Category: Environment

MIL-OSI Russia: International Conference at the State University of Management: A Look into the Future of Public Administration

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

The International Scientific and Practical Conference “State and Municipal Administration in the Context of the Implementation of National Development Goals of Russia” has begun its work at the State University of Management.

The official part was opened by the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroev.

“The topic of today’s meeting is closer to our university than ever, because the specialty “State and Municipal Administration” was born and developed here, and is now implemented in many universities of the country. Many of our graduates hold positions in the state and municipal service, including top positions in ministries, governments and municipalities. And we are pleased that these careers began within the walls of our university,” Vladimir Vitalievich noted.

The welcoming speech was given by the Chairman of the Commission on Territorial Development, Urban Environment and Infrastructure of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Board of the NP “Center for Innovations of Municipalities” Andrey Maksimov.

“I am glad that such a large-scale conference dedicated to the quality of public administration is taking place at the State University of Management. Today we are at an important point: over the past five years, the reform of legislation in the sphere of municipal administration has been completed and the directions for its further development have been laid down. Clear national goals and guidelines for shaping the future of each of us have appeared,” Andrei Nikolaevich emphasized.

On behalf of the conference organizer, the first adviser to the Mayor of Moscow, professor of the Department of State and Municipal Administration of the State University of Management Vladimir Zotov took the floor.

“Our traditional conference is taking place within the walls of the first management university, which has a rich history. Tens of thousands of its graduates work in various sectors of our country’s economy and hold high positions in state and municipal government. This year, Russia is moving to a new system of public authority. Well-formulated goals and programs are the key to our future,” concluded Vladimir Borisovich.

Then the President of the Russian Municipal Academy (RMA) Alexander Aigistov spoke about the history of the development of the new law in the sphere of municipal management and the changes envisaged in it. After that, he presented RMA medals for contribution to the development of local self-government in the Russian Federation to Associate Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Management Elena Khmelchenko and a medal for outstanding labor achievements to Associate Professor of the Department Mikhail Polyakov.

Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Kherson Technical University Viktor Mokrushin thanked the State University of Management for assistance and support in development.

“Thank you for the opportunity to participate, for helping our university. We also have a department of state and municipal management. We are starting almost from scratch, but thanks to the help of the GUU management, we are succeeding,” noted Viktor Ivanovich.

The head of the Vykhino-Zhulebino municipal district Nina Kalkova presented letters of gratitude for their contribution to the training of highly qualified specialists in the field of state and municipal administration to Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Administration Vladimir Zotov and Associate Professor of the department Olga Petrina, as well as gratitude to the specialist in educational and methodological work of the department Valeria Polynnikova.

The head of the Ryazan municipal district, Anatoly Yevseyev, presented letters of gratitude to the head of the department of “State and Municipal Administration” Sergey Chuyev and the assistant of the department Anna Khaustova.

The head of the Lefortovo municipal district, Mikhail Surkov, presented letters of gratitude to specialists in educational and methodological work of the Department of State and Municipal Administration, Ekaterina Lavrova and Ekaterina Volodina

The head of the Tekstilshchiki municipal district, Alexandra Ignatyeva, handed over a letter of thanks to the associate professor of the Department of State and Municipal Administration, Mikhail Polyakov.

After the formal part, the work continued within the framework of seven thematic sections.

On April 17, the conference will include the All-Russian competition “History of Local Self-Government in My Region” and the Final of the All-Russian competition of student project (research) works in the field of state and municipal administration “Managers: New Generation”, and on April 19, a meeting of the young scientists section and the Final of the Open competition of projects of students in grades 9-11 “If I were the head of the city (district)” will take place. Details on the official website of the conference.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/16/2025

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Apple surpasses 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions
Source: Apple

Headline: Apple surpasses 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

April 16, 2025

UPDATE

Apple unveils environmental progress, surpassing 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

Ahead of Earth Day, Apple hits new milestones in emissions reductions, clean energy, and recycled materials

Customers are invited to recycle devices in-store with a special offer through May 16

Apple today announced that the company has surpassed a 60 percent reduction in its global greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2015 levels, as part of its Apple 2030 goal to become carbon neutral across its entire footprint in the next five years. The company achieved several other major environmental milestones, including the use of 99 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 99 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries.¹ Apple shared this and other progress in its annual Environmental Progress Report, published today.

“We’re incredibly proud of the progress we’re making toward Apple 2030, which touches every part of our business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “Today, we’re using more clean energy and recycled materials to make our products than ever before, we’re preserving water and preventing waste around the world, and we’re investing big in nature. As we get closer to 2030, the work gets even harder — and we’re meeting the challenge with innovation, collaboration, and urgency.”

Apple’s 2030 strategy prioritizes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent compared with its 2015 baseline year, before applying high-quality carbon credits to balance the remaining emissions. Last year, Apple’s comprehensive efforts to reduce its carbon footprint — including the continued transition of its supply chain to renewable electricity and designing products with more recycled materials — avoided an estimated 41 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

As Apple celebrates Earth Day with its teams, partners, and customers around the world, including with a special offer for users who bring in devices for recycling, here’s a look at the progress the company is making across its environmental initiatives.

Accelerating Clean Energy in Apple’s Supply Chain

There are now 17.8 gigawatts of renewable electricity online in Apple’s global supply chain, thanks to the company’s long-standing collaboration with its suppliers to transition to 100 percent renewable energy for their Apple production by 2030. The renewable energy procured by Apple suppliers avoided 21.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, an over 17 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, suppliers avoided nearly 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions last year by working with Apple to optimize their energy efficiency.

Driving Cleaner Semiconductor Production

In addition to transitioning suppliers to clean energy, Apple is working across its supply chain to reduce the direct climate impact of industrial processes. This includes the manufacturing of semiconductors and flat-panel displays, both of which emit highly potent fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-GHGs). Today, Apple is announcing that 26 of its direct semiconductor suppliers have committed to abate at least 90 percent of F-GHGs from their facilities with Apple-related production by 2030. Many of these facilities also serve additional customers, helping this progress ripple beyond Apple. Additionally, 100 percent of the company’s direct display suppliers have made the same pledge. In 2024, display and semiconductor suppliers abated 8.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and the new commitments will accelerate that progress in the coming years.

Expanding the Use of Recycled and Renewable Materials

Apple continues to use more recycled and renewable materials across its products, helping drive down their carbon footprint without compromising quality or performance. Earlier this year, Apple surpassed 99 percent on the way toward its 2025 goals to use 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries. Magnets are by far the most significant use of rare earth elements in Apple products overall, and Apple-designed batteries comprise over 97 percent of Apple’s total cobalt use. Apple is committed to sourcing both recycled and primary minerals responsibly, and drives high human rights and environmental standards across its supply chain.

Eliminating Millions of Metric Tons of Waste

In 2024, suppliers participating in Apple’s Zero Waste program redirected approximately 600,000 metric tons of waste from landfills, bringing the total to 3.6 million metric tons since the program’s inception in 2015. That is equivalent to eliminating 4.5 million square meters of landfill space. Apple and its suppliers are innovating to further accelerate progress, from deploying recyclable protective films and reusable trays in manufacturing to recovering valuable metals from waste liquids generated during printed circuit board manufacturing.

Innovating to Reduce Product Emissions

Apple’s environmental progress continues to show up in its products. Earlier this year, the company introduced the new MacBook Air with over 55 percent recycled content overall, the most in any Apple product. Last year, Apple introduced its first-ever carbon neutral Mac with the new Mac mini. And customers can choose a carbon neutral option of any Apple Watch in any material. Apple’s carbon neutral products are the result of innovations to significantly reduce carbon emissions across their three biggest sources — materials, electricity, and transportation — before using high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects to balance the small amount of remaining emissions.

Saving Billions of Gallons of Water Each Year

Apple and its suppliers have saved over 90 billion gallons of fresh water since launching the Supplier Clean Water Program in 2013, which promotes water reuse, efficiency, and other initiatives at facilities around the world. The average reuse rate by participating suppliers was 42 percent last year, saving 14 billion gallons of fresh water in 2024 alone. Across Apple’s corporate operations, the company has set a target to replenish 100 percent of freshwater withdrawals in high-stress locations by 2030. Apple has now initiated long-term partnerships amounting to over 40 percent of that target. This includes support for new and ongoing replenishment projects in the U.S., India, and Africa, which together are expected to deliver nearly 9 billion gallons in water benefits over the next 20 years.

Celebrating Earth Day with Apple

To celebrate Earth Day, Apple is offering customers and users a series of ways to learn and take action to protect the planet — from helping take part in recycling important materials, to enjoying content that celebrates Earth.

Through Apple Trade In and free recycling programs available at Apple Store locations around the world, customers can bring in the Apple products they no longer use for credit or to be responsibly recycled. From now until May 16, customers can receive 10 percent off an Apple accessory when they recycle an eligible item in-store.²

On April 22, Apple Watch users can earn an Earth Day limited-edition award by completing any workout of 30 minutes or more, encouraging them to get outside and stay active. Apple Fitness+ offers thousands of workouts and meditations that can be done anytime, anywhere, including outside. On April 21, a new Time to Walk episode celebrating Earth Day will feature actress and climate advocate Shailene Woodley, and users can discover a collection of Time to Run episodes with Fitness+ trainers through Lake Tahoe; Zion National Park; Kona, Hawaii; and Yellowstone National Park, or enjoy an ocean breathing meditation with Fitness+ trainer Jessica Skye.

On the Apple TV app, customers can also enjoy movies and shows celebrating Earth in “The Future Is Up to Us,” a room that features family-friendly favorites, portraits of changemakers, and awe-inspiring Apple Originals like The Last of the Sea Women. And this Earth Day, Apple TV+ highlights the wonders of our planet through a slate of award-winning original series, specials, and shorts, including Jane, Stillwater, Earthsounds, Earth at Night in Color, Tiny World, Prehistoric Planet, The Secret Lives of Animals, Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, and many more.

Through a new Earth Day collection in the Tips app, users can learn about planet-friendly actions available on iPhone, including how to identify plants in the Photos app, customize and download Maps for a journey outdoors, save electricity at home, and more.

For additional information about Apple’s environmental efforts, visit apple.com/environment.
1. Recycled materials are certified to standards that conform to ISO 14021, and all cobalt claims use mass balance allocation.
2. Offer available to customers who recycle an eligible device and purchase a new eligible accessory in the same transaction between April 16, 2025, and May 16, 2025. Only at Apple Store locations. Additional restrictions apply. For full terms and conditions of the offer, visit apple.com/trade-in.
The information covered in this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our goals, targets, commitments, and strategies. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. More information on risks, uncertainties, and other potential factors that could affect our business and performance is included in our filings with the SEC.

