NewzIntel.com

Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Artificial Intelligence Action Summit: Sciences Po Joins Forces

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    In the context of the dynamic created by the Presidency of the French Republic, with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit taking place on 10 and 11 February 2025 in Paris, Sciences Po Open Institute for Digital Transformations, created as part of the ExcellencES Transforming Interdisciplinary Education and Research for Evolving Democracies (TIERED) project, has been rallying researchers and students working in this field.

    This is a compendium of the activities organised by the various entities at Sciences Po to complement the Summit, as the institution has historically been at the forefront of the critical questions that the humanities and social sciences can raise in times of great change.

    Indeed, while politics, as the art of envisioning and implementing collective life, is making a dramatic comeback on the public stage, the revolution in digital technologies invites us to embrace a crucial question: “Can AI benefit democratic societies?”

    What better opportunity than the AI Action Summit to address this question to the political leaders gathered in Paris for the occasion! Before, during, and after the Summit, Sciences Po researchers, teachers, students, alumni, and start-ups, each with their own skills and expertise, will contribute to shed light on the major issues at stake in a question that our democratic societies have a duty to address.

    Sciences Po’s road to the AI Action Summit is outlined below, with many events open to all, most of them at Sciences Po, some of them off-site. Almost a dozen events have been officially labelled “Road to the Summit”.

    Upcoming Events

    7 February 2025: “Y a-t-il une IA pour sauver la planète ?” from the Tribunal pour les générations futures, Road to the Summit

    Sciences Po, through its Open Institute for Digital Transformations, partnered up with 8 leading public institutions in this trial simulation organised by the French media Usbek et Rica. Some fifty Sciences Po students are taking part in this event, including two on the jury, in the Amphithéâtre Richelieu, Sorbonne (Paris 5e).

    7 February 2025: “IA: the citizen way”

    The Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs and the Conseil national du numérique are presenting the results of the public consultations carried out in autumn as part of the Summit, at the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council.

    7 February 2025: “Democratizing AI: Open-Source Systems, Global Equity, and the Power of Inclusive Partnerships”

    A discussion between Arancha González, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po, Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and Maria Ressa, Nobel Laureate and journalist, on the potential of open-source AI in fostering equity, addressing disinformation, and democratising access for the global majority

    8 February 2025: “Participatory AI Governance – Research & Practice Symposium”

    A day-long open symposium organised by the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po with Connected by Data, bringing together academics and experts from civil society organisations dedicated to explore collaboratively the state of the art in participatory development and governance of AI.

    8 and 9 February 2025: Interdisciplinary conference of the AI Action Summit “AI, Science and Society”, Road to the Summit

    Jean-Philippe Cointet, researcher at Sciences Po médialab and Director of the Open Institute for Digital Transformations, along with two post-doctoral students from the médialab, Manon Berriche and Salim Hafid, discuss a poster entitled “Defining, Identifying, Measuring, Mitigating, Democratic Biases in Large Language Models”, at the École Polytechnique, Palaiseau.

    11 February 2025: “AI for Economic Inclusion”, Road to the Summit

    The Centre for Research on Social Inequalities is co-organising the launch of an International Panel on the Information Environment, under the direction of Jen Shradie, in Sciences Po Salons Scientifiques.

    11  February 2025: “Artificial intelligence & Information manipulation: Navigating the risks and opportunities”, Road to the Summit

    With the OECD & Viginum, a monitoring and protection service against foreign digital interference, with the participation of Donato Ricci, researcher and research designer at Sciences Po médialab, at Services du Gouvernement, 20 Avenue de Ségur, 75007 Paris.

    11 February 2025: “Building Trust in AI: A Multifaceted Approach”, Road to the Summit

    In cooperation with the Schwartz Reisman Institute at the University of Toronto, with the participation of Donato Ricci, researcher and research designer at the médialab of Sciences Po, at the École normale supérieure de la rue d’Ulm.

    11 February 2025: “Advancing AI governance: Exploring adaptive frameworks and the role of sandboxes”, Road to the Summit

    Organised by The Datasphere initiative, with the participation of Beatriz Botero Arcila, researcher at Sciences Po Law School, at the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris.

    11 February 2025: “Construire des ponts : façonner la gouvernance mondiale de l’IA grâce à la collaboration multipartite”, Road to the Summit

    Round table discussion led by Louis Denart, alumnus of the School of Public Affairs and currently International Digital Policy Fellow at the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport, at Sciences Po.

    11 February 2025: “Aligning Urban AI and Global AI Governance”

    Conference organised by Urban AI and Govlab, with Beatriz Botero Arcila, researcher at Sciences Po Law School, venue to be announced.

    12 February 2025: “Understanding the roles and responsibilities across the AI value chain”, Road to the Summit

    Workshop organised by Datasphere Initiative and Open Loop (Meta), with the participation of Beatriz Botero Arcila, researcher at Sciences Po Law School, at the Hôtel Marignan Champs-Élysées.

    21 February 2025 : “L’IA peut-elle être au service de la démocratie ?”

    A conference for the general public organised directly by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations with all the educational fields involved, to take a critical look at the issues at stake at the AI Action Summit, at Sciences Po.

    Early March 2025: a “Special IA Action Summit” issue of the new Collection de Sciences Po to showcase student work

    It will be co-designed by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations with all the educational fields involved and widely distributed at the beginning of March 2025, including to the Summit organisers and participants. In particular, it will include the discussions held during the student conference.

    March 2025: Wrap-Up Event

    Co-organised by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations and the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub at Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs.

    Past Events

    5 February 2025: “Paris AI Action Summit: What’s Next for AI Governance?”, Road to the Summit

    Conference co-organised by the Global Partnership on Artifical Intelligence Policy Lab (an initiative launched by former students of Sciences Po, École normale supérieure, and École polytechnique), the Cybersecurity Association of Sciences Po, and the Centre for AI Security, at Sciences Po.

    28 January 2025: “AI & International Governance”

    Organised by the Sciences Po American Foundation and the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs, online.

    15 January 2025: “New Solidarity for an AI-disrupted Economy workshop”, Road to the Summit

    Co-organised by the Global Solutions Initiative, RadicalXChange, and the Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub of the Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), at the Stiftung Mercator, Berlin.

    11 December 2024:  The 6th edition of the prestigious Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law, Road to the Summit

    The Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub at Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs joined this event organised by The Future Society. This 6th edition was an official side-event on the way to the AI Action Summit, at the OECD.

    5 December 2024: Launch of the 2nd issue of Sciences Po magazine, Understanding Our Times

    This issue entirely focused on digital transformations was launched by Sciences Po and coordinated by the Open Institute for Digital Transformations on the theme “Is Digital Technology Democratic?”

    13 November 2024: “Electoral and political processes at risk of digital interference?”

    Conference organised by the School of Public Affairs, at Sciences Po.

    12 November 2024: “Paris Peace Forum official side event on the Road to AI Summit”, Road to the Summit

    A day of conferences organised by the Tech and Global Affairs Innovation Hub of the Paris School of International Affairs, at Sciences Po. Starting in November 2024, the Paris Peace Forum, of which Sciences Po is a founding member, established itself as a major contributor to the IA Action Summit by focusing its debates on international initiatives in favour of the well-being of citizens and the ethical use of artificial intelligence for a more inclusive society.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: More electric recharging points to be set up under EU alternative fuels initiative

    Source: European Union 2

    The EU is allocating nearly €422 million to 39 projects that will deploy alternative fuels supply infrastructure along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), contributing to decarbonisation. These projects have been selected under the first cut-off deadline of the 2024-2025 Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU funding programme supporting European transport infrastructure.

    With this selection, the AFIF will support approximately 2,500 electric recharging points for light-duty vehicles and 2,400 for heavy-duty vehicles along the European TEN-T road network, 35 hydrogen refuelling stations for cars, trucks and buses, the electrification of ground handling services in 8 airports, the greening of 9 ports and 2 ammonia and methanol bunkering facilities. 

    Next steps

    Following EU Member States’ approval of the selected projects on 4 February 2025, the European Commission will adopt the award decision in the coming months, after which the results will become definitive. The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has started the preparation of the grant agreements with the beneficiaries of successful projects.

    Background

    The second phase of the AFIF (2024-2025) was launched on 29 February 2024 with a total budget of €1 billion: €780 million under the general envelope and €220 million under the cohesion envelope. Its goal is to support objectives set out in the Regulation for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR) regarding publicly accessible electric recharging pools and hydrogen refuelling stations across the EU’s main transport corridors and hubs, as well as the objectives set in the ReFuelEU aviation and the FuelEU maritime regulations. 

    The call for proposals covers the roll-out of alternative fuels supply infrastructure for road, maritime, inland waterway and air transport. It supports recharging stations, hydrogen refuelling stations, electricity supply and ammonia and methanol bunkering facilities.

    The call remains open for applications and the next cut-off deadline is 11 June 2025.

    For more information

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s offshore wind energy freeze: What states lose if the executive order remains in place

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Barbara Kates-Garnick, Professor of Practice in Energy Policy, Tufts University

    The offshore wind industry brings jobs and economic development. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

    A single wind turbine spinning off the U.S. Northeast coast today can power thousands of homes – without the pollution that comes from fossil fuel power plants. A dozen of those turbines together can produce enough electricity for an entire community.

    The opportunity to tap into such a powerful source of locally produced clean energy – and the jobs and economic growth that come with it – is why states from Maine to Virginia have invested in building a U.S. offshore wind industry.

    But much of that progress may now be at a standstill.

    One of Donald Trump’s first acts as president in January 2025 was to order a freeze on both leasing federal areas for new offshore wind projects and issuing federal permits for projects that are in progress.

    The U.S. Northeast and Northern California have the nation’s strongest offshore winds.
    NREL

    The order and Trump’s long-held antipathy toward wind power are creating massive uncertainty for a renewable energy industry at its nascent stage of development in the U.S., and ceding leadership and offshore wind technology to Europe and China.

    As a professor of energy policy and former undersecretary of energy for Massachusetts, I’ve seen the potential for offshore wind power, and what the Northeast, New York and New Jersey, as well as the U.S. wind industry, stand to lose if that growth is shut down for the next four years.

    Expectations fall from 30 gigawatts by 2030

    The Northeast’s coastal states are at the end of the fossil fuel energy pipeline. But they have an abundant local resource that, when built to scale, could provide significant clean energy, jobs and supply chain manufacturing. It could also help the states achieve their ambitious goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on climate change.

    The Biden administration set a national offshore wind goal of 30 gigawatts of capacity in 2030 and 110 gigawatts by 2050. It envisioned an industry supporting 77,000 jobs and powering 10 million homes while cutting emissions. As recently as 2021, at least 28 gigawatts of offshore wind power projects were in the development or planning pipeline.

    With the Trump order, I believe the U.S. will have, optimistically, less than 5 gigawatts in operation by 2030.

    That level of offshore wind is certainly not enough to create a viable manufacturing supply chain, provide lasting jobs or deliver the clean energy that the grid requires. In comparison, Europe’s offshore wind capacity in 2023 was 34 gigawatts, up from 5 gigawatts in 2012, and China’s is now at 34 gigawatts.

    What the states stand to lose

    Offshore wind is already a proven and operating renewable power source, not an untested technology. Denmark has been receiving power from offshore wind farms since the 1990s.

    The lost opportunity to the coastal U.S. states is significant in multiple areas.

    Trump’s order adds deep uncertainty in a developing market. Delays are likely to raise project costs for both future and existing projects, which face an environment of volatile interest rates and tariffs that can raise turbine component costs. It is energy consumers who ultimately pay through their utility bills when resource costs rise.

    The potential losses to states can run deeper. The energy company Ørsted had estimated in early 2024 that its proposed Starboard Offshore Wind project would bring Connecticut nearly US$420 million in direct investment and spending, along with employment equivalent to 800 full-time positions and improved energy system reliability.

    Massachusetts created an Offshore Wind Energy Investment Trust Fund to support redevelopment projects, including corporate tax credits up to $35 million. A company planning to build a high-voltage cable manufacturing facility there pulled out in January 2025 over the shift in support for offshore wind power. On top of that, power grid upgrades to bring offshore wind energy inland – critical to reliability for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity – will be deferred.

    Atlantic Coast wind-energy leases as of July 2024. Others wind energy lease areas are in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Pacific coast and off Hawaii.
    U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

    Technology innovation in offshore wind will also likely move abroad, as Maine experienced in 2013 after the state’s Republican governor tried to void a contract with Statoil. The Norwegian company, now known as Equinor, shifted its plans for the world’s first commercial-scale floating wind farm from Maine to Scotland and Scandinavia.

    Sand in the gears of a complex process

    Development of energy projects, whether fossil or renewable, is extremely complex, involving multiple actors in the public and private spheres. Uncertainty anywhere along the regulatory chain raises costs.

    In the U.S., jurisdiction over energy projects often involves both state and federal decision-makers that interact in a complex dance of permitting, studies, legal regulations, community engagement and finance. At each stage in this process, a critical set of decisions determines whether projects will move forward.

    The federal government, through the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Offshore Energy Management, plays an initial role in identifying, auctioning and permitting the offshore wind areas located in federal waters. States then issue requests for proposals from companies wishing to sell wind power to the grid. Developers who win bureau auctions are eligible to respond. But these agreements are only the beginning. Developers need approval for site, design and construction plans, and several state and federal environmental and regulatory permits are required before the project can begin construction.

    Trump targeted these critical points in the chain with his indefinite but “temporary” withdrawal of any offshore wind tracts for new leases and a review of any permits still required from federal agencies.

    Jobs and opportunity delayed

    A thriving offshore wind industry has the potential to bring jobs, as well as energy and economic growth. In addition to short-term construction, estimates for supply chain jobs range from 12,300 to 49,000 workers annually for subassemblies, parts and materials. The industry needs cables and steel, as well as the turbine parts and blades. It requires jobs in shipping and the movement of cargo.

    To deliver offshore wind power to the onshore grid will also require grid upgrades, which in turn would improve reliability and promote the growth of other technologies, including batteries.

    The U.S. has offshore wind farms operating off Virginia, Rhode Island and New York. Three more are under construction.
    AP Photo/Steve Helber

    Taken all together, an offshore wind energy transition would build over time. Costs would come down as domestic manufacturing took hold, and clean power would grow.

    While environmental goals drove initial investments in clean energy, the positive benefits of jobs, technology and infrastructure all became important drivers of offshore wind for the states. Tax incentives, including from the Inflation Reduction Act, now in doubt, have supported the initial financing for projects and helped to lower costs.

    It’s a long-term investment, but once clear of the regulatory processes, with infrastructure built out and manufacturing in place, the U.S. offshore wind industry would be able to grow more price competitive over time, and states would be able to meet their long-term goals.

    The Trump order creates uncertainty, delays and likely higher costs in the future.

    Barbara Kates-Garnick receives funding as an Outside Director for Anbaric Transmission, which has no operating projects related to offshore wind. She has received funding for a research project through Tufts University jointly funded by NOWRDC and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. She serves on the board of several nonprofits that are not politically active organizations.

    – ref. Trump’s offshore wind energy freeze: What states lose if the executive order remains in place – https://theconversation.com/trumps-offshore-wind-energy-freeze-what-states-lose-if-the-executive-order-remains-in-place-249125

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘It Starts in Wolverhampton’ event showcases city’s innovation and green credentials

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Aligned with the West Midlands Growth Company’s ‘It Starts Here’ campaign, the ‘It Starts in Wolverhampton: Innovating for Sustainable Growth’ event demonstrated why there has never been a better time to invest, grow and succeed in the city.

    More than 200 delegates attended the showcase supported by headline sponsors University of Wolverhampton and WLV Business Link, and reception sponsor Turner & Townsend.

