 45 countries and 88 universities. Only 61 were accepted into the cohort.

“The caliber of candidates was exceptional, with applicants showcasing impressive passion and dedication to advancing management and entrepreneurship in emerging and developing markets,’’ she said.

The network cannot disclose the specific enterprises, as they are still finalizing agreements, but they are working with businesses from various industries, she said. Last year’s cohort worked on projects across diverse sectors, such as food and beverage, jewelry, textiles, e-commerce, crafts, and leather goods.

Creating, Improving and Shaking Things Up

Savignano earned his bachelor’s degree at Loyola University in 2018, with a finance major. He spent the next five years working in the mortgage industry in Maryland.

He chose to apply to the UConn FinTech program, at that time only the second in the nation, because he loved everything about finance, and was intrigued by new ways of receiving and processing payments. During his time at UConn, he has also worked with the entrepreneurship programs here to investigate an idea he has for creating his own company.

Savignano said he enjoys creating, improving processes, and shaking things up.

“The Fellowship will be an exciting resume builder and also a very unique story to share,’’ he said. “I think it will also be one of those ‘contagious’ things that many people will become interested in doing.’’

As he looks at his career growth, Savignano said he wants to be in a position to make strategic decisions.

“I came to UConn to learn that aspect of business, and I think I’ve been successful,’’ he said. “I’m happy to represent UConn through this and to spread the UConn name because this university has done so much for me.’’

John Wilson, Academic Director of FinTech program, said Savignano has been a standout student.

“We encourage all students to map their own academic journey. Nicholas has taken that encouragement to heart and taken advantage of every opportunity,’’ Wilson said. “This, along with his drive and dedication, makes him a solid selection for the Fellowship program and we are confident that he will represent UConn well.’’

Savignano said he feels fortunate that the FinTech program created an opportunity for him to attend ITC insurance innovation conference in Las Vegas last year, where he met industry veterans, tried brand-new products, learned about challenges of the insurance industry, and engaged with top executives.’’

Network Offers Host of Opportunities for Ambitious Students

Arminda Kamphausen, Director of Global & Sustainability Initiatives, said the School’s recent decision to become a member of the GBSN has provided both students and faculty with international opportunities that enrich educational experiences and research resources.

“This chance for Nick to use what he is learning in the FinTech program to work on an international team to support a small or medium enterprise is just one of many such opportunities,’’ she said.

“GBSN also gives our students opportunities to compete in an annual case competition, organizes thematic faculty working groups, such as Business and Human Rights, and offers monthly virtual events for sharing of member institution best practices,’’ Kamphausen said. “It also convenes an annual conference for substantive discussions on how business schools can continue to provide responsible training to their students and positive impact in the world.’’

MIL OSI USA News –

February 20, 2025

Category: Climate Change

Dmitry Patrushev met with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, First Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

Dmitry Patrushev met with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, First Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

About the Role

Strategic Leadership

Operation, Finance, and Fundraising

Change Management

Communications and Network

Governance and Relationship to The Board

Campaign Advocacy and Representation

Personnel, Health, and Safety

Personnel, Health, and Safety

Skills and Experience

Personal Attributes

Greenpeace’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Deadline for applications: March 20, 2025

The Rupantar project

Diversification pathways

Climate-smart innovation

Participant perspectives

Improved water management

What did we find?

Intimidation and harassment are damaging

Intimidation slows progress

What can be done?

‘Trouble in paradise’

Global solutions exist

Peace in Haiti

Security and stability

Climate crisis opportunity

Finance for sustainable development

I. Meeting unprecedented development challenges with quick and decisive action

II. Reforming and innovating to adapt to changing circumstances

III. The priority of wellbeing

IV. In praise of staff

Closing

New Ambassadors Program Begins in Alaska with Projects Exploring Three Food Systems

What did we find?

Intimidation and harassment are damaging

Intimidation slows progress

What can be done?

Renewable connections

Refugee-led businesses

Health watchdogs

Students from 45 Countries Competed for 61 Fellowships

Creating, Improving and Shaking Things Up

Network Offers Host of Opportunities for Ambitious Students