Press Contacts

Sean Redding

Apple

s_redding@apple.com

Chloe Sweet

Apple

chloe_sweet@apple.com

Apple Media Helpline

media.help@apple.com
MIL OSI Economics –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: The EBA updates list of indicators used to perform risk assessments

Source: European Banking Authority

The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published an updated list of indicators for risk assessment and risk analysis tools, together with the accompanying methodological guide. Without adding any reporting burden on reporting institutions nor on competent authorities, this guidance describes how risk indicators are computed in EBA publications. It will allow competent authorities and users of EBA data to interpret key bank figures in a consistent fashion when conducting their risk assessments and analyses.

This update is based on the EBA reporting framework version 4.0 and covers indicators on institutions’ profitability, solvency and operational risk, among others. The update also includes a new sets of risk indicators laid down in the Banking Package (Capital Requirements Regulation and Capital Requirements Directive – CRR3/CRD6), indicators related to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), and those already used in the context of the Minimum Requirement for Own Funds and Eligible Liabilities (MREL).

MIL OSI Europe News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: The Beginning and End of Summer Make Me Anxious

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Time to bolster ourselves for another year of climate crisis and action

FILE PHOTO (2024): A thermal image (inset) shows surface temperatures reaching as high as 61.1℃ along Plaza Miranda and Quiapo Church. The Philippines has been experiencing severe El Niño, aggravated by the climate crisis. © Greenpeace

I used to enjoy Holy Week—the Visita Iglesia in the day, candlelit nights, the circulating bands of door-to-door prayer squads greeted by every household with whispers and reverence. This was the 90s, the height of the long summer blackouts. Even if your family had AC, you wouldn’t have enjoyed it most nights. I remember playing in the streets. It was very hot, but not intolerable. Patintero under the moon, taguan under stars.

This is obviously a whole lot of children’s-book nostalgia, but there must be some truth to the feeling. I bring it up because I don’t look forward to summer anymore. Now, all I can think of when the days start getting warmer is the inevitable heat stroke I’ve gotten every year since 2020, more record-breaking temperatures, the bloated Meralco bills. I don’t remember daytime ever being so white hot and skin searing that every moment outdoors in the hours around noon feels like an assault. And while we know relief will come in a few months–it will be in the form of torrential rains capable of submerging all the cars in my neighborhood.

In other words, the beginning and end of summer gives me, an adult in my 40s, anxiety. Right now is the end of the short season of reprieve: after the storms but before the high heat–which will be lifted by a new round of typhoons and supertyphoons.

FILE PHOTO (2020): A man rests on debris following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, international name ‘Vamco’ in Rodriguez town in Rizal province east of Manila, Philippines. Typhoon Ulysses battered the northern Philippines with heavy rains and strong winds knocking out power in several provinces including areas in Metro Manila and leaving thousands homeless and damaged or destroyed establishments along its path as it blew west. © Basilio Sepe / Greenpeace

It is not lost on me that I am privileged: I live in a relatively sheltered, less flood-prone area of the capital. Millions of Filipinos live in impoverished communities hit hard and often by extreme weather that causes sickness, destruction, loss of livelihood and life. For many, this relentless cycle could be interpreted as a Sisyphean ordeal—endure one disaster after another and try to rebuild, only to be met with new threats and new loss. The reality of climate change looms large, with anxiety hanging thick in the air, never far from mind.

Do you remember Frank Nicol Melgar Marba, the teacher and public servant from Dinagat Islands? He made headlines joining a transnational climate lawsuit against a French fossil fuel company. In 2021, Super Typhoon Odette, one of the strongest recorded storms on Earth, destroyed Frank’s family home, and left them traumatized. He once told the press: “Whenever there’s news of a typhoon coming our way, my grandmother still shakes in fear.”

Polls and studies stretching back a decade tell us this is increasingly becoming the norm. The majority of the nation is worried about the climate crisis. Many Filipinos, especially the young, are burdened by climate anxiety.

In 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) killed thousands and displaced millions in Eastern Visayas. A year later, a study found that an estimated 800,000 people in affected areas were reported to be suffering from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Many may still be feeling the effects to this day. Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted a poll in 2023 which determined that 8 in 10 Filipinos believe climate change poses dangers to physical and mental health. 87% say they have personally experienced climate impacts in the past three years. 81% consider climate change a threat to their mental well-being.

It does not help that much needed climate action by world governments is sluggish and lackluster. Majority of governments are missing deadlines for crucial greenhouse gas emissions cuts. Almost half of corporations around the world abandoned pledged climate targets and got away with it scott free. Fossil fuel consumption is on the rise, which is heating the planet. The heating planet is driving more energy consumption which then prompts the release of more emissions. It feels like being alive today–facing the notion of this escalation of climate change and its consequences–comes in two flavors: 1) aware and in despair or 2) blissfully ignorant, possibly in denial.

Despite all of this, though, the kids seem to be alright–to a degree. True to the trope (and no, please don’t bring the resilience thing into this) Filipinos, especially the youth, are powering through even the worst circumstances. Climate anxiety is translating to climate awareness, which, in the best of cases, translates to motivation to act.

The same cadre of local and international pollsters have found that Filipino youth are some of the most eager to do their part in addressing climate change. The 2023 SWS, for instance, says 74% of respondents agree with the statement: “People like me can do something to reduce climate risks.” Another survey from 2023 said 81% of Filipino young people are aware their actions could make a positive change in improving climate policies in the country.

FILE PHOTO (2020): Children wearing protective masks stay inside a modular tent at the Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila evacuation center. About 22 families living in flood-prone areas in San Juan were forced to evacuate due to super typhoon Rolly, international name Goni. © Basilio Sepe / Greenpeace

I wonder if today’s young people ever got to experience childhood summers like mine. Or were they, armed early with access to all the world’s information, too addled by early onset awareness of what we’ve done to the environment? Give them a platform, place, and opportunity to channel anxiety into something. Give them support, encouragement, solidarity. Join them. Action, especially collective action, bodes well for the planet, and can ease a little panic.

Holy Week is for rest and fortification–mental, emotional, or spiritual–for the year ahead. It’s an opportunity to decide, in the quiet of our own company, or in the company of family and friends, on who to vote for in the coming elections, on what we can do to contribute; if it is in us to be brave, for ourselves and for others, in the midst of a crisis larger than any of our fears.

You might want to check out Greenpeace Philippines’ petition called Courage for Climate, a drive in support of real policy and legal solutions in the pursuit of climate justice.

Courage for Climate

The climate crisis may seem hopeless, but now is the time for courage, not despair. Join Filipino communities taking bold action for our planet.

Make an Act of Courage Today!

Pocholo Goitia is a writer and environmental advocate from Quezon City.

MIL OSI NGO –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Dubai event invites researchers from across world to tackle global challenges – apply to attend

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Smith, Senior Consultant, Universal Impact

Are you a researcher with an idea that could help solve one of today’s most pressing problems? A conference in Dubai this November will showcase research addressing a wide range of global social and environmental issues. And you can now apply to be involved – and present your work.

Prototypes for Humanity, the organisation behind the event, will invite a group of senior academics to attend the three-day forum, which will promote innovative scientific solutions from around the world and act as a platform for international research collaboration.

As part of the newly established Professors’ Programme, selected researchers will travel to the United Arab Emirates, with the event organisers covering the cost of flights and accommodation.

If you’re interested, simply submit a brief abstract for an academic paper addressing one of the key themes:

1. Wellbeing and Health Futures
How can we best harness the latest technological developments to help people live longer and better lives? From precision medicine to artificial intelligence systems, this category encompasses crucial questions around access to healthcare and how to support an ageing society.

2. Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
This theme explores how we design, build, and maintain infrastructure that’s not only functional but future-proof. Submissions could include how to develop cities which are better able to cope with extreme climates, methods of improving water management and new models for sustainable transport.

3. Artificial and Augmented Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every aspect of modern life with crucial questions around citizenship, cybersecrutiy and where to draw the lines in human-AI collaboration, this theme investigates the risks and rewards inherent in our new technological age.

4. Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action
Many of today’s most important research questions relate to the climate crisis, whether its accelerating the uptake of green technologies, reducing pollution, or moving towards a circular economy, innovation is essential for driving sustainability and protecting the future of our planet.

5. Socio-Economic Empowerment and Innovation
Submissions are also welcome on how to make economic growth work for everyone including research into the evolving dynamics of the gig economy, micro-credit initiatives and questions around gender equality, as well as the use of technology for social good.

There are also “Open” and “Speculative” categories for potentially impactful research that doesn’t fit within a single theme and studies in uncharted or emerging fields.

Researchers should apply and submit their brief, 200- to 300-word abstracts by May 16 using this link. Those selected for the Professors’ Programme by the panel will then be asked to develop their abstract into a 1,500- to 2,000-word paper, which they will share at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers from November 17 to 20, 2025, alongside the other finalists of the Prototypes for Humanity programme.

Big ideas

Last year, more than 2,700 entries were submitted to the Prototypes for Humanity programme. And they came from 800 universities around the world – many from institutions which are members of The Conversation’s global media network.

More than 100 projects were presented at the final event, which was attended by Stephen Khan, editor of The Conversation UK, who wrote a blog about his experience.

“For The Conversation, it was an introduction to some projects that I expect you’ll hear and read more about in our content in the months to come,” he said.

“While we rightly assess and explain events as they happen, delivering information about new research, and particularly innovative solutions that are born in the labs, studios and seminars of our partner universities is also a central element of our mission as we strive to be the comprehensive conveyor of academic knowledge.”

Prototypes for Humanity is supported by the government of Dubai and seeks to place the Middle Eastern city at the heart of academic, research-driven solutions. The forum also awards US$100,000 to innovative research projects, recognising the commitment of academics to finding solutions to the world’s biggest issues.

At last year’s event, Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Director of Prototypes for Humanity, elaborated on the team’s vision of the project “as the world’s most comprehensive convener of academic innovation”.

“The diversity, depth and range of applications received – covering all fields of sciences, technology and creative studies – make the initiative reflect the current global state of innovation and how complex global issues are manifested, and addressed, by top academic talent.

“Together, we’re raising awareness of academia’s essential role in driving progress and collaboratively developing solutions that create tangible impacts on people’s lives.”

This year, the event is being supported by Universal Impact, The Conversation’s commercial subsidiary, which offers specialist research communication services to academics around the world – donating profits back to its parent charity.

The Professors’ Programme, which will help academics around the world exchange knowledge and collaborate on shared goals, fits with our mission to help researchers make real world change.

If you, or any of your colleagues are interested in being part of the programme, you can find more information here – or apply here. Abstracts can be submitted until May 16, 2025, and successful participants will be notified by June 13, 2025.

Universal Impact offers specialist training, mentoring and research communication services – donating profits back to The Conversation, our parent charity. If you’re a researcher or research institution and you’re interested in working together, please get in touch – or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to find out more.

– ref. Dubai event invites researchers from across world to tackle global challenges – apply to attend – https://theconversation.com/dubai-event-invites-researchers-from-across-world-to-tackle-global-challenges-apply-to-attend-254724

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ousewem supports Yorkshire’s NFM CoP Monitoring Skill Share
Source: City of York

In a step to strengthen flood resilience in the region last week experts and stakeholders met to share skills.
More than 50 natural flood management (NFM) experts, land managers, and policymakers gathered in Kirkby Malham on Friday 11 April for the first Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice (CoP) Monitoring Skill Share – a practical and collaborative event designed to improve how we monitor NFM’s impact across the region.

Supported by Ousewem and the Environment Agency, the event brought together academics, consultants, and practitioners to share knowledge, test equipment, and explore how monitoring can drive better land management, funding decisions, and long-term resilience.

A shift from data collection to decision-making

From leaky dams in the Dales to river restoration in the Skell Valley, the morning presentations covered a wide range of real-world case studies – including Ousewem’s own approach, which blends landowner-led visual tools with technical data collection to feed into catchment-scale modelling.

Dr Steph Bond, Impact Translation Fellow at iCASP, said:

There’s often uncertainty around why data is being collected or what happens to it. This event helped shift the conversation from just collecting data to using it effectively.”

The afternoon offered hands-on demonstrations at a local site, where attendees used flow monitoring equipment and discussed practical challenges such as data storage, maintenance, and accessibility.

From learning to action

A pre-event survey revealed the wide variety of monitoring methods already in use – from drone footage to simple stage boards. Learning from the day will now feed into a shared resource for the Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice, including:

An inventory of equipment and local support contacts

Tips on setting up and maintaining kit

A draft letter to Defra on improving monitoring support in future funding rounds

Mark Henderson, Flood Risk Manager at City of York Council, said:

We see monitoring not as a tick-box exercise, but as a decision-making tool that shapes investment, policy, and long-term resilience.

“Sponsoring this event reflects Ousewem’s commitment to evidence-led NFM – and to working openly with others to improve outcomes across the region.”

Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency at City of York Council, added:

Nature-based solutions are central to York’s long-term climate resilience strategy.

“To unlock private and public investment in nature-based solutions, we need rigorous data and regional collaboration. Events like this skill share show the value of working collaboratively across sectors to build the evidence we need to invest with confidence. I’m proud that Ousewem, led by City of York Council, is helping to lead that charge.”

What’s next for Ousewem

The Skill Share is just one part of Ousewem’s broader investment in NFM evidence gathering. Upcoming initiatives include:

The next in Ousewem’s video series exploring how monitoring can strengthen decision-making – featuring footage from the Skill Share event.

Living Lab student research, such as Owain Wells’ study of how leaky dams influence upper catchment flows.

Soil aeration trials in Crimple Beck upstream of Burn Bridge, where we’re inviting local farmers to explore how improved soil structure can boost water storage and flood resilience.

Get involved

Would you like to join a future NFM Community of Practice meeting or take part in our next trial?

Contact iCASP@leeds.ac.uk with ‘NFM Community of Practice’ in the subject line or reach out to Ousewem for more on our soil aeration initiative.

For more information or to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact the Ousewem team at ousewem@york.gov.uk.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Wide variety of old-growth ecosystems across the US makes their conservation a complex challenge

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Reed Frederick Noss, Conservation Science Coordinator, University of Florida

In the longleaf pine savannas of the southeastern U.S., most of the biodiversity is found in the ground cover and depends on frequent fires. Reed Noss

In an old-growth longleaf pine savanna, the absurdly long pine needles sing in the wind. Once considered forests, these landscapes in the southeastern U.S. coastal plain are open-canopied and sunny, more grassland than forest, with underbrush kept clear by frequent fires.

Longleaf pines – their needles can be up to 18 inches long – are among the longest-lived trees in eastern North America, surpassing 500 years if they are lucky enough to escape lightning strikes from the region’s frequent thunderstorms. Almost more fascinating is the ground cover, with up to 50 species per square meter, including some plants that are thousands of years old, with the vast majority of their biomass below ground. Picture an underground forest.

In the American West, there are other types of old-growth forest. Dry ponderosa pine woodlands are similarly open in structure and contain trees up to nearly 1,000 years old. But perhaps the most familiar old-growth forests are the complex, wet old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, which stretch from northwestern California to southeastern Alaska.

These forests, which contain Douglas fir, coast redwood, western hemlock, western red cedar, Sitka spruce and many other tree species, have been compared to cathedrals, providing an otherworldly experience of gigantic, ancient trees festooned with mosses and lichens and with fallen trees strewn like buses across the forest floor.

A view of the Hall of Mosses Trail in the Hoh Rain Forest in Washington’s Olympic National Park.
Thomas O’Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images

I’m fortunate to have lived among and studied both southeastern pine savannas and Pacific Northwest conifer forests. The contrast between them could not be greater. And there are many other old-growth forests across the continent – including northeastern spruce fir and northern hardwoods forests, Great Lakes red pine and jack pine woodlands, southern Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests, and Great Basin bristlecone pines reaching nearly 5,000 years old. Each of these forests has a unique ecology, but all are under threat from human activity and climate change.

I recently co-authored a research paper with two colleagues and my collaborator, Carlos Carroll, who is a conservation biologist at the Klamath Center for Conservation Research. In it, we explain that there are some key reasons it’s so difficult to conserve the nation’s varied old-growth landscapes.

In general, the challenge is that it’s possible to conceive of all these areas as a single group – old growth landscapes – where large, old trees dominate the canopy but where small-scale disturbances such as treefall gaps create a mosaic of age classes. Foresters often call this an “uneven-age forest.”

But they really constitute a wide range of landscapes with different, often unique needs for protection, restoration and management. For example, in some old-growth forests, the trees live thousands of years, whereas in others the maximum lifespan of the dominant tree species is much less, sometimes only around 200 years. And some old-growth forests have abundant deadwood, both standing and on the ground, whereas others are kept largely clear of deadwood by frequent fires.

Widely different local conditions

Large, old trees can be removed quickly but require hundreds of years to be replaced. When seeking to balance conservation goals with other priorities, including local economic needs, some foresters use a method called “thinning,” in which wooded areas aren’t clear-cut completely. Instead, only some trees are cut down. This can involve cutting smaller, younger trees while protecting older trees from logging – but at times it has included logging older trees as well. Even if it spares old trees, though, thinning can still harm biodiversity and old-growth ecosystems.

But it isn’t always clear how old a tree must be to protect it from logging. Some conservationists argue that the rules should protect some or all forests that are considered mature – say, 80 or so years old – but not yet old growth. As those stands of trees age, they will become old growth, taking the place of trees logged in the past.

A northern spotted owl sits on a branch in Muir Woods in California.
Robert Alexander/Getty Images

However, a rule as simple as sparing trees above a certain age is not necessarily best for every old-growth region. In longleaf pine savannas, for instance, the standard practice of rapidly extinguishing wildfires has meant hardwood trees typically associated with denser, moister forests have grown up amid the pines. Some threatened species, such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, has adapted to survive only in areas that are extensive open-canopy, old-growth pine savannas with few hardwoods.

Restoration of those forests may require cutting down the invading hardwoods, even if they are decades old, as well as using fire to manage the resulting pine-dominated landscape. In some other types of old-growth forests, careful use of fire may be enough to restore the ecosystem without cutting any trees.

Long-term and short-term at the same time

A key challenge for protecting old-growth areas is the importance of balancing immediate risks with long-term needs, considering how ecosystems change as trees age and die, and across larger areas such as watersheds.

Old-growth forests are rare – less than 7% of the area of U.S. forests today – and are still often logged. To recover forest ecosystems across the U.S., it will not be enough to protect just old-growth areas.

Especially valuable for biodiversity are areas of regenerating forests that grow after fires or other disturbances such as windstorms, in places where live and dead trees in the disturbed forests have not been cut. These disturbed forests provide habitats for species associated with more open conditions. Many woodpeckers, epitomized by the black-backed woodpecker in western North America, depend on conditions created by severe fires.

Populations of the threatened red-cockaded woodpecker in the southeastern U.S. depend on large areas of scattered, old-growth longleaf pines for their survival.
Reed Noss

Observing the broader value

Beyond trees, there are many species of plants and animals that depend on old-growth landscapes. Perhaps most famous among them are the red-cockaded woodpecker of the southeastern U.S. and the northern spotted owl of the Pacific Northwest.

Those plants’ and animals’ needs can give conservationists and ecologists insights into what territory is most useful to preserve, not just for the trees but for the larger ecosystem. That includes finding ways to connect conservation areas across the landscape so life can grow and spread.

Efforts to preserve old-growth landscapes protect more than just the trees. These forests also store carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it drives climate change. They help provide clean water for people and aquatic ecosystems, along with space for recreation, reflection and other cultural activities.

Ecological science cannot resolve the debates about how to prioritize and preserve old-growth forest. But it can help inform the public about the rising costs of doing nothing, and of the wide benefits of maintaining, recovering and restoring functioning old-growth ecosystems.

Carlos Carroll, a conservation biologist at the Klamath Center for Conservation Research, also contributed to this article.

Reed Frederick Noss receives funding from the University of Florida and the Southeastern Grasslands Institute.

– ref. Wide variety of old-growth ecosystems across the US makes their conservation a complex challenge – https://theconversation.com/wide-variety-of-old-growth-ecosystems-across-the-us-makes-their-conservation-a-complex-challenge-253004

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Miami researchers are testing a textured seawall designed to hold back water and create a home for marine organisms

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sara Pezeshk, Postdoctoral Fellow in Architecture, Florida International University

A rendering of BIOCAP tiles installed along a seawall at Morningside Park in Miami.
Sara Pezeshk, CC BY-SA

Morningside Park, a beloved neighborhood park in Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, will soon pilot an innovative approach to coastal resilience.

BIOCAP tiles, a 3D-printed modular system designed to support marine life and reduce wave impact along urban seawalls, will be installed on the existing seawall there in spring 2025. BIOCAP stands for Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and Performance.

Developed by our team of architects and marine biologists at Florida International University, the uniquely textured prototype tiles are designed to test a new approach for helping cities such as Miami adapt to rising sea levels while simultaneously restoring ecological balance along their shorelines.

The project receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ecological costs of traditional seawalls

Seawalls have long served as a primary defense against coastal erosion and storm surges. Typically constructed of concrete and ranging from 6 to 10 feet in height, they are built along shorelines to block waves from eroding the land and flooding nearby urban areas.

However, they often come at an ecological cost. Seawalls disrupt natural shoreline dynamics and can [wipe out the complex habitat zones] that marine life relies on.

Marine organisms are crucial in maintaining coastal water quality by filtering excess nutrients, pollutants and suspended particles. A single adult oyster can filter 20-50 gallons of water daily, removing nitrogen, phosphorus and solids that would otherwise fuel harmful algal blooms. These blooms deplete oxygen levels and damage marine ecosystems.

Filter-feeding organisms also reduce turbidity, which is the cloudiness of water caused by suspended sediment and particles. Less water turbidity means more light can penetrate, which benefits seagrasses that require sunlight for photosynthesis. These seagrasses convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and energy-rich sugars while providing essential food and habitat for diverse marine species.

A robotic 3D printer extrudes concrete in layered, intricate channels.
Sara Pezeshk, CC BY-SA

Swirling shapes, shaded grooves

Unlike the flat, lifeless surfaces of typical concrete seawalls, each BIOCAP tile is designed with shaded grooves, crevices and small, water-holding pockets. These textured features mimic natural shoreline conditions and create tiny homes for barnacles, oysters, sponges and other marine organisms that filter and improve water quality.

The tile’s swirling surface patterns increase the overall surface area, offering more space for colonization. The shaded recesses are intended to help regulate temperature by providing cooler, more stable microenvironments. This thermal buffering can support marine life in the face of rising water temperatures and more frequent heat events driven by climate change.

Another potential benefit of the tiles is reducing the impact of waves.

When waves hit a natural shoreline, their energy is gradually absorbed by irregular surfaces, tide pools and vegetation. In contrast, when waves strike vertical concrete seawalls, the energy is reflected back into the water rather than absorbed. This wave reflection – the bouncing back of wave energy – can amplify wave action, increase erosion at the base of the wall and create more hazardous conditions during storms.

The textured surfaces of the BIOCAP tiles are designed to help diffuse wave energy by mimicking the natural dissipation found on undisturbed shorelines.

The design of BIOCAP takes cues from nature. The tile shapes are based on how water interacts with different surfaces at high tide and low tide. Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall. The goal is to deflect waves away from the seawall, reduce direct impact and help minimize erosion and turbulence around the wall’s foundation.

A collection of 3D-printed concrete BIOCAP tiles.
Sara Pezeshk, CC BY-SA

How we will measure success

After the BIOCAP tiles are installed, we plan to assess how the seawall redesign enhances biodiversity, improves water quality and reduces wave energy. This two-year pilot phase will help assess the long-term value of ecologically designed infrastructure.

To evaluate biodiversity, we will use underwater cameras to capture time-lapse imagery of the marine life that colonizes the tile surfaces. These observations will aid in documenting species diversity and habitat use over time.

To assess water quality, we have developed a specialized prototype tile with sensors that can measure pH, dissolved oxygen levels, salinity, turbidity and temperature in real time. This data will provide insight into how the tiles affect local water conditions.

Finally, to measure wave attenuation and the reduction of wave force, we will mount pressure sensors on both the BIOCAP tiles and the adjacent traditional seawall sections. This comparison will allow us to quantify differences in wave energy across varying tidal conditions and storm events.

As coastal cities confront the dual challenges of increasing threats from climate change and environmental degradation, the BIOCAP project offers what we hope will be an example of a resilient, nature-based solution that benefits both humans and the environment.

In the coming year, we’ll be watching with hope as the new BIOCAP tiles begin to welcome marine life, offering a glimpse into how nature might reclaim and thrive along our urban shorelines.

Read more of our stories about South Florida.

Shahin Vassigh receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency

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

– ref. Miami researchers are testing a textured seawall designed to hold back water and create a home for marine organisms – https://theconversation.com/miami-researchers-are-testing-a-textured-seawall-designed-to-hold-back-water-and-create-a-home-for-marine-organisms-252488

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: CRH to Expand Metro Atlanta Footprint

Source: US State of Georgia

ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that CRH, the leading provider of building materials solutions, plans to create more than 300 new jobs in metro Atlanta and invest $1.7 million in a new Finance & Accounting Shared Services Center (SSC) in Fulton County. The new SSC will support CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business that is also headquartered in Atlanta.

“CRH’s latest investment in Georgia is more proof that our state’s collaborative approach to economic development works for both prospective job creators and those already operating in our state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As we continue to foster a business-friendly environment, these investments create high-quality jobs for hardworking Georgians. We look forward to CRH’s continued success in the No. 1 state for business.”

CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business provides aggregates, asphalt, paving, ready mixed concrete, and construction services and is the leading integrated building materials solutions provider in North America.

“It is an exciting time for CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business as we support our ongoing growth by establishing a world-class Finance & Accounting Shared Services Center in metro Atlanta. The new SSC will enable further integration of our finance and accounting operations, creating additional efficiencies that will help CRH deliver better for our customers across North America,” said Rob Dinkins, Chief Financial Officer, CRH Americas Materials Solutions. “Access to leading talent, infrastructure, and support from the State and local community made it clear that this location would be a key enabler for the project’s success.”

The new Shared Services Center (SSC) will be located at 1120 Sanctuary Parkway in Roswell. Hiring for roles is currently underway, including in finance and accounting, with plans for the facility to be fully staffed by 2029. To learn more about CRH, including where interested individuals can apply for jobs, visit www.crhamericas.com/careers.

“Roswell provides an ideal environment for companies like CRH to flourish, and their decision to expand their operations here is a testament to the strength of our community and our dedication to economic growth,” said Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson. “Our city is not only a prime destination for businesses but also a thriving home for families, thanks to our top-tier schools, safe neighborhoods, scenic parks, and strong sense of community. We are proud to welcome CRH to Roswell and look forward to all of the opportunities they will bring to our city.”

“We’re excited to welcome CRH’s expansion in Fulton County,” said Chairman Robb Pitts, Fulton County Board of Commissioners. “This multimillion-dollar investment, creating more than 300 jobs, highlights our skilled workforce and innovation-driven ecosystem, cementing Fulton County as a top destination for tech leaders.”

“CRH has chosen a great location to make a significant investment,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Many global businesses find success with shared service hubs in metro Atlanta, thanks in part to our large and growing talent pool in finance and technology. With operations in 28 countries, CRH’s presence in Metro Atlanta underscores our region’s international diversity and strong global appeal.”

Assistant Director of Statewide Projects Elizabeth McLean represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this project in partnership with the City of Roswell, Select Fulton, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Georgia Power.

“Once the new Shared Services Center is at full operations, CRH will employ more than 1,400 people in Georgia,” said GDEcD Commissioner Wilson. “Georgia’s universities and colleges, along with metro Atlanta’s appeal to young talent, gives companies a leg up in hiring for long-term jobs. Congratulations to CRH for its continued investment in Georgia, and thank you to the partners who have built a community where talent wants to live and work.”

About CRH

CRH is the leading provider of building materials solutions that build, connect, and improve our world. Employing c.79,800 people at c.3,816 operating locations in 28 countries, CRH has market leadership positions in both North America and Europe. As the essential partner for transportation and critical utility infrastructure projects, complex non-residential construction, and outdoor living solutions, CRH’s unique offering of materials, products, and value-added services helps to deliver a more resilient and sustainable built environment. The company is ranked among sector leaders by Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating agencies. A Fortune 500 company, CRH’s shares are listed on the NYSE and LSE. For more information visit: www.crh.com.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: iRhythm Technologies Releases 2024 Corporate Sustainability Report That Demonstrates Ongoing Commitment to Culture of Quality and Sustainability
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRTC), a leading digital health care company focused on creating trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease, today announced that it has published its 2024 Corporate Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s efforts to build a sustainable and inclusive future.

“iRhythm’s core mission is to create a better world for patients by delivering better health and better insights through our trusted solutions and innovative technologies,” said Sumi Shrishrimal, iRhythm’s Chief Risk Officer and leader of Sustainability and Impact. “We accomplish this by being a responsible, ethical, and inclusive company dedicated to the highest standards of quality and excellence across our business as we execute upon our long-term strategic growth plan. I am so proud of the work our teams do every day, and our 2024 Corporate Sustainability Report reflects how we make cardiac monitoring more accessible, how we enable providers to better detect and prevent disease, and how we impact our communities as a global company.”

The 2024 Corporate Sustainability Report details sustainability accomplishments across four key pillars:
- Quality and Sustainable Technology Innovation highlights include enhancing our quality systems, improving our customers’ experience through Electronic Health Record (EHR) integration and innovative product launches, securing a strategic licensing agreement to advance connected patient care, and forming an Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Governance Steering Committee to address AI risks and opportunities in alignment with the company’s strategic goals
- Access and Health Equity highlights include expanding globally by launching commercially in four European countries (Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland) and receiving regulatory approval from the Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency for the Zio^® 14-day, long-term continuous ECG monitoring system
- Workforce and Inclusion highlights include refreshing our core values to define the workplace culture we would like to shape going forward, revising our code of conduct to provide employees with resources and guidance needed to operate with unquestionable integrity, and introducing new recognition opportunities to celebrate employees who elevate the company’s values through their work
- Environmental Impact highlights include completing inventory of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, achieving 89.5% landfill waste diversion across our operations, obtaining ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems Certification, completing a life cycle analysis (LCA) of our products, and being named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Greenest Companies for 2025
For more information about iRhythm’s corporate sustainability efforts, please visit our Corporate Sustainability page here.

About iRhythm Technologies
iRhythm is a leading digital health care company that creates trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease. Combining wearable biosensors and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms, iRhythm distills data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. Through a relentless focus on patient care, iRhythm’s vision is to deliver better data, better insights, and better health for all. To learn more, please visit https://www.irhythmtech.com/.

Investor Contact
Stephanie Zhadkevich
investors@irhythmtech.com

Media Contact
Kassandra Perry
irhythm@highwirepr.com

The MIL Network –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church
Source: The Conversation – France – By Bernard Laurent, Professeur, EM Lyon Business School

In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis called for a radical break with consumerist lifestyles. Ricardo Perna/Shutterstock

On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis signed his encyclical Laudato Si’ – “Praise be to you” in medieval Italian. This letter to Roman Catholic bishops was no half measure: it took many Catholics by surprise with its uncompromising conclusions and call for an in-depth transformation of our lifestyles. In France, it managed to bring together both conservative currents – such as the Courant pour un écologie humaine (Movement for a Human Ecology), created in 2013 – and more open-minded Catholic intellectuals such as Gaël Giraud, a Jesuit and author of Produire plus, polluer moins: l’impossible découplage? (Produce more, Pollute Less: the Impossible Decoupling?).

The Pope was taking a cue from his predecessors. Benedict XVI, John Paul II and Paul VI had also expressed concern about the dramatic effects of an abusive exploitation of nature on humanity:

“Man is suddenly becoming aware that by an ill-considered exploitation of nature he risks destroying it and becoming in his turn the victim of this degradation.”

What does Pope Francis’s encyclical teach us? And how does it reflect the Catholic Church’s vision, and his own?

A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

The “green” pope

In the text, Pope Francis describes a situation in which the environment is deteriorating rapidly:

“There is […] pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances which contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general.” (§-20)

The “green” pope published Laudato Si’ on June 18, 2015, a few months prior to the Paris climate conference. The aim was to raise public awareness around the challenges of global warming by creating a relational approach that included God, human beings and the Earth. It was the first time an encyclical had been devoted wholly to ecology.

In it, the Pope voiced his concern about the effects of global warming:

“Warming has effects on the carbon cycle. It creates a vicious circle which aggravates the situation even more, affecting the availability of essential resources like drinking water, energy and agricultural production in warmer regions, and leading to the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity.” (§-24)

Criticizing a “technocratic paradigm”

Since Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, the various social encyclicals have consistently rejected the liberal idea of a society solely regulated by the smooth functioning of the market. The French sociologist of religion Émile Poulat summed up the Church’s position perfectly in 1977 in his book Église contre bourgeoisie. Introduction au devenir du catholicisme actuel, in which he writes that the Church “never agreed to abandon the running of the world to the blind laws of economics”.

In 2015, Pope Francis rejected technical solutions that would not truly be useful, as well as the belief in the redeeming virtues of a self-regulating market. He accused “the technocratic paradigm” of dominating humankind by subordinating the economic and political spheres to its logic (§-101). His comments are reminiscent of the unjustly forgotten French Protestant philosopher Jacques Ellul and his idea of a limitless “self-propulsion” of technology, which has become the alpha and omega of our societies.

For Jacques Ellul, technology is anything but neutral since it represents genuine power driven by its own movement.
Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

The pope’s charge against the supposed virtues of the market was spectacular. Among others, he criticized the following:
- overconsumption in developed countries:
“Since the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending.” (§-203);
- the glorification of profit and a self-regulating market:
“Some circles maintain that current economics and technology will solve all environmental problems.” (§-109);
- the hypertrophy of speculative finance:
“Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy.” (§-189);
- the unequal distribution of wealth in the world:
“In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: […] the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest.” (§-48);
- the unequal levels of development between countries, leading Francis to speak of an “ecological debt” owed by rich countries to the least developed ones. (§-51)
Social justice and shrinking growth

In Francis’s words, the goals of saving the planet and social justice go hand in hand. His approach is in keeping with the work of the [economist Louis-Joseph Lebret, a Dominican, who in 1941 founded the association Économie et humanisme. Father Lebret wanted to put the economy back at the service of humankind, and work with the least economically advanced countries by championing an approach based on the virtues of local communities and regional planning.

Pope Francis, for his part, is calling for a radical break with the consumerist lifestyles of rich countries, while focusing on the development of the poorest nations. (§-93). In Laudato Si’, he also wrote that developed countries’ responses seemed insufficient because of the economic interests at stake (§-54).

This brings us back to the principle of the universal destination of goods – the organizing principle of property defended by the Catholic Church’s social doctrine, which demands that goods be distributed in such a way as to enable every human being to live in dignity.

In addition to encouraging the necessary technical adjustments and sober individual practices, Pope Francis is urging citizens in developed countries not to be content with half measures deemed largely insufficient. Instead, he is calling for people to make lifestyle changes in line with the logic of slowing growth. The aim is to enable developing countries to emerge from poverty, while sparing the environment.

“Given the insatiable and irresponsible growth produced over many decades, we need also to think of containing growth by setting some reasonable limits and even retracing our steps before it is too late. […] That is why the time has come to accept decreased growth in some parts of the world, in order to provide resources for other places to experience healthy growth.” (§ -193)

Nearly 10 years on, Laudato Si’ resonates fully with our concerns. In the United States, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who both identify as Catholic, would be well advised to read it anew.

Bernard Laurent is a member of the CFTC and of the IRES Scientific Council

– ref. Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-and-laudato-si-an-ecological-turning-point-for-the-catholic-church-253977
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: No kidding: goats prove brainier than sheep and alpacas

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Megan Quail, PhD Candidate at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University

shutterstock Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

When we think about intelligent animals, farm species aren’t usually the first to spring to mind. We may picture tool-using primates or puzzle-solving crows. But my recent research suggests that sheep, goats and alpacas – staples of the barnyard – deserve more credit.

In two separate studies, I tested how these animals learn, remember and make sense of the world around them. The findings reveal not only that we’ve underestimated their cognitive abilities, but also that there are important differences between species.

Of the three, goats came out on top – outperforming both sheep and alpacas in tasks testing memory and problem-solving.

Initial testing focused on spatial memory, which is the ability to remember the location of something important, like food. In the wild, this is a important survival skill. Animals need to recall where to find water, food or shelter.

I set up a simple experiment. Each animal had to locate food hidden in one of several buckets in a small arena. Once they’d learned where the food was, I changed the positions and tested how quickly and accurately they could relocate it.

Goats appeared to show the strongest spatial memory, finding the food faster and making fewer errors than the others. Sheep also performed well, although they made more mistakes than the goats. The alpacas, however, struggled to complete the tasks within the time limit.

They’re cute but they lack some of the brain power of their goat counterparts.
Siam Stock/Shutterstock

This stronger spatial memory in goats could be linked to their evolutionary history. They have adapted to forage across wide, rocky landscapes and they have probably developed a sharp memory to help them navigate efficiently and return to good food sources.

The second study looked at more complex cognitive skills: object permanence, numerical competence and categorisation – all central to making sense of a changing world.

You may have tested object permanence without realising it, for example, if you’ve ever played peekaboo with a baby. This skill is knowing that an object still exists even when it’s hidden from view. It seems easy, but this ability is an important developmental milestone for humans. Other animals use object permanence to track food, predators, prey, or their own young. It’s an essential skill for survival.

So, for this experiment, I placed food under a cup and gradually made the task harder. I added empty cups, or switched the positions of the cups so the animal had to mentally track the hidden reward.

The goats again excelled at this task. They showed a higher awareness of object permanence than the sheep and alpacas, demonstrating the ability to mentally reconstruct where the hidden object was concealed.

In other tasks, all three could tell the difference between larger and smaller quantities of food, usually picking the container with more treats. But when it came to grouping shapes that looked similar, they all found it equally difficult.

Smarter than we think

Together, these studies offer evidence to dispute the idea that farm animals are not intellectually gifted. Each species has different strengths. But my research suggests that goats understand, remember and process information with greater efficiency in the abilities tested than sheep and alpacas.

Understanding how animals think isn’t just an academic exercise either – it has real-world implications. If we know more about an animal’s cognitive abilities, we can design better environments and improve their welfare. We can also better predict how they’ll behave when grazing or adapting to new surroundings.

For instance, animals with poorer spatial memory may need extra help navigating a field or enclosure. Those with higher cognitive skills may benefit from more stimulating environments that allow them to explore and solve problems.

There may be more going on in the barnyard than we often assume. So, next time you’re at a petting zoo or walking past a farm, don’t be fooled by the woolly coats and demeanour. Especially when it comes to the goats – they may just be outsmarting everyone.

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

– ref. No kidding: goats prove brainier than sheep and alpacas – https://theconversation.com/no-kidding-goats-prove-brainier-than-sheep-and-alpacas-253669

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ousewem sponsors Yorkshire’s NFM CoP Monitoring Skill Share
Source: City of York

In a step to strengthen flood resilience in the region last week experts and stakeholders met to share skills.
More than 50 natural flood management (NFM) experts, land managers, and policymakers gathered in Kirkby Malham on Friday 11 April for the first Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice (CoP) Monitoring Skill Share – a practical and collaborative event designed to improve how we monitor NFM’s impact across the region.

Supported by Ousewem and the Environment Agency, the event brought together academics, consultants, and practitioners to share knowledge, test equipment, and explore how monitoring can drive better land management, funding decisions, and long-term resilience.

A shift from data collection to decision-making

From leaky dams in the Dales to river restoration in the Skell Valley, the morning presentations covered a wide range of real-world case studies – including Ousewem’s own approach, which blends landowner-led visual tools with technical data collection to feed into catchment-scale modelling.

Dr Steph Bond, Impact Translation Fellow at iCASP, said:

There’s often uncertainty around why data is being collected or what happens to it. This event helped shift the conversation from just collecting data to using it effectively.”

The afternoon offered hands-on demonstrations at a local site, where attendees used flow monitoring equipment and discussed practical challenges such as data storage, maintenance, and accessibility.

From learning to action

A pre-event survey revealed the wide variety of monitoring methods already in use – from drone footage to simple stage boards. Learning from the day will now feed into a shared resource for the Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice, including:

An inventory of equipment and local support contacts

Tips on setting up and maintaining kit

A draft letter to Defra on improving monitoring support in future funding rounds

Mark Henderson, Flood Risk Manager at City of York Council, said:

We see monitoring not as a tick-box exercise, but as a decision-making tool that shapes investment, policy, and long-term resilience.

“Sponsoring this event reflects Ousewem’s commitment to evidence-led NFM – and to working openly with others to improve outcomes across the region.”

Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency at City of York Council, added:

Nature-based solutions are central to York’s long-term climate resilience strategy.

“To unlock private and public investment in nature-based solutions, we need rigorous data and regional collaboration. Events like this skill share show the value of working collaboratively across sectors to build the evidence we need to invest with confidence. I’m proud that Ousewem, led by City of York Council, is helping to lead that charge.”

What’s next for Ousewem

The Skill Share is just one part of Ousewem’s broader investment in NFM evidence gathering. Upcoming initiatives include:

The next in Ousewem’s video series exploring how monitoring can strengthen decision-making – featuring footage from the Skill Share event.

Living Lab student research, such as Owain Wells’ study of how leaky dams influence upper catchment flows.

Soil aeration trials in Crimple Beck upstream of Burn Bridge, where we’re inviting local farmers to explore how improved soil structure can boost water storage and flood resilience.

Get involved

Would you like to join a future NFM Community of Practice meeting or take part in our next trial?

Contact iCASP@leeds.ac.uk with ‘NFM Community of Practice’ in the subject line or reach out to Ousewem for more on our soil aeration initiative.

For more information or to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact the Ousewem team at ousewem@york.gov.uk.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: looking back at an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church
Source: The Conversation – France – By Bernard Laurent, Professeur, EM Lyon Business School

In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis called for a radical break with consumerist lifestyles. Ricardo Perna/Shutterstock

On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis signed his encyclical Laudato Si’ – “Praise be to you” in medieval Italian. This letter to Roman Catholic bishops was no half measure: it took many Catholics by surprise with its uncompromising conclusions and call for an in-depth transformation of our lifestyles. In France, it managed to bring together both conservative currents – such as the Courant pour un écologie humaine (Movement for a Human Ecology), created in 2013 – and more open-minded Catholic intellectuals such as Gaël Giraud, a Jesuit and author of Produire plus, polluer moins: l’impossible découplage? (Produce more, Pollute Less: the Impossible Decoupling?).

The Pope was taking a cue from his predecessors. Benedict XVI, John Paul II and Paul VI had also expressed concern about the dramatic effects of an abusive exploitation of nature on humanity:

“Man is suddenly becoming aware that by an ill-considered exploitation of nature he risks destroying it and becoming in his turn the victim of this degradation.”

What does Pope Francis’s encyclical teach us? And how does it reflect the Catholic Church’s vision, and his own?

A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

The “green” pope

In the text, Pope Francis describes a situation in which the environment is deteriorating rapidly:

“There is […] pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances which contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general.” (§-20)

The “green” pope published Laudato Si’ on June 18, 2015, a few months prior to the Paris climate conference. The aim was to raise public awareness around the challenges of global warming by creating a relational approach that included God, human beings and the Earth. It was the first time an encyclical had been devoted wholly to ecology.

In it, the Pope voiced his concern about the effects of global warming:

“Warming has effects on the carbon cycle. It creates a vicious circle which aggravates the situation even more, affecting the availability of essential resources like drinking water, energy and agricultural production in warmer regions, and leading to the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity.” (§-24)

Criticizing a “technocratic paradigm”

Since Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, the various social encyclicals have consistently rejected the liberal idea of a society solely regulated by the smooth functioning of the market. The French sociologist of religion Émile Poulat summed up the Church’s position perfectly in 1977 in his book Église contre bourgeoisie. Introduction au devenir du catholicisme actuel, in which he writes that the Church “never agreed to abandon the running of the world to the blind laws of economics”.

In 2015, Pope Francis rejected technical solutions that would not truly be useful, as well as the belief in the redeeming virtues of a self-regulating market. He accused “the technocratic paradigm” of dominating humankind by subordinating the economic and political spheres to its logic (§-101). His comments are reminiscent of the unjustly forgotten French Protestant philosopher Jacques Ellul and his idea of a limitless “self-propulsion” of technology, which has become the alpha and omega of our societies.

For Jacques Ellul, technology is anything but neutral since it represents genuine power driven by its own movement.
Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

The pope’s charge against the supposed virtues of the market was spectacular. Among others, he criticized the following:
- overconsumption in developed countries:
“Since the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending.” (§-203);
- the glorification of profit and a self-regulating market:
“Some circles maintain that current economics and technology will solve all environmental problems.” (§-109);
- the hypertrophy of speculative finance:
“Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy.” (§-189);
- the unequal distribution of wealth in the world:
“In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: […] the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest.” (§-48);
- the unequal levels of development between countries, leading Francis to speak of an “ecological debt” owed by rich countries to the least developed ones. (§-51)
Social justice and shrinking growth

In Francis’s words, the goals of saving the planet and social justice go hand in hand. His approach is in keeping with the work of the [economist Louis-Joseph Lebret, a Dominican, who in 1941 founded the association Économie et humanisme. Father Lebret wanted to put the economy back at the service of humankind, and work with the least economically advanced countries by championing an approach based on the virtues of local communities and regional planning.

Pope Francis, for his part, is calling for a radical break with the consumerist lifestyles of rich countries, while focusing on the development of the poorest nations. (§-93). In Laudato Si’, he also wrote that developed countries’ responses seemed insufficient because of the economic interests at stake (§-54).

This brings us back to the principle of the universal destination of goods – the organizing principle of property defended by the Catholic Church’s social doctrine, which demands that goods be distributed in such a way as to enable every human being to live in dignity.

In addition to encouraging the necessary technical adjustments and sober individual practices, Pope Francis is urging citizens in developed countries not to be content with half measures deemed largely insufficient. Instead, he is calling for people to make lifestyle changes in line with the logic of slowing growth. The aim is to enable developing countries to emerge from poverty, while sparing the environment.

“Given the insatiable and irresponsible growth produced over many decades, we need also to think of containing growth by setting some reasonable limits and even retracing our steps before it is too late. […] That is why the time has come to accept decreased growth in some parts of the world, in order to provide resources for other places to experience healthy growth.” (§ -193)

Nearly 10 years on, Laudato Si’ resonates fully with our concerns. In the United States, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who both identify as Catholic, would be well advised to read it anew.

Bernard Laurent is a member of the CFTC and of the IRES Scientific Council

– ref. Pope Francis and Laudato Si’: looking back at an ecological turning point for the Catholic Church – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-and-laudato-si-looking-back-at-an-ecological-turning-point-for-the-catholic-church-253977
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 17, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Facelift for historic seafront structure

Source: City of Portsmouth

Permanent steel cladding etched with impressions of an archaeologist’s detailed drawings has been installed on a 17th century defence structure in front of Southsea Castle.

The historically significant structure – designed by the Dutch engineer Bernard De Gomme – was built during the reign of Charles II to improve the fortifications around the castle.

It was uncovered by Wessex Archaeology on behalf of the Southsea Coastal Scheme during construction of sea defences in December 2022.

The original structure was incorporated into the sea defence design and remains beneath a promenade platform built to protect it. A representation of the original stonework, as recorded by the archaeologist who witnessed its recent discovery, is depicted on panels flanking the structure.

Archaeologist Jann Beresford said:

“Throughout the development of the Southsea Coastal Scheme the heritage of the site has been central, and it has been amazing to be part of this. To have my drawings of the 17th-century revetments which were uncovered during the work displayed for those using the promenade is a great honour.”

Portsmouth City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said:

“The de Gomme structure has become an integral part of the reinvigorated seafront near Southsea Castle where its triangular shape and interpretation panels have made it a popular focal point for visitors.

“The addition of permanent steel cladding with etchings of the original stonework structure will keep the structure protected for future generations to enjoy.”

Coastal Environmental Engineer Rachel Hucklesby said:

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see remarkable archaeology uncovered and preserved for future generations to enjoy. They provide a fascinating insight into Southsea’s story and by incorporating it into the public realm, visitors can better appreciate the significant cultural heritage of the area.”

The Southsea Coastal Scheme is a Portsmouth City Council project worth more than £185M.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government announces preferred candidate for S4C Chair
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

News story

Government announces preferred candidate for S4C Chair

Delyth Evans is the Government’s preferred candidate for the S4C Chair, the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced today.
Delyth Evans

Delyth started her career as a journalist at HTV Wales, working on the flagship current affairs programme ‘Y Byd ar Bedwar’ for S4C. She subsequently worked as a reporter on BBC Radio Four’s ‘World at One’ and ‘PM’ programmes. Delyth became a Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly (now the Senedd) in 2000, representing the Mid and West Wales constituency, and was a deputy minister for Culture, Environment and Rural Affairs. After stepping down from politics Delyth worked in the charity sector as Chief Executive of Smart Works, a women’s employment charity. Delyth is currently a Board member at Sport Wales, a Governor at Coleg Gwent, and a trustee of the Alacrity Foundation and the Urdd.

Delyth will now appear on 23 April before MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny.

This process for appointing the Chair of S4C is set out in the Broadcasting Act 1990.

Ministers were assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel which included a departmental official and a senior independent panel member approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Welsh Government and UK Government Wales office were also represented on the Panel.

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

“Delyth began her career as a broadcast journalist, and her vision for S4C’s future reflects a deep understanding of the Welsh cultural and media landscape, as well as an enduring commitment to public service.

“I’m pleased to recommend her for the role of Chair, in which she will no doubt be a proud champion of Welsh-language broadcasting. This marks an exciting chapter for S4C as we develop plans to boost the job opportunities and growth potential of the creative industries in Wales and the rest of the UK.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

“Delyth has a great track record in broadcasting and wealth of experience in public service to bring to the role of S4C Chair.

“S4C plays a pivotal role in Wales, sustaining and promoting the Welsh language and strengthening our unique identity and culture. The channel is a cornerstone of the strong creative sector in Wales which is vital for economic growth.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

“Delyth has a great track record in broadcasting and wealth of experience in public service to bring to the role of S4C Chair.

“S4C plays a pivotal role in Wales, sustaining and promoting the Welsh language and strengthening our unique identity and culture. The channel is a cornerstone of the strong creative sector in Wales which is vital for economic growth.”

Remuneration and Governance Code

S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, meaning “Channel 4 Wales”) is a British Welsh-language free-to-air television channel.

The Chair of S4C is remunerated at £40,000 per annum and the time commitment will be equivalent to an average of two days a week.

This appointment process was run in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The Broadcasting Act sets out how the Chair will be appointed.

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Published 16 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ1: Accessible toilets

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (April 16):

Question:

     It is learnt that new public toilets built by the Government generally adhere to the requirements of the Buildings Department’s “Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008” and include accessible toilets. However, some wheelchair users have relayed that some of these toilets are not equipped with power-operated doors and significant physical strength are required to open the doors, thereby causing inconvenience to users. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of public toilets and accessible toilets currently managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and, among them, the number of accessible toilets equipped with power-operated doors;

(2) of the expenditures/estimates involved for constructing public toilets (including modification and refurbishment works) by various government departments in the past year and the coming year;

(3) of the Government’s specific considerations in respect of the installation of power-operated doors in accessible toilets, and the average cost of installing each power-operated door;

(4) whether the Government will increase the number of accessible toilets equipped with power-operated doors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(5) of the following information on the accessible toilets managed by various government departments which have been suspended due to repair or other reasons in the past three years: the names and addresses of the public toilets in which they are located, and the total number of days suspended;

(6) of the respective average daily usage of various public toilets of the Government that have been installed with the Smart Public Toilet System and the accessible toilets in these public toilets in the past three years; and

(7) of the number of complaints received by various government departments about the use of accessible toilets in public toilets under their management in the past three years, as well as the major subject matters of such complaints; whether the Government has formulated clear guidelines and provided relevant training for frontline cleaning staff to improve the management of these public toilets; if so, of the details of the relevant training (including the training contents as well as the number of training and participants); if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government is committed to providing a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities, so as to enable them to have a barrier-free access to premises and make use of the facilities and services on an equal basis with others, thereby enabling them to live independently and fully integrate into the community.

     At present, the provision of accessible toilets is a statutory requirement under the Third Schedule to Regulation 72 of the Building (Planning) Regulations (Cap. 123F), while the provision of power-operated doors for accessible toilets is a recommended best practice under Division 11 of Chapter 4 of the Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008 (2024 edition) (Design Manual). The Buildings Department commissioned a consultant in February 2024 to review the Design Manual (including the design requirements for accessible toilets) with the objective of enhancing the standards of barrier-free facilities in private buildings by integrating universal design concepts to meet the latest needs and international trends, and ensuring that the standards are feasible and pragmatic for implementation in the local context. The consultancy study is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

     The Government does not maintain a consolidated list of public toilets and accessible toilets managed by various bureaux and departments. That said, the vast majority of public toilets and toilet facilities (including accessible toilets) provided for public use in public venues are managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Having consulted the relevant bureaux/departments, I set out below a consolidated reply to the Member’s question:

(1) At present, the numbers of public toilets, accessible toilets and the latter equipped with power-operated doors managed by the AFCD and the FEHD are as follows:

Department	Number of public toilets under its management	Number of public toilets with accessible toilets (number of those equipped with power-operated doors)
AFCD	64	54 (0)
FEHD	812	402 (7)

The LCSD also provides about 1 100 toilets in its leisure, sports and cultural facilities for use by service users. The vast majority of which are furnished with accessible toilets, and among these accessible toilets, about 40 are equipped with power-operated doors.

(2) The expenditure and estimates of the construction of public toilets (including conversion and refurbishment projects) under the AFCD and the FEHD in 2024-25 and 2025-26 are as follows:

Department	Expenditure on the construction of public toilets (including conversion and refurbishment projects) ($ million)
Department	2024-25 (Revised estimate)	2025-26 (Estimate)
AFCD	20.35	83.00
FEHD	88.81	173.77

When developing new or renovating existing leisure, sports and cultural facilities, the LCSD will provide barrier-free ancillary facilities as appropriate, including accessible toilets. The relevant construction costs are part of the overall project estimates, and the LCSD does not maintain breakdown figures.

(3) and (4) According to the Design Manual, the installation of power-operated doors in accessible toilets is a recommended best practice rather than a mandatory requirement. That said, it is the established policy of the Government to follow the recommended best practices in the Design Manual, and where practicable, achieve a higher standard than the statutory requirements in the provision of barrier-free facilities. When considering whether to install power-operated doors in accessible toilets, the departments concerned will take into account a basket of factors, including the usage rate of public toilets, power supply and whether the physical environment (such as location in the suburbs) allows stable operation of power-operated doors. The departments concerned will continue to timely review the usage of accessible toilets and the needs of users, and install power-operated doors in accessible toilets as appropriate. In general, the existing cost of installing each power-operated door is about $50,000 to $60,000.

(5) Information on the accessible toilets managed by the AFCD, the FEHD and the HAD that had been temporarily suspended for maintenance in the past three years are at Annexes 1 to 3 respectively.

Regarding the accessible toilets provided by the LCSD in its leisure, sports and cultural facilities, being part of the facilities/venues, they will not be available for use when the facilities/venues concerned are undergoing repair, renovation and maintenance, etc. The LCSD does not maintain information on the temporary suspension of accessible toilets due to maintenance.

(6) The average daily usage of public toilets installed with the Smart Public Toilet System and the accessible toilets in these public toilets managed by the FEHD in the past three years are at Annex 4.

â€‹Besides, the LCSD has also installed smart systems in the toilets provided in its leisure, sports and cultural facilities, of which seven are located in Kowloon Park and two in Tsuen Wan Sports Centre and Hong Kong Cultural Centre respectively. The LCSD does not maintain information on the average daily usage of these toilets.

(7) In the past three years, the number of complaints about accessible toilets received by the AFCD, the FEHD, the HAD and the LCSD are as follows:

Department	Number of complaints about accessible toilets received between 2022 and 2024
AFCD	About 20
FEHD	About 480
HAD	2
LCSD	About 10

The complaints were mainly about damaged facilities, insufficient facilities, cleanliness, etc. The departments concerned will follow up the complaints and urge cleansing service contractors to deliver the services, and arrange and provide relevant training for their frontline cleansing staff in accordance with the contractual requirements (including the level of cleanliness and service frequency). Site inspections and surprise checks will also be conducted by the departments concerned from time to time to better monitor the contractors’ service performance and ensure service quality. Besides, the FEHD has added new clauses in the dedicated contract for cleansing and management services for public toilets, requiring contractors’ toilet attendants to have received relevant vocational training and possess recognised qualifications.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ16: Regulation of disposable plastic products

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ16: Regulation of disposable plastic products
Question:

     The first phase regulation of disposable plastic products (the first-phase regulation) officially came into effect on April 22 last year, and the relevant adaptation period ended on October 21 last year. There is a view that although members of the public and the trade have actively co-operated with the first-phase regulation and adopted to non-plastic alternatives, the types of alternatives (e.g. cups, cup lids, food containers and container covers) for some disposable plastic tableware available in the market are still limited, which may hinder the implementation of regulation of disposable plastic products in the next phase. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) how it assesses the specific effectiveness of the first-phase regulation (including the changes in the amount of regulated plastic tableware disposed of and the actual situation of the trade in the adoption of non-plastic alternatives); of the number of complaint cases received by the authorities since the implementation of the first-phase regulation, together with a breakdown by category of case;

(2) whether it has examined the difficulties or technical problems encountered by the catering trade in sourcing or using non-plastic alternatives during the implementation of the first-phase regulation, and the support measures provided by the authorities to assist the trade in responding to this situation;

(3) regarding the second phase regulation of disposable plastic products (the second-phase regulation), of the current state of discussions between the authorities and the trade, in particular on sourcing the relevant non-plastic alternatives, etc; whether the authorities have assessed the difficulties of different trades in adapting to the implementation of the second-phase regulation due to their actual operational needs; and

(4) whether the authorities will consider extending the existing support measures for the trade, such as providing more detailed guidance on alternatives to disposable plastic products or technical advisory services, as well as proactively introducing high-quality non-plastic alternative products, etc, in order to help small and medium-sized restaurants make a smooth transition to the second-phase regulation?

Reply:

President,

     To reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products at source with a view to minimising the impact of plastic pollution on the marine environment and human health, the regulation on disposable plastic products (the Regulation) commenced its first phase on April 22, 2024, and the six-month adaptation period ended on October 21, 2024. Since the implementation of the Regulation, the trades have actively complied with the Regulation by stopping the sale or provision of regulated disposable plastic products. The public’s habit of using relevant products in their daily lives has also changed, with “bring your own reusable tableware” and plastic-free cultures being developed gradually in the society, thereby achieving an effective waste reduction goal. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) will continue to promote going “plastic-and-disposable-free” and join hands with different sectors of the community to promote a culture of green and low-carbon living in Hong Kong.

     The reply to the question raised by the Hon Dominic Lee is as follows:

(1) Since the implementation of the Regulation on April 22, 2024, the public and the trades have adapted to the changes in their daily lives and business operations. For example, the number of takeaway customers who do not require disposable tableware has increased significantly compared to before the implementation of the Regulation. Some chain restaurants reported that more than 80 per cent of their customers no longer require takeaway cutlery. It is estimated that, on average, the Regulation can reduce more than 60 million sets of disposable tableware being disposed of in landfills in Hong Kong every year. Overall speaking, the Regulation has been effective in reducing plastic tableware and regulated plastic products from being disposed of in landfills, demonstrating a significant achievement in going “plastic-free”.

     After the six-month adaptation period ended on October 21, 2024, as at end March 2025, the EPD received a total of 108 complaints and reports, of which 98 cases involved catering premises providing regulated disposable plastic tableware, while the remaining 10 cases concerned other disposable plastic products. The EPD has investigated the complaint cases and issued written warnings to those with suspected violations, requiring the persons-in-charge to make improvements within 10 working days; otherwise, a fixed penalty notice would be issued. The EPD has followed up all the cases, with 18 catering premises remained persistently incompliant after receiving warnings. The EPD staff have subsequently issued fixed penalty notices of $2,000 to the persons-in-charge.

(2) We understood that during the early stage of implementation of the Regulation, the catering trade required time to source non-plastic alternatives (such as paper straws and paper spoons) that met their operational needs in terms of quality and functionality. As such, the EPD had engaged the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency to establish the Green Tableware Platform (the Platform) (www.greentableware.hk
     With the Regulation being implemented for nearly a year, the supply of alternatives has become more diverse, and the trades have gradually adapted to the regulatory requirements. We notice a continuous decline in the prices of these alternatives, along with significant improvements in the product quality. The catering trade has also progressively gained understanding and adopted suitable non-plastic alternatives. In addition, the EPD staff will continue to attend the Seminar on Restaurant Licensing regularly organised by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to help prospective restaurant operators understand the requirements of the Regulation.

(3) Since March 2025, the EPD has been meeting with various catering trade associations to gather their views and concerns regarding the second phase of the Regulation, as well as to understand the latest development of non-plastic alternatives. While there are currently several alternative options available in the market, the diverse range of food items provided by the catering industry necessitates varying requirements for food containers. The Government will continue to actively collaborate with the suppliers of non-plastic alternatives to explore ways to enhance the quality of their products, meeting the practical needs of the catering trade. To this end, before implementing the second phase of the Regulation, the Government will thoroughly consider the maturity, availability and affordability of the relevant non-plastic alternatives with a view to striking a balance between environmental protection and sustainable development of the trades, and will consider the programme of further regulation in light of the prevailing circumstances.

(4) Referencing the implementation of the first phase of the Regulation, apart from continuing to monitor the market development of alternatives, the EPD is preparing to collaborate with the trades and some large chain restaurant groups and expects to conduct various scenario testing of alternatives in restaurants in mid-2025. We will also continue to review and enhance supporting measures, engage with suppliers to explore further introduction of high-quality and cost-effective non-plastic alternatives, provide references of non-plastic alternatives to the trades through the above-mentioned Green Tableware Platform, and address enquiries from the public and the trades through the EPD hotline at 2838 3111. We will strengthen the relevant supporting efforts in accordance with the needs of the trades.

     Through various channels as well as publicity and education activities, the EPD will continue its publicity and education efforts as the main focus, supplementing these efforts with enforcement actions to encourage the public and the trades to participate in “plastic-free” in their daily lives and businesses so as to achieve waste reduction at source.
Issued at HKT 16:08

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CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge 2025 promotes collaborative development of digital economy in two cities (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

With the continuous acceleration of global digital transformation, data has become an important resource driving economic growth and innovative development, as well as a new production factor in the digital economy era. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data continue to jointly organise the Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge 2025 (HSODC 2025) this year to inspire more innovative applications and collaborations in open data through the competition.

Under the theme “Co-creating a Data Industry Platform for the Two Cities,” the HSODC 2025 invites participants to harness the extensive open data resources available in the two cities. The goal is to inspire innovative projects and develop advanced applications that emphasise four key areas: Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, and Smart Economy, thereby jointly driving deeper integration and fostering synergy between the digital economies of the two cities.

Besides the competition, the organisers also hosted a forum titled “Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation – Our data Stories”. The forum brought together data scientists, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs from both cities to share their expertise in transforming complex data analyses into intuitive and compelling narratives. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Pavilion at the InnoEX showcased innovative data applications of the two cities across various sectors including transportation, environment, healthcare and education. These exhibits highlighted how data-driven solutions help tackle real-world challenges, create social value, and unlock new opportunities. The Pavilion also serves as a unique platform for visitors to gain an in-depth understanding of the open data resources of the two cities and the potential for groundbreaking business collaborations.

Registration for HSODC 2025 is now open until June 16. The competition is not only aimed at advancing the robust development of open data ecosystems in the two cities but also cultivating data talent. Participants will benefit from professional training to deeply explore the distinctive features and strengths of urban data resources in both cities. Shortlisted teams will receive specialised technical training from June to mid-August, culminating in an opportunity to present their innovative and unique data technology solutions at the grand finale in Shanghai this August. Exceptional projects may even be recommended to participate in the National Data Administration’s “Data Element x” national level competition. For more details, please visit the official website: www.eng.hkshadata.org.
â€‹
The DPO orchestrated an impressive lineup of flagship innovation and technology (I&T) flagship events in April, spotlighting Hong Kong’s dynamic and thriving I&T ecosystem. Highlights include the Smart Hong Kong Pavilion at the InnoEX, the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit, hosted in Hong Kong for the first time, and the highly anticipated HSODC 2025.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ9: Promoting pet inclusivity and enhancing animal protection

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ9: Promoting pet inclusivity and enhancing animal protection
Question:

     As regards promoting pet inclusivity and enhancing animal protection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of households keeping pets, as well as the respective numbers of dogs and cats which have been microchipped and licensed, in Hong Kong;

(2) whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the Government’s promotion of public education on pet inclusivity (such as responsible pet ownership and prevention of cruelty to animals) in the past two years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) given that the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X) currently prohibits dogs (except guide dogs) from entering food premises, and it is learnt that some shopping malls have successively allowed pets to enter their areas in recent years, whether the Government will consider implementing a pilot scheme to allow dogs to enter the food premises of such shopping malls, so as to provide actual experience and data for the purposes of reviewing the existing legislation and considering the relaxation of the restriction on the entry of dogs into food premises; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) as it is learnt that operators of some public transport services may decide at their discretion whether to allow passengers to board with pets, whether the Government will consider further relaxing the restriction to allow passengers to bring along their pets to use all public transport services, and formulating standard guidelines;

(5) of the number of cases received by the Government in each of the past three years involving the fatal poisoning of dogs; among such cases, (i) the number of cases in which the suspects were successfully arrested, (ii) the penalties imposed on the convicted persons, and (iii) ‍the number of cases involving public facilities under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department; how the authorities will follow up cases of fatal poisoning of dogs, including whether they will consider installing cameras at the relevant locations to step up monitoring; and

(6) as it has been reported that many cases of fatal poisoning of dogs are suspected of involving the use of pesticides such as rodenticides, whether the Government will consider amending the legislation to require members of the public to register their real names with the Government when purchasing pesticides, so as to prevent pesticides from being abused to poison and kill animals?

Reply:

President,

     Having consulted the Security Bureau, the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the reply to the question from the Hon Stanley Li is as follows:

(1) According to the most recent Thematic Household Survey on the household keeping of dogs and cats conducted by the Census and Statistics Department in 2018, some 241 900 households in Hong Kong were keeping cats or dogs, representing 9.4 per cent of all households. A total of some 184 100 cats and 221 100 dogs were being kept.

     Under the Rabies Regulation (Cap. 421A), the keeper of a dog shall arrange his dog over the age of five months to be implanted with microchip and licensed. As at 2024, the number of dogs implanted with microchip and licensed was 158 663.

     Since the transmission of rabies through cats is relatively lower than that through dogs, the legislation does not require that cats shall be implanted with a microchip and licensed. To facilitate identification of owners and assist owners to find their cats that have gone astray, since April 2024, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has stipulated the Licence Conditions that cats put up for sale by animal traders should be obtained from approved sources and microchipped. The AFCD does not maintain the number of cats implanted with microchip.

(2) The AFCD continues to promote the messages on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership through public education and publicity programmes, which include producing television promotional videos, establishing a thematic website on animal welfare and “Be a Responsible Pet Owner”, organising seminars in schools and residential estates, roving exhibitions, dog training courses, and pet adoption days, etc. The Department has also launched a series of “Duty of Care” publicity programmes, which include the production of a series of posts on social media platforms to share information on how to take proper care of animals and enhance the public’s understanding of the content and importance of “Duty of Care”. The AFCD includes questionnaires in some of its activities to evaluate their effectiveness, and the majority of participants have provided positive feedback. The Pet Adoption Day held in 2024 attracted over 10 000 attendees, demonstrating that the event was well received by the public.

     To enlist wider public support and participation in fighting against cruelty to animals, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) has implemented the Animal Watchers Programme (the Programme) since 2021 with a view to agglomerating the strengths of animal lovers at the community level in four directions of education, publicity, intelligence-gathering and investigation, raising public awareness on prevention of cruelty to animals, encouraging the public to report in a timely manner as well as providing information and clues useful for investigations. The Programme covers large-scale activities across Hong Kong for different communities and age groups, through the “Animal CARE Corners”, encouraging schools to keep animals and enhance students’ pet care skills. The Police adopts a multifaceted approach in evaluating its effectiveness by a variety of indicators, including the numbers of cases reported and persons arrested as well as the level of overall public engagement. At present, most of the cases of cruelty to animals are reported by members of the public who voluntarily offer information for investigation. This shows that the Programme has a significant impact on enhancing police-community co-operation and raising public awareness of combatting cruelty to animals.

(3) Society is divided on whether to allow pet dogs to enter food premises. The Government needs to take into account different factors when examining the relevant legislation, including public health, operating environment of food premises, and social acceptance. In particular, food premises in Hong Kong are generally cramped. It is necessary to consider the reaction of pet dogs in a crowded and cramped environment (possibly with different types of dogs), as well as the potential impact on other diners. The Environment and Ecology Bureau, together with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, is conducting research on practices and experiences in other places, and will carefully consider whether there is room for relaxing the relevant restrictions.

(4) Generally speaking, public transport has high daily patronage and limited compartment spaces. When considering whether to allow passengers to travel with pets for public transport services, the operators shall consider and balance different factors, including the actual operating situation, space and carrying capacity of the compartments, reaction of the pets in the travelling environment, as well as the potential impact on other passengers. The actual circumstances of different public transport modes vary. The Government will maintain close communication with the public transport operators and remind them to listen to different views to ensure that their services can properly cater for and balance the needs of different passengers. Currently, some public transport operators, such as ferries and taxis, may decide at their discretion whether to allow passengers to board with pets. The MTR Corporation Limited will also implement a pilot scheme that allows passengers to bring along their pet cats and dogs to take the light rail in accordance with specific requirements and at specific periods.

(5) Poisoning an animal causing unnecessary suffering is an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169). From 2022 to 2024, the number of reports on suspected cruelty to animals received by the HKPF and the AFCD, the number of persons arrested, and the relevant penalties imposed are tabulated at Annex. The Government does not maintain relevant breakdown of information on animal poisoning cases.

     The Police will continue to review locations across 18 districts with higher crime rate and greater pedestrian flow, and proportionally install CCTV in these areas with a view to combating crime. Moreover, the LCSD will review and adjust the number of CCTV cameras having regard to established guidelines and the actual security and operational needs of individual venue. In the event of suspected criminal activities, the LCSD will contact the Police and take appropriate follow-up actions in light of the actual circumstances.

(6) Currently, the Pesticides Regulations (Cap. 133A) requires that all pesticide products must carry clear labels in both Chinese and English before being supplied or sold by licensed dealers. Any person using registered pesticides should thoroughly read and follow the instructions at the labels, and take all safety measures to protect the safety of the user and the public.

     To enhance public understanding of the safe use of pesticides, the AFCD has distributed and uploaded relevant leaflets and guidelines for the reference of the trades and the public, and has actively disseminated messages of proper use of pesticides through various ongoing education and publicity programmes, including reminding members of the public that they should exercise caution in the purchase and use of pesticides and follow the relevant safety guidelines, so as to minimise the potential risks to human health, animal welfare and the environment. Considering that real-name registration for the purchase of pesticides would cause inconvenience to members of the public in their daily purchases of these products, and that it is difficult for law enforcement officers to identify persons with the intention to poison animals through registration records of the purchasers, the introduction of a real-name registration scheme would not be particularly effective for the prevention of animal poisoning.
Issued at HKT 14:35

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CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 on certain measures for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing – A10-0070/2025

Source: European Parliament

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 on certain measures for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing

(COM(2024)0407 – C10‑0098/2024 – 2024/0224(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2024)0407),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 43(2) and 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C10‑0098/2024),

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 22 January 2025 [1],

– having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0070/2025),

1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 1


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(1) In line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 19821 (‘UNCLOS’) and the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks of 4 August 19952 (‘UNFSA’), the management of certain straddling and highly migratory fish stocks requires the cooperation of all the countries whose fleets exploit that stock.	(1) In line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 19821 (‘UNCLOS’) and the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks of 4 August 19952 (‘UNFSA’), the management of certain straddling and highly migratory fish stocks requires the cooperation of all the countries whose fleets exploit that stock. Such cooperation may be established in the framework of regional fisheries management organisations (‘RFMOs’) or by means of ad hoc arrangements among the countries having an interest in the fishery concerned.
__________________	__________________
1 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, OJ L 179, 23.6.1998, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/convention/1998/392/oj.	1 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, OJ L 179, 23.6.1998, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/convention/1998/392/oj.
2 Agreement for the implementing of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the conservation and management of straddling stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, OJ L 189, 3.7.1998, p. 17.	2 Agreement for the implementing of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the conservation and management of straddling stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, OJ L 189, 3.7.1998, p. 17.

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 3


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(3) In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 a country may be identified as allowing non-sustainable fishing if, among others, it fails to cooperate in the management of a stock of common interest in full compliance with the provisions of the UNCLOS and the UNFSA, or any other international agreement or norm of international law and if it fails to adopt necessary fishery management measures.	(3) In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 a country may be identified as allowing non-sustainable fishing if, among others, it fails to cooperate in the management of a stock of common interest in full compliance with the provisions of the UNCLOS, the UNFSA, or any other international agreement or norm of international law and if it fails to adopt relevant fishery management measures.

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 4 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(4a) ‘Best available scientific advice’ should be understood to refer to publicly available scientific advice that is supported by the most up-to-date scientific data and methods and that has either been issued or reviewed by an independent scientific body that is recognised at Union or international level.

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 5


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(5) It is also necessary to clarify that a country may be considered as allowing non-sustainable fishing if it does not implement the necessary fishery management measures, and that those measures include control measures.	(5) It is also necessary to clarify that a country may be considered as allowing non-sustainable fishing if it does not implement, comply with or enforce the relevant fishery management, conservation or control measures, including those agreed in the framework of a RFMO.

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 6


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(6) It is also appropriate to reinforce the procedures prior and subsequent to the adoption of measures in respect to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing.	(6) It is also appropriate to reinforce the procedures prior and subsequent to the adoption of measures in respect to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing, including for countries within the framework of RFMOs.

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)

Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b


Present text	Amendment
	(-1) in Article 2, point (b) is replaced by the following:
(b) ‘associated species’ means any fish that belongs to the same ecosystem as the stock of common interest and that preys upon that stock, is preyed on by it, competes with it for food and living space or co-occurs with it in the same fishing area, and that is exploited or accidentally taken in the same fishery or fisheries;	“(b) ‘associated species’ means any fish that belongs to the same ecosystem as the stock of common interest and that preys upon that stock, is preyed on by it, competes with it for food and living space or co-occurs with it in the same fishing area, and that is exploited, bycatch or accidentally taken in the same fishery or fisheries;“;

(32012R1026)

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 a (new)

Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point f


Present text	Amendment
	(-1a) in Article 2, point (f) is replaced by the following:
(f) ‘unsustainable state’ means the condition where the stock is not continuously maintained at or above the levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield or, if these levels cannot be estimated, where the stock is not continuously maintained within safe biological limits; the stock levels determining whether the stock is in an unsustainable state are to be determined on the basis of best available scientific advice;	“(f) ‘unsustainable state’ means the condition where the stock is not continuously maintained at or above the levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield or, if these levels cannot be estimated, where the stock is not continuously maintained within safe biological limits in line with the precautionary approach to fisheries management as referred to in Article 6 of UNFSA; the stock levels determining whether the stock is in an unsustainable state are to be determined on the basis of best available scientific advice;“;

(32012R1026)

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation