Source: US State of Minnesota
In recognition of Climate Week, Governor Tim Walz today highlighted nearly $3.5 billion in federal climate grants that Minnesota has received since 2022. Federal funding, combined with the state’s historic climate investments, is fueling the clean energy economy, creating new jobs, and generating billions in private sector investments statewide.
Source: Asia Development Bank
Climate change poses a growing threat to people and their livelihoods in Asia and the Pacific. Record heat waves, catastrophic floods, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Yet critical data gaps hinder our understanding of climate impacts, particularly on vulnerable populations in developing Asia. Drawing on insights from Key Indicators 2024: Data for Climate Action, panelists highlight the importance of granular data in capturing the nuanced effects of climate change on different regions and communities. Additionally, the discussion will explore policies and strategies aimed at enhancing data systems to foster inclusive and sustainable development.
Climate change poses a growing threat to people and their livelihoods in Asia and the Pacific. Record heat waves, catastrophic floods, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Yet critical data gaps hinder our understanding of climate impacts, particularly on vulnerable populations in developing Asia. Drawing on insights from Key Indicators 2024: Data for Climate Action, panelists highlight the importance of granular data in capturing the nuanced effects of climate change on different regions and communities. Additionally, the discussion will explore policies and strategies aimed at enhancing data systems to foster inclusive and sustainable development.
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Source: New South Wales Environment and Heritage
ACEREZ, a consortium of Acciona Concesiones, Cobra and Endeavour Energy, was selected by the Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) as the preferred network operator to deliver the Central-West Orana REZ transmission system, following a rigorous competitive tender.
The NSW Minister for Energy Penny Sharpe granted the licence, which will enable ACEREZ to design, construct, own and operate the Central-West Orana REZ transmission system, which will connect renewable energy projects within the REZ to the existing Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong load centres.
When operational, the Central-West Orana REZ transmission system will unlock 4.5 gigawatts of network capacity, allowing generation and storage projects to connect at scale. This is expected to deliver $3 billion in net benefits for NSW energy consumers, drive $20 billion in regional investment and support 5000 jobs during peak construction.
The Central-West Orana REZ is a vital component in the government’s roadmap to powering the state with affordable, clean and reliable energy.
The decision follows the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s (IPART) recommendation to the NSW Minister for Energy on ACEREZ’s application for the licence, published in its final report.
In granting the licence, the Minister included several licence conditions, some unique to ACEREZ, which were recommended by IPART and developed in response to public consultation, including consultation with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, EnergyCo and ACEREZ. These are intended to support safe and reliable operation of the Central-West Orana REZ transmission system. An important condition to support social licence is a requirement for ACEREZ to become a member of an external dispute resolution scheme.
A copy of the ACEREZ transmission operator’s licence, along with IPARTs final recommendation report, are available on the IPART website.
Background:
Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap
The Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is NSW’s pathway to powering the state with affordable, clean and reliable energy for everyone. It sets out how we are transitioning the electricity network to one that will keep the lights on and put downward pressure on energy prices for years to come. The Roadmap will support the delivery of at least 12 gigawatts of new renewable energy generation and 2 gigawatts of long-duration storage by 2030.
Energy Corporation of NSW
EnergyCo leads the design, delivery and coordination of Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) and priority transmission in a way that benefits consumers, investors and regional communities. This includes the new transmission lines infrastructure required to connect generation projects within each Renewable Energy Zone with the electricity grid.
Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal
IPART is an appointed regulator under the Roadmap to help NSW electricity consumers get safe and reliable services at a fair price. Alongside its regular duties, IPART is responsible for undertaking performance audits of the entities delivering the Roadmap and prepares an annual report on the exercise of Roadmap functions by the Consumer Trustee, the Financial Trustee, the Infrastructure Planner and the Regulator.
Going forward, IPART is also responsible for monitoring for compliance by ACEREZ with the transmission licence in the Central-West Orana REZ.
ACEREZ
ACEREZ, a consortium comprising Acciona Concesiones, Cobra and Endeavour Energy, was selected by EnergyCo as the preferred network operator to deliver the Central-West Orana REZ transmission system. following a competitive tender process. EnergyCo entered into a commitment deed with ACEREZ in December 2023.
Source: Save The Children
Violent incidents include airstrikes, artillery shelling, use of explosives and remote violence in multiple regions with the majority of recent incidents reported in the state of Khartoum and North Darfur where more than 1.6 million people have been displaceds, including over 850,000 children, since the war started 17 months ago.
In Khartoum, at least 110 distinct artillery shelling incidents were recorded in August alone, the highest number of shelling recorded in the capital since January this year.
Save the Children analysed instances of violence recorded by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) between 6 January and 13 September [1] and found over 422 incidents of political violence reported in the past four weeks across the country – a 33% increase from incidents reported in the four weeks prior, and the most violence recorded in a single four-week period in the past seven months.
While this period was the most violent in the last seven months of war in Sudan, the scale of the conflict has remained high throughout the year with at least 300 violent incidents reported every month. Over two-thirds of violent events in the last four weeks were recorded in Khartoum and North Darfur [2].
Children and the facilities they rely on have been impacted by the violence with devastating outcomes. On August 8, an artillery shelling in Wd Al Bhakit area of Khartoum injured two children, with a childcare centre hit two days later in a neighbouring area. On August 27, an unspecified number of children were abducted for ransom from Um Marrahi Masaid, Al Jazirah state. Additional incidents of violence appear in the data showing the destruction of schools, children’s hospitals and malnutrition treatment centres.
Across North Darfur, ongoing fighting in the city of El Fasher is putting over 2.8 million civilians – including over 750,000 children – in and around the city in grave danger.
In Zamzam displacement camp, 15 km south of El Fasher and home to some 260,000 children, rates of malnutrition are spiralling out of control. At least 34% of the children are currently malnourished, including 10% who are severely malnourished.
This analysis comes as Sudan’s international non-governmental organization (INGO) forum – a group of INGOs working in Sudan including Save the Children— issues a statement to UN General Assembly (UNGA) calling on the international community to increase pressure on conflict parties to facilitate immediate humanitarian access through all possible cross border and cross-line routes; establish mechanisms to protect civilians and essential infrastructure from indiscriminate attacks; and increase funding and initiatives to support communities’ responding at scale to this crisis.
Over 10 million people have fled their homes since the conflict broke out in April 2023, making Sudan the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, affecting more than 5 million children, and over 2 million people, who have crossed into neighbouring countries. More than 20,171 people including children have been killed since the start of the conflict.
With more than 25.6 million people across the country in need of aid, the increase in fighting coupled with widespread flooding and disease outbreaks has escalated food scarcity. In Khartoum for instance over 80% of people forced from their homes and living in shelters are urgently in need assistance, according to a recent rapid assessment conducted by UN’s World Food Programme.
Mohamed Abdiladif, Interim Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan, said:
“We are horrified that regions which used to be the breadbasket of the country such as Darfur and Khartoum have been turned into battlefields, leaving millions of people now just one step away from famine.
“With famine now confirmed in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp and dire conditions reported across the country, we need urgent and unrestricted humanitarian access to save lives. The relentless conflict, displacement, and impeded aid delivery have driven the situation to catastrophic proportions, threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands across 13 states in Sudan. To curb further escalation and meet the pressing needs of those in conflict zones, it is essential that all parties lift restrictions and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.”
In Khartoum, Save the Children is supporting two health facilities with medicines and healthcare workers. We are also providing cash assistance to families so that they can buy food for their children. The aid agency is also implementing child protection, health and nutrition, and multi-purpose cash assistance projects in North Darfur both directly and through partners.
Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across Sudan providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan.
Notes:
1. Save the Children analysed data in 4-week periods working backwards to the first full week of data since the start of 2024 from the last weekly data refresh on ACLED on Friday 13 September (at the time Save the Children accessed the database on 19 September). The number of incidents of political violence in Sudan in the four weeks to 13 September was higher than in any period since the four weeks starting on 3 February, i.e. in around 7 months.
|
4- week period
|
Number of political violence incidents
|
|
17 August – 13 September
|
|
|
20 July – 16 August
|
|
|
22 June – 19 July
|
|
|
25 May – 21 June
|
|
|
27 April – 24 May
|
|
|
30 March – 26 April
|
|
|
2 March – 29 March
|
|
|
3 February – 1 March
|
|
|
6 January – 2 February
|
2. Khartoum and North Darfur account for 287 (68%) of the 422 political violence events recorded from 17 August to 13 September, and 2,043 (58%) of such events recorded since 1 January. Many violent events in 2024 have also taken place in Al Jazirah state- 625 since 1 January.
For further enquiries please contact: Delfhin Mugo in Nairobi, delfhin.mugo@savethechildren.org
Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409
Source: Save The Children
Violent incidents include airstrikes, artillery shelling, use of explosives and remote violence in multiple regions with the majority of recent incidents reported in the state of Khartoum and North Darfur where more than 1.6 million people have been displaceds, including over 850,000 children, since the war started 17 months ago.
In Khartoum, at least 110 distinct artillery shelling incidents were recorded in August alone, the highest number of shelling recorded in the capital since January this year.
Save the Children analysed instances of violence recorded by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) between 6 January and 13 September [1] and found over 422 incidents of political violence reported in the past four weeks across the country – a 33% increase from incidents reported in the four weeks prior, and the most violence recorded in a single four-week period in the past seven months.
While this period was the most violent in the last seven months of war in Sudan, the scale of the conflict has remained high throughout the year with at least 300 violent incidents reported every month. Over two-thirds of violent events in the last four weeks were recorded in Khartoum and North Darfur [2].
Children and the facilities they rely on have been impacted by the violence with devastating outcomes. On August 8, an artillery shelling in Wd Al Bhakit area of Khartoum injured two children, with a childcare centre hit two days later in a neighbouring area. On August 27, an unspecified number of children were abducted for ransom from Um Marrahi Masaid, Al Jazirah state. Additional incidents of violence appear in the data showing the destruction of schools, children’s hospitals and malnutrition treatment centres.
Across North Darfur, ongoing fighting in the city of El Fasher is putting over 2.8 million civilians – including over 750,000 children – in and around the city in grave danger.
In Zamzam displacement camp, 15 km south of El Fasher and home to some 260,000 children, rates of malnutrition are spiralling out of control. At least 34% of the children are currently malnourished, including 10% who are severely malnourished.
This analysis comes as Sudan’s international non-governmental organization (INGO) forum – a group of INGOs working in Sudan including Save the Children— issues a statement to UN General Assembly (UNGA) calling on the international community to increase pressure on conflict parties to facilitate immediate humanitarian access through all possible cross border and cross-line routes; establish mechanisms to protect civilians and essential infrastructure from indiscriminate attacks; and increase funding and initiatives to support communities’ responding at scale to this crisis.
Over 10 million people have fled their homes since the conflict broke out in April 2023, making Sudan the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, affecting more than 5 million children, and over 2 million people, who have crossed into neighbouring countries. More than 20,171 people including children have been killed since the start of the conflict.
With more than 25.6 million people across the country in need of aid, the increase in fighting coupled with widespread flooding and disease outbreaks has escalated food scarcity. In Khartoum for instance over 80% of people forced from their homes and living in shelters are urgently in need assistance, according to a recent rapid assessment conducted by UN’s World Food Programme.
Mohamed Abdiladif, Interim Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan, said:
“We are horrified that regions which used to be the breadbasket of the country such as Darfur and Khartoum have been turned into battlefields, leaving millions of people now just one step away from famine.
“With famine now confirmed in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp and dire conditions reported across the country, we need urgent and unrestricted humanitarian access to save lives. The relentless conflict, displacement, and impeded aid delivery have driven the situation to catastrophic proportions, threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands across 13 states in Sudan. To curb further escalation and meet the pressing needs of those in conflict zones, it is essential that all parties lift restrictions and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.”
In Khartoum, Save the Children is supporting two health facilities with medicines and healthcare workers. We are also providing cash assistance to families so that they can buy food for their children. The aid agency is also implementing child protection, health and nutrition, and multi-purpose cash assistance projects in North Darfur both directly and through partners.
Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across Sudan providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan.
Notes:
1. Save the Children analysed data in 4-week periods working backwards to the first full week of data since the start of 2024 from the last weekly data refresh on ACLED on Friday 13 September (at the time Save the Children accessed the database on 19 September). The number of incidents of political violence in Sudan in the four weeks to 13 September was higher than in any period since the four weeks starting on 3 February, i.e. in around 7 months.
|
4- week period
|
Number of political violence incidents
|
|
17 August – 13 September
|
|
|
20 July – 16 August
|
|
|
22 June – 19 July
|
|
|
25 May – 21 June
|
|
|
27 April – 24 May
|
|
|
30 March – 26 April
|
|
|
2 March – 29 March
|
|
|
3 February – 1 March
|
|
|
6 January – 2 February
|
2. Khartoum and North Darfur account for 287 (68%) of the 422 political violence events recorded from 17 August to 13 September, and 2,043 (58%) of such events recorded since 1 January. Many violent events in 2024 have also taken place in Al Jazirah state- 625 since 1 January.
For further enquiries please contact: Delfhin Mugo in Nairobi, delfhin.mugo@savethechildren.org
Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409
Source: South Africa News Agency
As South Africa celebrates Heritage Day, Acting President Paul Mashatile emphasised the need to recognise the growing impact of climate change on the nation’s well-being and cultural heritage.
Delivering the keynote address during Heritage Day celebrations in Ficksburg, Free State, Mashatile urged citizens to be mindful of how climate change threatens both livelihoods and cultural traditions.
The Acting President expressed his honour in addressing the nation on Heritage Day but noted that celebrations were overshadowed by severe weather affecting parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Free State.
“It is a great honour and privilege to address you at this significant occasion as we celebrate our country’s Heritage Day. Unfortunately, as we were looking forward to this day, some parts of our country, which include Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Free State, were impacted by severe weather conditions, exacerbated by climate change.
“In celebrating our heritage, we must be alive to the impact of climate change on not only our wellbeing, but also on our culture. Extreme weather conditions such as those witnessed over the past few days affect some of our cultural and heritage sites, therefore undermining our national goals to protect and preserve our culture for generations to come,” he said.
Mashatile expressed empathy for those affected by the recent extreme weather events in parts of South Africa.
“We empathise with those who were affected by the widespread extreme weather. We would also like to commend Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Government Departments for their prompt and robust multi-sectoral response. Additionally, we commend the provinces that were impacted for their prompt activation of their disaster response structures,” the Acting President said.
He said the response teams led by NATJOINTS remain on standby to respond to any eventualities and continue to assist affected communities.
“Even while these teams are committed to helping and saving those in need, we nonetheless ask that our people exercise caution and pay close attention to any warnings issued by the South African Weather Service.
“These meteorological conditions emphasise even more how important it is to increase our investments in technology that may improve weather predictions.
“We can save lives by providing early warnings of storms, heat waves, and disasters. Our sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
The Acting President urged the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture to explore policy considerations concerning the impact of climate change on the nation’s historical heritage, but also provide direction on how best the country can preserve the national identity in this era of multiple global challenges. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: Scottish Greens
GB Energy must work in the public interest, not simply as a way to line private pockets
The UK government’s plans for GB Energy are leaving more questions than answers says Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman, this follows confirmation from Sir Keir Starmer that it will be based in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen has a unique role to play in driving our transition to a greener future, added Ms Chapman, who represents North East Scotland, including Aberdeen.
Ms Chapman has called for greater collaboration between the Labour Government and the MSPs who represent the region, to ensure GB Energy lives up to the challenge of our climate crisis.
Ms Chapman said: “If done properly, GB Energy could present an important opportunity for Aberdeen – with new jobs, investment, a focus away from the legacy of oil and gas.
“We want to be optimistic, but a lot of us are concerned that this will become an investor’s playpen, rather than a genuine driver of new renewables projects.
“So far the UK government’s statement raises many more questions than answers.
“It is time for Labour to be clear about its ambitions for this project, and what it will look like. GB Energy should be an organisation that resources the energy sector’s move towards genuine renewable energy, not an excuse for more warm words on oil, gas and nuclear.
“An energy transition without justice for workers and affected communities is the last thing we need. Aberdeen has a unique role to play in driving forward our just transition. It can be the engine that drives the climate action and green economy that are so vital.
“The UK Government must ensure that GB Energy works for public interests in the region and the sector, and is not simply a way to line private pockets.
“I would welcome greater collaboration between the Labour Government and the MSPs who represent the region, to ensure GB Energy lives up to the challenge of our climate crisis.”
Source: United Nations – English
r. President of the General Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our world is in a whirlwind.
We are in an era of epic transformation – facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen – challenges that demand global solutions.
Yet geo-political divisions keep deepening. The planet keeps heating.
Wars rage with no clue how they will end.
And nuclear posturing and new weapons cast a dark shadow.
We are edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world.
Meanwhile, 2024 is the year that half of humanity goes to the polls – and all of humanity will be affected.
I stand before you in this whirlwind convinced of two overriding truths.
First, the state of our world is unsustainable.
We can’t go on like this.
And second, the challenges we face are solvable.
But that requires us to make sure the mechanisms of international problem-solving actually solve problems.
The Summit of the Future was a first step, but we have a long way to go.
Getting there requires confronting three major drivers of unsustainability.
A world of impunity – where violations and abuses threaten the very foundation of international law and the UN Charter.
A world of inequality – where injustices and grievances threaten to undermine countries or even push them over the edge.
And a world of uncertainty – where unmanaged global risks threaten our future in unknowable ways.
These worlds of impunity, inequality and uncertainty are connected and colliding.
Excellencies,
The level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable.
Today, a growing number of governments and others feel entitled to a “get out of jail free” card.
They can trample international law.
They can violate the United Nations Charter.
They can turn a blind eye to international human rights conventions or the decisions of international courts.
They can thumb their nose at international humanitarian law.
They can invade another country, lay waste to whole societies, or utterly disregard the welfare of their own people.
And nothing will happen.
We see this age of impunity everywhere — in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa, and beyond.
The war in Ukraine is spreading with no signs of letting up.
Civilians are paying the price – in rising death tolls and shattered lives and communities.
It is time for a just peace based on the UN Charter, on international law and on UN resolutions.
Meanwhile, Gaza is a non-stop nightmare that threatens to take the entire region with it.
Look no further than Lebanon.
We should all be alarmed by the escalation.
Lebanon is at the brink.
The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.
Let’s be clear.
Nothing can justify the abhorrent acts of terror committed by Hamas on October 7th, or the taking of hostages – both of which I have repeatedly condemned.
And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as Secretary-General.
More than 200 of our own staff have been killed, many with their families.
And yet the women and men of the United Nations continue to deliver humanitarian aid.
I know you join me in paying a special tribute to UNRWA and to all humanitarians in Gaza.
The international community must mobilize for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.
For those who go on undermining that goal with more settlements, more landgrabs, more incitement — I ask:
What is the alternative?
How could the world accept a one-state future in which a large a large number of Palestinians would be included without any freedom, rights or dignity?
In Sudan, a brutal power struggle has unleashed horrific violence — including widespread rape and sexual assaults.
A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding as famine spreads. Yet outside powers continue to interfere with no unified approach to finding peace.
In the Sahel, the dramatic and rapid expansion of the terrorist threat requires a joint approach rooted in solidarity – but regional and international cooperation have broken down.
From Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Haiti to Yemen and beyond – we continue to see appalling levels of violence and human suffering in the face of a chronic failure to find solutions.
Meanwhile our peacekeeping missions are too often operating in areas where simply there is no peace to keep.
Instability in many places around the world is a by-product of instability in power relations and geo-political divides.
For all its perils, the Cold War had rules.
There were hot lines, red lines and guard rails.
It can feel as though we don’t have that today.
Nor do we have a unipolar world.
We are moving to a multipolar world, but we are not there yet.
We are in a purgatory of polarity.
And in this purgatory, more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides, doing whatever they want with no accountability.
That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the Charter, to respect international law, to support and implement decisions of international courts, and to reinforce human rights in the world.
Anywhere and everywhere.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
L’augmentation des inégalités est un deuxième facteur de l’insoutenabilité et une tache sur notre conscience collective.
L’inégalité n’est pas une question technique ou bureaucratique.
Au fond, l’inégalité est une question de pouvoir, aux racines historiques.
Les conflits, les bouleversements climatiques et la crise du coût de la vie étendent ces racines historiques plus profondément encore.
Dans le même temps, le monde peine encore à se relever de la flambée des inégalités engendrée par la pandémie.
Si l’on regarde les 75 pays les plus pauvres du monde, un tiers d’entre eux se trouve aujourd’hui dans une situation pire qu’il y a cinq ans.
Au cours de la même période, les cinq hommes les plus riches de la planète ont plus que doublé leurs fortunes.
Et un pour cent des habitants de la planète détient 43 % de l’ensemble des avoirs financiers mondiaux.
Au niveau national, certains gouvernements décuplent les inégalités en accordant des cadeaux fiscaux massifs aux entreprises et aux ultra-riches — au détriment des investissements dans la santé, l’éducation et la protection sociale.
Et personne n’est plus lésé que les femmes et les filles du monde entier.
Excellences,
La discrimination et les abus généralisés fondés sur le genre constituent l’inégalité la plus répandue dans toutes les sociétés.
Chaque jour, il semble que nous soyons confrontés à de nouveaux cas révoltants de féminicides, de violences fondées sur le genre et de viols collectifs – en temps de paix comme en tant qu’arme de guerre.
Dans certains pays, les lois sont utilisées pour menacer la santé et les droits reproductifs.
Et en Afghanistan, les lois sont utilisées pour entériner l’oppression systématique des femmes et des filles.
Et je suis désolé de constater que, malgré des années de beaux discours, l’inégalité de genre se manifesteet je vous demande pardon de le dire, elle se manifeste aujourd’hui encore, pleinement dans cette enceinte.
Moins de 10 pour cent des intervenants au Débat général de cette semaine sont des femmes.
C’est inacceptable, surtout quand on sait que l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes contribue à la paix, au développement durable, à l’action climatique et bien plus encore.
C’est précisément pour cela nous avons pris des mesures spécifiques pour atteindre la parité hommes-femmes parmi les hauts responsables de l’Organisation des Nations Unies,objectif qui est déjà complété.
C’est faisable.
J’exhorte les institutions politiques et économiques du monde dominées par les hommes à le faire aussi.
Excellences,
Les inégalités mondiales se reflètent et se renforcent jusque dans nos propres organisations internationales.
Le Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies a été conçu par les vainqueurs de la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
À l’époque, la majeure partie du continent africain était encore sous domination coloniale.
À ce jour, l’Afrique n’a toujours aucun siège permanent au sein de la principale instance de paix du monde.
Un changement s’impose.
Il en va de même pour l’architecture financière mondiale, mise en place il y a 80 ans.
Je félicite les dirigeants de la Banque mondiale et du Fonds monétaire international pour les mesures importantes qu’ils ont entreprises.
Mais comme le souligne le Pacte pour l’avenir, la lutte contre les inégalités exige une accélération de la réforme de l’architecture financière internationale.
Au cours des huit dernières décennies, l’économie mondiale s’est développée et transformée.
Les institutions de Bretton Woods n’ont pas suivi le rythme.
Elles ne sont plus en mesure de fournir un filet de sécurité mondial, ni d’offrir aux pays en développement le niveau de soutien dont ils ont tant besoin.
Dans les pays les plus pauvres du monde, le coût des intérêts de la dette dépasse, en moyenne, le coût des investissements dans l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures publiques réunis.
Et à l’échelle du monde, plus de 80 % des cibles des Objectifs de développement durable ne sont pas en bonne voie.
Excelencias,
Volver al camino correcto requiere un aumento de financiamiento para la Agenda 2030 y el Acuerdo de París.
Esto implica que los países del G20 lideren un Estímulo para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de 500.000 millones de dólares al año.
Implica reformas para aumentar sustancialmente la capacidad de préstamo de los Bancos Multilaterales de Desarrollo – y permitirles ampliar masivamente la financiación asequible a largo plazo para el clima y el desarrollo.
Implica ampliar la financiación de contingencia mediante el reciclaje de los Derechos Especiales de Giro.
E implica promover una reestructuración de la deuda a largo plazo.
Excelencias,
No me hago ilusiones sobre las barreras a la reforma del sistema multilateral.
Los que tienen poder político y económico, o y los que creen tenerlo, son siempre reacios al cambio.
Pero el status quo ya está agotando su poder.
Sin reformas, la fragmentación es inevitable, y las instituciones globales perderán legitimidad, credibilidad y eficacia.
Excellencies,
The third driver of our unsustainable world is uncertainty.
The ground is shifting under our feet.
Anxiety levels are off the charts.
And young people, in particular, are counting on us and seeking solutions.
Uncertainty is compounded by two existential threats – the climate crisis and the rapid advance of technology — in particular, Artificial Intelligence.
Excellencies,
We are in a climate meltdown.
Extreme temperatures, raging fires, droughts, and epic floods are not natural disasters.
They are human disasters — increasingly fueled by fossil fuels.
No country is spared. But the poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.
Climate hazards are blowing a hole through the budgets of many African countries, costing up to five per cent of GDP – every year.
And this is just the start.
We are on course to careen past the global limit of a 1.5 degree temperature rise.
But as the problem gets worse, solutions are getting better.
Renewable prices are plummeting, roll-out is accelerating, and lives are being transformed by affordable, accessible clean energy.
Renewables don’t just generate power. They generate jobs, wealth, energy security and a path out of poverty for millions.
But developing countries cannot be plundered in that journey.
Our Panel on Critical Minerals has recommended fair and sustainable ways to meet global demand for these resources, which are essential to the renewables revolution.
Excellencies,
A future without fossil fuels is certain. A fair and fast transition is not.
That is in your hands.
By next year, every country must produce an ambitious new national climate action plan – or Nationally Determined Contributions.
These must bring national energy strategies, sustainable development priorities, and climate ambitions together.
They must align with the 1.5 degree limit, cover the whole economy, and contribute to every one of the COP28 energy transition targets.
An International Energy Agency report released today breaks this down.
By 2035, on average, advanced economies must slash energy emissions 80 per cent, and emerging markets 65 per cent.
The G20 is responsible for 80 per cent of total emissions.
They must lead the charge – keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances.
But this must be a joint effort — pooling resources, scientific capacities and proven and affordable technologies for all to be able to reach those targets.
I’m honoured to be working closely with President Lula of Brazil – who is both G20 Chair and COP30 host – to secure maximum ambition, acceleration and cooperation. We just met for that purpose.
Finance is essential.
COP29 is around the corner.
It must deliver a significant new finance goal.
We also need a Loss and Damage Fund that meets the scale of the challenge – and developed countries meeting their adaptation finance promises.
And we must finally flip the script on a crazy situation:
We continue to reward polluters to wreck our planet.
The fossil fuel industry continues to pocket massive profits and subsidies, while everyday people bear the costs of climate catastrophe – from rising insurance premiums to lost livelihoods.
I call on G20 countries to shift money from fossil fuel subsidies and investments to a just energy transition;
To put an effective price on carbon;
And to implement new and innovative sources of financing – including solidarity levies on fossil fuel extraction – through legally-binding, transparent mechanisms.
All by next year and this taking into account that those who shoulder the blame must foot the bill.
Polluters must pay.
Excellencies,
The rapid rise of new technologies poses another unpredictable existential risk.
Artificial Intelligence will change virtually everything we know — from work, education and communication, to culture and politics.
We know AI is rapidly advancing, but where is it taking us:
To more freedom – or more conflict?
To a more sustainable world – or greater inequality?
To being better informed – or easier to manipulate?
A handful of companies and even individuals have already amassed enormous power over the development of AI – with little accountability or oversight for the moment.
Without a global approach to its management, artificial intelligence could lead to artificial divisions across the board – a Great Fracture with two internets, two markets, two economies – with every country forced to pick a side, and enormous consequences for all.
The United Nations is the universal platform for dialogue and consensus.
It is uniquely placed to promote cooperation on AI – based on the values of the Charter and international law.
The global debate happens here, or it does not happen.
I welcome important first steps.
Two resolutions in the General Assembly, the Global Digital Compact, and the recommendations of the High-Level Body on AI can lay the foundations for inclusive governance of AI.
Let’s move forward together to make AI a force for good.
Excellencies,
Nothing lasts forever.
But a feature of human life is that it appears otherwise.
The current order always feels fixed.
Until it is not.
Across human history, we see empires rising and falling; old certainties crumbling; tectonic shifts in global affairs.
Today our course is unsustainable.
It is in all our interests to manage the epic transformations underway; to choose the future we want and to guide our world towards it.
Many have said that the differences and divisions today are just too great.
That it is impossible for us to come together for the common good.
You proved that is not true.
The Summit of the Future showed that with a spirit of dialogue and compromise, we can join forces to steer our world to a more sustainable path.
It is not the end.
It is a start of a journey, a compass in the whirlwind.
Let’s keep going.
Let’s move our world towards less impunity and more accountability …. less inequality and more justice … less uncertainty and more opportunity.
The people of the world are looking to us – and succeeding generations will look back on us.
Let them find us on the side of the United Nations Charter … on the side of our shared values and principles … and on the right side of history.
I thank you.
Source: US State of Florida
TO: Members of the Press
FROM: Bryan Griffin, Director of Communications, Governor Ron DeSantis
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
RE: Executive Order Number 24-209 (Emergency Management –
Amending Executive Order 24-208 – Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine)
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order (EO) 24-209, Emergency Management – Amending Executive Order 24-208– Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, increasing the number of counties in the state of Florida under a state of emergency to 61 ahead of the storm.
To read the full amended executive order, click here or read below:
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 24-208
(Emergency Management – Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine)
WHEREAS, on September 23, 2024, I issued Executive Order 24-208, declaring a state of emergency for forty-one counties across the State of Florida due to the dangers presented by Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine; and
WHEREAS, on September 24, 2024, Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is located 120 miles west-southwest of Grand Cayman, or 395 miles south-southwest of Key West, Florida, and is moving northwest at 8 mph; and
WHEREAS, based on atmospheric and oceanic conditions, highly conducive environmental conditions are forecast to develop Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine into a tropical storm this afternoon over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, and become a hurricane over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday; and
WHEREAS, computer forecast models indicate a likely possibility of significant to rapid intensification of this system, forming a major hurricane before it approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday; and
WHEREAS, the forecast indicates that this system will become large and powerful before landfall, and there is a significant threat of life-threatening storm surge and damaging wind gusts for the Florida Gulf Coast; and
WHEREAS, due to the system’s size, the accompanying storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts will extend well away from its center, and the faster forward approach of this system will likely result in farther inland penetration of strong winds even after landfall; and
WHEREAS, there are Tropical Storm Watches in effect for eighteen Florida counties, Hurricane Watches in effect for eighteen Florida counties, and Storm Surge Watches extending from the Southwest Florida Coast to the central Florida Panhandle; and
WHEREAS, the water tables and riverine levels across much of north and west-central Florida remain in above normal stage due to recent Hurricane Debby and additional heavy rainfall could cause significant riverine flooding that may prolong impacts for an extended period of time; and
WHEREAS, these impacts could damage the operational capability of critical infrastructure including major interstates, roadways, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals, and power grids; and
WHEREAS, an amendment to Executive Order 24-208 is necessary because recovery efforts and those affected by this disaster require the continued support of the State of Florida; and
WHEREAS, as Governor of Florida, I am responsible to meet the dangers presented to the State of Florida and its people by this emergency.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RON DESANTIS, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section l(a) of the Florida Constitution and by the Florida Emergency Management Act, as amended, and all other applicable laws, promulgate the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
Section 1. Section I of Executive Order 24-208 is amended to read as follows:
Because of the foregoing conditions, which are projected to constitute a major disaster, I declare that a state of emergency exists in Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties.
Section 2. Except as amended herein, Executive Order 24-208 is ratified and reaffirmed.
Section 3. This Executive Order is effective immediately and shall expire upon the expiration of Executive Order 24-208.
###
Source: United Nations – English
r. President of the General Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our world is in a whirlwind.
We are in an era of epic transformation – facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen – challenges that demand global solutions.
Yet geo-political divisions keep deepening. The planet keeps heating.
Wars rage with no clue how they will end.
And nuclear posturing and new weapons cast a dark shadow.
We are edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world.
Meanwhile, 2024 is the year that half of humanity goes to the polls – and all of humanity will be affected.
I stand before you in this whirlwind convinced of two overriding truths.
First, the state of our world is unsustainable.
We can’t go on like this.
And second, the challenges we face are solvable.
But that requires us to make sure the mechanisms of international problem-solving actually solve problems.
The Summit of the Future was a first step, but we have a long way to go.
Getting there requires confronting three major drivers of unsustainability.
A world of impunity – where violations and abuses threaten the very foundation of international law and the UN Charter.
A world of inequality – where injustices and grievances threaten to undermine countries or even push them over the edge.
And a world of uncertainty – where unmanaged global risks threaten our future in unknowable ways.
These worlds of impunity, inequality and uncertainty are connected and colliding.
Excellencies,
The level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable.
Today, a growing number of governments and others feel entitled to a “get out of jail free” card.
They can trample international law.
They can violate the United Nations Charter.
They can turn a blind eye to international human rights conventions or the decisions of international courts.
They can thumb their nose at international humanitarian law.
They can invade another country, lay waste to whole societies, or utterly disregard the welfare of their own people.
And nothing will happen.
We see this age of impunity everywhere — in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa, and beyond.
The war in Ukraine is spreading with no signs of letting up.
Civilians are paying the price – in rising death tolls and shattered lives and communities.
It is time for a just peace based on the UN Charter, on international law and on UN resolutions.
Meanwhile, Gaza is a non-stop nightmare that threatens to take the entire region with it.
Look no further than Lebanon.
We should all be alarmed by the escalation.
Lebanon is at the brink.
The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.
Let’s be clear.
Nothing can justify the abhorrent acts of terror committed by Hamas on October 7th, or the taking of hostages – both of which I have repeatedly condemned.
And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as Secretary-General.
More than 200 of our own staff have been killed, many with their families.
And yet the women and men of the United Nations continue to deliver humanitarian aid.
I know you join me in paying a special tribute to UNRWA and to all humanitarians in Gaza.
The international community must mobilize for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.
For those who go on undermining that goal with more settlements, more landgrabs, more incitement — I ask:
What is the alternative?
How could the world accept a one-state future in which a large a large number of Palestinians would be included without any freedom, rights or dignity?
In Sudan, a brutal power struggle has unleashed horrific violence — including widespread rape and sexual assaults.
A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding as famine spreads. Yet outside powers continue to interfere with no unified approach to finding peace.
In the Sahel, the dramatic and rapid expansion of the terrorist threat requires a joint approach rooted in solidarity – but regional and international cooperation have broken down.
From Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Haiti to Yemen and beyond – we continue to see appalling levels of violence and human suffering in the face of a chronic failure to find solutions.
Meanwhile our peacekeeping missions are too often operating in areas where simply there is no peace to keep.
Instability in many places around the world is a by-product of instability in power relations and geo-political divides.
For all its perils, the Cold War had rules.
There were hot lines, red lines and guard rails.
It can feel as though we don’t have that today.
Nor do we have a unipolar world.
We are moving to a multipolar world, but we are not there yet.
We are in a purgatory of polarity.
And in this purgatory, more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides, doing whatever they want with no accountability.
That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the Charter, to respect international law, to support and implement decisions of international courts, and to reinforce human rights in the world.
Anywhere and everywhere.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
L’augmentation des inégalités est un deuxième facteur de l’insoutenabilité et une tache sur notre conscience collective.
L’inégalité n’est pas une question technique ou bureaucratique.
Au fond, l’inégalité est une question de pouvoir, aux racines historiques.
Les conflits, les bouleversements climatiques et la crise du coût de la vie étendent ces racines historiques plus profondément encore.
Dans le même temps, le monde peine encore à se relever de la flambée des inégalités engendrée par la pandémie.
Si l’on regarde les 75 pays les plus pauvres du monde, un tiers d’entre eux se trouve aujourd’hui dans une situation pire qu’il y a cinq ans.
Au cours de la même période, les cinq hommes les plus riches de la planète ont plus que doublé leurs fortunes.
Et un pour cent des habitants de la planète détient 43 % de l’ensemble des avoirs financiers mondiaux.
Au niveau national, certains gouvernements décuplent les inégalités en accordant des cadeaux fiscaux massifs aux entreprises et aux ultra-riches — au détriment des investissements dans la santé, l’éducation et la protection sociale.
Et personne n’est plus lésé que les femmes et les filles du monde entier.
Excellences,
La discrimination et les abus généralisés fondés sur le genre constituent l’inégalité la plus répandue dans toutes les sociétés.
Chaque jour, il semble que nous soyons confrontés à de nouveaux cas révoltants de féminicides, de violences fondées sur le genre et de viols collectifs – en temps de paix comme en tant qu’arme de guerre.
Dans certains pays, les lois sont utilisées pour menacer la santé et les droits reproductifs.
Et en Afghanistan, les lois sont utilisées pour entériner l’oppression systématique des femmes et des filles.
Et je suis désolé de constater que, malgré des années de beaux discours, l’inégalité de genre se manifesteet je vous demande pardon de le dire, elle se manifeste aujourd’hui encore, pleinement dans cette enceinte.
Moins de 10 pour cent des intervenants au Débat général de cette semaine sont des femmes.
C’est inacceptable, surtout quand on sait que l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes contribue à la paix, au développement durable, à l’action climatique et bien plus encore.
C’est précisément pour cela nous avons pris des mesures spécifiques pour atteindre la parité hommes-femmes parmi les hauts responsables de l’Organisation des Nations Unies,objectif qui est déjà complété.
C’est faisable.
J’exhorte les institutions politiques et économiques du monde dominées par les hommes à le faire aussi.
Excellences,
Les inégalités mondiales se reflètent et se renforcent jusque dans nos propres organisations internationales.
Le Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies a été conçu par les vainqueurs de la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
À l’époque, la majeure partie du continent africain était encore sous domination coloniale.
À ce jour, l’Afrique n’a toujours aucun siège permanent au sein de la principale instance de paix du monde.
Un changement s’impose.
Il en va de même pour l’architecture financière mondiale, mise en place il y a 80 ans.
Je félicite les dirigeants de la Banque mondiale et du Fonds monétaire international pour les mesures importantes qu’ils ont entreprises.
Mais comme le souligne le Pacte pour l’avenir, la lutte contre les inégalités exige une accélération de la réforme de l’architecture financière internationale.
Au cours des huit dernières décennies, l’économie mondiale s’est développée et transformée.
Les institutions de Bretton Woods n’ont pas suivi le rythme.
Elles ne sont plus en mesure de fournir un filet de sécurité mondial, ni d’offrir aux pays en développement le niveau de soutien dont ils ont tant besoin.
Dans les pays les plus pauvres du monde, le coût des intérêts de la dette dépasse, en moyenne, le coût des investissements dans l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures publiques réunis.
Et à l’échelle du monde, plus de 80 % des cibles des Objectifs de développement durable ne sont pas en bonne voie.
Excelencias,
Volver al camino correcto requiere un aumento de financiamiento para la Agenda 2030 y el Acuerdo de París.
Esto implica que los países del G20 lideren un Estímulo para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de 500.000 millones de dólares al año.
Implica reformas para aumentar sustancialmente la capacidad de préstamo de los Bancos Multilaterales de Desarrollo – y permitirles ampliar masivamente la financiación asequible a largo plazo para el clima y el desarrollo.
Implica ampliar la financiación de contingencia mediante el reciclaje de los Derechos Especiales de Giro.
E implica promover una reestructuración de la deuda a largo plazo.
Excelencias,
No me hago ilusiones sobre las barreras a la reforma del sistema multilateral.
Los que tienen poder político y económico, o y los que creen tenerlo, son siempre reacios al cambio.
Pero el status quo ya está agotando su poder.
Sin reformas, la fragmentación es inevitable, y las instituciones globales perderán legitimidad, credibilidad y eficacia.
Excellencies,
The third driver of our unsustainable world is uncertainty.
The ground is shifting under our feet.
Anxiety levels are off the charts.
And young people, in particular, are counting on us and seeking solutions.
Uncertainty is compounded by two existential threats – the climate crisis and the rapid advance of technology — in particular, Artificial Intelligence.
Excellencies,
We are in a climate meltdown.
Extreme temperatures, raging fires, droughts, and epic floods are not natural disasters.
They are human disasters — increasingly fueled by fossil fuels.
No country is spared. But the poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.
Climate hazards are blowing a hole through the budgets of many African countries, costing up to five per cent of GDP – every year.
And this is just the start.
We are on course to careen past the global limit of a 1.5 degree temperature rise.
But as the problem gets worse, solutions are getting better.
Renewable prices are plummeting, roll-out is accelerating, and lives are being transformed by affordable, accessible clean energy.
Renewables don’t just generate power. They generate jobs, wealth, energy security and a path out of poverty for millions.
But developing countries cannot be plundered in that journey.
Our Panel on Critical Minerals has recommended fair and sustainable ways to meet global demand for these resources, which are essential to the renewables revolution.
Excellencies,
A future without fossil fuels is certain. A fair and fast transition is not.
That is in your hands.
By next year, every country must produce an ambitious new national climate action plan – or Nationally Determined Contributions.
These must bring national energy strategies, sustainable development priorities, and climate ambitions together.
They must align with the 1.5 degree limit, cover the whole economy, and contribute to every one of the COP28 energy transition targets.
An International Energy Agency report released today breaks this down.
By 2035, on average, advanced economies must slash energy emissions 80 per cent, and emerging markets 65 per cent.
The G20 is responsible for 80 per cent of total emissions.
They must lead the charge – keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances.
But this must be a joint effort — pooling resources, scientific capacities and proven and affordable technologies for all to be able to reach those targets.
I’m honoured to be working closely with President Lula of Brazil – who is both G20 Chair and COP30 host – to secure maximum ambition, acceleration and cooperation. We just met for that purpose.
Finance is essential.
COP29 is around the corner.
It must deliver a significant new finance goal.
We also need a Loss and Damage Fund that meets the scale of the challenge – and developed countries meeting their adaptation finance promises.
And we must finally flip the script on a crazy situation:
We continue to reward polluters to wreck our planet.
The fossil fuel industry continues to pocket massive profits and subsidies, while everyday people bear the costs of climate catastrophe – from rising insurance premiums to lost livelihoods.
I call on G20 countries to shift money from fossil fuel subsidies and investments to a just energy transition;
To put an effective price on carbon;
And to implement new and innovative sources of financing – including solidarity levies on fossil fuel extraction – through legally-binding, transparent mechanisms.
All by next year and this taking into account that those who shoulder the blame must foot the bill.
Polluters must pay.
Excellencies,
The rapid rise of new technologies poses another unpredictable existential risk.
Artificial Intelligence will change virtually everything we know — from work, education and communication, to culture and politics.
We know AI is rapidly advancing, but where is it taking us:
To more freedom – or more conflict?
To a more sustainable world – or greater inequality?
To being better informed – or easier to manipulate?
A handful of companies and even individuals have already amassed enormous power over the development of AI – with little accountability or oversight for the moment.
Without a global approach to its management, artificial intelligence could lead to artificial divisions across the board – a Great Fracture with two internets, two markets, two economies – with every country forced to pick a side, and enormous consequences for all.
The United Nations is the universal platform for dialogue and consensus.
It is uniquely placed to promote cooperation on AI – based on the values of the Charter and international law.
The global debate happens here, or it does not happen.
I welcome important first steps.
Two resolutions in the General Assembly, the Global Digital Compact, and the recommendations of the High-Level Body on AI can lay the foundations for inclusive governance of AI.
Let’s move forward together to make AI a force for good.
Excellencies,
Nothing lasts forever.
But a feature of human life is that it appears otherwise.
The current order always feels fixed.
Until it is not.
Across human history, we see empires rising and falling; old certainties crumbling; tectonic shifts in global affairs.
Today our course is unsustainable.
It is in all our interests to manage the epic transformations underway; to choose the future we want and to guide our world towards it.
Many have said that the differences and divisions today are just too great.
That it is impossible for us to come together for the common good.
You proved that is not true.
The Summit of the Future showed that with a spirit of dialogue and compromise, we can join forces to steer our world to a more sustainable path.
It is not the end.
It is a start of a journey, a compass in the whirlwind.
Let’s keep going.
Let’s move our world towards less impunity and more accountability …. less inequality and more justice … less uncertainty and more opportunity.
The people of the world are looking to us – and succeeding generations will look back on us.
Let them find us on the side of the United Nations Charter … on the side of our shared values and principles … and on the right side of history.
I thank you.
***
[all-English]
Mr. President of the General Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our world is in a whirlwind.
We are in an era of epic transformation – facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen – challenges that demand global solutions.
Yet geo-political divisions keep deepening. The planet keeps heating.
Wars rage with no clue how they will end.
And nuclear posturing and new weapons cast a dark shadow.
We are edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world.
Meanwhile, 2024 is the year that half of humanity goes to the polls – and all of humanity will be affected.
I stand before you in this whirlwind convinced of two overriding truths.
First, the state of our world is unsustainable.
We can’t go on like this.
And second, the challenges we face are solvable.
But that requires us to make sure the mechanisms of international problem-solving actually solve problems.
The Summit of the Future was a first step, but we have a long way to go.
Getting there requires confronting three major drivers of unsustainability.
A world of impunity – where violations and abuses threaten the very foundation of international law and the UN Charter.
A world of inequality – where injustices and grievances threaten to undermine countries or even push them over the edge.
And a world of uncertainty – where unmanaged global risks threaten our future in unknowable ways.
These worlds of impunity, inequality and uncertainty are connected and colliding.
Excellencies,
The level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable.
Today, a growing number of governments and others feel entitled to a “get out of jail free” card.
They can trample international law.
They can violate the United Nations Charter.
They can turn a blind eye to international human rights conventions or the decisions of international courts.
They can thumb their nose at international humanitarian law.
They can invade another country, lay waste to whole societies, or utterly disregard the welfare of their own people.
And nothing will happen.
We see this age of impunity everywhere — in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa, and beyond.
The war in Ukraine is spreading with no signs of letting up.
Civilians are paying the price – in rising death tolls and shattered lives and communities.
It is time for a just peace based on the UN Charter, on international law and on UN resolutions.
Meanwhile, Gaza is a non-stop nightmare that threatens to take the entire region with it.
Look no further than Lebanon.
We should all be alarmed by the escalation.
Lebanon is at the brink.
The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.
Let’s be clear.
Nothing can justify the abhorrent acts of terror committed by Hamas on October 7th, or the taking of hostages – both of which I have repeatedly condemned.
And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as Secretary-General.
More than 200 of our own staff have been killed, many with their families.
And yet the women and men of the United Nations continue to deliver humanitarian aid.
I know you join me in paying a special tribute to UNRWA and to all humanitarians in Gaza.
The international community must mobilize for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.
For those who go on undermining that goal with more settlements, more landgrabs, more incitement — I ask:
What is the alternative?
How could the world accept a one-state future in which a large a large number of Palestinians would be included without any freedom, rights or dignity?
In Sudan, a brutal power struggle has unleashed horrific violence — including widespread rape and sexual assaults.
A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding as famine spreads. Yet outside powers continue to interfere with no unified approach to finding peace.
In the Sahel, the dramatic and rapid expansion of the terrorist threat requires a joint approach rooted in solidarity – but regional and international cooperation have broken down.
From Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Haiti to Yemen and beyond – we continue to see appalling levels of violence and human suffering in the face of a chronic failure to find solutions.
Meanwhile our peacekeeping missions are too often operating in areas where simply there is no peace to keep.
Instability in many places around the world is a by-product of instability in power relations and geo-political divides.
For all its perils, the Cold War had rules.
There were hot lines, red lines and guard rails.
It can feel as though we don’t have that today.
Nor do we have a unipolar world.
We are moving to a multipolar world, but we are not there yet.
We are in a purgatory of polarity.
And in this purgatory, more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides, doing whatever they want with no accountability.
That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the Charter, to respect international law, to support and implement decisions of international courts, and to reinforce human rights in the world.
Anywhere and everywhere.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Rising inequalities are a second driver of unsustainability and a stain on our collective conscience.
Inequality is not a technical or bureaucratic issue.
At its heart, inequality is a question of power with historic roots.
Conflict, climate upheaval and the cost-of-living crisis, are pushing those roots deeper.
At the same time, the world has not recovered from the surge in inequalities caused by the pandemic.
Of the world’s poorest 75 countries, one-third are worse off today than they were five years ago.
During that same period, the five richest men in the world have more than doubled their wealth.
And the top one per cent of people on earth own 43 per cent of all global financial assets.
At the national level, some governments are supercharging inequalities by doling out massive tax giveaways to corporations and the ultra-rich, while shortchanging investments in health, education and social protection.
No one is being short-changed more than the world’s women and girls.
Excellencies,
Rampant gender-based discrimination and abuse are the most prevalent inequality across all societies.
Every day, it seems we are confronted by yet more sickening cases of femicide, gender-based violence and mass rape, both in peacetime and as a weapon of war.
In some countries, laws are being used to threaten reproductive health and rights.
And in Afghanistan, laws are being used to lock-in the systematic oppression of women and girls.
And I am sorry to observe that despite years of talk, gender inequality is on full display, and I am sorry for mentioning it here, gender inequality is on full display in this very Hall.
Less than 10 per cent of speakers during this week’s General Debate are women.
This is unacceptable – especially when we know gender equality delivers for peace, sustainable development, climate action and much more.
That is precisely why we took targeted measures to achieve gender parity among the United Nations senior leadership, an objective that has already been achieved.
It’s doable.
I call on male-dominated political and economic establishments around the world to do it as well.
Excellencies,
Global inequalities are reflected and reinforced even in our own global institutions.
The United Nations Security Council was designed by the victors of the Second World War.
Most of Africa was still under colonial domination.
To this day, Africa has no permanent seat on the world’s preeminent council of peace.
This must change.
So must the global financial architecture, set up 80 years ago.
I commend the leaders of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for taking important steps.
But as the Pact for the Future emphasizes, tackling inequalities requires accelerating reform of the international financial architecture.
Over the past eight decades, the global economy has grown and transformed.
The Bretton Woods institutions have not kept pace.
They can no longer provide a global safety net – or offer developing countries the level of support they need.
Debt interest payments in the world’s poorest countries now cost more, on average, than investments in education, health and infrastructure combined.
And around the world, more than 80 per cent of Sustainable Development Goal targets are off track.
Excellencies,
Getting back on track requires a surge of financing for the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
That means G20 countries leading on an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion a year.
It means reforms to substantially increase the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks and enable them to massively scale-up affordable long-term climate and development finance.
It means expanding contingency financing through recycling Special Drawing Rights.
And it means promoting long-term debt-restructuring.
Excellencies,
I have no illusions about the obstacles to reform of the multilateral system.
Those with political and economic power – and those who believe they have power – are always reluctant to change.
But the status quo is already draining their power.
Without reform, fragmentation is inevitable, and global institutions will become less legitimate, less credible, and less effective.
Excellencies,
The third driver of our unsustainable world is uncertainty.
The ground is shifting under our feet.
Anxiety levels are off the charts.
And young people, in particular, are counting on us and seeking solutions.
Uncertainty is compounded by two existential threats – the climate crisis and the rapid advance of technology — in particular, Artificial Intelligence.
Excellencies,
We are in a climate meltdown.
Extreme temperatures, raging fires, droughts, and epic floods are not natural disasters.
They are human disasters — increasingly fueled by fossil fuels.
No country is spared. But the poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.
Climate hazards are blowing a hole through the budgets of many African countries, costing up to five per cent of GDP – every year.
And this is just the start.
We are on course to careen past the global limit of a 1.5 degree temperature rise.
But as the problem gets worse, solutions are getting better.
Renewable prices are plummeting, roll-out is accelerating, and lives are being transformed by affordable, accessible clean energy.
Renewables don’t just generate power. They generate jobs, wealth, energy security and a path out of poverty for millions.
But developing countries cannot be plundered in that journey.
Our Panel on Critical Minerals has recommended fair and sustainable ways to meet global demand for these resources, which are essential to the renewables revolution.
Excellencies,
A future without fossil fuels is certain. A fair and fast transition is not.
That is in your hands.
By next year, every country must produce an ambitious new national climate action plan – or Nationally Determined Contributions.
These must bring national energy strategies, sustainable development priorities, and climate ambitions together.
They must align with the 1.5 degree limit, cover the whole economy, and contribute to every one of the COP28 energy transition targets.
An International Energy Agency report released today breaks this down.
By 2035, on average, advanced economies must slash energy emissions 80 per cent, and emerging markets 65 per cent.
The G20 is responsible for 80 per cent of total emissions.
They must lead the charge – keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances.
But this must be a joint effort — pooling resources, scientific capacities and proven and affordable technologies for all to be able to reach those targets.
I’m honoured to be working closely with President Lula of Brazil – who is both G20 Chair and COP30 host – to secure maximum ambition, acceleration and cooperation. We just met for that purpose.
Finance is essential.
COP29 is around the corner.
It must deliver a significant new finance goal.
We also need a Loss and Damage Fund that meets the scale of the challenge – and developed countries meeting their adaptation finance promises.
And we must finally flip the script on a crazy situation:
We continue to reward polluters to wreck our planet.
The fossil fuel industry continues to pocket massive profits and subsidies, while everyday people bear the costs of climate catastrophe – from rising insurance premiums to lost livelihoods.
I call on G20 countries to shift money from fossil fuel subsidies and investments to a just energy transition;
To put an effective price on carbon;
And to implement new and innovative sources of financing – including solidarity levies on fossil fuel extraction – through legally-binding, transparent mechanisms.
All by next year and this taking into account that those who shoulder the blame must foot the bill.
Polluters must pay.
Excellencies,
The rapid rise of new technologies poses another unpredictable existential risk.
Artificial Intelligence will change virtually everything we know — from work, education and communication, to culture and politics.
We know AI is rapidly advancing, but where is it taking us:
To more freedom – or more conflict?
To a more sustainable world – or greater inequality?
To being better informed – or easier to manipulate?
A handful of companies and even individuals have already amassed enormous power over the development of AI – with little accountability or oversight for the moment.
Without a global approach to its management, artificial intelligence could lead to artificial divisions across the board – a Great Fracture with two internets, two markets, two economies – with every country forced to pick a side, and enormous consequences for all.
The United Nations is the universal platform for dialogue and consensus.
It is uniquely placed to promote cooperation on AI – based on the values of the Charter and international law.
The global debate happens here, or it does not happen.
I welcome important first steps.
Two resolutions in the General Assembly, the Global Digital Compact, and the recommendations of the High-Level Body on AI can lay the foundations for inclusive governance of AI.
Let’s move forward together to make AI a force for good.
Excellencies,
Nothing lasts forever.
But a feature of human life is that it appears otherwise.
The current order always feels fixed.
Until it is not.
Across human history, we see empires rising and falling; old certainties crumbling; tectonic shifts in global affairs.
Today our course is unsustainable.
It is in all our interests to manage the epic transformations underway; to choose the future we want and to guide our world towards it.
Many have said that the differences and divisions today are just too great.
That it is impossible for us to come together for the common good.
You proved that is not true.
The Summit of the Future showed that with a spirit of dialogue and compromise, we can join forces to steer our world to a more sustainable path.
It is not the end.
It is a start of a journey, a compass in the whirlwind.
Let’s keep going.
Let’s move our world towards less impunity and more accountability …. less inequality and more justice … less uncertainty and more opportunity.
The people of the world are looking to us – and succeeding generations will look back on us.
Let them find us on the side of the United Nations Charter … on the side of our shared values and principles … and on the right side of history.
I thank you.
***
[all-French]
Monsieur le Président,
Excellences,
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Notre monde est pris dans un tourbillon.
Nous vivons une ère de transformation aux proportions épiques et faisons face à des défis sans précédent qui exigent des solutions mondiales.
Et pourtant, les divisions géopolitiques ne vont qu’en s’aggravant. La planète continue de se réchauffer.
Les guerres font rage sans que l’on sache comment elles vont se terminer.
Les gesticulations nucléaires et les nouvelles armes font planer sur nous une ombre inquiétante.
Nous allons tout droit vers l’inimaginable : une poudrière qui risque d’engloutir le monde.
En 2024, la moitié de l’humanité doit se rendre aux urnes – et c’est sur l’humanité tout entière que pèsera l’issue de ces scrutins.
Je me tiens devant vous, face à ce tourbillon, convaincu de deux vérités primordiales.
Tout d’abord, l’état dans lequel se trouve notre monde n’est pas viable.
On ne peut pas continuer ainsi.
Et deuxièmement, il est possible de relever les défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés.
Mais pour cela, nous devons nous assurer que les mécanismes de règlement des problèmes internationaux permettent bel et bien de régler les problèmes.
Le Sommet de l’avenir était un premier pas, mais le chemin à parcourir est encore long.
Pour y parvenir, il faut s’attaquer à trois grands facteurs de l’insoutenabilité.
Un monde d’impunité – dans lequel les violations et les atteintes menacent le fondement même du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.
Un monde d’inégalités – où les injustices et les griefs auxquelles elles donnent jour menacent d’affaiblir les pays, ou pire, de les précipiter dans le gouffre.
Et un monde d’incertitude – où les risques mondiaux ne sont pas gérés, ce qui hypothèque notre avenir, bien au-delà de ce que l’on peut imaginer.
Ces mondes d’impunité, d’inégalité et d’incertitude sont liés entre eux et se télescopent.
Excellences,
Le degré d’impunité dans le monde est indéfendable sur le plan politique et moralement intolérable.
Aujourd’hui, un nombre croissant de gouvernements et d’autres acteurs se sentent autorisés à bénéficier, comme au Monopoly, d’une carte « Vous êtes libéré de prison ».
Ils peuvent fouler aux pieds le droit international.
Ils peuvent violer la Charte des Nations Unies.
Ils peuvent ignorer les conventions internationales relatives aux droits humains ou les décisions des tribunaux internationaux.
Ils peuvent bafouer le droit international humanitaire.
Ils peuvent envahir un autre pays, dévaster des sociétés entières ou mépriser complètement le bien-être de leur propre peuple.
Sans que rien ne se passe.
Partout ‒ au Moyen-Orient, au cœur de l’Europe, dans la Corne de l’Afrique et au-delà ‒ c’est l’ère de l’impunité.
La guerre en Ukraine s’étend et rien n’indique qu’elle va s’arrêter.
Ce sont les populations civiles qui en paient le prix. À preuve, les morts de plus en plus nombreuses, les vies et les communautés brisées.
Il est temps d’instaurer une paix juste, fondée sur la Charte des Nations Unies, le droit international et les résolutions des organes des Nations Unies.
Pendant ce temps, Gaza vit un cauchemar permanent qui menace d’entraîner toute la région dans le chaos.
À commencer par le Liban.
Nous devrions tous être alarmés par cette escalade.
Le Liban est au bord du gouffre.
Le peuple libanais, le peuple israélien et les peuples du monde ne peuvent se permettre que le Liban devienne un autre Gaza.
Soyons clairs.
Rien ne peut justifier les actes de terreur abominables commis par le Hamas le 7 octobre, ni les prises d’otages, que j’ai condamnés à maintes reprises.
Mais rien ne peut justifier d’infliger un châtiment collectif au peuple palestinien.
La rapidité et l’ampleur du massacre et des destructions à Gaza ne ressemblent à rien d’autre de ce que j’ai connu depuis que je suis Secrétaire général.
Plus de 200 membres du personnel des Nations Unies ont déjà été tués et, souvent, des membres de leurs familles ont aussi péri à leurs côtés.
Et pourtant, les femmes et les hommes des Nations Unies continuent d’accomplir leur mission.
Je sais que vous vous joignez à moi pour rendre un hommage appuyé à l’UNRWA et à tous les humanitaires à Gaza.
La communauté internationale doit se mobiliser pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu immédiat, la libération immédiate et inconditionnelle des tous les otages et le lancement d’un processus irréversible pour qu’une solution des deux États voie le jour.
J’aimerais poser une question à ceux qui continuent de saper cet objectif en multipliant les implantations, les expulsions, les provocations:
Quelle est l’alternative ?
Comment le monde pourrait-il accepter un État qui inclurait un grand nombre de Palestiniens et de Palestiniennes privés de liberté, de droits et de dignité ?
Au Soudan, une lutte brutale pour le pouvoir a donné lieu à d’horribles violences, notamment des viols et des agressions sexuelles à grande échelle.
Une catastrophe humanitaire est en train de se produire dans un pays en proie à une famine rampante. Pourtant, les puissances extérieures continuent de s’ingérer sans aucune approche unifiée pour trouver la paix.
Au Sahel, l’expansion dramatique et rapide de la menace terroriste exige l’adoption d’une approche commune fondée sur la solidarité, mais la coopération régionale et internationale est en panne.
Du Myanmar à la République démocratique du Congo, en passant par Haïti et le Yémen, les populations restent exposées à des violences et des souffrances effroyables, sur fond d’incapacité chronique à trouver des solutions.
Pendant ce temps, nos missions de maintien de la paix opèrent trop souvent dans des lieux où il n’y a tout simplement pas de paix à maintenir.
L’instabilité que l’on observe en de nombreux endroits du monde est la conséquence de l’instabilité des relations de pouvoir et des clivages géopolitiques.
La Guerre Froide était pleine de dangers, mais elle avait aussi ses règles.
Il y avait le téléphone rouge, des limites à ne pas franchir et des garde-fous.
On a parfois l’impression que l’on n’a rien de tout cela aujourd’hui.
Nous ne vivons pas non plus dans un monde unipolaire.
Nous sommes en train de passer à un monde multipolaire, mais nous n’y sommes pas encore.
Nous sommes en fait dans le purgatoire de la polarité.
Et dans ce purgatoire, de plus en plus de pays occupent les espaces laissés vides par les divisions géopolitiques et font ce qu’ils veulent sans avoir à rendre de comptes.
C’est pourquoi il est plus important que jamais de réaffirmer la Charte, d’appuyer et de respecter le droit international et de renforcer les droits humains à travers le monde.
Partout et en tout lieu.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
L’augmentation des inégalités est un deuxième facteur de l’insoutenabilité et une tache sur notre conscience collective.
L’inégalité n’est pas une question technique ou bureaucratique.
Au fond, l’inégalité est une question de pouvoir, aux racines historiques.
Les conflits, les bouleversements climatiques et la crise du coût de la vie étendent ces racines historiques plus profondément encore.
Dans le même temps, le monde peine encore à se relever de la flambée des inégalités engendrée par la pandémie.
Si l’on regarde les 75 pays les plus pauvres du monde, un tiers d’entre eux se trouve aujourd’hui dans une situation pire qu’il y a cinq ans.
Au cours de la même période, les cinq hommes les plus riches de la planète ont plus que doublé leurs fortunes.
Et un pour cent des habitants de la planète détient 43 % de l’ensemble des avoirs financiers mondiaux.
Au niveau national, certains gouvernements décuplent les inégalités en accordant des cadeaux fiscaux massifs aux entreprises et aux ultra-riches — au détriment des investissements dans la santé, l’éducation et la protection sociale.
Et personne n’est plus lésé que les femmes et les filles du monde entier.
Excellences,
La discrimination et les abus généralisés fondés sur le genre constituent l’inégalité la plus répandue dans toutes les sociétés.
Chaque jour, il semble que nous soyons confrontés à de nouveaux cas révoltants de féminicides, de violences fondées sur le genre et de viols collectifs – en temps de paix comme en tant qu’arme de guerre.
Dans certains pays, les lois sont utilisées pour menacer la santé et les droits reproductifs.
Et en Afghanistan, les lois sont utilisées pour entériner l’oppression systématique des femmes et des filles.
Et je suis désolé de constater que, malgré des années de beaux discours, l’inégalité de genre se manifeste, et je vous demande pardon de le dire, elle se manifeste aujourd’hui encore, pleinement dans cette enceinte.
Moins de 10 pour cent des intervenants au Débat général de cette semaine sont des femmes.
C’est inacceptable, surtout quand on sait que l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes contribue à la paix, au développement durable, à l’action climatique et bien plus encore.
C’est précisément pour cela nous avons pris des mesures spécifiques pour atteindre la parité hommes-femmes parmi les hauts responsables de l’Organisation des Nations Unies, objectif qui est déjà complété.
C’est faisable.
J’exhorte les institutions politiques et économiques du monde dominées par les hommes à le faire aussi.
Excellences,
Les inégalités mondiales se reflètent et se renforcent jusque dans nos propres organisations internationales.
Le Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies a été conçu par les vainqueurs de la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
À l’époque, la majeure partie du continent africain était encore sous domination coloniale.
À ce jour, l’Afrique n’a toujours aucun siège permanent au sein de la principale instance de paix du monde.
Un changement s’impose.
Il en va de même pour l’architecture financière mondiale, mise en place il y a 80 ans.
Je félicite les dirigeants de la Banque mondiale et du Fonds monétaire international pour les mesures importantes qu’ils ont entreprises.
Mais comme le souligne le Pacte pour l’avenir, la lutte contre les inégalités exige une accélération de la réforme de l’architecture financière internationale.
Au cours des huit dernières décennies, l’économie mondiale s’est développée et transformée.
Les institutions de Bretton Woods n’ont pas suivi le rythme.
Elles ne sont plus en mesure de fournir un filet de sécurité mondial, ni d’offrir aux pays en développement le niveau de soutien dont ils ont tant besoin.
Dans les pays les plus pauvres du monde, le coût des intérêts de la dette dépasse, en moyenne, le coût des investissements dans l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures publiques réunis.
Et à l’échelle du monde, plus de 80 % des cibles des Objectifs de développement durable ne sont pas en bonne voie.
Excellences,
Pour que l’on puisse redresser le cap, les financements mobilisés pour le Programme 2030 et l’Accord de Paris doivent connaître un véritable bond.
Cela implique que les pays du G20 montrent l’exemple sur le Plan de relance des Objectifs de développement durable, de 500 milliards de dollars par an.
Cela implique également d’engager des réformes pour renforcer considérablement la capacité de prêt des Banques multilatérales de développement, afin qu’elles puissent proposer bien davantage de financements abordables et à long terme pour l’action climatique et le développement.
Cela implique de débloquer plus largement des financements pour imprévus, à travers le recyclage des droits de tirage spéciaux.
Et cela implique de promouvoir une restructuration de la dette à long terme.
Excellences,
Je ne me fais guère d’illusions sur les obstacles que nous rencontrerons dans le cadre de la réforme du système multilatéral.
Ceux qui détiennent le pouvoir politique et économique – et ceux qui croient le détenir – ont toujours une aversion au changement.
Pourtant, le statu quo ébranle déjà leur pouvoir.
Sans réforme, la fragmentation est inévitable, condamnant les institutions mondiales à perdre en légitimité, en crédibilité et en efficacité.
Excellences,
Le troisième facteur de l’insoutenabilité de notre monde est l’incertitude.
Le sol se dérobe sous nos pieds.
L’anxiété est à son comble.
Les jeunes, en particulier, comptent sur nous et recherchent des solutions.
L’incertitude est aggravée par deux menaces existentielles : la crise climatique et les bouleversements technologiques rapides, notamment l’intelligence artificielle.
Excellences,
Nous assistons à un véritable effondrement du climat.
Les températures extrêmes, les incendies violents, les sécheresses et les inondations catastrophiques ne sont pas des catastrophes naturelles.
Ce sont des catastrophes humaines, dont les combustibles fossiles précipitent l’enchaînement.
Aucun pays n’est épargné. Mais ce sont les pays les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables qui paient le prix fort.
Les calamités climatiques obèrent les budgets de nombreux pays d’Afrique et leur coûtent jusqu’à 5 % de leur PIB – chaque année.
Et ce n’est que le début.
La température mondiale est sur le point de dépasser la limite de 1,5 degré.
Mais si le problème s’aggrave, les solutions que l’on y apporte deviennent plus efficaces.
Prenons l’exemple des énergies renouvelables : leur prix diminue fortement, leur déploiement s’accélère et des populations voient leur quotidien transformé par une énergie propre, accessible et d’un coût abordable.
Les énergies renouvelables ne servent pas qu’à produire de l’électricité. Elles créent aussi des emplois et de la richesse, sont gages de sécurité énergétique et permettent à des millions de personnes de sortir de la pauvreté.
Mais cela ne doit pas passer par le pillage des pays en développement.
Notre Groupe chargé de la question des minéraux essentiels a recommandé que des mesures équitables et durables soient prises pour répondre à la demande mondiale dans ces ressources, indispensables à la révolution des énergies renouvelables.
Excellences,
Il est certain qu’un monde sans combustibles fossiles verra le jour. En revanche, rien ne dit que la transition sera rapide ou équitable.
Cela dépend de vous.
D’ici à l’an prochain, tous les pays devront élaborer de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux pour le climat ambitieux – ou déterminer leurs contributions au niveau national.
Ils devront faire converger leurs stratégies énergétiques nationales, leurs priorités en matière de développement durable et les ambitions climatiques.
Ils devront ne pas dépasser la limite de 1,5 degré, couvrir l’ensemble de l’économie et concourir à la réalisation de tous les objectifs de transition énergétique convenus lors de la COP28.
Dans le rapport qu’elle a publié aujourd’hui, l’Agence internationale de l’énergie chiffre le niveau d’ambition à atteindre.
D’ici à 2035, en moyenne, les émissions de gaz à effet de serre doivent diminuer de 80 % dans les économies avancées, de 65 % dans les marchés émergents.
Les pays du G20 sont responsables au total de 80 % des émissions.
Ils doivent mener la charge, en respectant le principe des responsabilités communes mais différenciées et en tenant compte des capacités de chacun, en fonction des différents contextes nationaux.
Mais cette action doit s’inscrire dans une démarche collective et suppose la mise en commun des ressources, des capacités scientifiques et de technologies abordables à l’efficacité avérée pour que tous puissent atteindre cet objectif.
J’ai l’honneur de collaborer étroitement avec le Président Lula, dont le pays préside le G20 et accueillera la COP 30, afin de garantir le plus haut degré d’ambition possible, d’accélérer le rythme des progrès et de favoriser la coopération.
Nous venons de nous rencontrer pour discuter de cela.
Les financements sont d’une importance cruciale.
La COP29 arrive à grands pas.
Elle doit être l’occasion de fixer un nouvel objectif ambitieux en matière de financement.
Il faut également que le fonds pour les pertes et les préjudices soit à la hauteur de l’enjeu et que les pays développés tiennent leurs promesses en matière de financement de l’adaptation.
Et l’heure est venue de faire bouger les lignes face à une situation insensée.
Nous continuons de récompenser les pollueurs qui détruisent notre planète.
Le secteur des combustibles fossiles continue d’engranger des profits et des subventions considérables, mais ce sont les populations qui supportent les coûts de la catastrophe climatique, depuis la hausse des primes d’assurance jusqu’à la perte de leurs moyens de subsistance.
Je demande aux pays du G20 de mettre fin aux subventions et aux investissements liés aux combustibles fossiles et de financer à la place une transition énergétique juste,
De mettre un prix au carbone.
Et d’adopter des sources de financement nouvelles et novatrices – notamment en instaurant une redevance internationale de solidarité sur l’extraction des combustibles fossiles, au moyen de mécanismes juridiquement contraignants et transparents.
Et ce, d’ici à l’année prochaine.
Et ce en tenant compte du fait que pour les responsables, l’heure des comptes a sonné.
Les pollueurs doivent payer.
Excellences,
L’essor rapide des nouvelles technologies est une autre menace existentielle dont les conséquences sont imprévisibles.
L’intelligence artificielle transformera notre monde du tout au tout : le travail, mais aussi l’éducation, la communication, la culture ou encore la politique.
Nous savons que l’intelligence artificielle progresse rapidement, mais où nous mène-t-elle ?
Vers plus de liberté ou plus de conflits ?
Vers un monde plus durable ou de plus grandes inégalités ?
Serons-nous mieux informés ou plus faciles à manipuler ?
Une poignée d’entreprises et même de particuliers ont déjà acquis un pouvoir immense grâce au développement de l’intelligence artificielle, sans, pour le moment, avoir véritablement à rendre des comptes et sans grand contrôle.
Faute de mesures mondiales pour en gérer le déploiement, l’intelligence artificielle risque d’engendrer des divisions artificielles dans tous les domaines, de donner lieu à une grande fracture entre deux internets, deux marchés et deux économies et, ainsi, de faire naître une situation où chaque pays serait contraint de choisir un camp, ce qui serait lourd de conséquences pour l’humanité tout entière.
L’ONU est une instance universelle de dialogue et de consensus.
Elle est particulièrement bien placée pour promouvoir la coopération en ce qui concerne l’intelligence artificielle, sur la base des valeurs de la Charte et du droit international.
C’est dans cette enceinte, et nulle part ailleurs, que les membres de la communauté internationale débattent.
Je salue les premières mesures importantes qui ont été prises.
Deux résolutions de l’Assemblée générale, le Pacte numérique mondial et les recommandations de l’Organe consultatif de haut niveau sur l’intelligence artificielle, peuvent asseoir les bases d’une gouvernance inclusive de l’intelligence artificielle.
Ensemble, faisons de l’intelligence artificielle une force au service du bien.
Excellences,
Rien n’est éternel.
Mais l’humanité a ceci de particulier qu’elle croit le contraire.
L’ordre en place a toujours l’air d’être indémontable.
Jusqu’au jour où tout bascule.
L’histoire de l’humanité a été marquée par l’essor et la chute d’empires, l’effondrement de vieilles certitudes et de véritables séismes sur le théâtre du monde.
Aujourd’hui, nous allons droit dans le mur.
Il est dans notre intérêt à toutes et à tous de gérer les transformations colossales qui sont en cours, de déterminer l’avenir que nous voulons et de faciliter son avènement dans le monde.
Beaucoup pensent que les divisions et les divergences d’aujourd’hui sont insurmontables,
Que nous ne parviendrons pas à nous rassembler pour le bien commun.
Vous avez prouvé que ce n’était pas le cas.
Le Sommet de l’avenir a montré que nous pouvons unir nos forces dans un esprit de dialogue et de compromis pour engager le monde sur une voie plus durable.
Ce n’est pas une fin.
Ce n’est que le début, une boussole dans la tempête.
Il faut continuer sur cette lancée.
Ne ménageons pas nos efforts : pour lutter contre l’impunité et renforcer le respect du principe de responsabilité… pour moins d’inégalités et plus de justice… pour échapper à l’incertitude et élargir le champ des possibles.
Les populations du monde entier comptent sur nous, et les générations futures nous jugeront à l’aune de ce que nous aurons accompli.
Nous devons ne pas les décevoir. Nous devons être à la hauteur de la Charte des Nations Unies… de nos valeurs et principes communs… et du bon côté de l’histoire.
Et je vous remercie.
Source: US State of California Governor
FRESNO – Today, Governor Newsom will gaggle after he signs legislation to boost access to affordable housing for California’s farmworkers, building upon his administration’s efforts to protect and support farmworkers across the state.
WHEN: Tuesday, September 24th at approximately 3:00 p.m.
GAGGLE LIVESTREAM: The Governor’s Twitter page, Facebook page, and YouTube page.
**NOTE: This in-person press gaggle will be open to credentialed media only. Media interested in attending must RSVP to govpressoffice@gov.ca.gov by no later than 1:45 p.m., Tuesday, September 24. Location information will be provided upon RSVP.
Source: Government of Canada regional news
Many Alberta municipalities are looking for ways to improve energy efficiency and save taxpayer money by reducing energy costs. However, upgrades and improvements are often expensive or otherwise challenging for communities to put in place.
In response, Alberta is offering a new $3-million Municipal Electricity Generation Program to help municipalities lower the costs of powering and heating recreation centres, town halls, libraries and other community buildings. Communities can now apply for rebates to help improve their electricity systems, reduce operational costs and lower emissions.
“Alberta municipalities are often looking for new opportunities to reduce emissions and lower energy costs for residents and businesses. This investment made through the industry-funded TIER program will help communities invest in practical upgrades that will also help save taxpayers money.”
“Smart technology is the future of our electricity system. By helping municipalities invest in modernizing their energy systems, we’re ensuring that our rural communities not only save money now, but for years to come.”
Starting September 24, municipalities can apply for up to $500,000 in funding for microgeneration systems that can help reduce their electricity costs. Eligible costs include the equipment, materials, labour, installation, and project or construction management costs required to complete the project.
“Our 260 member communities welcome the addition of this forward-looking provincial program that encourages them to install alternative electricity generation technologies in municipal buildings. It’s a step in the right direction.”
“The Municipal Electricity Generation Program will help rural municipalities install microgeneration systems on their facilities that will reduce their emissions. Programs like this are important to our members and rural communities across Alberta.”
“We are thrilled to announce the Municipal Electricity Generation Program, an initiative that empowers Alberta municipalities to take control of their energy future. This program demonstrates environmental leadership, reduces operational costs and contributes to a sustainable energy future for Alberta.”
Applications for the program will close in March 2026 or when funding has been fully allocated, whichever comes first. Municipalities are encouraged to visit the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre’s website for more information.
Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh
Work to restore the iconic timber groynes on Portobello beach has been completed by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The five timber groynes constructed in the 1970s help to hold sand in place to prevent further erosion of the Capital’s important coastline.
In November 2021, one of them was damaged during Storm Arwen and partially collapsed. Following a survey of all of the groynes, work was commissioned to repair and restore them.
Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, Transport and Environment Convener, said:
“By investing half a million pounds in the repair of the groynes we are helping to protect the sand and coastal environment at Portobello so locals and visitors can continue to enjoy this popular beach in Edinburgh for many years to come. This announcement is very timely as we are promoting all the work the Council is doing to address climate change as part of ‘Climate Week’.
“Unfortunately, due to the climate emergency, storms are becoming all too common and I’m really pleased their restoration means we have good protection in place. It’s also great to hear the excess timber wasn’t wasted and was donated to locals including a community garden and artists.
“The iconic groyne structures are well known to locals and visitors and have become part of the landscape in the area so it’s great to see them restored to their former glory.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
September 24, 2024
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) introduced the Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act to help local communities defend themselves from the growing danger of wildfires. This bill will empower communities to implement science-based methods for mitigating wildfire damage and provide funding to design and implement new Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Plans with community members, first responders, and relevant state agencies.
“As our country grapples with the climate crisis, catastrophic wildfires have become an existential threat to the safety of our communities. California has been on the frontlines – with five of the six largest fires in the state’s history occurring in 2020 alone. The government should treat these natural disasters the same way as any other, providing resources and empowering communities to build resiliency,” said Representative Huffman. “My legislation builds on the investments we made last Congress so we can prepare our communities for worst-case scenarios while working to address the build-up of issues that make wildfires so much more destructive than ever before.”
“Wildfires are becoming increasingly frequent and have devastated millions of acres across the West, endangering lives, property, and critical infrastructure,” said Representative Jay Obernolte. “Our local communities are best positioned to understand their own needs and challenges, and the Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act empowers them to take a proactive and coordinated approach to wildfire protection.”
Provisions from Rep. Huffman’s bill, formerly known as the Wildfire Defense Act, were included in President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This included the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, which helps communities, tribes, non-profit organizations, state forestry agencies, and Alaska Native corporations plan for and mitigate wildfire risks as the nation faces an ongoing wildfire crisis. USDA’s Forest Service worked with states and tribes through an interagency workgroup to develop the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, originally announced in June of 2022. Grant proposals underwent a competitive selection process that included review panels made up of state forestry agencies and tribal representatives.
Today’s bill builds on this success and goes even further by designating a targeted, specific grant program for home hardening within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and adds home hardening as an allowable project under the USFS program.
“The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act will promote community resilience in the places most at-risk from wildfire. We are pleased to see Representative Huffman and Senator Harris take decisive action to address the challenges posed by climate change and fire management. We hope other members of Congress will follow their lead,” said Ryan Henson, Policy Director for the CalWild.
“Climate change is exacerbating wildfires, and we need to protect homes, families, and communities across the country,” said Earthjustice Senior Legislative Representative, Blaine Miller-McFeeley. “This legislation understands that mitigating wildfire risks must be grounded in the soundest science-based methods available while providing impacted communities with the resources they need to prepare for wildfire threats. In the face of worsening wildfires, we thank Rep. Huffman for making investments in community resiliency efforts.”
“The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act is common sense legislation that encourages communities to work together to reduce wildfire risk near homes and communities. In particular, prioritizing wildfire risk reduction that utilizes local workers and contractors will ensure that the economic benefits of resilience treatments flow to local communities, resulting in a win-win for people and the forest.” Susan Jane Brown, Principal, Silvix Resources.
Anna Medema, Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy, Forests and Public Lands at Sierra Club said, “With the effects of the climate crisis only becoming more serious, it’s vital that we create and support fire-smart communities. From education and funding to community-scale planning, we need to make sure that the most at-risk places have the resources to help. The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act will go a long way towards making our communities safer and protecting first responders.”
“This bill would help communities adapt to extreme wildfire, a crisis supercharged by climate change,” said Bart Johnsen-Harris, Director of Federal Climate Change Policy at Trust for Public Land. “We applaud Congressman Huffman’s focus on bolstering resilience, which is critical to protecting people’s lives, their homes, businesses and communities.”
“We thank Representative Huffman for this science-based bill that far surpasses others relying on the simplistic and false notion that logging our nation’s forests is the answer to managing wildfire,” said Robert Dewey, Vice President of Government Relations at Defenders of Wildlife. “Supporting healthy biodiverse ecosystems is the best way to increase our nation’s resiliency against the climate crisis and uncharacteristic wildfires.”
“The Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act embodies the crucial shift our agencies must take—moving from broad, misguided forest management strategies deep in the wildlands to a focus on defending communities and safeguarding lives. True wildfire preparedness starts with protecting homes, infrastructure, and the people who live there, not with logging far-off forests. This is the science-backed approach that saves lives and homes by emphasizing defensible space, home hardening, early detection, and community-driven planning,” said Jennifer Mamola, Advocacy and Policy Director for John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
Specifically, the bipartisan Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act will invest $1 billion per year to:
The bill is endorsed by Earthjustice, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Silvix Resources, Defenders of Wildlife, Trust for Public Land, Natural Resources Defense Council, John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute, Wild Heritage, Unite the Parks, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Feather River Action!, Forests Forever, Climate Communications Coalition, Heartwood, Tahoe Forests Matter, Eco-Integrity Alliance, Friends of the Clearwater, and Sonoma County Climate Activist Network (SoCoCAN!, a network of 50+ Sonoma County climate groups and over 300 individuals).
Additional Resources
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Source: Switzerland – Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Bern, 24.09.2024 – Speech by President Viola Amherd, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), at the UN General Debate, New, York, Tuesday, 24 September 2024.
Check against delivery
Mr President
Secretary-General
Excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen
On the morning of 3 March 2002, I put a card into the ballot box, on which I had written a determined ‘yes’. Our TV screens had been filled with various forecasts and figures from the early hours.
But it was only in the evening that the final result came through: after years of struggle and a fiercely contested campaign, Switzerland would join the United Nations.
Ultimately, it was a few hundred votes from the canton of Valais – my home region – that tipped the balance.
On that day, the Swiss people expressed their country’s desire to assume responsibility and take part in the world of international politics in a spirit of solidarity.
More than two decades have now passed. I am addressing you today, just a few days before Switzerland assumes the presidency of the Security Council. The world may have changed, but our principles have not.
Like many countries, we are following with concern the escalating tensions and emergence of new conflicts around the world.
Unfortunately, we are witnessing increasing levels of grave human rights violations as well as a growing, blatant disregard for internationally recognised borders. Might risks taking precedence over right, and the threshold for resorting to military force has clearly fallen significantly.
Only together can we counter the dynamic, captured so aptly by the great writer Ferdinand Ramuz a century ago: “Parce qu’un malheur ne vient jamais qu’un autre ne vienne ; les malheurs se marient entre eux, ils font des enfants.”
There are major challenges ahead: wars, disasters, the damage we are inflicting on our shared environment, technological advancements and the opportunities and risks they bring.
As the only truly global organisation, the UN has a crucial role to play in tackling these issues.
We can make a start right here, if we choose to work together better – regardless of our governmental and economic structures or our cultural differences.
We must not let our world fragment into blocs. We must show our willingness to negotiate principles with all major regions of the world, principles that are in our mutual interest and respected by all. And this must always be underpinned by international law.
Excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen
The search for peace is paramount, and Switzerland is committed to playing its part.
Based on its tradition of good offices and solidarity, and because resignation and inaction should never be an option, this summer Switzerland brought together around 100 states and international organisations for the Summit on Peace in Ukraine.
Our goal was to provide an initial impetus for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on international law and the United Nations Charter. The conference at the Bürgenstock marked an important step in that direction.
The 94 signatory states of the Bürgenstock Joint Communiqué reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
We would like to renew our invitation to the international community to spare no effort in supporting concrete measures and this Joint Communiqué.
International law is the basis for our common endeavours for global peace, security and prosperity.
The Geneva Conventions, the 75th anniversary of which we are celebrating this year, govern the legal basis of war as well as the protection of the civilian population.
But the latest UN figures paint the international community in a poor light. Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not only inadequately protected, but in fact come under repeated attack.
We are witnessing violations of international humanitarian law, from Myanmar to Ukraine, from the Middle East to Sudan. My country has been strongly committed to ensuring that the Security Council adopts ceasefire resolutions, particularly for Gaza and Sudan.
It is urgent that these resolutions are now implemented and respected. Likewise, we urgently call for an immediate return to a total cessation of hostilities on both sides of the Blue Line.
The heavy toll paid by civilian populations in these current crises and conflicts strengthens Switzerland’s resolve to ensure that international humanitarian law remains an absolute priority. Pushing for greater compliance is at the heart of our work in the Security Council.
Protecting the civilian population in conflicts is neither self-evident nor guaranteed. It must be afforded higher priority in conflict situations.
Peace is and always will be the best way to protect civilian populations. To this end, Switzerland is also committed to civilian and military peacebuilding.
Even if some peace missions have been unable to meet all of their intended objectives, they nevertheless contribute to security, stability and peace in people’s everyday lives. When deciding which missions to deploy, we must overcome our disagreements. Peace is too precious a commodity to become a pawn of self-serving interests.
Together with our many international partners, Switzerland is continuing to contribute to peacebuilding as well as expanding its capacities where possible.
War and peace are not the only challenges we face. There are many others that we also need to urgently address:
Civilians not only require protection from armed conflict, but also from natural disasters, as has become increasingly clear in recent years. Climate change and loss of biodiversity are having an existential impact on ever more people.
It is crucial that we also maintain and expand our efforts in these areas, while forging ahead with pioneering developments. Many of the international environmental agreements are either not implemented at all or only inadequately. This is resulting in large-scale environmental destruction.
I am also concerned about the rise in disinformation, which undermines people’s ability to form their own opinions based on facts. Private and state actors spread disinformation at home and in other states to fuel polarisation, sow distrust and destabilise states.
Switzerland has and will always be committed to freedom of expression and media freedom.
Disinformation is toxic. We can counteract this by improving our understanding of what constitutes free speech and manipulation of the facts; by exposing illegitimate interference, by fostering open and fair debate, and, in our capacities as governments and international organisations, by providing transparent and factual information.
Excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen
Switzerland has and always will be committed to strong and effective multilateralism.
All states must come together to find lasting solutions.
My country is shaped by regular democratic debate at all levels of government – local, regional and federal. We urgently need to see more of such constructive and peaceful debate if we are to address the existential challenges that face us.
Two days ago, we adopted the Pact for the Future. The pact is a strong commitment to multilateralism. One of the core elements of the pact is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – our roadmap, which we must implement together as quickly as possible.
“The idea must be born from the vision, like the spark from a flint.” That too is a quote from Ramuz – one that has lost none of its relevance. We need courage and confidence.
And we need a framework in which we can work together as partners to find solutions. That framework is the United Nations. Let us work together to make it stronger.
Thank you.
Address for enquiries
DDPS Communication
Federal Palace East
CH-3003 Bern
Publisher
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
http://www.vbs.admin.ch
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
News Highlights:
PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today at HP Imagine, HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) announced the company’s newest innovations, including next-gen AI PCs, AI-enabled video conferencing solutions, and a scalable GPU performance sharing solution for AI developers – all designed to transform the future of work.
“HP is deeply ambitious in its commitment to reshape the way people work, fostering growth, nurturing creativity, and unleashing limitless innovation,” said Alex Cho, President of Personal Systems at HP Inc. “We’re bringing AI to life and delivering powerful new experiences through our next-gen AI PCs, advanced audio and video solutions, and innovative AI development platform.”
Transforming the Way People Work and Play
AI is transforming the way people feel about work. According to the 2024 HP Work Relationship Index, 68% of knowledge workers believe AI creates new opportunities to enjoy work, and 73% believe AI makes their job easier. Those who use AI are 11-points happier with their relationship with work than their colleagues who don’t. The future of work requires high-performing, AI-powered PCs and solutions that push the limits of what’s possible while freeing up time to focus on what matters.
Flexible Style and Performance Without Compromise: The OmniBook Ultra Flip
Designed for freelancers and creators, the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14-inch Next-Gen AI PC is HP’s first next-gen AI PC 2-in-1 laptop, offering uncompromising style, performance, and flexibility for those seeking the perfect AI creation experience. The device delivers:
Pushing the Envelope for Tech-Forward Leaders: The HP EliteBook X
Empowering tech experts and business consultants to tackle intense workflows locally and in the cloud, the HP EliteBook X 14-inch Next-Gen AI PC delivers ultimate power, performance, and security so workers can prioritize what they love while AI takes care of the rest. As the first EliteBook X in HP’s Commercial PC lineup, this device unlocks:
Personalization Built-In: HP AI Companion & Poly Camera Pro
HP’s next-gen AI PCs are equipped with AI Companion23 and Poly Camera Pro,24 which personalize and optimize a user’s experience for greater productivity and collaboration.
Enabling Companies to Build AI
GPU access is often a scarce resource for a company’s most valuable resource, data scientists and AI developers. As AI workloads grow exponentially, 81% of data scientists believe AI makes their job more fulfilling.25Z by HP Boost solves for scarcity by maximizing GPU utilization to deliver secure, scalable, and on-demand performance to meet rising AI demands, enhance productivity, and accelerate development.
Z by HP Boost is an industry-first solution that revolutionizes GPU sharing across HP AI workstations:
Both Z by HP Boost and the Z by HP Gen AI Lab solutions further extend HP’s AI creation center as the most comprehensive workstation solution for AI development.26 The Z by HP Gen AI Lab provides a built-in trust layer for large language model (LLM) development to detect and correct bias. With streamlined data management, standardized tools, and integration of trust, HP’s AI creation center maximizes the efficiency and impact of valuable AI.
Transforming Where People Work
People work in different places throughout the workday, whether in a meeting room, at the desk, or on the go. 72% of knowledge workers say having access to technology that best suits their work style is important.27 HP offers a range of products and solutions that make it easier for people to be their most collaborative and productive.
Authentic Connection and Collaboration: Poly Studio Video Bars, Poly VideoOS, and Poly Lens
HP is expanding AI integration across various room sizes and collaboration setups. Whether small or large rooms, BYOD or appliance-based, Windows or Android, video bar or modular, HP provides multi-camera, AI-driven experiences for genuine connection and improved collaboration.
HP’s newest additions to the industry’s broadest portfolio of AI-enabled multi-camera capable video conferencing solutions28 include the Poly Studio X32 and Poly Studio X72 all-in-one video bars and Poly Studio V32 and Poly Studio V72 premium USB video bars.
The latest Poly VideoOS 4.4 software brings new AI capabilities to devices already installed in meeting rooms. With live setup for Poly DirectorAI Perimeter, IT administrators can configure smart camera boundaries in real-time, ensuring that only participants in the meeting space are captured. Poly NoiseBlockAI v2 utilizes machine learning technology and advanced noise filtering to eliminate reverberations caused by glass walls and reflective surfaces.
Poly Labs is a new program that provides customers with early access to experimental features. For example, VoiceScoreAI is a program feature that provides an analysis of audio quality in meeting rooms and suggests ways to enhance the overall experience.
HP is enhancing its Poly Lens cloud management platform and private cloud infrastructure with more customized and secure options. Poly Lens Premium includes advanced features like Remote Room Control for IT admins to troubleshoot and resolve issues remotely, saving time and assisting users in meeting rooms. Poly CloudConnect for Zoom Rooms offers participants the flexibility to join Microsoft Teams calls from Zoom Rooms with a robust interface, dual monitor support, and content sharing. Poly PrivateConnect Meeting Control offers greater flexibility and configuration options for customers in secure and controlled video environments using the PrivateConnect cloud infrastructure.
HP is also harnessing its expertise in audio, video, and computing to take video conferencing to the next level to create more meaningful interactions. HP is partnering with Google to bring Project Starline technology to the workplace, delivering a breakthrough communications solution that uses advanced AI and 3D imaging to create an immersive experience that goes beyond traditional video calls. It makes participants feel like they are sitting across the table in the same room. Interested parties can make reservations for priority delivery for the first available units shipping in 2025.
Personalizing Audio and Visual Experiences
As AI enables more immersive experiences at home and in the office, the role audio and visual technologies play has never been more important. 70% of Work Relationship Index respondents say it’s important to have access to technology that allows everybody to be seen and heard regardless of where they are.27 And HP’s broad portfolio of audio and visual solutions equip any environment to make work and play more captivating and enjoyable than ever before.
Versatility Redefined: HyperX Cloud MIX™2
The HyperX Cloud MIX™2 takes flexibility to the next level with personalized, HyperX Signature Sound. Its over-ear headset design featuring plush memory foam earcups and up to 110 hours of battery life via Bluetooth29 offer all-day comfort and power that’s perfect for gaming on the go, music, or work calls. Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation blocks out distractions, and the Transparency feature keeps users aware of surroundings. Dual wireless options – 2.4GHz USB-C dongle and Bluetooth® 5.3 LE Audio ensure seamless connectivity. Enjoy ultra-low latency for gaming and fast-paced activities, with crystal-clear communication thanks to AI-enhanced microphones.
Powering Up Productivity: HP Series 5 Pro
For today’s workers to be successful, the new HP Series 5 Pro Monitors enable productivity for any work environment by providing large canvases for AI workflows and high refresh rates for AI-assisted design and content creation. Featuring eight models ranging in sizes from 23.8 inches to 34 inches, the monitors are the world’s broadest commercial mainstream monitor series with 100W USB-C power delivery.30 The three-sided borderless display with a micro-edge bezel design enables users to seamlessly connect, charge, and power PCs through one USB-C cable for data and video.
The Series 5 Pro portfolio immerses individuals in their work environment and helps limit distractions with integrated AI noise reduction.17 Collaborate confidently and securely with the integrated Poly Studio 5MP pop-up tiltable webcam, which secures the device easily with the Auto Lock & Awake feature. This capability detects the user’s presence to instantly wake the system and dims or locks the PC when the user walks away.
Pricing and Availability31
More information on today’s news at HP Imagine can be found here.
About HP
HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit http://www.hp.com.
1 Based on HP’s internal analysis of next-gen AI business notebooks with a 40-60 TOPS NPU with pre-installed encryption, authentication, malware protection and BIOS-level protection and passing MIL-STD testing. Most powerful based on 55 TOPS NPU and up to 64GB LPDDR5x-8000MT/s memory as of September 2024.
2 Features and software that require a NPU may require software purchase, subscription or enablement by a software or platform provider, and third-party software may have specific configuration or compatibility requirements. Potential NPU inferencing performance varies by use, configuration, and other factors.
3 Based on HP’s internal analysis of video conferencing solutions dedicated to the sole purpose of collaborating with in-room and remote audiences. Video conferencing solutions include modular and video bar room types defined as Bring-your-own-device (BYOD), PC-based with Zoom and Teams certifications, and all-in-one (includes built-in microphones, speakers, camera, and cloud video apps). Sizes are defined as small, medium, and large as advertised. Pending availability of pre-announced products – Poly Studio E360, Poly Studio V72, Poly Studio X32, and Poly Studio V32. Analysis done on 7/31/24.
4 Based on HP’s internal analysis of OEM branded workstation software that can access a networked workstation GPU directly instead of the entire workstation for processing intense data science GPU enabled workloads. Workstations defined as having a minimum 3 ISV certs, configurable professional graphics, and a dedicated workstation brand as of September 2024.
5 All performance specifications represent the typical specifications provided by HP’s component manufacturers; actual performance may vary either higher or lower.
6 HP internal analysis based on all Next Gen AI convertible PCs in the market as of September 2024.
7 Multi-core is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. Performance and clock frequency will vary depending on application workload and your hardware and software configurations. Intel’s numbering is not a measurement of clock speed.
8 Features and software that require a NPU may require software purchase, subscription or enablement by a software or platform provider, and third-party software may have specific configuration or compatibility requirements. Potential NPU inferencing performance varies by use, configuration, software and other factors.
9 Battery life tested by HP using continuous FHD video playback, 1080p (1920×1080) resolution, 200 nits brightness, system audio level as image default, player audio level at 100%, played full-screen from local storage, headphone attached or through speaker (if no audio jack port), wireless on but not connected. Actual battery life will vary depending on configuration and maximum capacity will naturally decrease with time and usage.
10 Based on HP Wolf Security support, which includes a hardened HP BIOS with HP Sure Start and Endpoint Security Controller (ESC). Select capabilities require BIOS configuration.
11 McAfee Deepfake Detection is offered as a 30-day trial feature in addition to the McAfee pre-installed trial. Account subscription required. Must login to the McAfee app and activate the Deep Fake detection feature by consenting to install a browser extension. After trial expiration customers will have an option to add the Deepfake Detection feature with an in-app toggle at any time.
12 Laptops manufactured with recycled ocean-bound plastic material in product speaker enclosures, recycled aluminum material in product cover and post-consumer recycled plastic in keycaps. Percentage of material contained in each component varies by product.
13 See www.epeat.net for registration status and tier levels by country.
14 Multicore is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. Performance and clock frequency will vary depending on application workload and your hardware and software configurations. AMD’s numbering, branding and/or naming is not a measurement of higher performance.
15 Smart Sense requires the myHP app and Windows 11 OS. Features may vary by platform.
16 Requires myHP application and Windows OS.
17 Based on HP’s unique and comprehensive security capabilities at no additional cost among next gen AI business PCs with a 40-60 TOPS NPU as of September 2024.
18 Based on HP’s internal analysis of next gen AI PCs with a 40-60 TOPS NPU with a quantum-resistant cryptographic scheme to protect the integrity of UEFI BIOS firmware as of August 2024.
19 Requires Windows 10 or higher. For supported HP PCs with the latest HP Endpoint Security Controller (Gen 5), click here.
20 Applies to HP PCs, Workstations, and Displays manufactured after January 2019. Based on most Gold and Silver (including Climate+) EPEAT® registrations and according to IEEE 1680.1-2018 EPEAT®. Status varies by country. Visit www.epeat.net for more information.
21 Recycled metal is expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the metal according to ISO 14021 definitions for metal parts over 25 grams. Percent of recycled material varies by product.
22 HP EliteBook X bezel contains at least 20% resin that is partially derived from bio-waste such as used cooking oil. Manufactured according to the mass balance approach.
23 HP AI Companion is available preloaded on select HP next gen AI PCs or is available for download from the Microsoft store and requires a HP next gen AI PC with a NPU supporting 40-60 TOPS and requires Windows 11. Perform requires account setup within 30 days of PC boot or enrollment through the HP AI Companion app. Some features require customer upload of local data. Five (5) library 100MB limit each, supported files may vary at launch include pdf, .txt., .docx files.
24 Requires Windows OS.
25AI Trends in Data Science Report. July 2024.
26 Based on HP’s internal analysis of OEMs for workstations with a minimum 3 ISV certs, configurable professional graphics, and a dedicated workstation brand that designs and develops its own software for AI development, an AI team collaboration tool, data science management software with GUI and offers a workstation OEM curated data science software stack as of Feb 2024.
272024 HP Work Relationship Index.
28 Based on HP’s internal analysis of video conferencing solutions dedicated to the sole purpose of collaborating with in-room and remote audiences. Video conferencing solutions include modular and vi
deo bar room types defined as Bring-your-own-device (BYOD), PC-based with Zoom and Teams certifications, and all-in-one (includes built-in microphones, speakers, camera, and cloud video apps). Sizes are defined as small, medium, and large as advertised. Pending availability of pre-announced products – Poly Studio E360, Poly Studio V72, Poly Studio X32, and Poly Studio V32. Analysis done on 7/31/24.
29 On a single charge using Bluetooth mode with ANC off. Battery life is an estimate and varies depending on many factors, including number of active, idle and asleep hours of use, number of applications running, environmental conditions and features used; actual battery life will vary with usage and environmental condition. The maximum capacity of battery will naturally decrease with time and usage.
30 Based on HP’s internal analysis of a commercial mainstream monitor series of two or more monitors with similar features, marketed under the same brand, from the same manufacturer in different sizes between 22″-34″ and an online list price of $150-$800 as of September 2024 with 100W USB-C Power Delivery. Broadest refers to most displays in a series. 100W USB-C power delivery refers to an integrated USB-C port on the monitor that can deliver 100W of power to a connected device and is not branded as Thunderbolt. Commercial mainstream refers to a category of business-class displays in the same size and price range that are marketed for general office or home office use as opposed to gaming, creative or specialist use.
31 Pricing and availability subject to change without notice.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/356d94b1-275b-47b6-aac7-296f17c7f856
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0510cad4-fd9a-4cd2-8eb5-b1cc253cac00
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fbcf6100-2690-4ed8-9e7b-81367d06993b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99e0fffe-88e0-49c3-ae23-bc7eb1677981
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1c4890b-f69f-4f43-8774-b250933e868f
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99db5234-b7b4-4c56-9ab9-f57f800b3cd8
Source: US State of New York
In celebration of Climate Week, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission has issued final siting permits for the Rich Road Solar Energy Center and Prattsburgh Wind LLC projects. The solar farm and the wind farm, located in St. Lawrence County and Steuben County, respectively, will bring a combined 387 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to New York’s electric grid, powering more than 123,000 average-sized homes. Both facilities will contribute significantly to the State’s ambitious climate goals while providing economic benefits to local communities.
“These two massive renewable energy projects are prime examples of our progress in transitioning to a clean energy economy,” Governor Hochul said. “With the issuance of these siting permits, we are creating good-paying jobs in the North Country and the Southern Tier, while providing clean sustainable energy for our families and businesses.”
The Rich Road Solar project developers estimate that the 240 MW solar farm—which will be supplemented with an additional 20 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) located in the Town of Canton, St. Lawrence County—will generate clean energy capable of powering more than 61,000 average-sized homes. The Prattsburgh wind farm, a 147 MW wind project spanning the Towns of Prattsburgh, Avoca, Cohocton, Howard, and Wheeler in Steuben County, will produce enough power for an estimated 62,000 homes according to its developers.
Today’s announcement marks the second and third major renewable energy facility permits issued by ORES this month. Together, the projects bring the total number of ORES-approved large-scale renewable energy projects to 18 since 2021, representing over 2.7 gigawatts of clean energy. The approvals come during New York’s Climate Week, highlighting the State’s continued leadership in advancing clean energy initiatives and reinforcing its commitment to working toward the State’s climate goals.
Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission Interim Executive Director Jessica Waldorf said, “Today’s announcement demonstrates the State’s continued commitment to a clean energy transition and the responsible siting and development of renewable energy resources. ORES’ issuance of the permits of the Rich Road Solar Energy Center and Prattsburgh Wind LLC projects will support the delivery of significant amounts of clean energy to the electric grid and local community benefits, while mitigating significant adverse environmental impacts.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “The implementation of wind and solar developments like the projects announced today in St. Lawrence and Steuben counties is a critical part of Governor Hochul’s commitment to advancing a clean energy economy and achieving the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. DEC commends the Governor and ORES for their efforts to accelerate green energy deployment and address the challenges of climate change to ensure a greener future for all New Yorkers.”
Alliance for Clean Energy New York Executive Director Marguerite Wells said, “Every megawatt of clean energy that comes online is a win for New Yorkers in the fight against climate change, and brings lasting economic benefits to our state. We thank the state and ORES for granting these siting permits and we look forward to the day the switch is flipped and power flows from these important projects.”
New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “With the impacts of climate change growing more dire by the day, we can no longer afford to just talk about renewable energy, we need to deliver real projects on the ground, and that’s why we’re thrilled to see Governor Hochul and the team at ORES approve the Rich Road Solar Energy Center and Prattsburgh Wind projects. Together, their promise of 387 megawatts of clean energy mark another important step on New York’s path to meeting our CLCPA obligations and transitioning to the clean energy economy we need.”
The application for the Rich Road solar farm was deemed complete on January 3 and a draft permit was issued by ORES on March 4. A thorough, timely, and transparent review process followed that included a public comment period and hearing. The facility will feature three ground-mounted solar PV arrays on single-axis tracker racking systems, a 34.5 kilovolt (kV) to 345 kV collection substation, and a point of interconnection switchyard. Construction of the facility will create more than 300 full-time jobs, with four permanent positions during operation. The project is expected to provide $24 million in direct payments to the Town of Canton, St. Lawrence County, and local school districts over the next 35 years.
The application for the Prattsburgh wind farm was deemed complete on October 30, 2023, with a draft permit issued by ORES on December 29, 2023. The project will encompass 36 wind turbines and related infrastructure across approximately 53 acres of primarily rural land. The project will generate more than $1.2 million annually in tax revenue for local municipalities and over $500,000 in direct lease and neighbor agreement payments to landowners. Additionally, it will create 81 on-site jobs during construction and eight full-time positions during operation.
Both projects are integral to New York’s broader strategy to meet the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s targets, which mandate 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040. Additionally, both projects were approved in less than the one-year timeframe required under the law.
For more information about the Rich Road Solar and Prattsburgh Wind projects, as well as other ORES-permitted facilities, visit the ORES website.
New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that a minimum of 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path toward a zero emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York’s unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 130 certified Climate Smart Communities, over 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change.
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: What to Expect During a FEMA Housing Inspection
What to Expect During a FEMA Housing Inspection
As more survivors from Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides in Connecticut apply for disaster assistance for their damaged homes, FEMA home inspections are taking place in Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven Counties. Survivors are encouraged to know what to expect during a home inspection to ensure their application continues to move forward.
Typically, after a survivor applies for disaster assistance, a FEMA inspector will contact them within a few days to schedule an appointment. The inspector’s phone number may be from out of state or show up on caller ID as “unavailable”.
For the survivor’s protection, the inspector may ask the survivor to verify personally identifiable information (PII) by phone.
When the FEMA inspector calls, write down:
The inspector will attempt contact three times on different days and times of the day via call, text or email to schedule an appointment to conduct the inspection. If the survivor cannot be reached, a letter and/or e-mail will be sent to the address provided at the time of application.
If a FEMA home inspector contacts you, but no one in the household applied for FEMA disaster assistance, inform the inspector and ask for the application to be withdrawn. Also notify FEMA via the Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
A typical inspection takes up to 45 minutes to complete. You or your designated co-applicant will need to meet with an inspector and provide a photo ID. You may invite another individual such as a household member, relative or friend to help communicate with the inspector, if needed.
If you need a reasonable accommodation or a sign language interpreter to communicate with FEMA, please send an email to FEMA-Reasonable-Accommodation@fema.dhs.gov. You can also call 1-833-285-7448, press 2 for Spanish.
If you or your co-applicant are unable to meet with an inspector, a third-party can be designated in writing and pre-authorized before the scheduled time and date.
FEMA never charges a fee for an inspection. The inspector carries an official photo ID and will never ask for bank information. The inspector will attempt to verify the applicant’s name, address, contact information, occupancy and ownership status and insurance coverage.
The inspector will walk through the home to assess the condition of both damaged and non-damaged areas, noting disaster caused damage to real property (structural) and conducting a complete inventory of all damaged and non-damaged essential personal property (appliances, furniture, etc.).
The inspector will ask questions about disaster-caused losses and expenses including medical expenses, moving and storage expenses, items purchased in response to the disaster, uniforms, supplies, and tools required for school or employment.
Inspectors will not climb on roofs or enter crawlspaces. Photos may be taken of the interior and exterior of the home during the inspection process. In situations where the home is inaccessible, the inspector may meet with the survivor at another location to conduct an initial assessment and verify identity, occupancy and/or ownership.
If you suspect an inspector isn’t who they say they are, tell them to leave immediately and call local law enforcement.
FEMA will mail you a decision letter about eligibility for assistance. To receive updates and notifications faster, create an online DisasterAssistance.gov account after applying for FEMA assistance.
Information gathered during the inspection is only one of several criteria used by FEMA to determine eligibility for assistance. If you have questions after your inspection, please call FEMA’s Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish and 3 for all other languages. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. seven days a week.
Billy.domrose
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: FEMA Urges Gulf Coast Residents and Visitors to Prepare Now Ahead of Potential Major Storm
FEMA Urges Gulf Coast Residents and Visitors to Prepare Now Ahead of Potential Major Storm
WASHINGTON — FEMA stands ready to support local and state efforts ahead of Tropical Storm Helene, which is forecast to become a major hurricane before landfall in Florida bringing life-threating storm surge and hurricane conditions later this week. Now is the time for people to have their hurricane plans in place and prepare for the storm.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts this system will strengthen significantly while moving northward over the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida, including the Florida Panhandle and portions of Florida’s west coast. While it is too soon to know the exact location and how strong the storm will be, it is likely to bring heavy rain, life-threatening storm surge, hurricane force winds and flash and urban flooding to affected areas.
FEMA is leaning forward with the activation of the National and Regional Response Coordination Centers and Incident Management Assistance Teams. These actions focus on pre-positioning personnel and commodities in Florida and other strategic locations for swift deployment upon a state’s request. FEMA is working closely with its state partners and has deployed resources to the region including Incident Response teams, Urban Search & Rescue teams, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers power teams, emergency communications teams and are preparing to deploy Health and Medical Assessment teams along with ambulances and other personnel.
NOW is the time to prepare: You can find more hurricane preparedness information on Ready.gov and Listo.gov in Spanish language.
Stay informed. People in areas along Florida’s Panhandle and west gulf coast should follow the forecast carefully and instructions of state and local officials by monitoring local radio or television stations for updated emergency information. You can also download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area.
Be in the know about your evacuation route. Be prepared to evacuate quickly, if told to do so. Act now by learning your evacuation routes and identify where you will stay. Learn more about how to evacuate safely on Ready.gov and Listo.gov in Spanish language.
Know how to stay safe during high winds, storm surge and flooding. Determine how best to protect yourself from high winds and flooding. Evacuate immediately if you are told to do so. If you cannot evacuate, take refuge in a designated storm shelter or interior room for high winds. Go to the highest level of the building if you are trapped by flooding. Do not climb into a closed attic, you may become trapped by rising flood water.
Have a plan. Consider your family’s unique needs, including anyone who needs medicine or medical equipment. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if you aren’t together when a severe storm hits. Visit Ready.gov or Listo.gov in Spanish language for more information on how to stay safe before, during and after severe weather.
If you lose power, use only flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting. If using a generator, remember to always use them outdoors and keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows. Additionally, make sure to keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. De-clutter drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture and put up hurricane shutters if you have them.
Save copies of birth certificates, passports, medical records and insurance papers in a safe, dry place. Keep important documents in a waterproof container and create password-protected digital copies. Take photos or videos of your belongings and property on your phone or upload them to the internet. Move valuables like photo albums, heirlooms and other treasured items to higher levels.
amy.ashbridge
Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)
Global decision makers will convene at three COPs on the Biodiversity, Climate and Desertification agendas this year. As the planet risks maintaining a pathway to 3C of warming, with intensifying land degradation and a million animal and plant species at risk of extinction, a coordinated approach is fundamental to maintain momentum on the net-zero, nature-positive transition. How can actors from the public and private sector move beyond current geoeconomic tensions and take the necessary actions to curb carbon emissions and halt biodiversity loss while ensuring a more inclusive economy?
This session was recorded at the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 24 September. Watch the video stream here: https://www.weforum.org/events/sustainable-development-impact-meetings-2024/sessions/putting-cops-pledges-into-practice/
Speakers:
Mirek Dušek, Managing Director, World Economic Forum
Sumant Sinha, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ReNew
Jesper Brodin, Chief Executive Officer, Ingka Group (IKEA)
Ibrahim Thiaw, Undersecretary-General of the United Nations; Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Maria Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia
Bill Weir, Anchor and Chief Climate Correspondent, CNN
Links:
Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders: https://initiatives.weforum.org/alliance-of-ceo-climate-leaders/home
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
(As prepared for delivery)
President, Secretary-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
“The best way to predict the future is to build it.” It is a truth worth remembering, especially when political division, climate change, war, hunger, and disease seem to overshadow our effort.
We have the tools to deal with these challenges. We have the knowledge, the technology, the financial means, the diplomacy and the robust international institutions.
The IAEA serves its 180 Member States with the lifesaving and lifeaffirming tools of nuclear science and technology. These contribute directly to the SDGs.
Health comes first. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 we jumped into action, harnessing our equipment and knowledge for quick and reliable testing against COVID with the portable RT-PCR machines, or “labs in a suitcase”.
We launched what would become the largest emergency operation in the history of IAEA to nearly 130 States. In so doing, we reached tens of millions of people. For some countries these kits were the first, and sometimes the only equipment they had to conduct reliable testing against COVID-19.
Drawing on this and earlier experiencessupporting the fight against Ebola, avian influenza and Zika, we launched – in that same year – the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC). Under ZODIAC we have trained people from more than 95 countries in dealing with zoonotic diseases. Laboratories in developing countries have received equipment for 3 serology and molecular diagnostic or genetic sequencing. Many of these labs are now being used to combat Mpox.
The IAEA has more than 6 decades of experience in radiotherapy and medical imaging. But today the cancer crisis is hitting low and middleincome countries particularly hard and I am determined to make a greater impact in partnership with our Member States. That is why we launched Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All at the African Union Summit in February 2022, with firm support from the World Health Organization (WHO). Africa is where the cancer care gap is the starkest: more than 20 African nations lack even a single radiotherapy machine. So far, 86 countries have reached out to the IAEA for support under Rays of Hope and concrete actions have been initiated in more than 30 States.
Under our new initiative, NUTEC: NUclear TEchnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution, 86 States around the world are participating in marine microplastic monitoring using nuclear and isotopic tracing techniques. This will help them to put in place better-informed policies that combat the plastic pollution threatening the ocean, its plants and creatures and therefore also the communities that rely on them for their livelihoods. Some 39 States are participating in plastic recycling using radiation technology, four of which are progressing towards establishing pilot-scale plants. This will allow them to reduce plastic waste and advance towards a circular economy. The Global Marine Monitoring Network continues to grow with 99 States now benefiting from capacity building efforts.
Atoms4Food was launched by the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in October 2023. It offers tailor-made approaches in 4 Food and Agriculture, which for years has been the number 1 area of support sought by our Member States. Atoms4Foods supports countries in using innovative nuclear techniques to enhance agricultural productivity, reduce food losses, ensure food safety, improve nutrition, and adapt to the challenges of climate change. This supports farmers as well as the fight against deadly malnutrition.
There is no development without energy. Nuclear power provides about a quarter of the world’s low-carbon electricity. Much more is needed if we are to meet the climate goals set out on the Paris Agreement. In their historic first Global Stocktake, approved at COP28 in Dubai last year, the signatory countries to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change called for accelerating the deployment of low-emission energy technologies including nuclear power. The Pact for the Future adopted yesterday, in Action 26 reaffirmed the inalienable right of all countries to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination, in conformity with their respective obligations.
Today, in addition to the 415 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries there are 62 reactors under construction in 15 countries, most of them in Asia. The IAEA is assisting States, many of them developing countries, either with enlarging their civilian nuclear programs, or with safely embarking on them. We are working with industry and regulators on small modular reactors (SMRs) which will make more affordable the price of entry to the nuclear energy club.
The IAEA is also playing an important role in maintenance of 5 international peace and security.
Mandated by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), we conduct nuclear safeguards, making sure the increased amount of nuclear material around the world does not result in the secret proliferation of nuclear weapons. There is material for thousands of nuclear warheads in the world. Thanks to the robust international safeguards regime and our inspection system, who never stopped even during the COVID pandemic, the number of nuclear weapon States around the world is far fewer than had been feared before the IAEA was established and the NPT came into force.
The IAEA assists States in the creation and implementation of nuclearweapon-free zones, which already cover vast regions of the world. These are important steps towards a world without nuclear weapons.
Our work in Iran, Syria, other countries of the Middle East, and on different continents, contributes to international stability through nonproliferation and through the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
Since February 2022 a large-scale conventional conflict has raged in a country with a large civilian nuclear program. Ukraine used to generate more than half its electricity from nuclear power plants. From the first months of the war, the IAEA has focused on assisting Ukraine in preventing a radiological or nuclear accident, which could have a serious transborder impact. Today, the IAEA has advisory and assistance missions stationed at all five of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including Zaporizhzhia, which is located right at the front line. Following months 6 of negotiations and consultations, on 30 May 2023 at the UN Security Council I outlined five concrete principles to help ensure nuclear safety and security at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya NPP. It received strong support from the Members of the Council.
The IAEA continues to monitor the safe discharge of water from the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Station and engages in consultations with neighbouring and coastal countries with strong interest in the process. Our independent analysis and the data we publish relating to the discharge offer facts that dispel misunderstandings and fears about the process.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I firmly believe in supporting the ability of everyone, regardless of gender, to fully benefit and contribute to the IAEA’s work.
Conviction requires action. When I began my tenure as the IAEA’s Director General five years ago, one of my very first actions was to set a goal for gender parity by 2025 and to put in place the policies to achieve a more diverse workforce.
Five years ago, women represented less than 30% of the Agency. Today, they have surpassed 48%.
Mindful of the need to continue helping future generations, I also launched the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) in 2020. It drives diversity as well as scientific and technological innovation by encouraging women to pursue a career in the nuclear field. Since its launch, hundreds of women from over 120 countries have been awarded fellowships with generous stipends. They have studied in more than 70 7 countries and have also benefited from internships in many areas of the field. Our follow-up program, named after the scientist Lise Meitner, empowers early- and mid-career through career-enhancing opportunities like site visits.
The IAEA is a key multilateral player to make the Pact of the Future a reality. Thank you.
Source: US State of Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—At 9:30AM today, Governor DeSantis was joined by Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), for a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center to provide updates on Tropical Storm Helene. Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-209 on September 24, updating EO 24-208 and declaring a state of emergency for 61 counties, which allows for state officials to make critical resources available to communities ahead of any potential storm impacts.
As of 11AM ET, Tropical Storm Helene officially formed over the Northwestern Caribbean Sea.
Watches and warnings in effect include:
Hurricane Watch: Bay, Calhoun, Charlotte, Coastal Collier, DeSoto, Gulf, Hardee, inland Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, inland Manatee, eastern Marion Mainland Monroe and Middle Keys (Monroe County), Orange, Osceola, Polk inland Sarasota, Seminole, and Sumter counties
Tropical Storm Warning: Lower Florida Keys & Dry Tortugas (Monroe County)
Tropical Storm Watch: Citrus, eastern Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Hernando, Coastal Hillsborough, Jefferson, Liberty, Leon, Levy, Coastal Manatee, western Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Coastal Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla counties
Floridians are encouraged to know their risks from hurricane hazards and prepare for potential impacts from Tropical Storm Helene. To learn more, residents can visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide.
Counties have begun their preparation efforts including measures like sandbag stations. For updates on county resources available visit FloridaDisaster.org/Counties for a list of all 67 county emergency management contacts.
State Preparedness Efforts
Health and Human Services
Infrastructure, Roads and State Closures
Resources for Employees, Businesses and Consumer
Follow FDEM on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates and visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for information relating to Tropical Storm Helene.
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Source: European Commission (video statements)
Carbon-pricing event co-hosted with Justin TRUDEAU, Prime Minister of Canada Prime Minister
Welcoming words by Catherine STEWART, Ambassador of Canada for Climate change
Speech by Justin TRUDEAU, Canadian Prime Minister
Speech by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission
Sound as received!
Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/2X56Ju6
Follow us on:
-X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
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-Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission
Check our website: http://ec.europa.eu/
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) joined Reps. Joe Neguse (CO-02), Marc Molinaro (NY-19), and Josh Harder (CA-09) to introduce the Cross Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act (H.R. 9703).
This bipartisan bill will help inform recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire mitigation by identifying gaps and opportunities in current federal rules and regulations and supporting increased collaboration across agencies and land boundaries.
“As we introduce this bill, firefighters are working around the clock to contain the Airport fire on federal land in the Cleveland National Forest in Trabuco Canyon and surrounding communities. We also recently saw how a fire miles away can negatively impact the air quality in our area,” said Rep. Young Kim. “Reducing barriers to wildfire mitigation can save lives. The Cross Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act aims to bridge any barriers to wildfire mitigation and ensure our first responders can do their jobs as effectively as possible. I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan, commonsense effort with Reps. Neguse, Molinaro, and Harder, and I will keep doing all I can to keep our communities safe and support first responders.”
Rep. Kim has been working tirelessly to improve wildfire mitigation efforts through efforts such as:
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Homeland Security Committee Republicans introduced legislation to combat growing cyber threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against our critical infrastructure. Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) introduced legislation to establish an interagency task force led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to address the cybersecurity threats posed by state-sponsored cyber actors associated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Volt Typhoon.
Additionally, the bill requires that the task force provide a classified report and briefing to Congress annually for five years on their findings, conclusions, and recommendations relating to malicious CCP cyber activity. Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) and Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) cosponsored the legislation. Read more in NextGov via David DiMolfetta.
On the “Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act,” Representative Lee said, “The CCP, acting through Volt Typhoon and other threat actors, has made a concerted effort to pre-position itself within our networks in order to target and compromise the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day––from the transportation and water sectors to the energy sector. While individual agencies have worked to examine and address the threats posed by malign cyber actors like Volt Typhoon, a siloed approach to cybersecurity will only give our adversaries the upper hand. It is critical that the federal government implements a focused, coordinated, and whole-of-government response to all of Beijing’s cyber threats, so no other actors succeed.”
Chairman Green said, “The threat actor ‘Volt Typhoon’ remained undetected and undeterred in our networks for far too long. The discovery of the new actor ‘Flax Typhoon’ further demonstrates the CCP’s unabashed commitment to infiltrating our critical infrastructure. While intrusions from threat actors like the Typhoons create a dangerous opportunity for espionage, we know they could also serve as open doors for the CCP to manipulate or thwart crucial services Americans rely on in the event of escalation in the Indo-Pacific. Now is the time to address the threat China poses in cyberspace.”
Chairman Moolenaar said, “At our Select Committee hearing earlier this year, FBI Director Wray broke the news that the United States had uncovered state-affiliated Chinese hackers, known collectively as Volt Typhoon, who infiltrated American critical infrastructure and installed malware to unleash a cyber-attack at a time of their choosing. I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation alongside Rep. Laurel Lee that will help protect the American people.”
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Source: European Parliament
1. In her recently published 2024-2029 Political Guidelines[1], the President of the Commission has announced that the next Commission intends to adopt a European Water Resilience Strategy to ensure that water is properly managed, scarcity reduced, and the competitive edge of Europe’s water industry strengthened also using a circular economy approach. The adoption date of the strategy will be determined once the new Commission is in place.
2. It is very important for Member States to close their investment gaps by using existing European funds to the fullest extent. The current Mult i annual Financial Framework 2021-2027[2] already provides for various possibilities to financially support improvements of water management and innovation in the water sector (through the European Regional Development Fund[3], the Recovery and Resilience Fund[4], Horizon Europe[5], the EU programme for the environment and climate action[6] etc) . Moreover, the Common Agricultural Policy for 2023-2027[7] funds more efficient irrigation, supports nature-based solutions and organic farming. In case of natural disasters or health emergencies, Member States may also seek support from the EU Solidarity Fund[8].
Source: Bank for International Settlements
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision met virtually on 23–24 September to take stock of recent market developments and risks to the global banking system, and to discuss a range of policy and supervisory initiatives.
Recent market developments
Committee members discussed the spikes in market volatility in late July and early August. While the episodes were short-lived with no significant impact on the global banking system, they highlighted how the build-up of large, levered positions are prone to quick unwinding. They also underscored the importance of banks and supervisors continuing to vigilantly monitor and assess banks’ interconnections with non-bank financial intermediaries.
The Committee also discussed the series of operational disruptions in July, which resulted in outages across numerous sectors, including some banks. These incidents highlighted the importance of banks’ operational resilience and management of third-party risks, and the systemic risks stemming from the reliance on the same third-party software or service. The Committee is currently consulting on proposed Principles for the sound management of third-party risk.
Global systemically important banks
The Committee approved the results of the end-2023 assessment exercise for G-SIBs. The results will be submitted to the Financial Stability Board before it publishes the 2024 list of G-SIBs.
2023 banking turmoil
The Committee finalised an analytical progress report on the lessons learned from the 2023 banking turmoil. As requested by the Brazilian G20 Presidency, the report builds on the Committee’s initial report on the turmoil, with a particular focus on its follow-up analytical work on liquidity risk. The progress report will be submitted to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors and published next month.
The Committee also discussed progress on its work to strengthen supervisory effectiveness in the light of the lessons learned from last year’s turmoil by developing a suite of practical tools to support supervisors in their day-to-day work. This work covers the supervision of liquidity risk and interest rate risk in the banking book, the sustainability assessment of banks’ business models, and the importance of effective supervisory judgment.
This forms part of a series of follow-up initiatives by the Committee to last year’s banking turmoil.
Climate-related financial risks
The Committee continued to review the comments received on its consultation proposing a Pillar 3 disclosure framework for climate-related financial risks.
Note to editors
The Basel Committee is the primary global standard setter for the prudential regulation of banks and provides a forum for cooperation on banking supervisory matters. Its mandate is to strengthen the regulation, supervision and practices of banks worldwide with the purpose of enhancing financial stability. The Committee reports to the Group of Central Bank Governors and Heads of Supervision and seeks its endorsement for major decisions. The Committee has no formal supranational authority, and its decisions have no legal force. Rather, the Committee relies on its members’ commitments to achieve its mandate. The Group of Central Bank Governors and Heads of Supervision is chaired by Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada. The Basel Committee is chaired by Erik Thedéen, Governor of Sveriges Riksbank.
More information about the Basel Committee is available here.
Source: Bank for International Settlements
A very good morning to everyone. It is my great honour to welcome you to this workshop on “Navigating Climate Risk Stress Testing in Malaysia: Catalysing Dialogue and Charting the Course”, jointly organised by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3) Sub-Committee 1 Transition and Physical Risk Working Groups. This capacity building workshop brings together financial industry players and experts in related fields to share experiences, learn best practices and exchange ideas as we collectively prepare to conduct our first industry-wide climate risk stress test.
We firmly believe that climate change is an immediate challenge that poses risks to our financial system. To this end, allow me to describe how the central bank is approaching financial regulation in this space. In Malaysia, we have taken steps to put in place the foundational components to improve the ability of financial institutions to identify, measure and manage climate-related financial risks. There are five key pieces to these foundational components.
Firstly, a climate taxonomy establishes a consistent and common classification system for the identification of climate-related exposures. Second, mandatory climate disclosures by financial institutions will create an impetus for financial institutions to obtain information on their borrowers and investee firms. This, in turn, creates a virtuous cycle of informational flow. Third, regulatory standards on the management of climate-related risks set expectations for financial institutions to reflect these risks in their governance, strategy and risk practices. Fourth is a focus on transition planning. This is to ensure financial institutions set clear climate goals and concrete transition plans. With these building blocks in place, we are now in a good position for the fifth component, which is to accelerate industry capabilities via the conduct of the industry-wide climate risk stress test.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to shed more light on the motivation behind the implementation of the Climate Risk Stress Test. The exercise is primarily intended to enhance capacity building among financial institutions in assessing how their business and operations could be affected by climate risks. Throughout the journey of conducting the stress test, financial institutions will uncover gaps related to data, technology, and methodologies. This serves as a starting point for the institution to assess their internal capability and find ways to address these gaps. In other words, the climate stress test is a forward-looking tool to help financial institutions in identifying, measuring and mitigating their climate risk exposures.
When designing this stress test for Malaysia, at Bank Negara Malaysia, we have strived to incorporate learnings from other jurisdictions, including adapting and incorporating several Malaysia’s specific elements in terms of its economic structure and financial system. We have also incorporated feedback from domestic industry players. In this regard, I would like to take this opportunity to extend Bank Negara Malaysia’s gratitude to many of you here who have provided invaluable feedback during the drafting of the Methodology Paper and reporting template. We truly appreciate the open and collaborative spirit extended by everyone, an approach that continues even up to today.
Climate risk stress testing is still in its infancy globally. Therefore, we have strived to balance between pragmatism and accuracy when specifying our requirements. Where possible we have tried to work around data limitations, lack of technical expertise as well as under-developed modelling techniques. However, considerable challenges remain for financial institutions to successfully run this stress test. We will journey with you through these challenges. It is as much a learning experience for Bank Negara Malaysia as it is for all the financial institutions running the stress test. That is one of the reasons we are all here today at this workshop.
I believe that together we can overcome many of the hurdles. Climate risk is a collective action problem. It may be in each individual’s best interests to act selfishly, regardless of what other individuals do. However, if all individuals act selfishly, then the outcome for everyone is worse than if we all cooperate. At the country level we see this playing out in global emissions reduction. A single small country may feel that spending money to cut emissions may do little for global climate change, and hence choose not to do so. However, such situation could lead to some other, or even all, countries, to opt not to cut emission, and thus, we will end up in a bad outcome globally and having the adverse impact of unattended climate risks being faced collectively.
At the individual financial institution level, the development of new approaches and techniques for stress testing would be crucial for measuring the risk of climate change. However, if each entity chooses to keep their advancements proprietary, industry adoption will be slow. Collaboration and knowledge sharing is needed to scale solutions and reduce costs.
Therefore, I am hoping that for the next few hours, we will all make a conscious choice to participate in these sessions with a generous heart and an open mind. I hope everyone will choose to collaborate rather than compete, to share rather than hoard. In this regard, I am encouraged by the collective efforts by the industry in undertaking capacity building initiatives to upskill the financial institutions and exploring potential solutions to bridge the data gaps. Commendable efforts by the JC3 Sub-Committee 1 and 4 in leading training initiatives and Sub-Committee 5 in producing and refining the Climate Data Catalogue exemplify this collaborative spirit.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Some of you have been asking, what’s next after this stress test? I’d like to address this in some detail.
Important to note is that the climate stress test, or CRST for short, is not an end in itself. It should not be viewed as merely a regulatory compliance exercise. Although BNM does not intend for the results of the inaugural stress test to calibrate capital requirements, we do expect financial institutions to take this exercise seriously. I strongly advise financial institutions to already start planning for how the results of the stress test could be used to inform strategic planning and management decision making.
CRST results are more than just numbers. They provide important insights into how climate risks could impact the business and operations of an institution. Hence, active engagement from senior management and the Board throughout the CRST journey – not just when the final results are available – will be crucial to the success of this first exercise. Financial institutions need adequate internal support to address the challenges they face, and this requires buy-in from the top throughout the stress test exercise.
Additionally, as climate risks continue to evolve, we expect climate risk stress tests to be a recurring exercise moving forward. As such, it is imperative that financial institutions continuously invest in enhancing their stress test capabilities, particularly in areas such as data collection, methodology and model development. This ongoing refinement is essential to ensure that the CRST remains relevant and responsive to the ever-evolving nature of climate risks.
Before I conclude, I want to emphasise the overarching objective of the Climate Risk Stress Test in safeguarding our financial system. Through CRST, we are not only strengthening our institutions’ resilience to climate-related risks but also building a solid foundation for long-term sustainability.
This workshop today provides a great opportunity to kickstart meaningful conversations around CRST. The agenda has been carefully curated to promote deep learning and knowledge sharing, with a strong emphasis on practical applications and addressing real-world challenges in conducting the stress test. I encourage all participants to actively engage and share insights throughout the workshop.
Let me end with the words of Sir David Attenborough “If working apart we are a force powerful enough to destabilise our planet, surely working together, we are powerful enough to save it.” I urge you to stay committed to this journey, continue collaborating, and share your experiences. While past and current actions and inactions created today’s climate problems, our generation must lead the way in fixing it for our children. I have every confidence in our sector’s ability to rise to this challenge and lead the way in building a climate-resilient financial system.
With this, I wish you a productive workshop ahead. Thank you.
MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –
Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.
The government meeting took place today in a unique format. In the public part of the meeting, the ministers presented reports on the activities of their ministries in connection with the flood. El primer minister Donald Tusk announced that this formula will be in force during the next government meetings. Later in the meeting, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft act amending the Act on special solutions related to removing the effects of floods. Tomorrow the government will present information on its activities in the Sejm. In the afternoon, the head of government went to a meeting of the crisis staff in Wrocław. Concrete actions Today’s government meeting was devoted to the situation in southwestern Poland after the flood. In the public part, Prime Minister Donald Tusk asked ministers to present the activities of their ministries and propose specific solutions. “My intention is that each government meeting – in this dramatic time of flood and post-flood reconstruction – should begin with a specific report that should reach people immediately,” explained the head of government. The second part of the meeting of the Council of Ministers was devoted to the draft act amending the act on special solutions related to removing the effects of floods. “Para bromear 100 pages of amendments that will improve the existing law; they will make assistance easier and more flexible,” announced Donald Tusk. The government will be able to secure – together with European funds – up to PLN 23 billion for the “Reconstruction Plus” program. “It was very important for us to provide financing for aid and then reconstruction for the coming months and years – because some projects will last for many years,” the Prime Minister said. The government remains directly involved in supervising activities in the areas affected by the disaster – a meeting of the crisis staff will be held in Wrocław this afternoon. Los dos ministros se multiplican Internal Affairs and Administration The first information during the meeting of the Council of Ministers was presented by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration. Tomasz Siemoniak emphasized that the State Fire Service and the army are currently focusing on two goals. The first is to ensure safety in connection with the peak wave on the Odra River. “We are moving forces and resources, moving helicopters and various types of equipment, so that we have forces and resources in all places of danger – especially backwaters, seepage through embankments or water pouring through embankments in some places” – reported the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration. The second priority is to support residents in restoring normal functioning in the affected municipalities. “Here we do not reduce our commitment in any way. As for the forces of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the Bromear couple approximately 25,000. professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters and policemen,” said Tomasz Siemoniak. The police continue to ensure the safety of residents of flooded areas, including: guarding their property against looters, running mobile posts and providing psychological support. The Central Office for Combating Cybercrime is also carrying out intensified activities. It focuses primarily on the fight against disinformation and the practice of conducting false collections. “I am asking you to follow our announcements carefully. Please check carefully whether this is a fake collection. This is what we are trying to eliminate,” the Minister of Interior and Administration emphasized the importance of the problem. The Ministry of Interior and Administration cooperates with voivodes in the field of paying benefits to the injured. Nearly 20,000 families have already received such support. The aid is also organized by the Government Agency of Strategic Reserves, which has released funds in the amount of PLN 12 million and provides, among others, temporary housing. Ministrosdos of National Defense Prime Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz reminded that from the very beginning, all the armed forces of the Republic of Poland were involved in the fight against the flood: land forces, air forces, navy, special forces and Territorial Defense Forces. “The lines of effort of the army: help and evacuation of the population, taking care of life and health – the most important thing is para bromear. The second thing is securing the embankments, strengthening them as the wave moves. The third issue is the tidying up of the area – matters related to cleaning, unblocking communication routes,” the Minister of National Defense listed the activities of the services subordinated to him. The army also got involved, among others: in the organization of the field hospital in Nysa and the disinfection process. On Monday, September 23, the Feniks military operation began. “We immediately launched another operation – Operation Phoenix, aimed at reconstruction, returning to normality. In fact, it is about raising the level of reconstruction to an even better infrastructure than what was destroyed,” announced the head of the Ministry of Defense. The operation is scheduled at least until the end of the year. Soldiers will be present in areas at risk and affected by flooding until the effects of the flood are removed. The cost of Operation Feniks is estimated at approximately PLN 175 million. Our NATO and EU partners offer their help, for example by sending engineering teams to rebuild roads and bridges. “Para bromear is an expression of solidarity that Poland has always shown to countries in need,” noted the Minister of National Defense. El primer ministro Donald Tusk thanked for the information about offers of international assistance. “Good comes back in different situations, in different forms. We helped the Turks, we helped the Swedes not so long ago… The Greeks, of course, with forest fires. Today, the Swedes are sending us dehumidifiers, the Turks and Germans want to build bridges…” Poland will definitely benefit from the offer of help wherever it is useful. Ministrosdos of Digitization Primer Ministro y Ministro of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski presented, among others: actions his ministry took to launch satellite communications. 160 Starlink terminals were handed over to the State Fire Service, and 70 terminales – to the Police. The Ministry of Digitization also cooperates with mobile network operators to provide residents of disaster-affected areas with access to mobile networks. “We have gone from several tens of thousands of people cut off from the mobile network to less than a thousand” – político Krzysztof Gawkowski. Audit activities were commissioned to develop solutions that will avoid disconnection in similar situations in the future. The ministry cooperates with the Police in the fight against disinformation. Recently, increased hostile actions have been recorded on the Russian and Belarusian sides. 80-90% of this false content is removed as soon as it appears. Another important action is to launch flood alerts in the MObywatel application. Thanks to this, residents of individual voivodeships can quickly obtain information about the situation in the region. Citizens are also provided with information by the government-created website podz2024.gov.pl. Together with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Minister of Digitization decided to donate 16,000 laptops to the affected areas to be used by children. Ministrosdos Infraestructura El ministro Dariusz Klimczak announced that all roads in Lower Silesia have already been made passable. The situation is worse in the Opole Voivodeship. The head of the ministry reported, among others, from activities aimed at rebuilding the bridge in Głuchołazy. The section of the Kłodzko Główny – Kłodzko Miasto railway route is still impassable. “We anticipate that we will clear traffic on this section by September 30,” Dariusz Klimczak reported the good news. The railway organizes detours on some sections. We appeal to travelers to
analyze the information provided by carriers. The head of the Ministry of Infrastructure provided detailed data on alarm and warning states, meteorological and hydrological warnings and the condition of reservoirs. He paid particular attention to hydrological warnings against third-degree floods for the Lubusz, West Pomeranian, Lower Silesian and Greater Poland voivodeships. Ministrosdos of Finance El ministro Andrzej Domański reminded that his ministry had secured PLN 2 billion in the state budget for the implementation of the most urgent aid tasks related to combating the effects of the flood and was working to increase this amount. “We regularly issue decisions activating funds for voivodes, including the payment of flood benefits. We are also working together with the local government to provide direct assistance to the affected municipalities. We have, among other things, funds at our disposal from the reserve in the amount of PLN 738 million. The decision on the division of this reserve will be made together with the local government,” said Andrzej Domański. They can count on support, among others: borrowers whose mortgage obligation will be taken over by the state for 12 months, as well as entrepreneurs – it is possible, for example, to apply for a waiver of tax liabilities. Ministros dos Funds and Regional Policy The Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instructions, carried out a comprehensive review of the Cohesion Funds. “Up to several billion zlotys can be transferred for reconstruction and resilience purposes,” informed Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. The ministry she manages is creating a new priority within the Cohesion Funds. Dedicated to Bromea Sobre rebuilding in flooded areas and at the same time building resilience to such events. “These will be funds for energy infrastructure, water and sewage infrastructure, road infrastructure, but also funds for private beneficiaries, supporting budget funds for the reconstruction of houses that were destroyed during the flood,” said the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy. The process of redirecting funds is consulted with local government officials from flood regions. Ministry of Climate and Environment Led by Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska, the ministry clima observes, among others, the situation of environmental infrastructure and the state of groundwater. The State Geological Service has introduced a state of hydrogeological threat for the period from September 17 to 30 for the Lower Silesian and Opole voivodeships and the southern parts of the Lubuskie and Greater Poland voivodeships. The Ministry of Climate and Environment directed resources and forces to post-flood areas, thanks to which the number of households without access to electricity significantly decreased. “1,738 customers remain without electricity. At its peak there were almost 80,000 households. The biggest problem in this respect is still the Lower Silesian Voivodeship,” said Paulina Hennig-Kloska. At the request of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Council of Ministers adopted an amendment to the regulation on the state of natural disaster, which is intended to facilitate the removal of waste from areas affected by flooding. The ministry also launched subsidies for local governments for the purchase of, among others, aggregates, pump, dryers. Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy, reminded what the activities of her ministry focus on. “While the ministries and services directly involved in the fight against the element are putting a stop to it, we at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy have been looking from the very beginning where the wave is already receding, where the water is receding and where the people of the flooded areas need immediate, urgent social assistance and financial assistance” – emphasized Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk. The total funds paid for these benefits are 100 million 409 thousand. PLN. This number is still growing. The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has facilitated access to aid by simplifying the form for flood victims. The application may be submitted orally, and the entire procedure works according to the so-called one window. Social workers often come to injured people themselves. El primer ministro Donald Tusk thanked Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk for the initiative to introduce paid leave for those who clean the homes of their loved ones. “A couple of pretty obvious help. Everyone who gets involved and devotes their time, is not at work, but helps their loved ones and family in drying, cleaning, pumping water, etc., will be able to count on state support,” assured the Prime Minister. A provision on this form of assistance will be included in the draft bill developed by the government. Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna announced that the main task of her ministry is to provide residents of flooded areas with access to medical services. Ministrosdos has launched 3 hotlines. “One, the general one, where the patient can find out where the nearest clinic is, where the nearest pharmacy that has not been flooded is; where to go for help. And two more hotlines that concern people in mental health crisis – separately for adults and separately for children and adolescents,” explained Izabela Leszczyna. Psychological and psychiatric help also reaches flood victims through the mobile center. The Minister of Health thanked the employees of all hospitals and clinics who are showing great commitment during the crisis. The hospital in Nysa is at the stage of drying and disinfection. “There is great determination of the employees of the local community, the starosta of Nysa, to open this hospital. Both the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund absolutely support these efforts,” emphasized the head of the ministry. The State Sanitary Inspection focuses on collecting water samples, conducting laboratory tests and issuing disinfectants. Anyone can call the district sanitary and epidemiological station to ask for water testing or help with disinfection. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Adam Nowak, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, informed that according to data collected by the Restructuring Agency, 4,318 farmers who had a registered farm number were affected by the flood. “In accordance with the Prime Minister’s instruction to ensure that this assistance is quick and well-addressed, the first program will be support of approximately PLN 5,000 for a hectare of field containing unharvested agricultural produce, unharvested cereals – mainly corn, partly also soybeans, corn, potatoes and sugar beets” – Adam Nowak presented one of the proposals to help farmers. The ministry will also support farmers, among others: ensuring the possibility of remission of rents for arable land, exemption and remission of social security contributions in KRUS, and compensation for cereals and other agricultural produce that came into contact with flood waters. Another solution is quick advance payments for direct payments to farmers from flood-affected areas. The Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekierski, requested the European Commission to activate the crisis reserve at the disposal of the Commissioner for Agriculture, and also asked voivodes for support in initiating the work of estimating commissions. Ministrosdos of National Education Thanks to the determination of school principals and teachers, currently only 63 institutions have suspended classes. Remote teaching is conducted in 9 schools. “In no case is the safety of the educational course of children and young people at risk at this time. All exams and all activities will take place as planned,” assured Barbara Nowacka, the Minister of National Education. Affected schools have formal and legal options to organize classes in other places. The Ministry of Education has prepared a number of supports for those affected. “To meet
the needs reported by teachers and parents, we organize green schools for children from flood areas. There is a special website at zielonaszkoly.gov.pl with a 24-hour hotline where you can report schools that need help and appropriate assistance. Currently, nearly 850 people have registered – students from schools in flood areas – and are ready to leave,” said Barbara Nowacka. The Ministry plans to extend the program until the holidays. There is a special telephone line of the Ministry of National Education for psychological support. More than 40 psychologists provide assistance around the clock. The ministry, headed by Barbara Nowacka, also coordinates the “Schools for Schools” project, under which willing school communities in the country can support students and institutions from flood-affected areas. Ministros dos Sportu i Turystyki El Ministro Sportu i Turystyki Sławomir Nitras presented information on the forms of support prepared by his ministry. The Ministry will allocate funds for the reconstruction of sports infrastructure, especially school facilities, as well as public and tourist facilities – tourist trails and parks. 50 millones de was secured to support tourist institutions and enterprises that suffered losses due to the cancellation of their stay or the impossibility of carrying it out. “We have secured 2 million PLN in the tourist budget for a program to promote Lower Silesia as a safe place for organizing tourism,” declared Sławomir Nitras. The resort will also support sports clubs. The government’s plans for the coming days. Today, the Prime Minister will take part in a meeting of the crisis staff in Wrocław. During Wednesday’s session of the Sejm, the government will present information on actions in the flood-affected areas. On Thursday, the first reading of the special act that was discussed by the Council of Ministers should take place in the Sejm. . So I am asking for full mobilization,” the Prime Minister asked the politicians. The head of government thanked the heads of ministries for urgently preparing legislative projects and announced the next meeting of the Council of Ministers, which will be held next Saturday.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –
Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.
Meeting of Undersecretary of State Paweł Karbownik with the delegation of the World Bank Group24.09.2024
On September 24, 2024, Deputy Minister of Finance Paweł Karbownik met with a delegation from the World Bank, led by Anna Akhalkatsi, Director for EU countries at the World Bank, and Ines Rocha, Regional Director for Europe at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The conversation focused on current cooperation with the Bank and plans for the near future. The participants discussed cooperation in flood protection and water retention projects in Poland. In particular, the conversation focused on a new investment project in flood and drought prevention, which is to be co-financed by a World Bank loan. The Bank representatives also presented the assumptions of the new cooperation strategy with Poland for 2025-2029. As noted by Deputy Minister Paweł Karbownik, increasing the competitiveness of the Polish economy, energy transformation and adaptation to current challenges, including severe climate phenomena, create the basis for further cooperation with the World Bank Group. The discussion also concerned the Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for Poland, which the Bank plans to publish in early November 2024. This document will be an important point of reference for future actions in the field of sustainable development and combating climate change.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.