    They heard how City of Wolverhampton Council in partnership with University of Wolverhampton is developing the Green Innovation Corridor (GIC) in the city, to create a world class eco, green innovation district delivering in excess of 20,000sqm of new R&D, laboratory and commercial floorspace and 1,200 new jobs.

    The early phases of the GIC programme focusing on bringing forward demand led business space on 4 underutilised land parcels of land at Wolverhampton Science Park will be supported by £7million of Investment Zone funding and £20million of funding secured by the council from the Government.

    As well as this capital funding, GIC and the wider city will benefit from the IZ Regional Business Support, Skills and R&D programmes and Delivery Capacity Funding programmes, being developed with local and regional partners.

    This builds on pioneering facilities and businesses already in place in the city such as the National Brownfield Institute, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills, University of Wolverhampton Science Park, including the SPARK Incubator, Composite & Additive Layer Materials Engineering Research & Innovation Centre, Centre for Green Electricals Materials Manufacturing and global companies like JLR, Collins, Moog, and leaders in 3D printing, EOS UK.

    Industry leaders and visionaries shaping the future of clean and green industries also highlighted why Wolverhampton is the place to be for innovation and sustainable growth.

    This included Craig Osman, Operations Director for EPMC i54, JLR, who focused on vehicle electrification, investment and cutting edge innovation at the Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre at i54, jobs, supply chain, the wider overview of the footprint in the West Midlands and the JLR Reimagine strategy.

    Olivia Simpson, Chief Operations Officer, FlexSea, also explained why her business relocated from London to Wolverhampton and is redefining bioplastics with a revolutionary product made from seaweed – certified plastic free and home compostable.

    Davide lacovelli, Regional Director EMEA, EOS UK highlighted his company’s work in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton at the new UK Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing based in the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills at the university’s Springfield Campus. It specialises in the development of advanced materials and processes for demanding applications within industries such as space, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and quantum computing.

    Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “The event showed the level of innovation, the groundbreaking designs, partnerships and research and development happening right here in our city.

    “It is truly remarkable and testament to the skilled people that have been attracted here and been nurtured by our businesses and organisations.

    “Building on some of our local strengths, and particularly those of the university and businesses, we will make the Green Innovation Corridor a success.

    “Our ambition for the Green Innovation Corridor is for it to be a world leading research led cluster in green technologies with a focus on green construction, green computing and green engineering. The GIC will support businesses and the wider economy in its transition to net zero and aim to create more productive, sustainable, highly skilled and innovative industry.

    “It is also about taking the economy of Wolverhampton forward, building on the expertise, research and development and skills that Wolverhampton has to offer and deliver jobs growth, a higher wage economy, a more inclusive economy, a more sustainable economy and place, the development of brownfield sites – some that have been vacant for years- and a vibrant corridor that is well connected and renowned for its research led clusters in engineering, computing and construction.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – HAWAI‘I WILDLIFE CONSERVATION/GAME BIRD STAMP CONTEST OPENS, Feb. 5, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – HAWAI‘I WILDLIFE CONSERVATION/GAME BIRD STAMP CONTEST OPENS, Feb. 5, 2025

    Posted on Feb 5, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

     

    DAWN CHANG
     CHAIRPERSON

     

    HAWAI‘I WILDLIFE CONSERVATION/GAME BIRD STAMP CONTEST OPENS

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Feb. 5, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Artists are invited to submit entries to the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) for the 2025-26 Hawaiʻi Wildlife Conservation and Game Bird Stamp annual art contest. The wildlife conservation stamp is a requirement for Hawai‘i state hunting licenses and the game bird stamp is required for anyone intending to hunt game birds. Both stamps will also be available to stamp collectors.

    Game Bird Stamp – Erckel’s Francolin (Pternistis erckelii). Native to Ethiopia and Sudan, the Erckel’s spurfowl was introduced to Hawaiʻi in 1957 as a game bird. At about 16 inches long, they are brown with white streaky spots and distinct chestnut-colored feathers on the top of their heads, with white throats. Often in upland dry grasslands, they scare easily and hide from view and prefer running away rather than flushing. Listen for their loud laughing cackle, especially in the morning. They are located on the islands of Hawaiʻi, Lānaʻi, Oʻahu, and Kaua‘i.

    Wildlife Conservation Stamp – Manu-o-Kū (White “Fairy” Tern) (Gygis alba), a Hawaiian urban-community forest bird. 2025 is the Year of Our Community Forests, collections of trees in the wao kanaka, or inland region where people  live, learn and play. Community forests include trees in our neighborhoods, yards, parks, schools and along our streets. They give us gathering places, shade, air to breathe, food to eat, wood for carving, leaves for weaving and flowers for lei.

    The Manu-o-Kū is a perfect representation of our native wildlife that utilizes the urban-community forests for habitat, breeding, nesting and rearing their young. Manu-o-Kū breed on oceanic islands, both on low-lying coralline sand islands and high volcanic islands. They do not build nests; eggs are laid on whatever suitable depression is found. Nest sites include volcanic pinnacles, cliffs, rocky slopes, large bushes or trees, as well as man-made structures.

    ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

     

    SETTING: Hawai‘i habitat

     

    SIZE: Completed painting with a maximum of 24” by 36” and unframed (to be reduced to 1” X 1.5” stamp)

     

    MEDIUM: Oil or acrylic preferred

     

    ENTRY: Completed oil or acrylic painting or an 8.5” X 11” photo/print/photocopy of a completed painting.

     

    DEADLINE: All entries must be received by April 05, 2025. Notification of the winner will be made later in April.

     

    SHIPPING FEE: All paintings sent must be accompanied by a $35.00 fee to cover the cost of returning the artwork. You must visit the Administration office to pick up your artwork if a check is not included. Checks are to be made payable to the DLNR. Otherwise, a photo, print, or photocopy of an original painting may be sent without fee (see application form).

    PAYMENTS: The winner will receive a maximum award of $1,000.

    Funds from Hawai‘i Wildlife Conservation Stamp sales go into the state Wildlife Revolving Fund to support wildlife populations and habitats and to manage the state’s hunting and non-game programs.

    Last year, revenues from both stamps were used to cover some of the costs of maintaining hunting units and to add game bird and game mammal hunting opportunities where possible. Proceeds from the sale of wildlife conservation stamps will also provide funds for salaries, the annual lease rental of the Lānaʻi Cooperative Game Management Area, and support wildlife diversity programs.

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

     

    HD video – Small Game Birds Put and Take, web feature (Nov. 24, 2021):

    https://vimeo.com/650077788?share=copy

     

    HD video – Small game birds put and take, media clips (Nov. 24, 2021):

    https://vimeo.com/649777485?share=copy

    Photographs – Small game bird releases Kuaokala Game Management Area (Nov. 24, 2021):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/i5naci5zakhg1r8rw6acd/h?rlkey=7psw5565bo4oib3pgve1yrwqo&dl=0

    Information on the contest and application forms:

    DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813 or at:

    https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/files/2025/01/FY25-26-Artist-Application.pdf

    Contest contacts:

    [email protected], 808-226-7757.

    [email protected], 808-347-6869.

     

    2025: Year of Our Community Forests

    https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/trees/

     

     

    Media Contact: 

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    Communications Office: 808-587-0396

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reducing air pollution could increase methane emissions from wetlands – here’s what needs to be done

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Vincent Gauci, Professorial Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science, University of Birmingham

    Sampling in a Pantanal lake, Brazil. Vincent Gauci, CC BY-NC-ND

    What if well-meaning policies that reduce one atmospheric pollutant could also increase natural emissions of powerful greenhouse gases?

    Our findings, just published in the journal Science Advances, advance an earlier discovery of one such unfortunate interaction. This means that we need to work much harder than we thought to stay within the safe climate limits of the Paris agreement.

    The atmospheric pollutant in question is sulphur. Its current and projected decline from clean air policies aimed at reducing acid rain and fine particles, coupled with direct effects of increasing atmospheric CO₂ and warming, will lead to larger natural wetland methane emissions than expected.

    This is because sulphur has a very specific effect in natural wetlands that reduces methane emissions. On the other hand, CO₂ boosts methane production by increasing growth in plants that make the food for methane-producing microbes.

    Put simply, sulphur provides the conditions for one set of bacteria to outmuscle another set of microbes that produce methane over limited available food in wetlands. Under the conditions of acid rain sulphur pollution during the past century, this was enough to reduce wetland methane emissions by up to 8%.

    If we lift this sulphur “lid” on wetland methane production and increase CO₂, we have a double whammy effect that pushes wetland emissions much higher.

    We first discovered this effect in the early 2000s with field experiments that simulated acid rain sulphur pollution in the peatlands of North America, Scotland and Scandinavia. Further similar experiments took place on methane-emitting rice.

    Now, more than 20 years on, we have better modelling approaches that allow us to use improved estimates of the future of sulphur pollution and CO₂ for a range of scenarios. This allows us to link these back to methane emissions.

    A water hyacinth meadow in the Pantanal, Brazil.
    Vincent Gauci, CC BY-NC-ND

    The effect is substantial and we estimate that these different factors, in combination, will mean that policy instruments like the global methane pledge, which addresses anthropogenic emissions of methane, may need to work much harder.

    More than 150 nations signed up to the global methane pledge at the UN climate summit, Cop26, in Glasgow. The pledge seeks to reduce emissions of anthropogenic methane by 30% on a 2020 baseline by 2030.

    If successful, the climate benefit can be substantial (methane is around 30-80 times more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas) and fast-acting. This is because methane only lasts in the atmosphere for around 10 years, leading to a rapid 0.2°C climate dividend by 2050.



    Read more:
    Methane is pitched as a climate villain – could changing how we think about it make it a saviour?

    However, our findings show that between 8% and 15% of the allowable space for these human-made emissions is disappearing. This is due to the climate, CO₂ fertilisation, and sulphur unmasking effects. So, larger cuts are needed to achieve the same Paris climate targets.

    This isn’t the first time that the loss of an apparent broad climate-cooling action of atmospheric sulphur has been implicated in driving warming at a faster rate than anticipated.

    Drainage canal in the Kampar peat swamp forest, Sumatra, Indonesia.
    Vincent Gauci, CC BY-NC-ND

    In 2020, shipping pollution controls were introduced globally to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide and fine particles that are harmful to human health. This reduction in atmospheric sulphur over the oceans has been implicated in larger warming effects than expected in what has come to be known as “termination shock”.

    Part of the warming effect of emitted CO₂ is effectively masked by cooling sulphate particles in the atmosphere. If the source of the sulphate is stopped, the remaining sulphur in the atmosphere drops out rapidly, unmasking the warming effect of the CO₂ which lasts over 100 years in the atmosphere. For natural wetlands the unmasking effect on methane emissions can take a little longer, more a “termination rebound” than shock – but it soon catches up.

    Intentional interventions?

    So what can be done? In another paper recently published in Global Change Biology, scientists propose direct intervention in natural wetland methane emissions through adding sulphate to these ecosystems, essentially – and this time deliberately – replacing the sulphate lid on the wetland methane source. This raises questions about what a natural wetland actually is.

    Acacia plantation on former peat swamp forest after harvest, Sumatra, Indonesia.
    Vincent Gauci, CC BY-NC-ND

    What are the environmental ethics of deliberately intervening in this manner for ecosystems that are only just recovering from past incidental pollution effects? In emitting methane, they are, ultimately, just performing their natural function and should be protected for the vast carbon stores they contain and the valuable biodiversity that makes these ecosystems their home.

    So, we need to go back to the framework set up by the global methane pledge which is prompting much innovation to reduce human emissions from fossil fuel industries, waste and agriculture. We need to work harder on emissions first and foremost while also considering technologies to actively remove methane from the atmosphere.

    Atmospheric methane removal technologies are a new and under-investigated approach to managing atmospheric methane and they could be as simple as growing more trees.

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

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

    Vincent Gauci receives funding from or has received funding from the Natural Environment Research Council, The Royal Society, Spark Climate Solutions, Axa Research Fund, Defra.

    Lu Shen receives funding from National Natural Science Foundation of China.

    – ref. Reducing air pollution could increase methane emissions from wetlands – here’s what needs to be done – https://theconversation.com/reducing-air-pollution-could-increase-methane-emissions-from-wetlands-heres-what-needs-to-be-done-246723

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to Copernicus data reporting that January 2025 was the warmest on record globally

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on data published by Copernicus that shows January 2025 was the warmest on record globally.

    Dr Joel Hirschi, Associate Head of Marine Systems Modelling, UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC), said:

    “One should not infer too much out of one month temperature data, as temperature anomalies can vary a lot.  The global temperatures for 2024 and now early 2025 have been tracking the record temperatures we saw in 2023 (and 2024) quite closely.  The last few months of 2024 were slightly cooler than in 2023 and January 2025 is now just warmer than January 2024.

    “Despite La Niña conditions having developed in the tropical Pacific, global temperatures remain very high.  This pattern is similar to what we observed after the El Niño events of 2015/16 and 2019/20 when global temperatures remained close to record warm levels even after the onset of La Niña conditions.

    “Global sea surface temperatures are a bit lower than in 2024 and will likely remain lower as we move further into 2025.”

    Prof Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science, University of Reading, said:

    “Human caused warming of the ocean is accelerating and this is dominating to an ever greater extent over the natural year to year fluctuations in climate.  Although the swing from moderate El Niño to a weak La Niña during 2024 had a small cooling effect on the surface of the ocean, heat continues to flood into the climate system as atmospheric greenhouse gases continue to rise and the reflective haze of aerosol particle pollution diminishes in some regions following clean air regulation.  Aside from a cooler than average equatorial band in the eastern Pacific due to the weak La Niña conditions, much of the rest of the global sea surface remains remarkably warm in early 2025, primarily a result of human-caused warming of climate.

    “Changing weather patterns from week to week can rapidly alter temperatures over continental regions, which warm up and cool down more quickly than the oceans.  Based upon the most up to date, state of the art Copernicus data, large areas of Europe, Canada and Siberia experienced less cold weather than is normal for January but parts of South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica also experienced above average temperatures which contributed along with the balmy oceans to the unexpected record global temperatures at the beginning of 2025.  As industrial activity continues to spew greenhouse gases into the air, this growing heating effect is tipping the balance toward record warmth and worsening hot, dry and wet extremes.”

    Prof Bill McGuire, Emeritus Professor of Geophysical & Climate Hazards, UCL, said:

    “The fact that the latest robust Copernicus data reveals the January just gone was the hottest on record – despite an emerging La Nina, which typically has a cooling effect – is both astonishing and, frankly terrifying.  Having crashed through the 1.5C limit in 2024, the climate is showing no signs of wanting to dip under it again, reflected by the fact that this is the 18th of the last 19 months to see the global temperature rise since pre-industrial times top 1.5C.  On the basis of the Valencia floods and apocalyptic LA wildfires, I don’t think there can be any doubt that dangerous, all-pervasive, climate breakdown has arrived.  Yet emissions continue to rise, while fossil fuel corporations seek to expand operations. Grim doesn’t even begin to describe our prospects.”

    Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, Imperial College London, said: 

    “This January is the hottest on record because countries are still burning huge amounts of oil, gas and coal.

    “Sure, El Niño and La Niña add or take off a tiny bit of warming, but the reason we’ve broken another record is the continued burning of fossil fuels.

    “The LA wildfires were a stark reminder that we have already reached an incredibly dangerous level of warming.  We’ll see many more unprecedented extreme weather events in 2025.

    “If politicians really care about people’s lives and their children’s futures, transitioning away from fossil fuels would need to be top of their agenda, to make the world safer and fairer.

    “This data shows very clearly what hundreds of other high-quality analyses have shown in recent decades – more burning of fossil fuels leads to more emissions that lead to more warming.”

    Declared interests

    Dr Joel Hirschi: “No conflicts of interest.”

    Prof Richard Allan: “No conflicting interests.”

    Dr Friederike Otto: “No DOIs.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cross River Partnership supports council’s plans with low-emission micro logistics hub | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Cross River Partnership (CRP), is proud to announce its continued commitment to delivering sustainable logistics solutions by supporting the development of a low-emission micro logistics hub in the City of Westminster.

    A micro logistics hub is a small site that couriers use for their day-to-day deliveries to receive, sort and then send deliveries to their final destinations by cargo bikes or walking porters. By enabling consolidation of deliveries, micro logistics hubs can reduce the number of polluting vehicle trips and congestion, thereby improving local air quality.

    The proposed micro logistics hub will optimise last-mile deliveries through innovative consolidation practices and the promotion of zero-tailpipe emission transport modes such as e-cargo bikes. With a supported 6-month trial for a low-emission courier in Westminster, this initiative delivered by CRP will enable significant reductions in carbon emissions, support sustainable freight, and help local businesses. The project will also create new green jobs, providing vital economic opportunities.

    CRP will monitor the hub’s impact throughout its implementation and operation. The project will measure reductions in freight vehicle numbers, delivery vehicle miles, and emissions exposure. At an estimated value-for-money rate of £39.75 per kilogram of CO2 saved, the project demonstrates the cost-effective nature of the initiative.

    This micro logistics hub aligns with Westminster City Council’s strategies, including the draft Sustainable Transport Strategy, the Freight, Servicing and Deliveries Strategy and Action Plan, and the Zero Carbon City 2040 Action Plan. The project also supports the city’s broader vision for fairer communities, healthier streets, and a decarbonised urban transport network by 2040.

    Building on previous successful CRP micro logistics hub trials in Pimlico and Wandsworth, this hub will continue to explore new approaches to logistics in underutilised spaces, enhancing Westminster’s capacity for green growth. CRP will work closely with the central London local authority, local businesses, couriers, and community stakeholders to ensure the hub’s long-term viability and operational success.

    This low-emission micro logistics hub trial is made possible by the council’s Carbon Offset Fund, which supports projects designed to reduce carbon emissions across the city.

    The fund is open to a wide range of applicants, including community groups, charities, public sector bodies, and businesses. Through this, the council is hoping to empower local initiatives to take meaningful action on climate change, contributing to Westminster’s goal of becoming a net-zero city.

    Councillor Ryan Jude, Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology and Culture at Westminster City Council, said:

    Reducing emissions and improving air quality are top priorities for Westminster in achieving our aim of making the city net zero by 2040. The new hub will play a vital role in supporting more efficient low-emission deliveries across the city helping to reduce pollution create new green jobs and support local businesses, contributing to a fairer and more sustainable Westminster.

    We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Cross River Partnership on this important project.”

    Isidora Rivera Vollmer, Project Manager, Cross River Partnership, said:

    We are excited to collaborate with Westminster City Council on the next steps of this project, advancing sustainable freight solutions and supporting the delivery of a greener, safer, and more equitable city.

    At CRP, we blend strategic innovation with a strong collaborative approach to sustainability, ensuring that initiatives like this micro logistics hub not only drive environmental improvements but also enhance the health, economy, and resilience of local communities.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Two fly-tippers prosecuted by St Albans City and District Council

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    Two fly-tippers were prosecuted last month by St Albans City and District Council and ordered to pay a total of more than £2,000 in fines and costs.

    Charlie Bradford, of, Monks Close, St Albans, admitted transporting waste without a licence and illegally dumping it in Woodcock Hill.

    He left a trail of multiple fly-tips of house clearance waste along a four-mile stretch of the quiet rural road between Sandridge and Coopers Green Lane.

    The Council’s Environmental Enforcement team were alerted to the offence by residents and an investigation showed the waste was linked to a property in Borehamwood.

    Further enquiries led to Bradford being interviewed under caution and he admitted dumping the rubbish late at night from a moving van that he had borrowed.

    He admitted the two offences at a hearing at St Albans Magistrates Court on Wednesday 15 January.

    Magistrates ordered him to pay £1,924 in legal costs incurred by the Council as well as a victim surcharge of £114.

    He was also served with a 12-month community order including the requirement to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

    In the other case, the Environmental Enforcement team were alerted to a fly-tip of furniture and household waste in Cherry Tree Lane, near Redbourn.

    An examination of the material found letters addressed to Leanne Reid, of Leven Way, Hemel Hempstead, who was interviewed under caution.

    She was advised that she had failed in her legal duties to check whether the person she had hired to dispose of the waste had a licence and to obtain a receipt.

    The Council issued her with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) fine under the Environmental Protection Act. The waste carrier was also traced and issued with an FPN which they paid.

    However, after Reid failed to pay her fine, court proceedings were started and she admitted the duty of care fly-tipping offence at St Albans Magistrates Court on Wednesday 29 January.

    Magistrates gave her a six-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £100 towards the Council’s costs and a victim surcharge of £26.

    Councillor Anthony Rowlands, Lead for Waste and Recycling, said after the hearings:

    Fly-tipping is an antisocial and inexcusable offence and these prosecutions show we are determined to act against offenders.

    Fly-tips are not only unsightly, but they are also a potential health hazard and it costs public agencies like ourselves, farmers and landowners significant sums of money to clear up.

    Much fly-tipping, as in these cases, is done on isolated country roads, late at night when there are no eyewitnesses around.

    It can be very difficult to trace offenders, so our enforcement team deserve high praise for the way they have tracked down these culprits.

    There is also a warning here for people who are clearing a house or a commercial property – they must ensure the firm or person they hire to do so has a proper waste carrier’s licence and they must obtain a receipt. You leave yourself open to a potential fly-tipping offence if you don’t do that.

    Photos: top, the Cherry Tree Lane fly-tip; bottom, the Woodcock Hill fly-tips.

    Media contact:  John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Parliament Question: Steps To Bring More Area Under Green Cover

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

    Parliament Question: Steps To Bring More Area Under Green Cover

    Posted On: 06 FEB 2025 3:38PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Forest Policy (NFP) 1988 envisages the national goal to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area under forest or tree cover and two-thirds of the area under such cover in the hill and mountainous regions of the country.

    As per latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) – 2023 published by Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, the total tree and forest cover of the country is 8,27,356.95 square kilometre which is 25.15% of the geographical area of the country. The tree and forest cover of the country has increased by 1445.81 square kilometre as compared with the previous assessment report of ISFR 2021.

    The State-wise details of India’s geographical area under tree and forest cover, as per ISFR 2023, is given below:

    (Area in sq. Km.)

    State/UTs

    Geographical

    Area

    Forest Cover

    Tree Cover

    Total Forest Cover including Tree Cover

    Andhra Pradesh

    1,62,922.57

    30,084.96

    5,340.02

    35,424.98

    Arunachal Pradesh

    83,743.22

    65,881.57

    1,201.63

    67,083.20

    Assam

    78,438.00

    28,313.55

    2,101.46

    30,415.01

    Bihar

    94,163.00

    7,532.45

    2,370.21

    9,902.66

    Chhattisgarh

    1,35,192.00

    55,811.75

    6,538.70

    62,350.45

    Delhi

    1,483.00

    195.28

    176.03

    371.31

    Goa

    3,702.00

    2,265.72

    257.82

    2,523.54

    Gujarat

    1,96,244.00

    15,016.64

    6,632.29

    21,648.93

    Haryana

    44,212.00

    1,614.26

    1,693.02

    3,307.28

    Himachal Pradesh

    55,673.00

    15,580.35

    855.07

    16,435.42

    Jharkhand

    79,716.00

    23,765.78

    3,637.55

    27,403.33

    Karnataka

    1,91,791.00

    39,254.27

    7,779.15

    47,033.42

    Kerala

    38,852.00

    22,059.36

    2,905.94

    24,965.30

    Madhya Pradesh

    3,08,252.11

    77,073.44

    8,650.14

    85,723.58

    Maharashtra

    3,07,713.00

    50,858.53

    14,524.88

    65,383.41

    Manipur

    22,327.00

    16,585.46

    209.82

    16,795.28

    Meghalaya

    22,429.00

    16,966.84

    720.56

    17,687.40

    Mizoram

    21,081.00

    17,990.46

    567.80

    18,558.26

    Nagaland

    16,579.00

    12,222.47

    394.02

    12,616.49

    Odisha

    1,55,707.00

    52,433.56

    6,163.45

    58,597.01

    Punjab

    50,362.00

    1,846.09

    1,475.15

    3,321.24

    Rajasthan

    3,42,238.99

    16,548.21

    10,841.12

    27,389.33

    Sikkim

    7,096.00

    3,358.40

    48.33

    3,406.73

    Tamil Nadu

    1,30,060.00

    26,450.22

    5,370.72

    31,820.94

    Telangana

    1,12,122.44

    21,179.04

    3,517.66

    24,696.70

    Tripura

    10,486.00

    7,584.77

    247.56

    7,832.33

    Uttar Pradesh

    2,40,927.56

    15,045.80

    8,950.92

    23,996.72

    Uttarakhand

    53,483.36

    24,303.83

    1,231.14

    25,534.97

    West Bengal

    88,752.00

    16,832.33

    2,938.12

    19,770.45

    A&N Islands

    8,249.00

    6,732.92

    26.97

    6,759.89

    Chandigarh

    114.00

    25.00

    21.18

    46.18

    Dadra & Nagar

    Haveli and Daman & Diu

     

    602.00

     

    225.62

     

    36.83

     

    262.45

    Jammu & Kashmir

    2,22,236.00

    21,346.39

    3,666.97

    25,013.36

    Ladakh

    2,285.92

    893.02

    3,178.94

    Lakshadweep

    29.63

    27.06

    0.20

    27.26

    Puducherry

    490.00

    44.31

    28.89

    73.20

    Total

    32,87,468.88

    7,15,342.61

    1,12,014.34

    8,27,356.95

     

    The protection and management of forests is primarily the responsibility of the State Government. The Government has formulated adequate legal and regulatory frameworks at national and state levels, which regulate the protection, conservation, and management of the forests of the country. The major central level policy and legislations concerning the management and conservation of forests include the National Forest Policy, 1988, Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 1980, and Biological Diversity Act, 2002, etc.

    To bring more areas under green cover, the Government is implementing various schemes such as such as National Mission for a Green India (GIM), Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) and Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI). The schemes primarily support ecological restoration through afforestation in and outside forest areas, forest landscape restoration, habitat improvement, soil and water conservation measures and protection etc.

    The tree plantation campaign “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 5th June 2024 to undertake plantation activities across the country.

    This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE, SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

    *****

     

    VM

    (Rajya Sabha US Q367)

    (Release ID: 2100254)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Parliament Question: Mangrove Conservation In Coastal Areas

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 06 FEB 2025 3:37PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government has taken a number of steps to protect and enhance mangrove forests in coastal States/Union Territories through regulatory and promotional measures. The regulatory measures include Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification (2019) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; the Indian Forest Act, 1927; the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and rules under these acts as amended from time to time.

    The promotional measures include “Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)” – a new programme launched by the Government of India on 5th June 2023, in collaboration with coastal States and Union Territories to restore and promote mangroves for preserving and enhancing the sustainability of the coastal ecosystem and habitats.

    The objective of MISHTI is to restore/afforestation of mangroves covering approximately 540 km2, spreading across 9 coastal States and 4 Union Territories.  Implementation of MISHTI initiative is through convergence with gap funding provided through National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).

    Financial support of ₹17.96 Crore has been released from CAMPA to the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, and UT of Puducherry for restoration of degraded mangrove area in the financial year 2024-2025.

    India’s total mangrove cover stands at 4,991.68 km2, making up 0.15% of the country’s total geographical area as per India State of Forest Report 2023 ((ISFR-2023). West Bengal has the highest mangrove coverage, accounting for 42.45%, followed by Gujarat at 23.66% and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands at 12.39%. The mangrove cover in Gujarat has increased by 253.06 km² between 2001 and 2023, as per ISFR-2023. The effective implementation of regulatory and promotional measures has yielded an increase of mangrove cover in Gujarat, which includes large-scale plantation initiatives through successful Public-Private Partnership along with active community engagement and effective protection measures.

    This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE, SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

    *****

    VM

    (Rajya Sabha US Q379)

    (Release ID: 2100252) Visitor Counter : 69

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cross-Agency Steering Group sets 2025 priorities to support growth of sustainable finance in Hong Kong

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

         The Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group (Steering Group) sets out three key priorities for this year to foster the growth of sustainable finance in Hong Kong following its meeting today (February 6).

         1. Developing a comprehensive sustainability disclosure ecosystem. With the publication of the Roadmap on Sustainability Disclosure in Hong Kong (Note 1) by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the Steering Group will take further actions to support the implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standards Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards) in Hong Kong. The Steering Group will work closely with stakeholders to provide technical assistance on sustainability reporting, develop a sustainability assurance framework, and deliver capacity building programmes in collaboration with the industry.

         2. Reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a leading sustainable and transition finance hub. To scale up the flow of green and sustainable finance, the Steering Group is engaging the industry to expand the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance (Note 2) to incorporate transition elements and add new sustainable activities. The Steering Group also works alongside the industry to develop operational guidance for practising transition finance in a sectoral approach. Furthermore, the Steering Group will set up a Transition Finance Knowledge Hub on its website. Following the progress of carbon market developments at COP29 (Note 3), the Steering Group reaffirmed its commitment to develop Hong Kong into an Asia-Pacific region carbon trading hub, through increasing engagement with stakeholders and providing capacity building programmes across the region.

         3. Harnessing data and technology to facilitate sustainability reporting and promote sustainable financing activities. The Steering Group is developing the official Hong Kong Green Fintech Map (Note 4) with the industry, which will be published in the first half of 2025, in view of the potential of green fintech solutions in facilitating large-scale mobilisation of sustainable capital and enabling information flow with greater transparency and accessibility. To support sustainability reporting and increase data availability, the Steering Group will continue to enhance the free-for-all public utility data tools on its website throughout the year, including two greenhouse gas emissions calculation and estimation tools and the Climate and Environmental Risk Questionnaire for Non-listed companies/small and medium-sized enterprises. 
         â€‹
         For details on the initiatives of the Steering Group and its members, please visit sustainablefinance.org.hk/en/.
     
    About the Steering Group

         Established in May 2020, the Steering Group is co-chaired by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Securities and Futures Commission. Members include the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Insurance Authority, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited. The Steering Group aims to coordinate the management of climate and environmental risks to the financial sector, accelerate the growth of green and sustainable finance in Hong Kong and support the Government’s climate strategies.
     
    Note 1: In December 2024, the HKSAR Government launched the Roadmap on Sustainability Disclosure in Hong Kong, providing a well-defined pathway for large publicly accountable entities in Hong Kong to fully adopt the ISSB Standards no later than 2028.

    Note 2: In May 2024, the HKMA published Phase 1 of the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance, encompassing 12 economic activities under four sectors, namely power generation, transportation, construction, and water and waste management.

    Note 3: The 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, commonly known as COP29.

    Note 4: In March 2024, the Steering Group launched the Prototype Hong Kong Green Fintech Map with Cyberport and Invest Hong Kong.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Import of poultry meat and products from Metropolitan City of Torino of Piemonte Region in Italy suspended

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Import of poultry meat and products from Metropolitan City of Torino of Piemonte Region in Italy suspended
    Import of poultry meat and products from Metropolitan City of Torino of Piemonte Region in Italy suspended
    ******************************************************************************************

         The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 6) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Metropolitan City of Torino of the Piemonte Region in Italy, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 150 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 40 000 poultry eggs from Italy last year.     “The CFS has contacted the Italian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 6, 2025Issued at HKT 16:20

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at whether reducing atmospheric sulphur stimulates more methane emissions from wetlands

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Science Advances looks at reducing atmospheric sulphur and methane emissions from wetlands. 

    Dr Eiko Nemitz, environmental physicist, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), said:

    “The study highlights a likely important interaction between air pollution, greenhouse gases generated by human activity, and natural emissions.  It shows that as sulphur emissions continue to decrease in response to a drive to improve air quality, as well as a side-effect of the decarbonisation of transport and industry to achieve net zero, this will likely increase natural methane emissions from wetlands.

    “Sulphur emissions also contribute to the formation of aerosols (microscopic particles) that scatter light and lead to the formation of reflective clouds, thus exerting a cooling effect on the climate.  The processes highlighted in this new paper provide a second mechanism by which control of sulphur emissions reduces climate cooling.

    “Nevertheless, sulphur emissions continue to play a major role in poor air quality, causing damaging health impacts in many parts of the world, and there are fewer options to clean up the air than to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    “In this context it is important to recognise that the reduction in sulphur emission and deposition will bring the wetlands closer to their original state, and the magnitude of their methane emissions closer to what they would have been without the human impact of elevated sulphur deposition.

    “The impact of sulphur deposition on methane emission from wetlands has been suggested by a small number of studies on this subject for a couple of decades, but responses are variable.  This paper upscales the impact and overcomes some of that variability by synthesising a larger number of studies and by exploring a range of response functions.  Whilst the study seems robust, without access to the supplementary of the study, it is not possible to make a definite comment on the quality of the underlying data.”

    Prof William Collins, Professor of Climate Processes, University of Reading, said:

    “While we have long known that cleaning up air pollutants such as sulphur have a direct warming effect on climate, this study shows that cleaner air can indirectly warm climate by increasing natural emissions of methane.  Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas and a large source of it is from natural wetlands.

    “This study is the first to systematically analyse field measurements of wetland emissions under varying conditions of sulphur deposition.  It shows that high levels of sulphur pollution up until the late 20th Century may have artificially supressed this source.  As we clean up our industries and power production this natural emission of methane will rebound and further warm climate.  The good news is that reducing climate change also reduces natural methane emissions, so further supporting the climate benefit of strong carbon reductions.”

    Dr Adam Povey, Assistant Professor of Earth Observation, National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, said:

    “This study provides an additional line of evidence that wetlands are highly important in understanding the climate.  Wetlands rapidly respond to changes in weather and climate, and those changes feedback to the climate – in this case, amplifying warming.  These interfaces between water, soil, and life are extremely difficult to understand due to the diversity of interlinked processes occurring.  This paper provides decent evidence for the direction of this effect – that cleaner air increases natural methane emissions and this makes it more difficult to achieve net zero – and this is consistent with other lines of evidence.  I would treat the precise numbers quoted with caution since (as described at the beginning of the ‘Discussion’ section) there are many confounding processes and substantial uncertainties around the conditions in wetlands that are not captured by this statistical analysis of existing experiments.  The UK is in an excellent position to understand these processes due to our world-leading capacity to monitor atmospheric pollutants (such as sulphur) and to model the influence of life on the climate through the UK Earth System Model.”

    ‘The large role of declining atmospheric sulfate deposition and rising CO2 concentrations in stimulating future wetland CH4 emissions’ by Lu Shen et al. was published in Science Advances at 19:00 UK time on Wednesday 5 February 2025. 

    Declared interests

    Dr Eiko Nemitz: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”

    Prof William Collins: “Last year I was a member of a panel advising the NZ govt on its methane targets.”

    Dr Adam Povey: “My funding is entirely from UKRI and ESA so I can’t think of any conflicts of interest.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EPA Phase 1 – Private Property Debris Removal PSA

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    The Environmental Protection Agency explains the measures they are taking to protect public health while conducting phase one of the PPDR (Private Property Debris Removal) mission. This is a crucial first step in the two phase operation to ensure properties are cleared of hazardous household material and common household items that must be removed properly. Once this phase is complete, the Army Corps of Engineers can begin removing ash from properties so homeowners can begin the process of rebuilding.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OLzL7ue_xM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Czech Republic to step up railway improvements with EIB loan of €466 million

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB lends Czech Republic €466 million (11.75 billion Czech korunas) to upgrade key railway lines in country.
    • Financing support to deployment of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and creation of safer level crossings.
    • Project highlights Europe-wide push for rail-service improvements.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending the Czech Republic €466 million (11.75 billion Czech korunas) to upgrade key railway lines across the country, highlighting a push for safer, faster and cleaner transport. The EIB loan will cover technological and design improvements on Czech rail routes that are part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for trains and that connect to countries including Austria and Poland. 

    The Czech Ministry of Finance will direct the EIB credit to the national railway infrastructure administrator, Správa železnic, which will manage the planned works.  These include deploying the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on rail lines, retrofitting maintenance vehicles with ERTMS equipment and re-designing level crossings to make them safer.

    The new financing is part of a circa €1 billion funding package approved by the EIB in 2023 for improving Czech railways. The overall goals are to make rail travel in the country safer and faster as well as to encourage a shift away from road transport as part of efforts to slash emissions that cause climate change.

    “The new loan exemplifies our commitment to supporting sustainable transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic,” said EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris. “By modernising the railway network, we are not only improving the quality of rail services but also contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.”

    The upgrades to be financed by the new EIB credit are due to be completed by the end of 2028 and include roughly 40 individual projects throughout the country. Their geographical spread reflects EIB and European Union goals to deepen regional cohesion as well as tackle globalwarming.

    “Today’s signing of the loan agreement is yet another confirmation of our long-term cooperation with the EIB in modernizing the Czech transport infrastructure. The EIB provides an opportunity to finance major projects under favourable terms for the Czech Republic. By utilizing this loan, Správa železnic can secure subsidies for individual projects from the European Just Transition Mechanism, further enhancing the effectiveness of this financing method,” said Czech Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura.

    Rail upgrades in the Czech Republic and other European countries will help the EU meet a goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.  

    „I am very pleased that the EIB’s continued support confirms our readiness to contribute to the development of modern railways to ensure quality and environmentally friendly transport on both the national and trans-European transport network. At the same time, it proves the high quality of our projects also in comparison with other countries, ” commented Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka.

    This underlying EIB loan also supports the reconstruction of eight railway stations across all three coal regions of the Czech Republic, which is a set of projects that were also selected for a grant from the European Commission under the Public Sector Loan Facility, the third pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism.                                                           

    “The eight railway stations spanning from the westernmost city of Cheb to Ostrava, the capital of the Moravia-Silesia region, have been selected for PSLF grants of more than EUR 20 million,” said Paloma Aba Garrote, Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, or CINEA. “The reconstruction of these important public buildings will improve passenger comfort and safety, as well as accessibility for people with disabilities and improve energy efficiency. Moreover, some of these buildings will be refurbished and repurposed to accommodate new office and retail space, which will contribute to the economic revitalisation of the municipalities.”

    Background information

    About the EIB and the Czech Republic

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union. It finances sound investments contributing to EU policy goals. The EIB Group invested €2.47 billion (or CZK 63 billion) in the Czech Republic in 2024, supporting regional development and boosting economic resilience while also enhancing environmental sustainability and improving quality of life.

    About PSLF and Just Transition Mechanism (JTM)

    The Public Sector Loan Facility aims at alleviating the social and economic effects of the transition towards climate neutrality in the EU regions. It is a blending facility that combines loans from the EIB with grants from the European Commission to help mainly public sector entities in the most affected EU regions identified in the territorial just transition plans, to mobilise additional public investments and meet their development needs in the transition towards climate neutrality. The first PSLF call for proposals was launched on 19 July 2022 with 10 intermediate cut-offs until the end of 2025. There are 3 cut-off dates per year planned until the end of 2025. The next call for proposals will be launched in the second half of 2025.

    To find out more about PSLF and PSLF-funded projects, visit CINEA website.

    About DG REGIO

    The Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) is a department of the European Commission responsible for EU policies on regions and cities. It develops and carries out the Commission’s policies on regional and urban policy. It assists the economic and social development of the developed and less developed regions across the European Union.

    CINEA

    The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) is an Executive Agency established by the European Commission to implement parts of EU funding programmes for transport, energy, climate action, environment and maritime fisheries and aquaculture.

    CINEA aims is to support its beneficiaries, establish strong partnerships, deliver high-quality programme and project management, foster effective knowledge sharing and create synergies between programmes – to support a sustainable, connected, and decarbonised Europe.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Czech city Ústí nad Labem to get green upgrades with EIB loan of almost €43 million

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB lends €42.8 million to Ústí nad Labem in north-west Czechia to upgrade municipal infrastructure.
    • Loan to cover building, transport and energy renovations.
    • Improvements also planned for education and social care.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending €43 million (CZK 1.08 billion) to the Czech city of Ústí nad Labem for a range of green and social improvements, highlighting a Europe-wide push for urban renewal and sustainability.

    Ústí nad Labem, with a population of around 90 000 located near the Czech border with Germany, will use the EIB loan to refurbish buildings, enhance energy efficiency, develop clean power and upgrade services, including public transport, education and social care.

    The city is an industrial centre where a number of Czech manufacturing companies are located. It has a port on the river Elbe and serves as a major road and railway hub. The European Union seeks to make all cities climate-neutral by 2050 to combat global warming.

    “This loan to Ústí nad Labem underscores our commitment to empowering cities in their transition towards climate-neutral and sustainable growth. By modernising infrastructure, improving energy efficiency and advancing renewable energy investments, we are enhancing quality of life while building a greener, more inclusive and resilient future for people,” said EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris.

    Part of the EIB loan will go to works at the municipal zoo, including upgrading animal pavilions, visitor areas and energy and water management. These efforts support climate action by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

    The EIB loan stems from an EU initiative, the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM), which aims to address the social and economic impacts of transitioning to a climate-neutral economy. By blending loans from the EIB with grants from the European Commission, JTM supports investments in the regions most affected by this transition, ensuring no community is left behind. Accordingly, the EIB will finance up to 72% of the overall project costs, complemented by funding from EU grants and the city’s budget. The project promoter benefits from the support of the InvestEU Advisory Hub and will apply for a Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) grant, which would amount to 25% of the EIB loan amount.  

    The EIB loan aligns with the city’s development strategy supporting sustainable urban renewal. The EIB will also advise the City of Ústí in terms of conducting investments in municipal infrastructure, zoo pavilions, water management and energy savings.

    “Public housing, mobility and energy are key topics in our transformation process and in the long-term and sustainable direction of the city, and I am very pleased that we have managed to secure financing for these types of projects through cooperation with the EIB. I believe that we are only beginning our cooperation with the EIB, that will significantly advance the city and our zoo, which can become a truly modern and energy-self-sufficient area. We are also striving to access EIB support within the ELENA programme,“ said Ústí nad Labem Mayor Petr Nedvědický.          

    This EIB loan overcomes obstacles to market financing, ensuring that Ústí nad Labem can invest in essential public goods, services and a sustainable future.

    Background information

    About the EIB and Czechia

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union. It finances investments contributing to EU policy goals. The EIB Group invested €2.47 billion in Czechia in 2024, supporting regional development and boosting economic resilience while also enhancing environmental sustainability and improving quality of life.

    About PSLF and the Just Transition Mechanism

    The Public Sector Loan Facility aims to alleviate the social and economic effects of the transition towards climate neutrality in the EU regions. This blending facility combines loans from the EIB with grants from the European Commission to help mainly public sector entities in the most hard-hit EU regions, which are identified in the territorial just transition plans, to mobilise additional public investments and meet their development needs in the transition towards climate neutrality. The first PSLF call for proposals was launched on 19 July 2022 with ten intermediate cut-offs until the end of 2025. There are three cut-off dates per year planned until the end of 2025. A second call for proposals will be launched in 2026.

    To find out more about PSLF and PSLF-funded projects, please visit the CINEA website.

    CINEA

    The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) is an executive agency established by the European Commission to implement parts of EU funding programmes for transport, energy, climate action, environment, maritime fisheries and aquaculture.

    CINEA aims to support its beneficiaries, establish strong partnerships, deliver high-quality programme and project management, foster effective knowledge-sharing and create synergies between programmes, to support a sustainable, connected and decarbonised Europe.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Residents move into new Darwin House development at Churchill Gardens | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Local residents have begun moving into the new Darwin House development this month.

    The new 100% affordable housing scheme, which sits within the Churchill Gardens Conservation Area, is being delivered in two phases. The completion of the first of two new buildings delivers 33 new community-supported accommodation properties for social rent for people who are over 60, along with one scheme manager unit.

    Currently, there are 20 older residents in the neighbouring ‘old’ Darwin House who will be rehoused into the new purpose-built homes. The self-contained one-bedroom apartments – which are twice the size of their current accommodation – have communal facilities, offer social activities, and have guest rooms for visitors. There will be landscaped leafy green spaces for the new residents and the wider Churchill Gardens community to enjoy.

    The remaining 13 homes will be offered to people living locally, aged over 60 through the Council’s Local Lettings Plan, which allows people living locally to bid for the new properties first. This frees up existing, often larger homes for families on the waiting list.

    Residents moving into the new Darwin House development will also receive bespoke, tailored support from the council, which includes packing services for those who require it, assistance with reconnection of services and support with ordering new furniture. This is in recognition that some residents may need support to arrange these tasks online.

    Once all residents move into the new Darwin House (as it was named by its first new residents) and the original site becomes vacant, the construction of second new block will begin. A further 10 council homes for social rent will then be built on the current Darwin House location.  These social rent home will include eight 4-bedroom homes, one 3-bedroom homes and one 1-bedroom homes, providing much needed family sized accommodation.

    Working with housebuilding contractor Wates Residential to complete the works, there will be a total of 44 homes delivered on site, increasing the number of homes for residents to 21 units, providing affordable, fit-for-purpose housing in the city.

    Cllr Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters at Westminster City Council said:

    “The completion of the new homes marks a significant milestone for our residents from the ‘old’ Darwin House who have been eagerly anticipating moving in to their new fit-for-purpose homes. With the support from our specialist officers, they have all selected flats with suitable aids and adaptations to meet their needs.

    “The delivery of these new council homes for social rent – and the rest to come with construction starting on the second new building – demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver high quality, truly affordable homes and a Fairer Westminster for all local people.”

    • Darwin House | Westminster City Council
    • These new homes are designed in accordance with the Housing our Aging Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) standards, ensuring a modern and supportive living environment for our community.
    • Working with housebuilding contractor Wates Residential to complete the works, the new homes will be offered to local people first through the Council’s Local Lettings Plan, which allows people living locally in overcrowded or unsuitable homes to bid for the new properties before they go towards tackling the 4000 strong waiting list for homes in Westminster.
    • Under the ‘Fairer Westminster’ strategy, the Council has committed to providing at least 50% affordable housing across its 4,000-home development pipeline. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council staff combine with Armagh Fisheries to improve water quality

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    ABC Council’s Conservation officer Andy Griggs is pictured with Tom Woods, ABC Natural Heritage Officer and Aidan Donnelly from Armagh Fisheries.

    Conservation staff from ABC Council’s Climate Sustainability and Parks (CSP) department have been working in partnership with Armagh Fisheries Ltd recently to deliver an exciting water quality improvement project on the Butterwater river, a major tributary of the Callan River.

    The project funded through a grant from Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s (NIEA) Water Quality Improvement Scheme (WQIS) involved a number of elements including a 6km long river survey to determine the current status of the river with recommendations for future improvements works.

    Members of Armagh Fisheries carrying out improvement works on a local stream.

    As well as the survey, 150 metres of nature-based revetment works were installed helping to prevent cattle poaching of exposed riverbanks which leads to siltation of instream habitats.

    The project also involved a community engagement and citizen science programme for aquatic conservation delivered through a series of environmental education / activity days with local community members.

    The last of these events was held at the Armagh City Hotel and was attended by over 50 individuals representing some 18 local groups and organisations all working to improve river systems and the water that flows into Lough Neagh.

    Carolyn Beattie who gave a presentation at the event in Armagh City Hotel.

    Presentations at the event included information on previous project works and successes, online training modules on catchment management, education programmes on water quality and rivers for young people and current funding streams available for groups to apply for further project work.

    The event was a great success and it is envisaged that the partnership between ABC Council’s conservation staff and local community groups looking to protect and enhance our important rivers and loughs will continue to go from strength to strength in the coming years as funding is made available.

    Local anglers who attended the presentation in Armagh City Hotel.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New on-street electric vehicle charge point network launched in partnership with Ubitricity

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Expansion of public charging infrastructure will help increase access to overnight charging for residents without off-street parking.

    Birmingham City Council today announced the launch of a major new project to expand the city’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network. In partnership with Ubitricity, the UK’s largest charge point operator, the Council is carrying out a pilot deployment of 560 lamppost EV charge points across residential areas of the city where access to private off-street parking is limited or unavailable.

    This rollout represents the first project of its kind in the UK’s second-largest city and is expected to set a new standard for on-street EV charging. The project is being delivered in response to data showing that most electric cars are kept at homes without access to a private driveway. Not having access to overnight charging ‘on your doorstep’ can act as a deterrent to EV ownership. This initiative, part of Birmingham’s wider Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy, is aimed at improving access to EV charging infrastructure.

    Ubitricity, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell and the UK’s largest EV charge point operator, will supply, install, own, operate and maintain the new charge points on behalf of Birmingham City Council. This partnership is expected to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles by providing an accessible, convenient charging solution for those who rely on on-street parking.

    The 560 charge points will be installed in lampposts on 82 streets across the city, with each point taking less than an hour to install. The installation process is designed to minimise disruption and meets the Council’s key requirement to avoid street clutter, while strategically placing charge points based on resident demand and grid connection availability.

    Deployed using Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) funding, the first 300 of these charge points have already been installed, and the remaining 260 will be installed before the end of Spring 2025.

    Transport accounts for around a third of CO2 emissions in Birmingham. In June 2019, Birmingham City Council declared a climate emergency and set an ambition for the city to become net-zero by 2030 or as soon as possible after that date as a ‘just transition’ allows. To reduce, and eventually eliminate emissions from transport, it is necessary to shift remaining vehicles to ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs). To enable the uptake of electric vehicles, a comprehensive public EV charging network across Birmingham is needed. As part of this effort, the city is focused on ensuring that EV charging infrastructure is accessible to all residents, including those who use taxis, car clubs, and commercial fleets, as well as private individuals without off-street parking.

    The pilot rollout respects the city’s broader commitment to the Birmingham Transport Plan 2031 and supports the objectives of the Brum Breathes Clean Air Strategy and the Route to Net Zero initiative. These initiatives aim to make walking, cycling, and public transport the preferred choice for getting around, whilst ensuring that remaining private vehicle use is enabled through access to clean, zero-emissions charging infrastructure.

    Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport at Birmingham City Council, emphasised the importance of this initiative in supporting the city’s long-term environmental goals.

    He said: “While our focus as a council is on delivering the Birmingham Transport Plan and encouraging people to swap private vehicles for public transport, we also want to ensure that, for those who require use of a car, we have the infrastructure in place to facilitate use of low or zero-emission vehicles.”

    Stuart Wilson, UK Managing Director of Ubitricity, said: “Ubitricity is delighted to be supporting Birmingham City Council as they begin this journey to create one of the largest public EV charging networks outside London, encouraging the transition to electric vehicles, and helping to create a cleaner and healthier, environment for the people of Birmingham.”

    Ubitricity installed 301 charge points between 15th October and 24th December. As one of the quickest mass rollouts ubitricity has headed, they put the accelerated installation down to close collaboration with the council, with the city’s wide-ranging commitment to EV infrastructure paving the way for other cities to follow suit.

    For more information about the City-wide Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy, visit Birmingham City Council’s website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘degrowth’ movement envisions global climate justice, but must adapt to global south realities

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Claudius Gräbner-Radkowitsch, Junior Professor of Pluralist Economics, Europa-Universität Flensburg

    It is widely accepted that human activities are the primary drivers of global warming and environmental crises, including the rapid loss of biodiversity. However, the debate over how best to address these issues is far from settled. In political circles, “green growth” – the concept of making economic activities more sustainable – has emerged as the most popular solution.

    Is green growth enough?

    The idea behind green growth is to continue expanding economies while minimising environmental harm. However, critics argue that this approach has failed to significantly curb climate change and biodiversity loss.

    Despite international efforts since the 1970s, carbon emissions have continued to rise. As the World Inequality Report reveals, nearly half of historical emissions occurred after 1990. Incremental policy changes, technological innovations and shifts in consumer behaviour have not been enough to reverse this trend. This failure has led to the growing appeal of “degrowth” – a more radical alternative that challenges the current global economic system.

    What is ‘degrowth’?

    “Degrowth” emerged in Europe, particularly in France, in the late 2000s. Philosophers such as André Gorz and economists such as Serge Latouche were among its early proponents, with researchers such as Tim Jackson later popularising the concept in the English-speaking world. They argue that the root cause of environmental destruction lies not only in human activity but also in a global economic model that has prioritised growth and profit since the Industrial Revolution.

    Initially, degrowth was a critique of Western lifestyles and notions of progress. Environmental concerns were just one part of the movement’s broader agenda. Over time, however, environmentalism has become central to the movement’s goals.

    A stenciled message in favour of degrowth.
    Paul Sableman, CC BY



    À lire aussi :
    Idea of green growth losing traction among climate policy researchers, survey of nearly 800 academics reveals

    What about the global south?

    Today, many degrowth advocates assert that the richer countries of the global north, being largely responsible for environmental degradation, should be the ones to scale back economic activity to avert ecological catastrophe. But what about the poorer countries of the global south? Should they adopt degrowth strategies? Some argue this would impose a neocolonial agenda, with wealthier countries once again dictating the terms of global development. Others note that many poorer countries need economic growth to combat poverty. And even if degrowth were limited to the north, it could still have significant effects on the south – both positive and negative.

    A review of academic literature on degrowth and the global south reveals two main perspectives: those who see degrowth as incompatible with the south’s development needs, and those who believe it could offer synergies with sustainable development goals.

    Supporters of degrowth often point out that many of its core ideas originate in the global south. Anthropologist Jason Hickel cites figures such as Sri Lankan philosopher Ananda Coomaraswamy, Indian economist J.C. Kumarappa and Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore as inspirations. While these thinkers may not use the term “degrowth”, they promote ideas aligned with it, such as the Latin American Sumak kawsay (or “Buen vivir”) or the South African Ubuntu. These non-Western perspectives have been instrumental in shaping the degrowth discourse in the global north.

    Degrowth as decolonisation

    Degrowth advocates argue that scaling back economic activity in the north could help dismantle the unequal global division of labour, in which raw materials are extracted from the south and processed into consumer goods in the north. This system disproportionately benefits wealthier nations while leaving poorer countries with the social and environmental costs. Federico Demaria, a researcher in political ecology, argues that northern countries must “pay for past and present colonial exploitation in the south” – a central theme in contemporary degrowth discourse.

    An aerial view of a gold mine in Brazil.
    Tarcisio Schnaider/Shutterstock

    Some researchers suggest that dependence on economic growth is problematic for both the north and south. They argue that growth alone does not guarantee poverty reduction – wealth distribution and institutional reforms are just as crucial. Degrowth could help both regions avoid unsustainable development models by focusing more on social well-being than perpetual economic expansion.

    Challenges for degrowth in the global south

    However, many scholars believe degrowth is unattractive for the global south. Critics argue that the concept is too Eurocentric and fails to resonate amid the specific challenges faced by poorer nations. Interviews with academics and activists in the south show that while they may agree with some of the ideas behind degrowth, they reject its language, which they see as rooted in Western thinking. Economist Beatriz Rodríguez Labajos and her co-authors suggest that researchers from the north and south should look at “strengthening potential synergies, through an assertive recognition of the barriers to doing so”.

    There is also concern that promoting degrowth in the south could be perceived as a new form of colonialism. Imposing Western notions of degrowth could prevent poorer countries from following the same path to prosperity that the north took, which often involved exploiting the resources of the south. The degrowth movement’s failure to fully address the colonial roots of economic development poses a challenge to its decolonization-oriented ambitions.

    The problem of global dependencies

    Finally, global dependencies further complicate the degrowth debate. Many people in the south rely on export-driven economies that serve Western markets. A reduction in economic activity in the north could harm populations in the south who depend on those exports.

    This interdependence presents a dilemma for the degrowth movement. Proponents argue that degrowth is not about abandoning economic activity but reforming the global trade, finance and governance systems to prevent negative impacts on the south. For degrowth to succeed, its advocates must formulate concrete proposals that address these global dependencies without exacerbating inequalities or harming the most vulnerable.

    This article is part of a project involving The Conversation France and AFP audio. It has received financial support from the European Journalism Centre, as part of the Solutions Journalism Accelerator programme supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. AFP and The Conversation France have retained their editorial independence at every stage of the project.

    We offer this article as part of the Normandy World Forum for Peace, organised by the Normandy region of France on September 26-27, 2024. The Conversation France is a partner of the forum. For more information, visit the Normandy World Forum for Peace’s website.

    Claudius Gräbner-Radkowitsch is a member of the Bündnis90/Die Grünen (The Greens) party. He has received research grants, notably from the Austrian FWF and the German DFG.

    Birte Strunk ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. The ‘degrowth’ movement envisions global climate justice, but must adapt to global south realities – https://theconversation.com/the-degrowth-movement-envisions-global-climate-justice-but-must-adapt-to-global-south-realities-238276

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: OP Mortgage Bank: Financial Statements Bulletin for 1 January‒31 December 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OP Mortgage Bank
    Financial Statements Bulletin
    Stock Exchange Release 6 February 2025 at 10.00 EET

    OP Mortgage Bank: Financial Statements Bulletin for 1 January‒31 December 2024


    OP Mortgage Bank (OP MB) is the covered bond issuing entity of OP Financial Group. Together with OP Corporate Bank plc, its role is to raise funding for OP Financial Group from money and capital markets.

    Financial standing

    The intermediary loans and loan portfolio of OP MB totalled EUR 14,800 million (16,988)* on 31 December 2024. Bonds issued by OP MB totalled EUR 14,800 million (14,915) at the end of December.

    OP MB’s covered bonds after 8 July 2022 are issued under the Euro Medium Term Covered Bond (Premium) programme (EMTCB), pursuant to the Finnish Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds (151/2022). The collateral is added to the EMTCB cover pool from the member cooperative banks’ balance sheets via the intermediary loan process on the issue date of a new covered bond.

    In January, OP MB issued its first covered bond of the year in the international capital market. The fixed-rate covered bond worth EUR 1 billion has a maturity of seven years and six months. All proceeds of the bond were intermediated to 63 OP cooperative banks in the form of intermediary loans.

    In March, a fixed-rate covered bond worth EUR 1 billion issued by OP MB in March 2017 matured. At the same time, OP cooperative banks’ intermediary loans worth EUR 1 billion related to the bond in question matured.

    In October, OP MB issued its second covered bond of the year in the international capital market. The fixed-rate covered bond worth EUR 1 billion has a maturity of five years. All proceeds of the bond were intermediated to 48 OP cooperative banks in the form of intermediary loans.

    The terms of issue are available on the op.fi website, under Debt investors: https://www.op.fi/en/op-financial-group/debt-investors/issuers/op-mortgage-bank/emtcb-debt-programme-documentation

    In November, OP MB sold a loan portfolio with a nominal value of EUR 1,825 million back to 85 OP cooperative banks. A capital loss of EUR 7.9 million was recognised on the sale in other operating expenses, and at the same time, income of EUR 5.0 million was recognised in net interest income consisting of income of EUR 7.7 million from the unwinding of hedge accounting items and an expense of EUR 2.7 million from the unwinding of loan EIR amortisations. In addition, EUR 4.5 million was recognised as expected credit loss on the sold loans. Net effect on operating profit was EUR 1.7 million. Previously, OP MB has purchased loans from OP cooperative banks as collateral for the bonds. Currently, OP MB operates on an intermediary loan model in which loans are tagged as collateral for bonds directly in OP cooperative banks’ balance sheets.

    Also, a fixed-rate registered bond (Namensschuldverschreibung) worth EUR 115 million issued by OP MB in November 2012 matured in November. Additionally, a fixed-rate covered bond worth EUR 1 billion issued by OP MB in November 2014 matured in November together with OP cooperative banks’ intermediary loans related to the bond worth EUR 1 billion.

    At the end of December, 92 OP cooperative banks had a total of EUR 14,800 million (14,800) in intermediary loans from OP MB.

    Impairment loss on receivables related to loans in OP MB’s balance sheet totalled EUR 2.5 million (-0.3). Loss allowance was EUR 0.0 million (2.6) following the sale of the loan portfolio.

    Operating profit was EUR 4.4 million (9.3). The company’s financial standing remained stable throughout the reporting period.

    * The comparatives for 2023 are given in brackets. For income statement and other aggregated figures, January–December 2023 figures serve as comparatives. For balance-sheet and other cross-sectional figures, figures at the end of the previous financial year (31 December 2023) serve as comparatives.


     Collateralisation of bonds issued to the public

    The European covered bonds (premium) issued under the EMTCB programme worth EUR 25 billion established on 11 October 2022, in accordance with the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds (151/2022), totalled EUR 6,250 million. The cover pool included a total of EUR 6,882 million in loans serving as collateral on 31 December 2024. Overcollateralisation exceeded the minimum requirement under the Act (151/2022).

    The covered bonds issued under the Euro Medium Term Covered Note programme worth EUR 20 billion established on 12 November 2010, in accordance with the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks (Laki kiinnitysluottopankkitoiminnasta, 688/2010), totalled EUR 8,550 million. The cover pool included a total of EUR 9,451 million in loans serving as collateral on 31 December 2024. Overcollateralisation exceeded the minimum requirement under the Act (688/2010).

    Capital adequacy

    OP MB’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio stood at 797.0% (41.8) on 31 December 2024. The ratio was improved by the sale of the loan portfolio back to OP cooperative banks and the resulting reduction in capital requirement for credit risk. The minimum CET1 capital requirement is 4.5% and the requirement for the capital conservation buffer is 2.5%. The minimum total capital requirement is 8% (or 10.5% with the increased capital conservation buffer). OP MB fully covers its capital requirements with CET1 capital, which in practice means that it has a CET1 capital requirement of 10.5%. Estimated profit distribution has been subtracted from earnings for the reporting period.

    OP MB uses the Standardised Approach (SA) to measure its capital adequacy requirement for credit risk. The Standardised Approach is also used to measure the capital requirement for operational risks.

    OP MB belongs to OP Financial Group. As part of the Group, OP MB is supervised by the European Central Bank. OP Financial Group presents capital adequacy information in its financial statements bulletins and interim and half-year financial reports in accordance with the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks. OP Financial Group also publishes Pillar 3 disclosures.

    Own funds and capital adequacy

    TEUR 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Equity capital 368,122 372,160
    Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) before deductions 368,122 372,160
    Excess funding of pension liability   -13
    Proposed profit distribution -3,466  
    Share of unaudited profits   -7,490
    Insufficient coverage for non-performing exposures   -2,856
    CET1 capital 364,656 361,800
         
    Tier 1 capital (T1) 364,656 361,800
         
    Tier 2 capital (T2)    
    Total own funds 364,656 361,800

    Total risk exposure amount

    TEUR 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Credit and counterparty risk 18,581 812,205
    Operational risk (Standardised Approach) 26,636 25,140
    Other risks* 538 27,336
    Total risk exposure amount 45,755 864,682

    * Risks not otherwise covered.

    Ratios

    Ratios, % 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    CET1 capital ratio 797.0 41.8
    Tier 1 capital ratio 797.0 41.8
    Capital adequacy ratio 797.0 41.8

    Capital requirement

    Capital requirement, TEUR 31.12.2024 31.12.2023
    Own funds 364,656 361,800
    Capital requirement 4,804 90,829
    Buffer for capital requirements 359,852 270,971

    Liabilities under the Resolution Act

    Under regulation applied to the resolution of credit institutions and investment firms, the resolution authority is authorised to intervene in the terms and conditions of investment products issued by a bank in a way that affects an investor’s position. The EU’s Single Resolution Board (SRB) based in Brussels is OP Financial Group’s resolution authority. The SRB has confirmed a resolution strategy for OP Financial Group whereby the resolution measures would focus on the OP amalgamation and on the new OP Corporate Bank that would be formed in case of resolution. According to the resolution strategy, OP Mortgage Bank would continue its operations as the new OP Corporate Bank’s subsidiary.

    The SRB has set a Minimum Requirement for Own Funds and Eligible Liabilities (MREL) for OP MB. From May 2024, the MREL is 16% of the total risk exposure amount and 18.5% of the total risk exposure amount including a combined buffer requirement, and 6% of leverage ratio exposures. The requirement entered into force on 15 May 2024. The requirement includes a Combined Buffer Requirement (CBR) of 2.5%.

    OP MB’s buffer for the MREL requirement was EUR 356 million. The buffer consists of own funds only. OP MB clearly exceeds the MREL requirement. OP MB’s MREL ratio was 797% of the total risk exposure amount.


    Joint and several liability of amalgamation

    Under the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks (599/2010), the amalgamation of cooperative banks comprises the organisation’s central cooperative (OP Cooperative), the central cooperative’s member credit institutions and the companies belonging to their consolidation groups, as well as credit and financial institutions and service companies in which the above together hold more than half of the total votes. This amalgamation is supervised on a consolidated basis. On 31 December 2024, OP Cooperative’s member credit institutions comprised 93 OP cooperative banks, OP Corporate Bank plc, OP Mortgage Bank and OP Retail Customers plc.

    The central cooperative is responsible for issuing instructions to its member credit institutions concerning their internal control and risk management, their procedures for securing liquidity and capital adequacy, and for compliance with harmonised accounting policies in the preparation of the amalgamation’s consolidated financial statements.

    As a support measure referred to in the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks, the central cooperative is liable to pay any of its member credit institutions the amount necessary to preventing the credit institution from being placed in liquidation. The central cooperative is also liable for the debts of a member credit institution which cannot be paid using the member credit institution’s assets.

    Each member bank is liable to pay a proportion of the amount which the central cooperative has paid to either another member bank as a support measure or to a creditor of such a member bank in payment of an overdue amount which the creditor has not received from the member bank. Furthermore, if the central cooperative defaults, a member bank has unlimited refinancing liability for the central cooperative’s debts as referred to in the Co-operatives Act.

    Each member bank’s liability for the amount the central cooperative has paid to the creditor on behalf of a member bank is divided between the member banks in proportion to their last adopted balance sheets. OP Financial Group’s insurance companies do not fall within the scope of joint and several liability.

    According to section 25 of the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks (688/2010), which was valid at that time, the creditors of covered bonds issued prior to 8 July 2022 have the right to receive payment, before other claims, for the entire term of the bond, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the bond, out of the funds entered as collateral, without this being prevented by OP MB’s liquidation or bankruptcy. A similar and equal priority also applies to derivative contracts entered in the register of bonds, and to marginal lending facilities referred to in section 26, subsection 4 of said Act. For mortgage-backed loans issued prior to 8 July 2022 and included in the total amount of collateral of covered bonds, the priority of the covered bond holders’ payment right is limited to the amount of loan that, with respect to home loans, corresponds to 70% of the value of shares or property serving as security for the loan and entered in the bond register at the time of the issuer’s liquidation or bankruptcy declaration.

    Under section 20 of the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds (151/2022), which entered into force on 8 July 2022, the creditors of bonds issued after 8 July 2022, including the related management and clearing costs, have the right to receive payment from the collateral included in the cover pool, before other creditors of OP MB or the OP cooperative bank which is the debtor of an intermediary loan. A similar priority also applies to creditors of derivative contracts related to covered bonds, including the related management and clearing costs. Interest and yield accruing on the collateral, and any substitute assets, fall within the scope of said priority. Section 44, subsection 3 of the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds includes provisions on the creditor’s priority claim regarding cover pool liquidity support. According to said subsection, the creditor has the right to receive payment against the funds contained in the cover pool after claims based on the principal and interest of covered bonds secured by the cover assets included in the cover pool, obligations based on derivatives contracts associated with covered bonds, as well as administration and liquidation costs.


    Sustainability and corporate responsibility

    As of the reporting year 2024, OP Financial Group reports on its sustainability and corporate responsibility in accordance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). OP Financial Group’s Report by the Board of Directors and Financial Statements 2024, including CSRD reporting, will be published in March 2025.

    Responsible business is one of OP Financial Group’s strategic priorities. OP Financial Group’s sustainability programme guides the Group’s actions and is built around three themes: Climate and the environment, People and communities, Corporate governance. Read more about the sustainability programme at www.op.fi/en/op-financial-group/corporate-social-responsibility/corporate-social-responsibility-programme

    At OP Financial Group, sustainability and corporate responsibility are guided by a number of principles and policies. OP Financial Group is committed to complying not only with all applicable laws and regulations, but also with a number of international initiatives. The Group is committed to complying with the ten principles of the UN Global Compact initiative in the areas of human rights, labour rights, the environment and anti-corruption. OP Financial Group is a Founding Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Banking under the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). Furthermore, OP Financial Group is committed to complying with the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the UN Principles for Sustainable Insurance.

    OP Financial Group’s biodiversity roadmap includes measures to promote biodiversity. OP Financial Group aims to grow its nature positive handprint by 2030. ‘Nature positive’ means that OP Financial Group’s operations will have a net positive impact (NPI) on nature.

    OP Financial Group has drawn up a Human Rights Statement and Human Rights Policy. The Group respects all recognised human rights. The Human Rights Statement includes the requirements and expectations that OP Financial Group has set for itself and actors in its value chains. OP Financial Group is committed to perform remediation actions if its operations have adverse human rights impacts.

    In March 2024, OP MB published a Green Covered Bond Report on the allocation and impacts of Finland’s first green covered bonds issued in March 2021 and April 2022. Under OP MB’s Green Covered Bond Framework, the proceeds from the bonds have been allocated to mortgages with energy-efficient residential buildings as collateral.

    The environmental impacts allocated to the green covered bonds in 2023 were 59,000 MWh of energy use avoided per year and 8,800 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions avoided per year.


    Personnel

    At the end of the reporting period, OP MB had six employees. OP MB has been digitising its operations and purchases all key support services from OP Cooperative and its subsidiaries, reducing the need for its own personnel.


     Governing body members

    The Board composition is as follows:

    Chair Mikko Timonen Chief Financial Officer, OP Cooperative
    Members Satu Nurmi Business Lead, SME Financing,
    OP Retail Customers plc
      Mari Heikkilä Head of Group Treasury & ALM,
    OP Corporate Bank plc

    OP MB’s Managing Director is Sanna Eriksson. The Deputy Managing Director is Tuomas Ruotsalainen, Senior Covered Bonds Manager at OP MB.


    Risk profile

    OP MB has a strong capital base, capital buffers and risk-bearing capacity.

    OP MB’s most significant risks are related to the quality of collateral and to structural liquidity and interest rate risks on the balance sheet, for which limits have been set in the Banking Risk Policy. The key credit risk indicators in use show that OP MB’s credit risk exposure is stable. OP MB has used interest rate swaps to hedge against its interest rate risk. Interest rate swaps have been used to swap home loan interest, intermediary loan interest and interest on issued bonds onto the same basis rate. OP MB has concluded all derivative contracts for hedging purposes, applying fair value hedges which have OP Corporate Bank plc as their counterparty. OP MB’s interest risk exposure is under control and has been within the set limit.

    The liquidity buffer for OP Financial Group is centrally managed by OP Corporate Bank and therefore exploitable by OP MB. At the end of the reporting period, OP Financial Group’s Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) was 193% and the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) was 129%. OP MB monitors its cash flows on a daily basis to secure funding liquidity and its structural funding risk on a regular basis as part of the company’s internal capital adequacy assessment process (ICAAP).

    An analysis of OP MB’s risk exposure should always take account of OP Financial Group’s risk exposure, which is based on the joint and several liability of all its member credit institutions. The member credit institutions are jointly liable for each other’s debts. All member banks must participate in support measures, as referred to in the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks, to support each other’s capital adequacy.

    OP Financial Group analyses the business environment as part of its ongoing risk assessment activities and strategy process. Megatrends and worldviews behind OP Financial Group’s strategy reflect driving forces that affect the daily activities, conditions and future of the Group and its customers. Factors currently shaping the business environment include climate, biodiversity loss, scientific and technological innovations, polarisation, demography and geopolitics. External business environment factors are considered thoroughly, so that their effects on customers’ future success are understood. OP Financial Group provides advice and makes business decisions that promote the sustainable financial success, security and wellbeing of its owner-customers and operating region while managing the Group’s risk profile on a longer-term basis. Advice for customers, risk-based service sizing, contract lifecycle management, decision-making, management and reporting are based on correct and comprehensive information.


    Outlook

    Finland’s economy contracted in 2024. However, the economy began to recover as the year progressed and preliminary figures suggest that GDP grew in the second half compared to the same period in 2023. Slower inflation and lower interest rates provide a basis for the recovery to continue. Risks associated with the economic outlook are still higher than usual. The escalation of geopolitical crises or a rise in trade barriers may affect capital markets and the economic environment.

    OP MB’s capital adequacy is expected to remain strong and its risk exposure favourable. This enables the issuance of covered bonds in the future.

    Schedule for financial reports for 2024

    Report by the Board of Directors and Financial Statements 2024 Week 11, 2025
    Corporate Governance Statement 2024 Week 11, 2025

    Schedule for Interim Reports and Half-Year Financial Report in 2025

    Interim Report 1 January–31 March 2025 7.5.2025
    Half-year Financial Report 1 January–30 June 2025 30.7.2025
    Interim Report 1 January–30 September 2025 28.10.2025

    Helsinki, 6 February 2025

    OP Mortgage Bank

    Board of Directors

    Additional information:

    Sanna Eriksson, Managing Director, tel. +358 10 252 2517

    DISTRIBUTION
    LSE London Stock Exchange
    Euronext Dublin (Irish Stock Exchange)
    OAM (Officially Appointed Mechanism)
    Major media
    www.op.fi

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Policy on incorporation of mediation clauses in government contracts takes effect today

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Policy on incorporation of mediation clauses in government contracts takes effect today
    Policy on incorporation of mediation clauses in government contracts takes effect today
    ***************************************************************************************

         The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced that the policy on the incorporation of mediation clauses in government contracts takes effect today (February 6). The mediation clause signifies the parties’ agreement to use mediation to resolve disputes first before resorting to arbitration or litigation.     The Government issued the Policy Statement on the Incorporation of Mediation Clauses in Government Contracts on November 6, 2024. By virtue of the policy statement, the Government will, as a matter of general policy, incorporate a mediation clause in government contracts.     To complement the implementation of the policy, the DoJ today also promulgated “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mediation Rules (2025 Edition)”, which may be referred to as the “HKSARG Mediation Rules (2025)”. These Rules provide for a set of procedural rules for the conduct of mediation proceedings and are intended to operate together with the mediation clause in government contracts. These Rules shall not affect the operation of “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Construction Mediation Rules (1999 Edition)” promulgated by the then Works Bureau in 1999, as amended by the then Environment, Transport and Works Bureau in 2003.     Further information about the policy, including a sample mediation clause for incorporation in government contracts, is available on the webpage of the DoJ.      A spokesman for the DoJ said, “By taking the lead to incorporate mediation clauses in government contracts, it is hoped that private organisations would be encouraged to make reference to and adopt similar mediation clauses in their contracts, thereby deepening our ‘mediate first’ culture.”

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 6, 2025Issued at HKT 11:05

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: EPW Committee Unanimously Passes Brownfields, Recycling Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee unanimously passed the Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025, legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields program, and the Strategies to Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development (STEWARD) Act, legislation to improve our nation’s recycling and composting systems. 

    The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025 was introduced by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the EPW Committee, and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and the STEWARD Act was introduced by Chairman Capito, and U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, and John Boozman (R-Ark.).

    The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025:

    “Rural and underserved communities lack the resources needed to compete with larger entities, putting them in an unfair position. Our bill streamlines the application process to level the playing field. The legislation also modernizes the program’s grant amounts to match current construction costs and project sizes, aligning them with the reality of doing business today,” Chairman Capito said.

    “Cleaning up brownfield sites can be costly and burden our local communities,”Senator Blunt Rochester said. “The Brownfield Reauthorization Act will help us reduce environmental hazards, spur economic development, and support the health and safety of our people. I’m proud to lead this bill alongside Chair Capito, and I’m also honored to carry on the work previously championed by my predecessor, former Senator Carper. Delaware will benefit from this legislation, and I hope to see it signed into law.”

    A one-pager of the legislation is available here.

    The STEWARD Act:

    “For too many Americans, recycling remains out of reach – either because facilities don’t exist in their communities or because the infrastructure to make recycling economically viable is not in place. The STEWARD Act aims to close these gaps by ensuring that recycling services are accessible to all communities. The bill also recognizes that, to solve a problem, you need to measure and understand it first. The data provisions in the STEWARD Act will empower decision-makers to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions that will drive real change in our nation’s recycling systems,” Chairman Capito said.

    “We are living through a plastic pollution crisis: it’s accumulating in our food, in our water, and in our bodies, and it’s threatening people’s health,” Ranking Member Whitehouse said. “I’m proud to join Chairman Capito and Senator Boozman to lead the STEWARD Act, which is an essential preliminary step in reducing the amount of plastics seeping into our bodies and environment. Recycling is a stopgap in the rising flood of plastic waste, and I look forward to working with my colleagues—on both sides of the aisle—to tackle this issue on all fronts.”

    “Strengthening our commitment to recycling in order to preserve the resources we are blessed with, as well as spur economic growth and encourage industry innovation, benefits all Americans,” Senator Boozman said. “I am proud to see the STEWARD Act advance with bipartisan support as we continue our efforts to encourage sustainable recycling infrastructure systems and practices.”

    A one-pager of the legislation is available here.

    BACKGROUND:

    The Brownfields Reauthorization Act unanimously passed the EPW Committee last Congress in September 2023. The STEWARD Act is the combination of the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023 and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, which both unanimously passed the EPW Committee last Congress in April 2023 and passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent in March 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Vermont Delegation Reintroduces Bill to Redraw Boundaries of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-At-Large) today reintroduced the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act, legislation to extend the boundary of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park to include the neighboring King Farm, which is currently owned by the Vermont Land Trust.  
    “The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is a treasure for Vermont and our nation,” said Senator Sanders. “Vermont’s forests and working farms have always been vital to our economy and critical to our character as a state. I’m pleased this bill will continue Vermont’s conservation legacy by expanding this park and helping to conserve land for agriculture, forestry, and educational purposes for future generations.” 
    “The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is a unique example of how decades of conservation and stewardship have shaped our landscape with Vermont Values. As Vermont’s first and only national park, it plays an important role in conservation and educating folks about our state’s rich agricultural heritage,” said Senator Welch. “By expanding the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park to include the King Farm, our bill will create new enrichment opportunities and ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy and appreciate this historical treasure.” 
    “In Vermont, we care deeply about the preservation, stewardship, and the future of our parks and lands,” said Rep. Balint. “I’m proud to take action to strengthen this partnership and ensure that King Farm has the resources it needs for trail maintenance, conservation, and land management. I’m grateful to work with Senator Welch and Sanders and our shared commitment to our state’s outdoor recreation.” 
    Located in Woodstock, the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park preserves a significant historical, agricultural, and natural landscape. The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park became Vermont’s first and only national park when it opened its doors to the public in 1998. The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park commemorates the historical contributions of its namesakes—George Perkins Marsh, Frederick Billings, and Mary French Rockefeller—preserves Vermont’s proud agricultural heritage, and conserves native forestland ecosystems. It also provides countless educational opportunities for visitors, protects archaeological sites, and showcases historic architecture. 
    The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act would also codify the National Park Service Stewardship Institute housed at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park to support educational programing, research, community engagement, and conservation efforts throughout the National Park System. Additionally, the bill would authorize the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park to acquire the King Farm from willing property owners in the future, without requiring its sale. 
    The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act is endorsed by the Vermont Land Trust and the National Parks Conservation Association and has the support of the Town of Woodstock: 
    “The Town of Woodstock is happy with this legislation as we have an outstanding and cooperative relationship with the National Park Service and our residents enjoy all the activities and services they currently offer,” said Eric Duffy, Municipal Manager, Town of Woodstock. “The Park is a massive tourist draw and a vital part of our community.” 
    “We welcome the opportunity to partner more closely with NPS in enhancing access to land and programming at King Farm. The timing aligns perfectly with our efforts to raise funds and invest in King Farm as a place-based educational resource for learners of all ages, alongside community partners,” said Tracy Zschau, President and CEO, Vermont Land Trust. 
    “Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is one of the first places to champion conservation in America,” said Todd Martin, Northeast Senior Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. “You can’t tell the story of Vermont without farming, and expanding the park boundary will help us do that by including the historic King Farm within the park boundary. One of the oldest working farms in Vermont, this expanded landscape will enhance public access and better connect trails to the town of Woodstock. We’re grateful to Senators Welch, Sanders and Congresswoman Balint for their leadership and unwavering support for Vermont’s beloved national park.” 
    Learn more about the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act. 
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Welcome to IADC’s 2025 Executive Committee!

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Welcome to IADC’s 2025 Executive Committee!

    KEVIN NEVEU, CHAIR

    Precision Drilling Corporation

    Kevin Neveu is President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Precision Drilling Corporation and has held these positions since joining the company in 2007. Mr. Neveu has 43 years of experience in the oilfield services sector holding various technical, marketing, and management positions over his career. Mr. Neveu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a graduate of the University of Alberta and is a registered Professional Engineer in the province of Alberta. He has also completed the Harvard Advanced Management Program in Boston, Massachusetts.

    RODDIE MACKENZIE, VICE CHAIR

    Transocean

    Named to his current position in February 2022, Mr. Mackenzie is responsible for identifying innovative technologies that create demonstrable value for Transocean’s customers and differentiate Transocean from its competitors in addition to leading Transocean’s Marketing organization. Mr. Mackenzie served previously as Senior Vice President, Marketing, Innovation and Industry Relations; Vice President, Marketing and Contracts; Managing Director, Business Development and Strategic Accounts, and as a Marketing Director with increasing roles of responsibility in the United States, France, and Dubai. He brings over 20 years of industry experience and prior to his time in Marketing, Mr. Mackenzie served in various operational and project roles around the globe, starting his career at Transocean as a rig-based engineer in 1997. He has worked on all manner of drilling rigs in Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, Brazil, and the US Gulf of Mexico.

    Mr. Mackenzie currently serves as Vice President for Offshore Division of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and on various committees for the Offshore Energy Center.

    Mr. Mackenzie graduated from the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in 2016 and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Strathclyde in Civil Engineering with Environmental Studies in 1997.

    BRAD JAMES, IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

    Enterprise Offshore Drilling

    Mr. James has served as founding President, CEO and Board Member of Enterprise Offshore Drilling LLC since 2016. He previously served as Sr. Vice President – Marketing of Hercules Offshore from 2006 through 2016 and was responsible for managing worldwide marketing activity for Hercules drilling divisions. Prior to that he held various leadership roles at Transocean Offshore (including R&B Falcon and Cliffs Drilling), was founding President of Field Drilling Company and Vice President of Southland Drilling. He currently serves on the IADC Executive Committee and is a board member of IADC Drillers PAC and is a former Chairman of the IADC Houston Chapter. Mr. James obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southwest Texas State University in 1981.

    JENNIFER YEUNG, SECRETARY/TREASURER

    Noble Corporation

    Ms. Yeung was named Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller of Noble in November 2023. Prior to joining Noble, she served at Ernst & Young LLP, an accounting and professional services firm, in various roles of increasing responsibility since January 2007. Most recently, Ms. Yeung served as Audit Managing Director from October 2020 through September 2023, and as Audit Senior Manager from July 2014 through October 2020, serving clients across a range of industries including offshore drilling.

    Ms. Yeung is a certified public accountant and received a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance from Loyola University.

    LEE WOMBLE, DIVISION VP DRILLING SERVICES

    SLB

    Lee Womble is Vice President and Global Accounts Director for SLB with global responsibility for drilling contractor accounts over all SLB divisions and basins.

    He joined Cameron Iron Works in 1988 as a Product Design Engineer after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Lee received his registered Professional Engineer license from the State of Texas in 1993 and obtained his first patent in 1994. He has since managed engineering, repair operations, manufacturing, field service and sales.

    Mr. Womble has since held numerous positions throughout his 36-year career such as Design Engineer, Repair and Sales Mgr., Regional Manager, Director and now Vice President since 2007. He has lived in locations such as the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Lee has served on committees for API, AADE, IADC and The Joint Industry Task Force. He is currently focused on help SLB lead in technology, performance, and customer centricity.

    GENE STAHL, DIVISION VP NORTH AMERICA ONSHORE

    Precision Drilling Corporation

    Gene Stahl was appointed as President, North American Drilling in 2023 and previously held the position of Chief Marketing Officer since 2019. Since joining Precision Drilling in 1993, Mr. Stahl has progressed his way through the organization holding several positions with increasing responsibility, including Contracts, Investor Relations, Engineering, Manufacturing, Rig Construction, Procurement, Field Training and Development, and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE). Mr. Stahl holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Calgary and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, Advanced Management Program.

    JON RICHARDS, DIVISION VP OFFSHORE

    Noble Corporation

    Jon Richards currently serves as Vice President Operations for Noble Corporation. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations for Diamond Offshore. Mr. Richards joined Diamond Offshore in 1997 and has over 27 years of experience in the offshore drilling industry.

    Jon started his career as an Operations Development Trainee with Diamond and has since held various leadership roles and responsibilities managing operations in the United States, United Kingdom, West Africa, and Brazil. Jon holds a degree in Business Management from Texas Tech University and participates in various roles as a member of the IADC. In his free time, Jon enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and volunteering with youth sports.

    JIM NOWOTNY, DIVISION VP INTERNATIONAL ONSHORE

    Helmerich & Payne

    Jim Nowotny is the Vice President International and Offshore Business Development at Helmerich & Payne.  He has extensive domestic and international leadership experience in multiple areas of the offshore and land drilling industry, including marketing and business development, commercial and technical contracts, operations, manufacturing, and engineering.  He has worked in the energy industry since 1995.

    Prior to joining Helmerich & Payne, he worked for an international oil field equipment manufacturer.  There he was responsible for four manufacturing business units within Canada and the USA.  He oversaw all aspects of business operations, including the manufacturing, engineering, and business development groups. Jim also worked for over 16 years in various roles for Atwood Oceanics, an international offshore drilling contractor.  He worked in increasing roles of responsibility in the areas of engineering, operations, marketing, and business development.

    Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and has completed several executive education courses at Columbia Business School, Harvard Law School and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, Representative Chu reintroduce bill to prevent Muslim bans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.) reintroduced the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act, which would prevent future bans by the Trump administration on Muslims or any other religious group by strengthening the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination based on religion. The bill would also require that any suspension of entry into the United States be narrowly tailored, backed by credible evidence, and subject to appropriate consultation with Congress.

    “President Trump’s Muslim ban during his first term was un-American, unjust, and weakened our standing in the world,” said Senator Coons. “Now, as the country enters President Trump’s second term, fear and prejudice are once again guiding immigration policy, and his flurry of executive orders have laid the groundwork for another attempt at a Muslim ban. The NO BAN Act is needed now more than ever to ensure that the Trump administration cannot implement discriminatory measures and to reaffirm our nation’s commitment to religious freedom and equality under the law.”

    “A hateful stain on our nation’s history, the Muslim Ban that President Trump instituted in his first term was fueled by bigotry and Islamophobia and did lasting damage to the families it separated,” said Representative Chu. “Distressingly, President Trump has already started the process to fulfill his campaign promise to reinstate a ban, signing an Executive Order on his first day back in office that lays the groundwork for a future, and potentially expanded, Muslim Ban. That’s why I am joining Senator Coons and my Democratic colleagues to once again introduce the NO BAN Act to make certain that no president can ever ban people from entering the country solely because of their religion.”

    Additionally, Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) reintroduced the Access to Counsel Act, which Senator Coons cosponsored. This bill ensures that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status are able to consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports. As a result of President Trump’s Muslim Ban in 2017, individuals were held for long periods of time, often without access to legal counsel.

    The NO BAN Act was initially introduced in the 116th Congress in response to President Trump’s attempts in 2017 to introduce a Muslim ban. Courts initially struck down the bans, but a conservative Supreme Court upheld a version of the ban in a 5-4 decision. As a result, families were separated, couples were forced to live apart, and communities were unable to reunite for milestones of joy and grief. While former President Biden rescinded the bans, President Trump has signaled intent to issue a new travel ban in the coming months.

    The NO BAN Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in both 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the Biden administration issued a statement in support of the legislation, noting that the prior “bans were a stain on our national conscience and are inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths.”   

    An executive order issued by President Trump on his first day of his second term requires government departments to identify over the course of 60 days nations whose migration and screening processes are “so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.” The order lays the groundwork for another ban on migration from predominantly Muslim countries.

    The NO BAN Act would push back on Trump’s Muslim ban or any other travel ban by:

    • Providing that the Immigration and Nationality Act nondiscrimination provisions apply to religion, as well as to the issuance of non-immigrant visas and benefits;
    • Requiring that any travel restriction imposed under Immigration and Nationality Act be based on specific and credible facts, and in a way narrowly tailored to address a compelling government interest; and
    • Establishing procedural requirements, including notice to Congress within 48 hours, and periodic reporting.

    The NO BAN Act has received endorsements from numerous immigrants’ rights organizations, faith-based organizations, and civil rights organizations, including Care in Action, 18 Million Rising, Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, African Public Affairs Committee, America Indivisible, American Humanist Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Americans for Immigrant Justice, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, ANAR, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Church World Service, Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Refuge, Hindus for Human Rights, Human Rights First, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Immigrants Act Now, Interfaith Alliance, International Refugee Assistance Project, League of Conservation Voters, Muslims for Just Futures, National Council of Jewish Women, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Immigration Law Center, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National Partnership for New Americans, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Poligon Education Fund, Queer Crescent, Quixote Center, Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), Refugees International, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Social Workers for Immigration Justice, South Asian Legal Defense Fund, South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA), The Advocates for Human Rights, The Sikh Coalition, Union for Reform Judaism, Win Without War, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, ACLU, Brennan Center for Justice, Arab American Civic Council, ASATA Power, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), CAIR Washington, California Immigrant Policy Center, Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, Civic Ark, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Education Law Center-PA, Estrella del Paso, Family Action Network Movement, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), Indo-American Center, Islamic Society of Central Jersey, Malikah, Muslim Justice League, Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center, Womankind, and Concerned Christian Citizen.

    “As President Trump fulfills his racist campaign promises by indefinitely blocking all vulnerable refugees and by preparing a potential resurrection of categorical bans on people who come to the U.S. from African, Muslim-majority, or other countries, we welcome the timely reintroduction of an essential policy rooted in the highest American aspirations of equality, religious freedom, and refuge from tyrannical leaders,” said Sumayyah Waheed, Senior Policy Counsel, Muslim Advocates. “With the reintroduction of the NO BAN Act, we hope to check discriminatory and cruel abuses of presidential power at our borders. We remember clearly the hate, chaos, and family separation resulting from President Trump’s first-term Muslim and African bans – effects that remain unresolved to this day. Meanwhile, people seeking safety at our borders are forced to face unlawful, dehumanizing, debilitating, and even lethal barriers to doing so. We thank Rep. Chu and Sen. Coons for their leadership and urge Members in both houses to swiftly pass this bill.”

    “The first time President Trump was in the White House, as we all watched his xenophobic Muslim ban wreak havoc on families in airports and communities across the country, the ACLU took to the courts for relief. This time around, the landscape includes the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Trump’s previous ban to go into effect. We can’t sit back as Trump again seeks to inflict cruelty. The NO BAN Act is an important effort to uphold our fundamental values and ensure our laws prevent discriminatory bans from being enacted in the future,” said Naureen Shah, deputy director of government affairs with the ACLU Equality Division. 

    “Donald Trump’s Muslim Ban was a stain on America’s conscience and President Biden’s Executive Order rescinding the various versions of the ban was an important first step,” said Yasmine Taeb, Legislative and Political Director at MPower Change Action Fund. “During the campaign trail, Trump vowed not only to reinstate the Muslim Ban but to expand it, and has made good on that promise by previewing a travel ban on his first day back in office. To ensure our communities do not face the threat of family separation, xenophobia, and Islamophobia through the implementation of another unconstitutional and unconscionable ban by Trump, Congress needs to take action and pass the NO BAN Act. We’re grateful for the leadership of Representative Chu and Senator Coons in reintroducing the NO BAN Act and urge Congress to pass the bill swiftly.”

    “Trump’s discriminatory Muslim and African bans inflicted unthinkable cruelty and separated families. The policy was met with widespread resistance, with thousands of people making their voices heard in protests at airports across the country. With Trump’s return to office, and his day-one executive order signaling another forthcoming ban, we must all do everything in our power to ensure these harmful bans do not return. We commend Senator Coons’ and Representative Chu’s leadership on this issue and call on Congress to pass the NO BAN Act today to protect communities from lasting harm,” said Raha Wala, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy at the National Immigration Law Center.

    “Thousands of American families will soon be separated and America’s economic competitiveness will be damaged if President Trump reimposes the so-called travel ban. The scars of the first ban have not yet fully healed, and some who were denied entry under the first ban are staring down more than four years of separation from their families. As members of Trump’s own coalition have noted, U.S. innovation and economic strength are fueled by immigrants from Iran and other countries that will potentially be banned. It is not stable or secure or fair to American families for the U.S. to impose and repeal such policies every four years by executive fiat — Congress must act as a co-equal branch and establish guardrails that protect the rights, security, and economy for all Americans by passing the NO BAN Act,” said Jamal Abdi, President of National Iranian American Council Action.

    “The reintroduction of the NO BAN Act in the 119th Congress is a crucial step in reaffirming America’s historic role as a beacon of hope and opportunity for immigrants. For generations, the United States has stood as a nation that values diversity, equity, and justice. This legislation ensures that the executive power cannot be misused to undermine these principles or to close our doors to those seeking opportunity and refuge. We extend our gratitude to Representative Judy Chu, Senator Chris Coons, and the original co-sponsors of this critical bill and urge Congress to act swiftly to pass it, preserving the ideals that have long defined and strengthened our nation,” said Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action. 

    The text of the bill is available here. 

    A section-by-section summary of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Returning Home after the LA County Wildfires

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Returning Home after the LA County Wildfires

    Returning Home after the LA County Wildfires

    LOS ANGELES – As more Eaton Canyon and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods impacted by Los Angeles County wildfires open to residents, city and county officials caution that these areas are still dangerous, due to considerable risks remaining from waste, unstable burned buildings, and utility crews using heavy equipment.Everyone is eager to go home, clean up the burn site and start rebuilding. You may be worried about what you will find when you get back — but don’t rush in. If you find your home has damage, be careful. Improper handling and disposal of ash and materials may impact your health, as well as your neighbors. Recovery calls for caution. Areas Damaged by Wildfires are Reopening, but Risk Remains Almost all areas are now open, but some limited access may persist due to downed power lines, landslides, debris, unstable roads, or other utility work. Los Angeles County officials will communicate when re-entry conditions are permissible through public media. To check on your area, visit the county’s disaster website at Eaton Fire – LA County Recovers / Palisades Fire – LA County Recovers.The more a neighborhood is damaged by wildfire, the more complex and lengthier it will be to make the area safe. Below are some factors that help determine when a disaster area can be considered safe:Fire debris and ash in roadways. Crews have been working to clear roadways to ensure survivors can safely travel back to their homes or businesses. Debris removal has begun in Phase 1 of two phases. For more information on the process, visit Debris Removal – LA County Recovers Household materials removal. Exposure to certain common household materials impacted by fire may be a risk to human health, animals, and the environment. During Phase 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been surveying, removing, and disposing of household materials that may require special handling from properties affected by the wildfires. Items being removed include materials such as paints, solvents, oils, vehicle, and household batteries, and pesticides. For more information visit: 2025 California Wildfires | US EPA.In Phase 2, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked to support FEMA and the Consolidated Debris Removal Program. Corps of Engineers contractors will remove fire-damaged debris from private property. Residents must opt-in to the Debris Removal Program and obtain a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form for the Corps of Engineers to access charred properties.  Property owners are not required to use these services. Residents who do not “opt-in” to the Debris Removal Program are responsible for all associated debris removal costs. In addition, for the safety of the community, property owners who choose to do their own cleanup must still follow local, state, and federal requirements.Use Caution When Returning HomeBring personal protective equipment for working in and around your home: gloves, eye protection, face masks or respirators, and boots with a steel toe and insole.Look for damaged power lines, foundation cracks and other exterior damage. Your home may be too dangerous to enter before an inspector checks it out.Don’t turn on your electrical breaker if it looks damaged. Keep the main electrical power and water systems off until you or a professional can ensure they are safe.Check your gas meter and gas lines for damage. If you smell natural gas or propane, hear a hissing noise, or notice visible damage, leave immediately and contact the fire department.If your home and electrical system appear undamaged, but the power is off, turn off all your appliances before you turn the power back on at the main breaker.Take it one step at a time. Focus on the most important clean-up tasks first. Don’t try to move large or unstable material by yourself. Ask for help and help others.Rebuild with the Future in MindYou can rebuild or repair your home in ways that reduce your risk from wildfires. Email FEMA Mitigation to request a free individualized plan: FEMA-R9-MIT@fema.dhs.gov. When choosing a contractor, please note: Contractors should be licensed and bonded and have disability and workers’ compensation insurance. If they don’t, you may be liable for accidents on your property.Make sure contractors obtain the necessary permits to do the job. Consult your local government and/or LA County to verify that they do.
    barbara.murien…
    Wed, 02/05/2025 – 17:44

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: B10-0061/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
    Members responsible: Martin Häusling, Biljana Borzan, Anja Hazekamp

    B10‑0061/2025

    European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D102174/03 – (2024/3010(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D102174/03),

    – having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed[1], and in particular Article 7(3) and Article 19(3) thereof,

    – having regard to the vote of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, on 22 November 2024, at which no opinion was delivered, and the vote of the Appeal Committee on 17 December 2024, at which again no opinion was delivered,

    – having regard to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers[2],

    – having regard to the opinion adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 19 June 2024, and published on 1 August 2024[3],

    – having regard to its previous resolutions objecting to the authorisation of genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’)[4],

    – having regard to Rule 115(2) and (3) of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety,

    A. whereas on 27 June 2022, Corteva Agriscience Belgium B.V., based in Belgium, on behalf of Corteva Agriscience LLC, based in the United States, submitted an application to the national competent authority of the Netherlands for the placing on the market of foods, food ingredients and feed containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 (the ‘GM maize’);

    B. whereas the GM maize produces the Cry1B.34 toxin and is resistant to the herbicide glufosinate;

    C. whereas glufosinate is classified as toxic to reproduction 1B and therefore meets the ‘cut-off criteria’ set out in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council[5]; whereas the approval of glufosinate for use in the Union expired on 31 July 2018;

    D. whereas Cry1B.34 is a synthetic fusion protein combining Cry1B, Cry1Ca1 and Cry9Db1, engineered for insect resistance against lepidopteran pests, without demonstrated specificity to target species;

    E. whereas the genetic modification includes a two-step process using CRISPR/Cas9 to insert a ‘landing pad’, followed by microprojectile bombardment for gene expression cassette insertion;

    Lack of assessment of the complementary herbicide

    F. whereas Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013[6] requires an assessment of whether the expected agricultural practices influence the outcome of the studied endpoints; whereas, according to that Implementing Regulation, this is especially relevant for herbicide-tolerant plants;

    G. whereas the vast majority of GM crops have been genetically modified so that they are tolerant to one or more ‘complementary’ herbicides which can be used throughout the cultivation of the GM crop, without the crop dying, as would be the case for a non-herbicide tolerant crop; whereas a number of studies show that herbicide-tolerant GM crops result in a higher use of complementary herbicides, in large part because of the emergence of herbicide-tolerant weeds[7];

    H. whereas herbicide-tolerant GM crops lock farmers into a weed management system that is largely or wholly dependent on herbicides, and does so by charging a premium for GM seeds that can be justified only if farmers purchasing such seeds also spray the complementary herbicides; whereas heightened reliance on complementary herbicides on farms planting the GM crops accelerates the emergence and spread of weeds resistant to those herbicides, thereby triggering the need for even more herbicide use, a vicious circle known as ‘the herbicide treadmill’;

    I. whereas the adverse impacts stemming from excessive reliance on herbicides will worsen as regards soil health, water quality, and above and below ground biodiversity, and lead to increased human and animal exposure, potentially also via increased herbicide residues on food and feed;

    J. whereas assessment of herbicide residues and metabolites found on GM plants is considered outside the remit of the EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (‘EFSA GMO Panel’) and is therefore not undertaken as part of the authorisation process for GMOs;

    Outstanding questions concerning Bt toxins

    K. whereas a number of studies show that side effects have been observed that may affect the immune system following exposure to Bt toxins and that some Bt toxins may have adjuvant properties[8], meaning that they can increase the allergenicity of other proteins with which they come into contact;

    L. whereas a scientific study found that the toxicity of Bt toxins may also be increased through interaction with residues from spraying with herbicides, and that further studies are needed on the combinatorial effects of ‘stacked’ events (GM crops which have been modified to be herbicide-tolerant and to produce insecticides in the form of Bt toxins)[9]; whereas assessment of the potential interaction of herbicide residues and their metabolites with Bt toxins is, however, considered to be outside the remit of the EFSA GMO Panel and is, therefore, not undertaken as part of the risk assessment;

    Bt crops: effects on non-target organisms

    M. whereas, unlike the use of insecticides, where exposure is at the time of spraying and for a limited period afterwards, the use of Bt GM crops leads to continuous exposure of the target and non-target organisms to Bt toxins;

    N. whereas the assumption that Bt toxins exhibit a single target-specific mode of action can no longer be considered correct and effects on non-target organisms cannot be excluded; whereas an increasing number of non-target organisms are reported to be affected in many ways;

    Member State and stakeholder comments

    O. whereas Member States submitted many critical comments to EFSA during the three-month consultation period[10], including that the list of relevant studies, identified in the literature review of the applicant, did not include studies on the fate of Bt proteins in the environment or on potential effects of Btcrop residues on non-target organisms even though such studies exist;

    P. whereas field trials conducted for compositional and phenotypic analysis of the GM maize failed to consider diverse environmental conditions and genetic backgrounds relevant to its cultivation, particularly in countries like Brazil;

    Q. whereas the toxicity assessment of Cry1B.34 does not account for combinatorial effects with plant constituents or residues from herbicide applications;

    R. whereas glufosinate, the complementary herbicide, is associated with significant risks to biodiversity, soil and water quality, and long-term ecosystem health;

    S. whereas the risk of gene flow to wild relatives such as teosinte, reported in Spain and France, raises concerns about transgene persistence and environmental impacts;

    T. whereas the monitoring requirements under Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013 are inadequately addressed, with no independent verification of data provided;

    Ensuring a global level playing field and upholding the Union’s international obligations

    U. whereas the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture[11] call on the Commission to reassess its approach on market access for agri-food imports and exports, given the challenge of diverging standards of the Union and its trading partners; whereas fairer trade relations, on a global level, coherent with goals for a healthy environment, were one of the main demands of farmers during the demonstrations of 2023 and 2024;

    V. whereas a 2017 report by the United Nations’ (UN) Special Rapporteur on the right to food found that, particularly in developing countries, hazardous pesticides have catastrophic impacts on health[12]; whereas the UN Sustainable Development Goal (‘UN SDG’) Target 3.9 aims by 2030 to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination[13];

    W. whereas the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at the COP15 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (‘UN CBD’) in December 2022, includes a global target to reduce the risk of pesticides by at least 50 % by 2030[14];

    X. whereas Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 states that GM food or feed must not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment, and requires the Commission to take into account any relevant provisions of Union law and other legitimate factors relevant to the matter under consideration when drafting its decision; whereas such legitimate factors should include the Union’s obligations under the UN SDGs and the UN CBD;

    Reducing dependency on imported feed

    Y. whereas one of the lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and the still ongoing war in Ukraine is the need for the Union to end the dependencies on some critical materials; whereas in the mission letter to Commissioner Christophe Hansen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asks him to look at ways to reduce imports of critical commodities[15];

    Undemocratic decision-making

    Z. whereas, in its eighth term, Parliament adopted a total of 36 resolutions objecting to the placing on the market of GMOs for food and feed (33 resolutions) and to the cultivation of GMOs in the Union (three resolutions); whereas, in its ninth term, Parliament adopted 38 resolutions objecting to placing GMOs on the market and has adopted another 8 resolutions objecting to placing GMOs on the market already in the current 10th term ;

    AA. whereas despite its own acknowledgement of the democratic shortcomings, the lack of support from Member States and the objections of Parliament, the Commission continues to authorise GMOs;

    AB. whereas no change of law is required for the Commission to be able not to authorise GMOs when there is no qualified majority of Member States in favour in the Appeal Committee[16];

    AC. whereas the vote on 22 November 2024 of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 delivered no opinion, meaning that the authorisation was not supported by a qualified majority of Member States; whereas the vote on 17 December 2024 of the Appeal Committee again delivered no opinion;

    1. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003;

    2. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law, in that it is not compatible with the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, which is, in accordance with the general principles laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council[17], to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests, in relation to GM food and feed, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market;

    3. Calls on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and to submit a new draft to the committee;

    4. Calls on the Commission to ensure convergence of standards between the Union and its partners in free trade agreement negotiations, in order to meet Union safety standards;

    5. Calls on the Commission not to authorise the GM maize due to the increased risks to biodiversity, food safety and workers’ health in line with the One Health approach;

    6. Expects the Commission, as matter of urgency, to deliver on its commitment[18] to come forward with a proposal to ensure that hazardous chemicals banned in the Union are not produced for export;

    7. Welcomes the fact that the Commission finally recognised, in a letter of 11 September 2020 to Members, the need to take sustainability into account when it comes to authorisation decisions on GMOs[19]; expresses its deep disappointment, however, that, since then the Commission has continued to authorise GMOs for import into the Union, despite ongoing objections by Parliament and a majority of Member States voting against;

    8. Urges the Commission, again, to take into account the Union’s obligations under international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN CBD and the UN SDGs; reiterates its call for draft implementing acts to be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum explaining how they uphold the principle of ‘do no harm’[20];

    9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Mahakumbh 2025: 24/7 Supply of Pure Drinking Water to over 40 lakh Pilgrims through 233 Water ATMs

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Mahakumbh 2025: 24/7 Supply of Pure Drinking Water to over 40 lakh Pilgrims through 233 Water ATMs

    Plastic-Free Drinking Water System for Environmental Protection and Clean Water Supply

    Posted On: 05 FEB 2025 7:14PM by PIB Delhi

    A large-scale arrangement for clean and pure drinking water has been made for millions of pilgrims coming from across the country and abroad at the Mahakumbh 2015, in Prayagraj. A total of 233 Water ATMs have been installed in the Mela area, which are operational 24 hours a day without any interruptions. Through these Water ATMs, pilgrims are receiving pure RO (Reverse Osmosis) water daily. According to official data, more than 40 lakh pilgrims have benefited from these Water ATMs between January 21, 2025, and February 1, 2025.

    To ensure convenience of pilgrims, the administration has ensured free distribution of drinking water through these Water ATMs. Initially, this service was available at a rate of ₹1 per liter, where pilgrims could either insert coins or use UPI scanning to pay for the RO water. However, this service has now been made completely free to ensure that pilgrims can access clean water without any difficulty. An operator is stationed at each Water ATM, who ensures that pure water is made available as soon as pilgrims press the button. This ensures that pilgrims have no trouble in obtaining water and that the water supply continues without interruption.

     

    The Water ATMs installed at the Maha Kumbh are equipped with modern technology, which ensures that their operation remains fully automated and smooth. These machines have a sensor-based monitoring system that detects any technical flaws immediately. If any technical issues arise, water corporation technicians quickly fix them, ensuring uninterrupted water supply to pilgrims. Given the large number of pilgrims at the Mahakumbh, each Water ATM is supplying 12,000 to 15,000 liters of RO water daily. All Water ATMs are equipped with SIM-based technology, keeping them connected to the administration’s central network.

    This technology enables continuous monitoring of total water consumption, water level management, water quality, and distribution volume. Every time a pilgrim uses the Water ATM, one liter of pure water is dispensed, which they can fill in a bottle placed under the spout. In past Kumbh events, the problem of plastic bottles and other waste around the Sangam and other ghats had worsened. This time, the administration has not only made arrangements for clean water supply but has also focused on environmental protection.

     

    The Mahakumbh administration has ensured that the Water ATMs will operate without any interruption throughout the event. Special technical teams have been formed to deal with any issues and to regularly monitor the Water ATMs. Moreover, the administration is considering further similar initiatives to ensure that pilgrims at future Kumbh and other religious events can easily access clean drinking water. This initiative has made the Maha Kumbh 2025 event more convenient, safe, and environmentally friendly, setting a historic and exemplary standard for future events.

    *****

    AD/VM

    (Release ID: 2100106) Visitor Counter : 43

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –