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  • MIL-OSI United Nations: SRSG Kamal Kishore’s speech at the High-Level Policy Forum on Accelerated Financing for Disaster Risk Reduction to Build Resilience in Oslo, Norway

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Your Excellency, Åsmund Aukrust, Minister of International Development,

    Excellencies and Colleagues,

    It is a great honour for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction to be organizing this high-level forum with the Kingdom of Norway. I would like to start by expressing my deep appreciation to Norway for hosting this forum and for its leadership on the topic of finance – both for disaster risk reduction and for sustainable development, especially in the context of the ongoing negotiations ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development. 

    I am also thankful to Norway for serving as co-chair of the Group of Friends for Disaster Risk Reduction, which is critical to supporting the work of UNDRR as we race towards the 2030 deadline of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

    Indeed, as we look around the world, it is clear that we must accelerate the implementation of the Sendai Framework to protect people and sustainable development from the growing impacts of disasters.

    Countries, rich and poor, are facing disasters that are larger and more destructive. This is partially driven by an increase in extreme weather events, but it is also driven by risk-blind investments, which increase the exposure and vulnerability of people and assets. The end result is more expensive disasters, which are a threat to economic prosperity and sustainable development.

    Over the last five years, global economic losses from disasters have increased on average by 25%. This increase represents tens of billions of additional losses each year.

    We have seen this manifest on one end of the spectrum with the recent California wildfires, which were reportedly the most expensive disaster in the history of the United States. 

    On the other end of the spectrum, we have seen war-ravaged Syria suffer approximately $5 billion US dollars in damages as a result of the 2023 earthquakes, and the Libyan city of Derna largely swept into the Mediterranean as a result of severe floods. This is on top of the loss of life, which was in the thousands, and continues to be felt most acutely by the Least Developed Countries. 

    When we add on top of these direct costs, the cost of slow-onset events and the indirect impacts of disasters, such as productivity losses, compromised health, and disrupted education, the total cost of disasters is likely in excess of a trillion US dollars a year.

    Moreover, as disaster costs increase, insurance companies are pulling out of high-risk markets, even in developed economies. For instance, “nonrenewal notices” of home insurance in the United States surged by nearly 30% from 2018 to 2022 to more than 600,000 a year.  And in developing countries, much of the losses, are not even covered by insurance, driving more people into poverty. 

    Even humanitarian assistance, which is a measure of last resort for many affected countries, is becoming scarcer. In 2024, only 43% of the budgeted needs were funded.  This year, the gap will likely be higher.

    Therefore, to reduce the burden of disasters, avoid a spiral of decreasing insurability, and limit humanitarian needs, it is essential that we invest in disaster risk reduction. 

    This means increasing dedicated funding to disaster risk reduction, while also ensuring that all other development investments are risk-informed. 

    At this Forum, we will dive into this issue in detail. And to help set the stage, I would like to briefly review where these investments could come from, starting first with domestic resources. 

    Domestic public funds are the primary source for investments in DRR. Early warning systems, resilient hospitals, and other DRR investments tend to have a public good nature, meaning that they benefit society but are difficult for investors to capture direct financial returns. 

    Yet, our research shows that only a limited share of the public budget, less than 1%, is allocated to DRR and that current spending only meets in most countries 10 to 25% of the needs, leaving a significant gap. 

    Although resources are limited, countries have an opportunity to make public spending more efficient and impactful by further integrating disaster risk reduction in public finance. This requires a conscious effort to create a ring-fenced budget allocation for DRR to empower responsible agencies, while also mainstreaming DRR in sectoral plans. To that end, we recommend the use of appropriate accountability mechanisms, including budget tagging and tracking of DRR-related expenditures. 

    We also need to reinforce synergies across government, for instance between the Ministries of Environment and National Disaster Management Authorities, to break silos and optimize the use of climate and DRR-related financing. Similarly, we need to ensure that finance is available both at the national and sub-national levels, as many investments happen locally.

    That said, it is important to consider that many developing countries face unique challenges that constrain their ability to scale up investment in DRR – and that is high levels of debt. 

    Since 2010, debt in developing countries has grown twice as fast as in developed countries, and they face much higher borrowing costs. 

    At the same time, disasters fuel debt in affected countries. For example, a recent study from the Inter-American Development Bank shows that debt levels in the Caribbean are 18% higher three years after a severe storm than normally expected. 

    These outcomes can be mitigated by pre-arranging financing mechanisms ahead of disasters, such as contingency credit lines, disaster-related clauses in sovereign debt instruments, and risk-transfer instruments. These mechanisms allow for a quicker recovery, thus limiting the impact on growth and the economy. 

    The second primary source of finance is the private sector. 

    On average, the private sector is responsible for about 75% of a country’s investment in assets, such as factories and real estate. If those investments are risk-blind, they will lead to the creation of new disaster risks and exacerbate existing ones. We see this, for instance, through the expansion of urban development into hazard-prone areas or the construction of infrastructure that is not disaster-resilient. 

    This can be avoided through regulatory frameworks, risk information, and financial incentives to make private investment risk-informed and to create markets for resilience-building solutions. 

    We should also better leverage the financial sector, which has played a limited role thus far in DRR financing. For example, the rapid rise in the green bond markets has only had a limited impact on driving investments into adaptation and resilience, in part due to the lack of market standards and taxonomies. These market standards are necessary for the emergence of financial instruments, such as resilience bonds, and to guide investor decisions. 

    Similarly, the local banking sector can play a role in supporting small and medium businesses to access finance for investment in resilience-building, including through blended finance mechanisms. 

    In this regard, I am happy to report that UNDRR has been pioneering some work in this area, including the development of a “Resilience Taxonomy,” in partnership with the Climate Bond Initiative, and the launch of a guide for adaptation and resilience finance, which we developed with Standard Chartered Bank and KPMG.

    The third and final major source of finance is the international community, specifically through the provision of Official Development Assistance. This is an area that is currently under stress but remains critical for many developing countries, and its promotion is one of the seven targets of the Sendai Framework.

    Looking at the data, we see that, between 2019 and 2023, only 2% of ODA projects had DRR as an objective. And within the humanitarian sector, we find that the amount of funding for disaster prevention and preparedness has actually gone down over the years – from an already low level of 3.6% between 2015 and 2018, to 3.3% between 2019 and 2023. 

    These trends show an imbalance between the increase in disaster risks around the world and the limited international funding being allocated to Disaster Risk Reduction.

    Such funding is critical to protecting development gains and reducing humanitarian needs, and for some of the most vulnerable countries, they are unable to invest in DRR without international assistance.

    With that overview, I believe we at this Forum have a unique opportunity to address some of the biggest challenges around DRR financing. And to help guide our discussions, I would like to suggest that we aim to make progress on three main objectives:

    First, the development of a national-level Roadmap for DRR financing systems to help countries raise the funds they need. 

    Some of the questions we would need to answer are: what key elements should be included in such a roadmap and what has worked, or not worked, in countries? 

    Second, explore international actions that we can commit to together. 

    For example, what initiatives or partnerships can emerge from this Forum on DRR Financing? How can we better leverage existing international cooperation to strengthen DRR? And how can we ensure the integration of DRR in the global discourse on financing, in particular, in the upcoming 4th International Conference on Financing for Development? 

    And third, what more can be done to ensure that all investments are risk-informed and do not lead to disasters

    For public sector investments, how can we encourage the alignment of economic development plans with DRR strategies to avoid the creation of new risks? And what reforms or changes are needed to encourage risk-informed investing in the private sector?

    I think it is fair to say that this is a lot to cover over two days. That said, given the calibre of the participants, and the leadership of our host, I am confident that we can achieve concrete outcomes. 

    In closing, I want to again thank Norway for making this Forum possible at a critical time when financing is the single challenge that unites the disaster, climate, development, and humanitarian domains. The unique advantage of disaster risk reduction is that it can simultaneously strengthen all the other domains because of its emphasis on reducing vulnerabilities and building resilience.

    I am grateful for your participation in this Forum, and I look forward to our discussions.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wildlife Act fix will enable economic growth with animal protection

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Prompt improvements to the Wildlife Act will ensure infrastructure developments and important conservation work can continue supporting our growing economy while protecting our precious wildlife, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.
    The High Court recently decided it was unlawful for the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai to authorise the New Zealand Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi under section 53 of the Wildlife Act to harm protected wildlife species while building the Mt Messenger highway.
    “As permission was also granted under another section of the Act, the court’s decision doesn’t affect this highway’s ongoing construction. It will not affect Fast Track projects either,” Mr Potaka says.
    “However, the decision could delay other projects DOC has given permission for or are still coming through the pipeline under section 53 of the Act – such as building new solar and wind farms, plantation forests, and powerline maintenance that are essential for supporting our growing economy. It also affects other important conservation work, like pest control.
    “The Government intends to promptly change the law to enable these important activities to go ahead lawfully, including the building of houses and roads for example, as they have in the past with safeguards for wildlife. These amendments will provide certainty for existing projects,” Mr Potaka says.
    “While developers are absolutely expected to make the best possible effort to protect our precious wildlife when getting on with their mahi, they should have confidence they won’t be prosecuted if their projects incidentally kill protected wildlife despite having previous authorisation and complying with the conditions set. 
    “It’s important Aotearoa New Zealand’s wildlife continues to be protected and that species can thrive as we support a strong and growing economy. The Government still expects responsible developers to seek permission for the activities they undertake – for example, seeking to relocate animals before doing any construction work – to protect populations and support the ongoing viability of species.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Mitigation Experts Offer Rebuilding Advice in Charlotte County

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    FEMA Mitigation Experts Offer Rebuilding Advice in Charlotte County

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla.– As Floridians rebuild, survivors of Hurricanes Milton, Helene and Debby can get free advice on how to rebuild stronger and safer against storms. FEMA mitigation specialists will be available to answer questions and offer free home improvement tips and proven methods to lessen damage from future disasters.This information is geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors.FEMA specialists will be available from March 27 through April 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET, at the following location:Charlotte County: Home Depot, 12621 McCall Road, Port Charlotte, FL 33981Mitigation is an effort to reduce the loss of life and property damage by lessening the impact of a disaster through   construction and remodeling best practices.An insurance specialist will be present to answer National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) questions. Disaster Survivor Assistance teams will be on hand to provide updates on FEMA applications and answer questions.Stay in Touch with FEMAIt is important to let FEMA know about any changes to your contact information. You may update contact information or check on the status of your application by:Visiting DisasterAssistance.govCalling FEMA directly at 800-621-3362Using the FEMA app###FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disaster.Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA’s Facebook page or Espanol page and at FEMA’s YouTube account. Also, follow on X FEMA_Cam.  For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready.gov, on Instagram @Ready.gov or on the Ready Facebook page.  
    lindsay.tozer
    Thu, 03/27/2025 – 15:38

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEC Votes to End Defense of Climate Disclosure Rules

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted to end its defense of the rules requiring disclosure of climate-related risks and greenhouse gas emissions.

    SEC Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda said, “The goal of today’s Commission action and notification to the court is to cease the Commission’s involvement in the defense of the costly and unnecessarily intrusive climate change disclosure rules.”

    The rules, adopted by the Commission on March 6, 2024, create a detailed and extensive special disclosure regime about climate risks for issuing and reporting companies.

    States and private parties have challenged the rules. The litigation was consolidated in the Eighth Circuit (Iowa v. SEC, No. 24-1522 (8th Cir.)), and the Commission previously stayed effectiveness of the rules pending completion of that litigation. Briefing in the cases was completed before the change in Administrations.

    Following today’s Commission vote, SEC staff sent a letter to the court stating that the Commission withdraws its defense of the rules and that Commission counsel are no longer authorized to advance the arguments in the brief the Commission had filed. The letter states that the Commission yields any oral argument time back to the court.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom signs executive order to build Los Angeles back faster, prevent future fires

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 27, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom is taking additional steps to speed up the rebuilding process for Los Angeles by further suspending CEQA and the California Coastal Act to expedite the rebuilding of utility and telecommunication infrastructure, including the undergrounding of equipment. 

    LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order to suspend unnecessary permitting and review requirements to accelerate the rebuild of Altadena, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades following the devastating January fires. 

    Today’s executive order expedites the process of repairing and replacing electric, gas, water, sewer, and telecommunication infrastructure in communities damaged by the fires. The order also speeds the process of “undergrounding” utility equipment to help communities recover more quickly while building resilience to preventing similar catastrophic fires in the future. 

    “We are determined to rebuild Altadena, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades stronger and more resilient than before. Speeding up the pace that we rebuild our utility systems will help get survivors back home faster and prevent future fires.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Previously, Governor Gavin Newsom had called upon the electric utilities serving the firestorm-impacted communities in Los Angeles to begin the process of rebuilding safer and more resilient electric infrastructure, including the undergrounding of such infrastructure.

    The letters sent to Southern California Edison and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, urged the utilities to rapidly develop rebuilding plans for the communities of Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu, including plans for undergrounding electric distribution infrastructure by the end of March.

    Further suspends the Coastal Act 

    Previously, Governor Newsom signed an executive order reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders.

    Today’s directive expands upon that effort and by removing regulatory hurdles that could otherwise prevent utilities from rebuilding quickly and hardening and upgrading equipment following fires. 

    Protecting Californians from future fires

    Since the first day of his administration, Governor Newsom has taken significant action to protect Californians from wildfires.

    This has included hardening the state’s electrical grid to increase resiliency and reliability, and to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from transmission and distribution lines, which include strategies such as undergrounding of lines.

    In response to climate change and heightened wildfire threat, California has expanded resilience efforts through increased investments in fire mitigation and response, community hardening, and emergency preparedness. California’s electric utilities must be part of the solution to this problem.

    Track LA’s recovery, including the latest air quality results, at CA.gov/LAfires. 

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  • MIL-OSI: Gevo Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Reaffirms Business Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) (“Gevo”, the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”), a leading developer of cost effective, renewable hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024, and reaffirmed the Business Update that was released on March 7, 2025 (the “Business Update”), which is available on our website at https://investors.gevo.com/news-releases/news-release-details/gevo-provides-business-update-1.

    2024 Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights

    • Ended the fourth quarter with cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $259.0 million.
    • Combined operating revenue and investment income was $8.9 million and $32.7 million for the fourth quarter and full year 2024, respectively.
      • On a standalone basis, our RNG subsidiary generated revenue of $15.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2024. This reflects an increase of $0.3 million compared to the previous year, primarily due to higher sales of environmental attributes from our RNG project. We expect a lower CI score in anticipation of receiving the final pathway approval under the LCFS Program, which is anticipated in the first quarter of 2025. 
    • Loss from operations of $19.6 million for the fourth quarter.
    • Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA loss1 of $11.3 million for the fourth quarter.
    • Sale of environment attributes net of $5.4 million for the fourth quarter.
    • RNG subsidiary generated a loss from operations of $3.5 million, and non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA profit1 of $2.7 million for the fourth quarter.
    • Net loss per share of $.08 for the fourth quarter.

    1        Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure calculated by adding back depreciation and amortization, allocated intercompany expenses for shared service functions, and non-cash stock-based compensation to GAAP loss from operations. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to GAAP loss from operations is provided in the financial statement tables following this release. Adjusted EBITDA was referred to as “cash EBITDA” in previous periods.

    2024 Fourth Quarter Financial Results

    Operating revenue. During 2024, operating revenue decreased $0.3 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower sales of environmental attributes from our RNG project. This is due to a buildup of environmental attribute inventory in anticipation of receiving the final pathway approval under the LCFS Program, which we expect to result in a lower CI score. The approval is anticipated in the first quarter of 2025. During 2024, we sold 366,557 MMBtu of RNG from our RNG project, resulting in biogas commodity sales of $0.7 million and environmental attribute sales of $15.1 million. Additionally, we recognized $0.8 million of licensing and development revenue from the agreement with LG Chem as well as $0.3 million from the sale of isooctane and software services during 2024.

    Cost of production. Cost of production remained consistent during 2024, compared to the prior year.

    Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization, which includes depreciation and amortization which was allocated to inventory and is included in depreciation and amortization upon the sale of the associated inventory, decreased $0.7 million during 2024, compared to the prior year, primarily due to the timing of sales of environmental attribute inventory.

    Research and development expense. Research and development expense decreased $1.1 million during 2024, compared to the prior year, primarily due to a reduction of consulting expenses and personnel related costs.

    General and administrative expense. General and administrative expense increased $3.2 million during 2024 compared to the prior year, primarily due to increases in personnel costs related to the hiring of highly qualified and skilled professionals, and professional consulting fees, partially offset by a decrease in stock-based compensation.

    Project development costs. Project development costs are related to our future Alcohol-to-Jet Projects and Verity and consist primarily of employee expenses, preliminary engineering costs, and technical consulting costs. Project development costs increased $3.4 million during 2024, compared to the prior year, primarily due to patent related costs, increases in personnel costs, and consulting fees.

    Acquisition related costs. Certain acquisition costs incurred related to the Red Trail Purchase Agreement during the year ended December 31, 2024.

    Facility idling costs. Facility idling costs are related to care and maintenance of our Luverne Facility. Facility idling costs decreased by $1.1 million during 2024, compared to the prior year.

    Loss from operations. The Company’s loss from operations increased by $9.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to the increase in costs related to acquisitions, general and administrative expenses, and project development costs.

    Interest expense. Interest expense increased by $1.7 million during 2024 compared to the prior year, primarily due to interest on the Remarketed Bonds.

    Interest and investment income. Interest and investment income decreased $3.4 million during 2024, compared to the prior year, primarily due to the usage of cash for our capital projects and operating costs, resulting in a lower balance of cash equivalent investments during 2024.

    Other income. Other income increased $1.6 million during 2024, compared to the prior year, primarily due to the termination of the expediting procurement agreement with a local utility which resulted in a one-time charge of $1.6 million in 2023.

    Webcast and Conference Call Information

    Hosting today’s conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET will be Dr. Patrick R. Gruber, Chief Executive Officer, L. Lynn Smull, Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Paul Bloom, Chief Business Officer and Dr. Eric Frey, Vice President of Corporate Development. They will review Gevo’s financial results and provide an update on recent corporate highlights.

    To participate in the live call, please register through the following event weblink: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIfe02700a31384d12946e60bf35964cb8. After registering, participants will be provided with a dial-in number and pin.

    To listen to the conference call (audio only), please register through the following event weblink: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/h9wkbjf5.

    A webcast replay will be available two hours after the conference call ends on March 27, 2025. The archived webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of Gevo’s website at www.gevo.com.

    About Gevo

    Gevo is a next-generation diversified energy company committed to fueling America’s future with cost-effective, drop-in fuels that contribute to energy security, abate carbon, and strengthen rural communities to drive economic growth. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of renewable products, including SAF, motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials that provide U.S.-made solutions. By investing in the backbone of rural America, Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities that create jobs and revitalize communities. Gevo owns and operates one of the largest dairy-based RNG facilities in the United States, turning by-products into clean, reliable energy. We also operate an ethanol plant with an adjacent CCS facility, further solidifying America’s leadership in energy innovation. Additionally, Gevo owns the world’s first production facility for specialty ATJ fuels and chemicals. Gevo’s market-driven “pay for performance” approach regarding carbon and other sustainability attributes, helps ensure value is delivered to our local economy. Through its Verity subsidiary, Gevo provides transparency, accountability, and efficiency in tracking, measuring and verifying various attributes throughout the supply chain. By strengthening rural economies, Gevo is working to secure a self-sufficient future and to make sure value is brought to the market.

    For more information, see www.gevo.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release and the Business Update may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, including, without limitation, the financing and the timing of our NZ1 project, the agreement with LG Chem, the DOE loan guarantee process, the Red Trail Energy acquisition and timing of its closing, the successful integration of the CultivateAI acquisition, the success and revenue of Verity, the success of our ETO business, our financial condition, our results of operation and liquidity, our business plans, our business development activities, our Alcohol-to-Jet Projects, financial projections related to our business, our RNG project, our fuel sales agreements, our plans to develop our business, our ability to successfully develop, construct, and finance our operations and growth projects, our ability to achieve cash flow from our planned projects, the ability of our products to contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions, particulate and sulfur pollution, and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

    Non-GAAP Financial Information

    This press release contains a financial measure that does not comply with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), including non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA. Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization, allocated intercompany expenses for shared service functions, and non-cash stock-based compensation from GAAP loss from operations. Management believes this measure is useful to supplement its GAAP financial statements with this non-GAAP information because management uses such information internally for its operating, budgeting and financial planning purposes. This non-GAAP financial measure also facilitates management’s internal comparisons to Gevo’s historical performance as well as comparisons to the operating results of other companies. In addition, Gevo believes this non-GAAP financial measure is useful to investors because it allows for greater transparency into the indicators used by management as a basis for its financial and operational decision making. Non-GAAP information is not prepared under a comprehensive set of accounting rules and therefore, should only be read in conjunction with financial information reported under U.S. GAAP when understanding Gevo’s operating performance. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial information is provided below.

    Gevo, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
                 
        December 31, 2024      December 31, 2023
    Assets              
    Current assets              
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 189,389     $ 298,349  
    Restricted cash     1,489       77,248  
    Trade accounts receivable, net     2,411       2,623  
    Inventories     4,502       3,809  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     5,920       4,353  
    Total current assets     203,711       386,382  
    Property, plant and equipment, net     221,642       211,563  
    Restricted cash     68,155       —  
    Operating right-of-use assets     1,064       1,324  
    Finance right-of-use assets     1,877       210  
    Intangible assets, net     8,129       6,524  
    Goodwill     3,740       —  
    Deposits and other assets     75,623       44,319  
    Total assets   $ 583,941     $ 650,322  
    Liabilities              
    Current liabilities              
    Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   $ 22,006     $ 22,752  
    Operating lease liabilities     333       532  
    Finance lease liabilities     2,001       45  
    Loans payable     21       130  
    2021 Bonds payable, net     —       67,967  
    Total current liabilities     24,361       91,426  
    Remarketed Bonds payable, net     67,109       —  
    Loans payable     —       21  
    Operating lease liabilities     966       1,299  
    Finance lease liabilities     187       187  
    Other long-term liabilities     1,830       —  
    Total liabilities     94,453       92,933  
    Commitments and Contingencies              
    Stockholders’ Equity              
    Common stock, $0.01 par value per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 239,176,293 and 240,499,833 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively.     2,392       2,405  
    Additional paid-in capital     1,287,333       1,276,581  
    Accumulated deficit     (800,237 )     (721,597 )
    Total stockholders’ equity     489,488       557,389  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 583,941     $ 650,322  
    Gevo, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
                 
           Year Ended December 31, 
           2024        2023  
    Total operating revenues   $ 16,915     $ 17,200  
    Operating expenses:              
    Cost of production     12,002       11,991  
    Depreciation and amortization     18,298       19,007  
    Research and development expense     5,576       6,637  
    General and administrative expense     45,798       42,628  
    Project development costs     18,166       14,732  
    Acquisition related costs     4,932       —  
    Facility idling costs     2,967       4,040  
    Total operating expenses     107,739       99,035  
    Loss from operations     (90,824 )     (81,835 )
    Other income (expense)              
    Interest expense     (3,879 )     (2,161 )
    Interest and investment income     15,740       19,090  
    Other income (expense), net     323       (1,309 )
    Total other income, net     12,184       15,620  
    Net loss   $ (78,640 )   $ (66,215 )
    Net loss per share – basic and diluted   $ (0.34 )   $ (0.28 )
    Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding – basic and diluted     231,674,716       238,687,621  
    Gevo, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
    (In thousands)
                 
        Year Ended December 31, 
         2024        2023  
    Net loss   $ (78,640 )   $ (66,215 )
    Other comprehensive income:            
    Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities     —       1,040  
    Comprehensive loss   $ (78,640 )   $ (65,175 )
    Gevo, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
    (In thousands, except share amounts)
                                       
        For the Year Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
        Common Stock         Accumulated Other   Accumulated    Stockholders’
           Shares      Amount      Paid-In Capital      Comprehensive Loss      Deficit      Equity
    Balance, December 31, 2023      240,499,833        $ 2,405        $ 1,276,581        $ —        $ (721,597 )      $ 557,389  
    Non-cash stock-based compensation   —       —       14,847       —       —       14,847  
    Stock-based awards and related share issuances, net   5,784,668       58       495       —       —       553  
    Repurchase of common stock   (7,190,006 )     (72 )     (4,638 )     —       —       (4,710 )
    Issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants   81,798       1       48       —       —       49  
    Net loss   —       —       —       —       (78,640 )     (78,640 )
    Balance, December 31, 2024   239,176,293     $ 2,392     $ 1,287,333     $ —     $ (800,237 )   $ 489,488  
                                       
    Balance, December 31, 2022      237,166,625        $ 2,372        $ 1,259,527        $ (1,040 )      $ (655,382 )      $ 605,477  
    Non-cash stock-based compensation   —       —       17,087       —       —       17,087  
    Stock-based awards and related share issuances, net   3,333,208       33       (33 )     —       —       —  
    Other comprehensive income   —       —       —       1,040       —       1,040  
    Net loss   —       —       —       —       (66,215 )     (66,215 )
    Balance, December 31, 2023   240,499,833     $ 2,405     $ 1,276,581     $ —     $ (721,597 )   $ 557,389  
    Gevo, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (In thousands)
                 
        Year Ended December 31, 
        2024        2023  
    Operating Activities                 
    Net loss   $ (78,640 )   $ (66,215 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:              
    Stock-based compensation     14,733       17,087  
    Depreciation and amortization     18,298       19,007  
    Amortization of marketable securities discount     —       (102 )
    Other noncash expense     2,497       908  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisition:            
    Accounts receivable     417       (2,147 )
    Inventories     (706 )     670  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets, deposits and other assets     (19,050 )     (25,620 )
    Accounts payable, accrued expenses and non-current liabilities     5,068       2,693  
    Net cash used in operating activities     (57,383 )     (53,719 )
    Investing Activities              
    Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment     (51,085 )     (54,455 )
    Proceeds from sale of investment tax credit     15,336       —  
    Payment of earnest money deposit     (10,000 )     —  
    Acquisition of CultivateAI, net of cash acquired     (6,070 )     —  
    Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities     —       168,550  
    Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment     —       34  
    Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities     (51,819 )     114,129  
    Financing Activities              
    Proceeds from issuance of Remarketed Bonds     68,155       —  
    Extinguishment of 2021 Bonds, net     (68,155 )     —  
    Payment of debt offering costs     (1,665 )     —  
    Proceeds from the exercise of warrants     49       —  
    Payment of loans payable     (130 )     (167 )
    Payment of finance lease liabilities     (906 )     (22 )
    Repurchases of common stock     (4,710 )     —  
    Net cash used in financing activities     (7,362 )     (189 )
    Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents     (116,564 )     60,221  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period     375,597       315,376  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period   $ 259,033     $ 375,597  
    Gevo, Inc.
    Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information
    (In thousands)
                             
           Three Months Ended December 31,       Year Ended December 31, 
           2024        2023        2024        2023  
    Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA (Consolidated):                            
    Loss from operations   $ (19,646 )   $ (21,337 )   $ (90,824 )   $ (81,835 )
    Depreciation and amortization     6,076       4,684       18,298       19,007  
    Stock-based compensation     2,248       4,335       14,733       17,087  
    Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA (loss) (Consolidated)   $ (11,322 )   $ (12,318 )   $ (57,793 )   $ (45,741 )
                             
        Three Months Ended December 31,    Year Ended December 31, 
        2024     2023        2024     2023  
    Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA (Gevo NW Iowa RNG):                        
    Loss from operations   $ (3,497 )   $ (1,274 )   $ (8,760 )   $ (7,656 )
    Depreciation and amortization     5,233       1,606       8,580       6,705  
    Allocated intercompany expenses for shared service functions     890       890       3,561       3,561  
    Stock-based compensation     46       42       171       102  
    Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA (Gevo NW Iowa RNG)   $ 2,672     $ 1,264     $ 3,552     $ 2,712  

    Media Contact
    Heather Manuel
    Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
    PR@gevo.com

    Investor Contact
    Eric Frey, PhD
    Vice President of Corporate Development
    IR@Gevo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Isabel Schnabel: Financial literacy and monetary policy transmission

    Source: European Central Bank

    Speech by Isabel Schnabel, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the 2025 Mais Lecture at Bayes Business School

    London, 27 March 2025

    According to our latest public opinion survey, more than 90% of respondents are aware of the European Central Bank.[1][2] But when asked about our tasks, only 43% said they know that the ECB is responsible for maintaining price stability, despite inflation continuing to be the most important issue for European citizens.[3]

    These findings are part of a broader societal phenomenon: the widespread lack of financial literacy.

    Financial literacy is the ability to understand and apply basic financial concepts. It empowers individuals to make informed financial choices, mitigate investment risks and make provisions for old age.

    In my lecture today, I will argue that financial literacy also matters for the transmission of monetary policy. I will show that financially literate individuals react more strongly to interest rate changes, are more willing to take on risk and are more forward-looking when forming inflation expectations.

    Together, these factors suggest that greater financial literacy tends to strengthen the transmission of central bank policies to the real economy. Therefore, it can make monetary policy more effective in achieving its objectives and lower the sacrifice ratio – that is, the cost of reducing inflation in terms of lost output or higher unemployment.

    For this reason, central banks, including the ECB, have increased their efforts to foster financial literacy. Such initiatives strengthen trust in central banks and support broader policy goals, including progress on the European savings and investment union.

    Financial literacy varies widely across socio-economic groups

    In 2021 G20 finance ministers and central bank governors recognised financial literacy as an essential skill for empowering people and supporting individual and societal well-being.[4] It is defined as the ability to understand and effectively use basic financial concepts to take personal financial decisions.

    Such decisions are taken at various stages of life. People have to decide how much of their income they want to spend and to save, how to best invest their savings, how to finance big purchases like an apartment or a house, and how to make provisions for old age or emergencies. This requires an understanding of how interest rates and inflation affect the return on various financial products and the cost of borrowing.

    The sharp economic fluctuations over the past few years have underscored how important financial literacy is for the well-being of households. The surge in inflation in the aftermath of the pandemic and the sharp rise in interest rates after a decade of low rates have highlighted the need for individuals to properly understand and react to a changing inflation and interest rate environment.

    Economists Annamaria Lusardi and Olivia Mitchell developed the “Big Three” financial literacy questions, which have become a widely used measure of financial literacy (Slides 2 to 4).[5]

    These questions assess basic knowledge in three areas that are of key importance for households’ financial decision-making: the concept of compound interest, the importance of inflation for the purchasing power of savings, and the benefits of diversifying a portfolio across different assets.[6] People are usually considered to be financially literate if they can answer all these three questions correctly.

    Numerous surveys collect information about the level of financial literacy across various countries and socio-economic groups, and the ECB has contributed to this effort by including questions on financial literacy in its consumer expectations survey.

    These surveys show that many people struggle to answer all three questions correctly. In the euro area, less than half of respondents, around 48%, managed to get all three questions right (Slide 5).

    Moreover, financial literacy varies widely across socio-economic groups.

    First, financial literacy is lower for younger people. Those aged below 50 display below-average financial literacy, which could negatively affect their ability to build up long-term wealth or their decisions about major purchases.[7]

    Second, women have on average significantly lower financial literacy than men. This could lead to a higher risk of financial hardship and could explain why women are more often at risk of old-age poverty.[8]

    Third, financial literacy increases with educational attainment and income, potentially reinforcing inequality as, on average, financially literate people take better financial decisions.[9]

    Finally, there is considerable variation across countries, also within the euro area. Financial literacy tends to be higher in northern European countries.

    Financial literacy matters for monetary policy transmission

    These differences have important implications for individuals, but they may also have an impact on the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies.

    Monetary policy is a case in point. The effectiveness of monetary policy relies on the smooth transmission of policy decisions – especially changes to key policy rates – to financing conditions and, from there, to economic activity and inflation.

    Today I will focus on three key channels through which financial literacy can influence the transmission of our monetary policy: the interest rate channel, the risk-taking channel and the inflation expectations channel.[10]

    Financially literate households react more strongly to interest rate changes

    In standard macroeconomic models, monetary policy works mainly through the interest rate channel: an increase in interest rates shifts intertemporal trade-offs in the direction of higher savings and less consumption due to a substitution effect. Higher interest rates dissuade firms from investing and households from purchasing houses or durable goods.

    Policymakers frequently use these models to derive policy prescriptions, thereby implicitly assuming that households react in an optimal way to changes in interest rates by adjusting their borrowing and saving.

    However, a lack of financial literacy in part of society could be one reason that not all people behave in the way that models with rational expectations assume. Consequently, policymakers may make mistakes in predicting household behaviour, affecting the way monetary policy is transmitted to the real economy.[11]

    For example, survey evidence suggests that financially literate households are more responsive to changes in interest rates.

    On the one hand, this reflects the fact that these households are more attentive to interest rate developments. Among financially literate households, 62% report paying “some”, “much” or “a great deal” of attention to the level of interest rates. For households with low financial literacy, this share is only 49% (Slide 6).[12]

    On the other hand, a financially literate person has a better understanding of how interest rate changes will affect their financial situation and how they should best respond.

    The experience of recent years is a good example. When the ECB raised its policy rates in 2022 to fight inflation, financially literate individuals understood that this created more beneficial conditions for saving and less attractive conditions for borrowing, strengthening policy transmission. By contrast, less financially literate people reacted much less strongly to the dramatic change in the interest rate environment (Slide 7).

    In other cases, the impact on transmission is less clear.

    Households with high levels of financial literacy preferred fixed-rate loans when interest rates were low, but less so when interest rates were high (Slide 8). This behaviour tends to slow down policy transmission, as it insulates these households from changes in the interest rate environment. By contrast, less financially literate households did not significantly adjust their preferences when interest rates increased sharply.[13]

    The financial literacy of borrowers and depositors may also affect how swiftly and strongly banks pass through changes in policy rates to financing conditions. This is a key step in monetary policy transmission.

    The more attentive households are to interest rates, the more likely they are to search for the best possible interest rate for both loans and deposits. Indeed, according to the consumer expectations survey, financially literate households are more likely to “shop around” for the best terms of debt products (Slide 9, left-hand side).

    The same is true for deposits. During the recent hiking cycle, banks had to increase deposit rates to prevent a deposit flight as depositors shifted from low-yielding deposits to higher-yielding investments.[14]

    Such behaviour is likely linked to financial literacy. In fact, during the recent tightening cycle, cash accounts of corporates, which are managed by finance professionals, received higher interest rates for both overnight and term deposits than those of households (Slide 9, right-hand side).

    Higher funding costs for banks then also translate into higher bank lending rates, strengthening the transmission of policy rates to financing conditions.

    Financial literacy increases risk-taking and stock market participation

    A second important transmission channel of monetary policy operates through investors’ risk appetite. This is the risk-taking channel.

    Monetary policy influences people’s willingness to take risks, with looser monetary policy being associated with greater risk-taking, as investors have an incentive to switch from safe assets to higher‑yielding alternatives.[15] Increased risk-taking, particularly through greater stock market participation, amplifies the aggregate effects of monetary policy adjustments.[16]

    Research indicates that financial literacy plays a crucial role in determining the extent to which households engage in risk-taking by investing in the stock market or other risk assets.[17] Financially literate households are much more likely to invest in stocks or mutual funds, thereby strengthening monetary policy transmission (Slide 10, left-hand side).

    Differences can also be found in the mortgage market.

    A higher share of financially literate households take out mortgages and other loans than is the case for households with low financial literacy, although the difference is quantitatively much smaller than for stocks (Slide 10, right-hand side). Changes in aggregate consumption in response to interest rate adjustments are to a large extent driven by households with mortgages.[18]

    Higher risk-taking may also affect monetary policy indirectly by mobilising private capital for riskier and more productive investments. More risk capital should lead to higher productivity growth and hence a higher natural interest rate, r-star, giving central banks greater scope to stimulate the economy through lower interest rates due to a greater distance to the zero lower bound.[19]

    The effects of higher risk-taking can be self-reinforcing. If a larger share of the population rebalances their portfolios by switching from savings products or bonds to stocks in response to looser monetary policy, this may encourage firms to make additional investments. The increase in investment leads to higher aggregate income, in turn leading to more investment in the stock market.[20] Through this channel, stock market participation can magnify the investment response to monetary policy shocks.[21]

    Wealth effects provide another amplifying channel, as looser monetary policy tends to go hand-in-hand with a better performance of riskier assets, increasing household wealth and fostering consumption, with important distributional consequences. However, as shown over the recent tightening cycle, asset prices may behave differently. Over this period, the dampening effect of higher rates on stock prices was more than offset by stronger risk sentiment, leading to a surge in stock prices. Such wealth effects weakened monetary policy transmission in the most recent hiking cycle.

    Lastly, financially literate households have been shown to be more likely to build up precautionary savings, making them better able to cope with financial shocks and smooth their consumption.[22] This may slow monetary transmission, as these households can initially draw on cash buffers when the cost of borrowing increases through policy tightening. Hence, the impact of financial literacy on risk-taking may also go in the opposite direction.

    Financially literate households are more forward-looking when forming inflation expectations

    A third key transmission channel of monetary policy is the inflation expectations channel.

    Since consumption and investment decisions as well as price and wage-setting processes reflect expectations about the future pace of price changes, household inflation expectations shape inflation dynamics. A growing body of research suggests that consumers’ expectations matter greatly for the transmission of monetary policy, possibly more than those of financial market participants.[23]

    Research by the International Monetary Fund shows that, over the recent inflation episode, near-term inflation expectations became an increasingly important driver of inflation in advanced economies (Slide 11, left-hand side).[24]

    In turn, factors that can reduce the sensitivity of inflation expectations to actual inflation developments can contribute to bringing inflation down more quickly. And the lower the sensitivity, the lower the sacrifice ratio, allowing for swift disinflation without causing high unemployment or a deep recession.

    It is therefore crucial that central banks understand how households form these expectations.

    Research shows that policy tightening has a stronger dampening effect on near-term inflation expectations and inflation when a greater share of people in the economy are forward-looking (Slide 11, right-hand side).[25]

    Forward-looking households form their expectations on the basis of a broader set of information, including central bank policies and their expected impact on the economy, while backward-looking households base their expectations to a larger degree on past inflation experience.

    Therefore, a higher share of backward-looking households means that the central bank must tighten monetary policy more to achieve the same drop in inflation.

    The degree to which households are forward-looking likely depends on their level of financial literacy.

    Survey evidence indicates that households with higher financial literacy pay more attention to inflation.

    52% of financially literate households pay “much” or “a great deal” of attention to inflation. This share stands at just 45% for the less financially literate (Slide 12, left-hand side). Higher attention also implies that these people are easier to reach through central bank communication.[26]

    However, these data also suggest that even for financially literate people, almost one half do not pay much attention to inflation. This may explain why inflation perceptions are often very persistent, adapting slowly to actual inflation dynamics. While headline inflation in the euro area dropped by almost 8 percentage points from its peak in October 2022 until the end of 2023, inflation perceptions fell by much less (Slide 12, right-hand side).

    Again, there is some difference of inflation perceptions across different levels of financial literacy: while the inflation perceptions of both groups were similar when inflation had reached its peak, those of financially literate people are now 1.6 percentage points lower than those of less financially literate people.

    Inflation expectations paint a similar picture. The one-year ahead inflation expectations of financially literate households have dropped much more quickly than those of the less financially literate (Slide 13, left-hand side).

    These two findings are linked and reflect the fact that individuals’ inflation perceptions have a substantial impact on their expectations of future inflation.[27]

    Overall, the share of consumers with inflation expectations broadly anchored around 2% – meaning that three-year inflation expectations are between 1.5% and 2.5% – has fluctuated around a level of only 17%, indicating a low degree of anchoring.

    Again, there are notable differences in inflation expectations linked to financial literacy. The share of consumers with medium-term inflation expectations anchored around 2% is significantly higher for financially literate households. However, these households have also been more responsive to actual inflation developments, with the share of consumers with medium-term inflation expectations around 2% declining more sharply when inflation surged and rising more strongly when it came down (Slide 13, right-hand side).[28]

    The observed differences in the formation of inflation expectations translate into lower deviations of individual one-year ahead forecasts from inflation perceptions at that time for more financially literate people, implying a lower subjective forecast error (Slide 14). In other words, households with higher levels of financial literacy tend to have more accurate inflation expectations.[29]

    Financial literacy also affects household perceptions of real, i.e. inflation-adjusted, incomes, with implications for monetary policy transmission. Over the past three years, real private consumption has increased more slowly than real disposable income. This can be partly explained by household misperceptions of their real income developments.[30]

    While over 50% of households in the euro area experienced positive real income growth in 2024, only 11% perceived that their real income had increased (Slide 15, left-hand side). The net percentage of pessimistic households is highest for the bottom half of the income distribution, and it is also higher for households with low financial literacy (Slide 15, right-hand side).

    This implies that lower inflation due to restrictive monetary policy generally had a weaker impact on consumption due to such misperceptions, dampening the recovery.

    The need for enhanced financial education initiatives

    The evidence presented explains why central banks have a keen interest in promoting financial literacy and improving financial knowledge.

    In our 2021 monetary policy strategy review, we acknowledged that communication to broader audiences is key for monetary policy. That is why we have put more emphasis on explaining our monetary policy decisions to the general public in an accessible way.[31]

    Since President Lagarde took office, the Governing Council has made significant progress in making communication more accessible. For example, the introductory statement to the press conference after our monetary policy decisions has been replaced with the monetary policy statement, which offers a more concise and compelling narrative, while significantly reducing the textual complexity of monetary policy announcements, thereby increasing readability (Slide 16). To reach audiences beyond experts, the statement has been complemented by highly accessible, visualised statements, available in all EU languages.[32]

    When people understand how monetary policy works, they tend to trust central banks more.[33] And people’s trust in the central bank and in its ability to maintain price stability has been shown to help anchor inflation expectations and increase the share of forward-looking people in the economy.[34]

    Knowledge about the ECB is linked to financial literacy. Financially literate households tend to be significantly more knowledgeable about the ECB and its inflation objective (Slide 17).

    This has implications for the ECB’s credibility. In the most recent inflationary episode, the share of households with high financial literacy that trusted the ECB to maintain price stability over the next three years rose notably after the ECB had embarked on its hiking cycle and inflation had come down significantly (Slide 18).

    By contrast, households with low financial literacy lost confidence in the ECB’s ability to maintain price stability as interest rates rose. Even when inflation had already come down significantly, the share of households that trusted the ECB’s ability to maintain price stability remained low. This is in line with recent evidence from the United States, where 60% of survey respondents believe that high interest rates cause high inflation.[35]

    Therefore, to maintain and improve their credibility, central banks should help people understand their policy actions and their economic effects through communication and enhance their efforts to improve financial literacy.[36]

    At the ECB, we are taking active steps to do this. We have expanded our communication efforts towards the general public by offering explainers on YouTube (through our “Espresso Economics” channel), by speaking more frequently on TV, by engaging on social media and by producing regular podcasts.

    Earlier this month, on International Women’s Day, the ECB took another step in promoting financial literacy by committing to five joint actions with national central banks, also aimed at closing the gender gap in financial literacy.[37]

    These include raising awareness, establishing a central bank financial literacy network, collaborating with national authorities for consumer protection, developing a harmonised financial literacy dataset across Europe, and focusing communication efforts on key moments in life, such as early education, taking out a major loan or building a pension.

    Of course, such efforts can only complement, not replace, much broader efforts needed from governments and the education system. And it requires a long-term effort, with progress likely to be incremental.

    Financial literacy is also an important cornerstone of the savings and investment union, one of the European Commission’s flagship projects.[38]

    Under its first pillar, it aims to encourage citizens to invest in capital markets, which can contribute to financing part of the massive investments needed for the green and digital transitions.[39] As I said before, financial literacy increases the willingness to make such investments. Therefore, an improvement in financial literacy is seen as essential to achieving the stated objectives. That is why the European Commission will adopt a financial literacy strategy, in line with the ECB’s efforts.

    Conclusion

    Let me conclude.

    Financial literacy is an essential life skill that not only empowers individuals to make informed financial decisions but can also make monetary policy more effective.

    Financially literate individuals respond more strongly to interest rate changes, are more willing to take on risk and are more forward-looking when forming inflation expectations. This tends to strengthen the transmission of central bank policies to the real economy.

    However, significant differences in financial literacy across socio-economic groups highlight the need for continued educational initiatives.

    Fostering financial literacy can support policy effectiveness, enhance public trust in central banks and help people make better financial decisions, ultimately contributing to a stronger economy and individual well-being.

    As Benjamin Franklin, who spent more than 16 years here in London, once said, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Pakistan: Systematic attacks and relentless crackdown on Baloch activists must end

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to the unlawful detention and harassment of Baloch activists in Quetta and Karachi over the past week in Pakistan, Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, said:

    “The Pakistani authorities’ relentless crackdown on Baloch activists over the last week and continued detention of several protesters and Baloch activists, including Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, and Bebarg Zehri, speaks of a systematic attack on the rights of Baloch community. Amnesty International is concerned by reports from family members that Mahrang and Bebarg – who is a person with disabilities, are not being given access to medical assistance despite their health severely deteriorating during custody.”

    “The weaponization of the legal system, through multiple bogus First Information Reports (FIRs) and preventative detentions under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, despite activists being granted bail, is a gross violation of their right to due process and fair trial. It shows wanton disregard by the law enforcement agencies for the rights of Baloch people under Pakistan’s Constitution and the country’s obligations under international human rights law.”

    The Pakistani authorities’ relentless crackdown on Baloch activists over the last week and continued detention of several protesters and Baloch activists, including Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, and Bebarg Zehri, speaks of a systematic attack on the rights of Baloch community.

    Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International

    “Pakistani authorities must immediately release all Baloch activists being detained simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Amnesty reiterates its call for a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the use of unlawful force during the 21 March peaceful protests and ensure those responsible are held to account and the violations are effectively remedied.”

    BACKGROUND

    Baloch activists, Bebarg Zehri and his brother Hammal Zehri, were taken by Counter Terrorism Department officials from their home in Quetta on 20 March 2025 following a press conference by the Baloch Yakjethi Committee (BYC) at the Quetta Press Club over their long-standing demand is for justice for families of victims of enforced disappearances. During a protest by BYC on 21 March calling for their release, three protesters were killed through use of unlawful force by law enforcement as per reports from local activists. Mobile network signals were completely shut down in the lead up to and following the protest.

    Central leader of the Baloch Yakjethi Committee, Mahrang Baloch, along with 17 other protesters, was detained the next day. Mahrang and Bebarg remain under preventative detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), with separate terrorism charges also brought against Mahrang.

    On 24 March, at least six activists, including Sammi Deen Baloch a key leader in BYC, were detained for disregarding a blanket ban on assemblies in the city, following a protest in Karachi in Sindh province.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Serbia: BIRN journalists targeted with Pegasus spyware 

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Two journalists from Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), an award-winning Serbian network of investigative journalists, were targeted with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware last month, a new Amnesty International investigation reveals.   

    Journalists Bogdana (not her real name) and Jelena Veljkovic received suspicious messages on the Viber messaging app from an unknown Serbian number linked to Telekom Srbija, the state-telecommunications operator. 

    Suspecting that their smartphones were being targeted by a spyware attack, they approached Amnesty International’s Security Lab, whose forensic analysis confirmed their suspicions.  

    “We discovered that the text messages contained hyperlinks to a Serbian language domain name which we have determined with high confidence to be associated with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware,   

    Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, the Head of Amnesty International’s Security Lab.

    This is the third time in two years that Amnesty International’s Security Lab has found NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware being used against civil society in Serbia. In November 2023, Amnesty International, Access Now, SHARE Foundation and Citizen Lab documented how two Serbian civil society members where targeted by a zero-click spyware attack, which Amnesty International later attributed as Pegasus attack attempts.   

    On 14 February 2025, Bogdana received a message on Viber with a link to a news article and a message asking: “Do you have info that he is next? I heard something completely different.” 

    At the time she was working on an article about foreign investments and state-linked corruption cases. The previous day she had met sources for her story including individuals close to the government. 

    Bogdana did not click the Pegasus infection link, and a forensic analysis of her device did not indicate that Pegasus spyware had been installed on her phone. Amnesty International’s Security Lab later found that, if clicked, the infection link redirected to a decoy page on a Serbian media website, a technique previously seen in a Pegasus attempt targeting a Serbian protest leader in July 2023. 

    NSO Group stated in a letter to Amnesty International that “all sales of our systems are to vetted government end-users”. Amnesty International believes that the continued use of Serbian language Pegasus infection domain names, and the targeting of Serbian civil society with a consistent methodology are indicative of these attacks being carried out by a Serbian state entity.  

    Bogdana said: “When I found out that the link on my phone was Pegasus, I was absolutely furious. This was the phone registered to my name, and I felt as if I had an intruder in my own home. This is an unnerving feeling…. I was extremely concerned about my sources who could be at risk because they communicated with me.” 

    Jelena Veljkovic received a similar Viber message to the one sent to Bogdana from the same Serbian phone number on 14 February and deleted it without clicking it. Amnesty International concluded that, based on the nature of the attempt, this was also a Pegasus 1-click infection attempt. 1-click attacks require action from the target to enable the infection of their device, typically the opening of a malicious link. 

    “When I found out that I was a target of a Pegasus attack, I was not particularly scared but found it quite unsettling. This was my private telephone, which I also use for work, and a virus like Pegasus, which is not selective at all and can access everything on one’s phone, can have repercussions on my family too. 

    “This was a targeted attack on investigative journalists – a form of pressure and a warning. Whether it was an attack on me personally or on BIRN, as a media outlet, I am not sure,  

    Jelena. 

    BIRN and its staff face frequent threats, harassment and Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs), including by senior government officials, for their investigative journalism. Currently it is fighting four SLAPP suits, mostly filed by public officials, including the current mayor of Belgrade, or others with known links to the authorities. 

    Amnesty International shared its findings with NSO Group who responded saying: “We cannot comment on specific existing or past customers. Additionally, as a matter of policy, we are unable to disclose any information regarding our technical specifications, functionality or operational features of our products.” 

    Repeated attempts to engage the Serbian Security Information Agency (BIA, Bezbednosno-informativna Agencija) were unanswered. 

    These findings provide further evidence that Serbian authorities are abusing highly invasive spyware products and other digital surveillance technologies to target journalists, activists, and other members of civil society amid widespread student protests that have gripped the country since November 2024.  

    Serbian authorities must stop using highly invasive spyware and provide effective remedy to victims of unlawful targeted surveillance and hold those responsible for the violations to account. NSO Group must stop selling Pegasus and the use of its products in Serbia. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why Muslims often don’t celebrate Eid on the same day – even within one country

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zuleyha Keskin, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Charles Sturt University

    Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

    Eid is a special time for Muslims. There are two major Eid celebrations each year: Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha is connected to the dates of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

    Eid, which means “festival” or “feast” in Arabic, is a celebratory occasion for more than one billion Muslims worldwide. However, in some countries, especially multicultural ones like Australia, Muslims don’t always celebrate Eid on the same day. Here’s why.

    Worshippers pray outside the Taj Mahal on Eid al-Fitr. Muslim emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the mausoleum in 1631 to hold his wife’s tomb.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    Eid comes 10-12 days earlier each year

    Beyond different groups celebrating on different days, the timing of Eid celebrations also shift as a whole each year. That’s because Islam follows the lunar calendar, based on the moon’s cycles – unlike the Gregorian calendar, which follows the sun.

    As such, dates on the Islamic calendar come 10–12 days earlier each year. This means the dates of both Eids also move about 11 days forward each year.

    In terms of the Islamic calendar:

    • Eid al-Fitr happens on the 1st of the month of Shawwal (the 10th month), which comes right after the month of Ramadan.
    • Eid al-Adha happens on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah (the 12th month), during Hajj.

    What about local discrepancies?

    Since Islam follows the lunar calendar, determining the start of each Islamic month, and the dates of both Eids, requires sighting the new crescent moon, which comes directly after the new moon (the phase in which the moon is invisible).

    But there are different methods for doing this, and different scholarly interpretations regarding what method is best. These variations are the reason one group in a community might celebrate on a Sunday, while others may celebrate on a Monday.

    The Islamic month of Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. Moon sighting approaches can vary between countries, communities and even households.
    Shutterstock

    Some Muslims believe each country should rely on its own local moon sighting.

    This means if the new crescent moon is visible in neighbouring countries, but not in Australia (such as if it’s hidden behind clouds), then Australia should celebrate a day after its neighbours. The organisation Moonsighting Australia follows this method, only declaring Eid when the moon is seen locally.

    However, others argue if the moon has been sighted anywhere in the world, it should be accepted by all Muslims as the start of the new Islamic month. Some Muslims in Australia opt for this “global moon sighting” approach, following Saudi Arabia’s Eid announcement even when the moon is not sighted locally.

    As far back as the early centuries AD, people in the Arab world used astrolabes to survey the skies. This instrument belonged to Yemeni sultan, mathematician and astronomer Al-Ashraf Umar II (circa 1242-1296).
    Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Apart from the question of where the crescent moon is sighted, there are also different views over how it should be sighted. Many scholars believe in physically sighting it with the eyes, as was practised during the time of Prophet Muhammad.

    But some Muslim countries, such as in Turkey and parts of Europe, use astronomical calculations to predict the new moon’s birth. This allows them to pre-set the date of Eid months, or even years, in advance.

    Australia versus majority-Muslim countries

    In Muslim-majority countries, deciding the day of Eid happens at a government level.

    For example, in Saudi Arabia, the Supreme Court officially declares the date based on moon sighting reports. This decision sets the timing for Eid prayers and public holidays for the entire nation, allowing for unified celebrations across the country.

    But Muslims in Australia come from diverse cultural backgrounds, and hold varying views regarding how the moon should be sighted. Some may follow the Eid announcement from their country of origin. Others may rely on local announcements, or on dates set by peak bodies such as the Australian National Imams Council.

    One 2023 report published by the ISRA Academy surveyed more than 5,500 Muslims in Australia to understand how they determined the date of Eid.

    The findings reveal notable differences across communities. Respondents from the Arab community were almost evenly split between following their local mosque (28.5%) and the Australian National Imams Council (28.0%), with a slightly lower percentage (23.9%) following Moonsighting Australia. Only 0.6% followed their country of origin.

    Among the Turkish community, 16.1% followed their country of origin, while the largest proportion (28.5%) relied on a local mosque or Islamic organisation. But given Turkish mosques tend to follow Turkey’s state religious institution, Diyanet, most Australian Turks (44.6%) ultimately align with Turkey’s decision on Eid.

    Of the others, 18.8% followed Moonsighting Australia and 14.6% following the national imams’ council.

    In the African Muslim community, 48.4% followed Moonsighting Australia, while 32.8% relied on a local mosque, and 11.7% on the imams’ council.

    Eid celebrations will keep evolving

    While celebrating Eid on different days may seem divisive and fragmenting, there are positive aspects to this.

    For one thing, it means Australian Muslims actively seek out information from various religious authorities. This reflects a high level of public engagement in religious decisions – rather than following blindly.

    The strong influence of organisations such as the Australian National Imams Council and Moonsighting Australia also suggests local religious institutions are a trusted source for guidance.

    Moreover, the high percentage of Muslims now following Moonsighting Australia indicates a trend towards a localised determination of Eid. And this trend will likely become stronger with the emergence of third- and fourth- generation Australian Muslims who are less connected with their ancestral homelands.

    Only time will tell whether most Australian Muslims will eventually celebrate Eid on the same day. In the meantime, families and communities continue to navigate these differences with understanding and respect.

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

    – ref. Why Muslims often don’t celebrate Eid on the same day – even within one country – https://theconversation.com/why-muslims-often-dont-celebrate-eid-on-the-same-day-even-within-one-country-248227

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 25 years into a new century and housing is less affordable than ever

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, Grattan Institute

    Of all the problems facing Australia today, few have worsened so rapidly in the past 25 years as housing affordability.

    Housing has become more and more expensive – to rent or buy – and home ownership continues to fall among poorer Australians of all ages.

    Housing makes up most of Australia’s wealth, so more expensive homes concentrated in fewer hands means growing wealth inequality, with a marked generational divide.

    To unwind inequality, we need to make housing cheaper, and that means building much more of it.

    Housing has become more expensive

    The price of the typical Australian home has grown much faster than incomes since the turn of the century: from about four times median incomes in the early 2000s, to more than eight times today, and nearly 10 times in Sydney.

    Housing has also become more expensive to rent, especially since the pandemic.

    Rental vacancy rates are at record lows and asking rents (that is for newly advertised properties) have risen fast – by roughly 20% in Sydney and Melbourne in the past four years, and by much more in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.

    Home ownership is falling fast among the young

    Rising house prices are pushing home ownership out of reach for many younger Australians.

    In the early 1990s it took about six years to save a 20% deposit for a typical dwelling for an average household. It now takes more than 12 years.

    Unsurprisingly, home ownership rates are falling fastest for younger people. Whereas 57% of 30–34 year-olds owned their home in 2001, just 50% did so by 2021. And just 36% of 25–29 year olds own their home today, down from 43% in 2001.

    And home ownership is falling fastest among the poorest 40% of each age group.

    Fewer homeowners means more inequality

    People on low incomes, who are increasingly renters, are spending more of their incomes on housing.

    The real incomes of the lowest fifth of households increased by about 26% between 2003–04 and 2019–20. But more than half of this was chewed up by skyrocketing housing costs, with real incomes after housing costs increasing by only 12%.

    In contrast, the real incomes for the highest fifth of households increased by 47%, and their after-housing real incomes by almost as much: 43%.

    Wealth inequality in Australia is still around the OECD average but has been climbing for two decades, largely due to rising house prices.

    In 2019–20, one-quarter of homeowning households reported net wealth exceeding $1 million. By contrast, median net wealth for non-homeowning households was $60,000.

    Since 2003–04, the wealth of high-income households has grown by more than 50%, much of that due to increasing property values. By contrast, the wealth of low-income households – mostly non-homeowners – has grown by less than 10%.

    The growing divide between the housing “haves” and “have nots” is largely generational. Older Australians who bought their homes before prices really took off in the early 2000s have seen their share of the country’s wealth steadily climb.

    This inequality will get baked in as wealth is passed onto the next generation.

    Some Australians will be lucky enough to inherit one or more homes. Others – typically those on lower incomes – will receive none.

    To unwind inequality, we need to make housing less expensive

    We haven’t built enough

    Australians’ demand for housing since the turn of the decade is a story of historically low interest rates, increased access to finance, tax and welfare settings that favour investments in housing, and a booming population.

    But one widely-blamed villain – the introduction of the 50% capital gains tax discount in 1999, together with negative gearing – is likely to have played only a small part in rising house prices.

    That’s because the value of these tax advantages – about $10.9 billion a year – is tiny compared to Australia’s $11 trillion housing market.

    Instead, the biggest problem is that housing construction in recent years hasn’t kept up with increasing demand.

    Strong migration over the past two decades has seen Australia’s population rise much faster than most other wealthy countries in recent decades, boosting the number of homes we need. Rising incomes, and demographic trends such as rising rates of divorce and an ageing Australia, have further increased housing demand.

    Yet Australia has one of the lowest levels of housing per person of any OECD country, and is one of only four OECD countries where the amount of housing per person went backwards over the past two decades.

    This is largely a failure of housing policy. Australia’s land-use planning rules – the rules that dictate what can get built where – are highly restrictive and complex. Current rules and community opposition make it very difficult to build new homes, particularly in the places where people most want to live and work.

    More homes would mean less inequality

    Fixing this will allow mores home to get built, moderate house price growth, and reduce barriers to home ownership. In turn, this will reduce the inequalities created by our broken housing system.

    Easing planning restrictions is hard for governments, because many residents don’t want more homes near theirs.

    The good news is that the penny has started to drop and state governments – particularly in Victoria and New South Wales – are making meaningful progress towards allowing more homes in activity centres and on existing transport links.

    But now the real test begins: how will governments respond to the backlash from people who would prefer their communities to stay the same?

    How well governments hold the line against the so-called NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) will tell us a lot about what we can expect to happen to inequality in Australia in the future.

    Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the federal and Victorian governments, $4 million from BHP Billiton, and $1 million from NAB. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute’s board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and contribute to funding Grattan Institute’s activities. Grattan Institute also receives funding from corporates, foundations, and individuals to support its general activities, as disclosed on its website.

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

    – ref. 25 years into a new century and housing is less affordable than ever – https://theconversation.com/25-years-into-a-new-century-and-housing-is-less-affordable-than-ever-250067

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How can I tell if my child is too sick to go to school?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Sturgiss, Professor of Community Medicine and Clinical Education, Bond University

    Chay_Tay/Shutterstock

    As a GP and mum to two boys I have many experiences of trying to navigate the school morning when my boys aren’t feeling well. It always seems to happen on the busiest days.

    None of us want to send our child to school when they are not well – I hate the thought of my kids feeling sick in the classroom and also the idea they might make other children sick.

    Lots of families have someone for whom illnesses are more dangerous. They might have a weakened immune system because they are going through cancer treatment or suffer from another illness.

    But it can be hard to tell. A child might be dramatically crying “my tummy HURTS” one minute and racing around with their sibling the next. Or you might wonder if they are angling for some time off in front of the TV.

    How can you tell if your child is too sick to go to school?

    None of us want to send our child to school when they are not well.
    Pixel Shot/ Shutterstock

    Symptoms to look out for

    In school-aged children here are some symptoms to consider.

    Fever: if your child feels hot to touch, or you have a thermometer showing a fever (a temperature above 38 degrees), then they shouldn’t attend school.

    This is even if you are giving them regular paracetamol or ibuprofen to keep their temperature down. Your child won’t feel comfortable at school with a fever and they have a high chance of making others unwell.

    Vomiting and diarrhoea: children should stay home until it is at least 24 hours since their last vomit or runny poo. This is to reduce the spread of viral gastroenteritis (or stomach flu) and to make sure your child can stay hydrated and well. If your child is vomiting or has diarrhoea, it also is important to keep a close eye on them to make sure they are improving and to seek medical care if they are getting worse.

    Runny noses: a runny nose without a fever might be a sign of hayfever, especially if your child has other symptoms like itchy eyes or sneezing. On its own, this is not a reason to stay home.

    But a new runny nose with a fever is a reason to stay home. Many infections, including influenza, COVID and even measles can start with a fever and runny nose, although usually it signals a common cold.

    The common cold needs rest, fluids and encouraging your child to keep their nose clear with gentle blowing or saline sprays. And a reminder, the annual flu vaccine is an excellent way to protect your family from the serious consequences of the “proper flu”.

    Cough: there are many different reasons for a child to cough. This includes infections such as COVID, whooping cough and influenza and non-infectious reasons such as hayfever and reflux. If your child has developed a new cough, and especially if they are also feverish, this is a reason to keep them at home. A cough that doesn’t go away after two weeks should also be checked out by your GP.

    Tiredness: mostly on Fridays, my kids are tired after a busy week – much like me! Tiredness can be an early sign of a lurking infection or some other health issue. But on its own is probably not a reason to keep your child home. However, ongoing tiredness is a good reason to have your child checked out by your GP as there are many causes from poor sleep to iron deficiency.

    Poor appetite: kids’ appetites can vary so wildly, especially when they move into growing phases. Not wanting to eat breakfast in the morning might be an early gastro infection, a sign of constipation or nervous butterflies for the day ahead. If your child is otherwise OK, with no tummy pain, fever or tiredness, then a lack of appetite for breakfast is not a solid reason to stay home.

    It’s common for kids to feel tired, but this on its own is not a reason to skip school.
    Andrew Will/ Shutterstock

    Watch out for school refusal

    I find it helpful to let my child know if they stay home, they will need to stay in bed with no screens to rest and get well. This tends to separate the “truly feeling unwell” days from the “just hoping to have a rest” days.

    But feeling unwell in the morning – particularly in the tummy, tiredness or unexplained headaches – can be an early sign something might not be going smoothly for your child at school or home.

    School refusal is a serious problem where a child is completely overwhelmed and unable to attend school. It can come on gradually or suddenly. Talking with your child’s school is a critical first step if you are concerned about school refusal – it should be a conversation that happens promptly and your school should have procedures for helping you to manage it.



    Read more:
    Is it school reluctance or refusal? How to tell the difference and help your child

    Phone a friend

    If you’re not sure, consider giving a trusted friends or family member a quick call to talk things over.

    You can also contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (or 13 Health if you are in Queensland). This is a national phone service open 24 hours for anyone who has symptoms and needs advice on what to do next.

    Liz Sturgiss receives funding from the NHMRC, MRFF, RACGP Foundation, Diabetes Australia and VicHealth that is unrelated to this article. She is affiliated with Australian Journal of Primary Health (CSIRO), Australian Prescriber, RACGP, NAPCRG, Guidelines Development Committee for the review and update of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, Adolescents and Children in Australia and Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care.

    – ref. How can I tell if my child is too sick to go to school? – https://theconversation.com/how-can-i-tell-if-my-child-is-too-sick-to-go-to-school-252731

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Video: South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    – Secretary-General’s Town Hall
    – South Sudan
    – Sudan
    – Security Council
    – Democratic Republic of the Congo
    – Occupied Palestinian Territory
    – Haiti
    – Financial Contribution

    SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TOWN HALL
    This morning, the Secretary-General held a global town hall meeting with UN staff.
    He thanked staff members for their service and encouraged them to continue and persevere with their work despite various political and budget pressures.
    He underscored that it’s important to stay fixed on the fundamentals and emphasized that the United Nations has never been more needed, our values have never been more relevant, and the demands have never been greater.
    He also updated staff members on the financial situation of the Organization and on cash conservation measures and added that he would continue to appeal to donors to reconsider and for Member States to pay up their budget dues.
    The Secretary-General reiterated his support to doing everything possible to support people in need around the world, to exercise our mandate, and to honour staff.

    SOUTH SUDAN
    The Secretary-General is following with deep concern the alarming situation in South Sudan.
    The peacekeeping mission on the ground has called on all Parties in the country to exercise restraint and uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement. The peacekeeping mission is also joining other regional and international peace partners in expressing alarm at the detention under house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar.
    The UN warns that this action takes the country yet one step closer to the edge of a collapse into civil war and the dismantling of the peace agreement.
    The peacekeeping mission is, again, urging the President and First Vice President to resolve grievances, end the military confrontation, uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement and take the country forward together towards the peaceful and democratic future their people deserve.
    It should be clear to all that the people of South Sudan can ill afford to endure the consequences of the civil war.
    As a stark reminder, 9.3 million people are already in need of some form of humanitarian assistance, with conflict, climate and the economic crisis keeping too many people on the very edge of survival.
    It’s vital that the leaders of the country put the interest of the people first and foremost.

    SUDAN
    Turning to Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is following the situation in Khartoum closely, amidst the latest shifts of control in the city. They continue to receive alarming reports of reprisals by armed groups against civilians.
    The UN reiterates that civilians are not a target and that all parties must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Serious violations must be investigated, with perpetrators held to account.
    Meanwhile, the UN and its humanitarian partners are seizing every opportunity to reach people in need with vital support.
    The World Food Programme says that today 1,200 metric tonnes of food and nutrition assistance were distributed to about 100,000 people in Bahri and Omdurman localities of Khartoum state. These are the first WFP aid trucks to get through to these specific areas within Khartoum since the latest round of hostilities started.
    And the International Organization Migration reports that nearly 400,000 internally displaced people have recently returned to their towns and villages of origin across Al Jazirah, Sennar, and Khartoum states. However, many are returning to areas with little – to no access to – basic services, including shelter, food, and healthcare. Unfortunately, displacement from North Darfur and White Nile states has increased due to heightened insecurity.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=27%20March%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqsfYzw4frE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Armed groups install ‘parallel administration’ in DR Congo, Security Council hears

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    Armed groups affiliated with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have continued to expand their control in North and South Kivu – setting their sights on more territorial gains.

    That’s according to the head of the UN stabilization mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, who briefed the Security Council in New York on Thursday over escalating violence and displacement in the country since M23 overran the key cities of Goma and Bukavu last month.

    These armed groups are not only seizing territory, she explained, but also attempting to install “a parallel administration”, recently appointing a governor and two-vice governors in Bukavu as well as financial and mining officials in North Kivu.

    The MONUSCO peacekeepers have been in DRC since 2010 with a mandate to protect civilians and strengthen the Congolese Government’s efforts to quell violence and insecurity at the hands of multiple armed groups in the east.

    MONUSCO had proceeded, at DRC’s request, to withdraw its troops from South Kivu in June 2024 but Kinshasa reversed course, asking the Security Council to extend MONUSCO’s mandate through the end of 2025.

    Despite best efforts, armed groups have made major recent gains, chiefly the March 23 Movement which defends the interests of Congolese Tutsi – many exiled from Rwanda – and benefits from the support of Rwandan forces, and the extremist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

    Rights violations

    Ms. Keita described an alarming rise in human rights violations, including the summary execution of more than 100 civilians, forced child recruitment, abductions and cases of forced labour.

    “Women and children remain the main victims,” she told the Council, noting a spike in sexual violence linked to mass displacement, conflict and the presence of escaped prisoners and new recruits in affected areas.

    “Internally, displaced girls and boys are traumatised,” explained Charlotte Slente, from the Danish Refugee Council, also briefing Member States. “We have heard reports of girls engaging in survival sex,” she underscored.

    Aid workers have documented rape cases involving girls as young as five, with nearly every child protection case involving sexual violence. From December 2024 to February 2025, 403 grave violations of children’s rights were verified.

    In Ituri province – above North-Kivu – violence between CODECO and Zaïre armed groups has worsened, with civilians near mining zones and farmland bearing the brunt of the attacks.

    Humanitarian aid hampered

    The security situation has driven hundreds of thousands from their homes, with over 100,000 newly displaced since January in the city of Djugu in Ituri, alone.

    However, humanitarian access remains severely constrained due to insecurity, roadblocks and the closure of key airports in Goma and Kavumu.

    At the same time, the situation is being aggravated “in a global context of financial crisis”, Ms. Keita stressed. As of March, the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for the DR Congo was only 8.2 per cent funded.

    Response and challenges

    Despite these obstacles, MONUSCO continues to deliver on its mandate, she underlined, citing expanded patrols, civilian protection efforts and the facilitation of disarmament talks in Ituri.

    These led to the surrender of over 2,200 fighters from the Zaïre group and the capture of weapons and ammunition.

    Meanwhile, the deployment of a new Force Commander in North Kivu, has boosted coordination with Congolese forces. Still, MONUSCO faces movement restrictions imposed by M23 in and around Goma, including roadblocks and advance notice requirements.

    Social cohesion at risk

    Ms. Keita expressed deep concern over rising hate speech and ethnic targeting of Tutsi and Swahili-speaking Congolese, particularly as displaced populations move westward into DRC’s vast interior.

    She called on the Government to adopt legislation to counter tribalism, racism and xenophobia, and reaffirm the nation’s diversity.

    Regional diplomacy: fragile transitions

    Efforts toward a ceasefire and political solution have so far stalled despite regional and international pressure – including resolution 2773 and mediation efforts led by Angola under the leadership of the African Union.

    M23’s advance disrupted transition talks between MONUSCO and Congolese authorities, especially in South Kivu, where Bukavu is under rebel control.

    Ms. Keita explained that the efforts to plan the mission’s disengagement from North Kivu and Ituri are “compromised”, with several planning assumptions now obsolete.

    Nevertheless, she reiterated MONUSCO’s commitment to a coordinated withdrawal process when possible.

    Call to action

    In closing, the UN Special Representative called on the council to take “concrete measures” against those responsible for grave rights violations and to renew efforts to ensure a political resolution.

    “We must direct all our efforts towards securing an unconditional ceasefire,” she said. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly on the International Day of Zero Waste [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Mr. President, Madame First Lady, Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    The waste crisis is an issue that goes to the heart of how we produce, and how we consume.

    And one that requires action at every level – local, national, and global. 

    This year’s International Day focuses on fashion and textiles.

    And rightly so.

    Unless we accelerate action, dressing to kill could kill the planet.

    Textile production often uses thousands of chemicals – many of them harmful to people and the environment.

    It devours resources like land and water – putting pressure on ecosystems.

    And it belches out greenhouse gases – inflaming the climate crisis.  

    Clothes are being produced and discarded at a staggering rate – driven by business models that prioritize newness, speed, and disposability.  

    Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothing is incinerated or sent to landfill.

    Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    Fashion is just the tip of a toxic iceberg.

    Waste is an issue in every sector. 

    Every year, humanity produces over two billion tonnes of garbage.

    If you pack all that into shipping containers stacked end to end, they would stretch to the moon and back.

    Here on Earth, toxin-filled waste is seeping into our soil, our water, and our air. And ultimately into us.

    As usual, the poorest pay the highest price.

    More than one billion people live in slums and informal urban settlements, where waste management is non-existent and disease runs rampant.

    The rich world is flooding the Global South with garbage, from obsolete computers to single-use plastic and more.

    Many nations do not have the infrastructure to process even a fraction of what is dumped on their shores.

    As a result, materials that could be recycled are burned or sent to landfill. 

    And waste pickers are exposed to toxic chemicals as they sift through potentially hazardous materials, including broken electronics, in appalling conditions.

    Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    We need a different approach: one that delivers on the commitment in the Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable production and consumption.

    And there are signs of hope.

    Change is possible. And it presents exciting opportunities.

    In fashion, for example, designers are experimenting with recycled materials.

    Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainability.

    In many countries, resale markets are booming.

    And important initiatives are bringing together large and small businesses, industry associations, civil society and many others to drive sustainability across the sector.

    They include the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and the Fashion Pact.

    We must celebrate the power of these innovations to transform the industry.

    But we need more.

    And we need change in every sector.

    I welcome the work of the Chair and the First Lady and members of the United Nations Advisory Board on Zero Waste to raise awareness, and help meet the SDGs.

    The fight against waste requires us all.

    Governments must act:

    Through policies, regulations and subsidies:

    That promote sustainability, and zero waste initiatives…

    That encourage businesses to adopt positive practices…

    That provide decent jobs…

    And that empower everyone – not just the wealthy – to afford products that last.

    The current negotiations for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution – due in August this year – are a key opportunity for governments to drive progress.

    I urge them to take it…

    And to translate any treaty into action to support consumers to make environmentally friendly choices, and into a clear roadmap across industries.

    Addressing plastic pollution must be at the core of corporate responsibility.

    There is no space for greenwashing.

    Businesses must increase circularity, waste reduction and resource efficiency across their supply chains.

    We need accountability for corporate sustainability commitments.

    We need transparency for customers. 

    And we need consumers to use their purchasing power to encourage change:

    Reducing excessive consumption, valuing products that last, and embracing exchanges and resales.

    And we need young people and civil society to keep using their voices and power to demand change through advocacy.

    Excellencies, Dear Friends,

    We must build on progress, to end the waste practices wasting our planet.

    On this International Day, let us commit to do our part to clean up our act, and build a healthier, more sustainable world for us all. 

    And I thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Croatia’s climate action strategy – 27-03-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Croatia does not set its own national climate targets, but has emissions reduction obligations under EU law, and contributes to the EU-wide target of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 (see trajectory in Figure 1). Croatia accounts for 0.62 % of the EU’s net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and has reduced its net emissions by 19.5 % from 2005 to 2023, compared with an average EU reduction of 30.5 % over the same period. The country’s land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector is a significant but declining carbon sink. Emissions from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) were reduced by 51.6 %. For the effort-sharing sectors, Croatia remained within emissions allocations from 2013 to 2020. Although slightly exceeding allocations in 2022, and at the limit in 2023, the country projects that it will achieve its 2030 obligation. In August 2023, Croatia proposed to add a REPowerEU chapter to its recovery and resilience plan, comprising significant climate spending. Croatia submitted a draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) on 4 July 2023. The European Commission assessed it and made recommendations for Croatia’s final updated NECP, overdue since June 2024. In a 2023 survey, 42 % of Croatians, compared with an EU average of 46 %, identified climate change to be one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect the EU (53 %) and national government (50 %) to tackle climate change, while 26 % find it to be a personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Luxembourg’s climate action strategy – 27-03-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Luxembourg is legally bound to reach climate neutrality by 2050 (see trajectory in Figure 1) and deliver a 55 % greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction in the effort-sharing sectors by 2030 compared with 2005. Luxembourg accounts for 0.3 % of the EU’s net GHG emissions, and achieved a net emissions reduction of 35.7 % from 2005 to 2023, greater than the 30.5 % EU average reduction over the same period. Emissions from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) dropped by more than two thirds (-69.5 %). The land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector remains a carbon sink, albeit with fluctuations. For the effort-sharing sectors, Luxembourg managed to stay within its 2013 2020 allocations, and would overachieve its 2030 target based on the European Commission’s assessment of its draft national energy and climate plan (NECP). Luxembourg submitted its final updated NECP on 24 July 2024. In May 2024, Luxembourg added a REPowerEU chapter to its recovery and resilience plan, increasing its climate spending. In a 2023 survey, 57 % of Luxembourgers, compared with an EU average of 46 %, identified climate change to be one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect the EU (76 %), business and industry (66 %) or national government (63 %) to tackle climate change, while 62 % find it to be a personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Slovenia’s climate action strategy – 27-03-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Slovenia is legally bound to reach climate neutrality by 2050 (see trajectory on Figure 1) and reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55 % by 2033 compared with 2005. Slovenia accounts for 0.5 % of the EU’s net GHG emissions, and increased its net emissions by 8.0 % from 2005 to 2023, compared with an EU average reduction of 30.5 % over the same period. This was due to a sharp increase in emissions from the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector – traditionally a carbon sink – in the 2014-2019 period. Nonetheless, Slovenia’s total emissions reduction of 28.9 % over the 2005 2023 period only falls slightly short of the -30.2 % EU average. Emissions covered by the EU emissions trading system (ETS) over the same period fell by 48.4 %. For the effort-sharing sectors, Slovenia overachieved its 2020 target but must enhance efforts to meet its 2030 obligations. In July 2023, Slovenia sent its draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) to the European Commission, which assessed it, before submitting the final updated NECP in December 2024. In a 2023 survey, 41 % of Slovenians, compared with an EU average of 46 %, identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect business and industry (58 %) and/or the EU (43 %) to tackle climate change, while 22 % find it to be a personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Portugal’s climate action strategy – 27-03-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Portugal aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 (see trajectory in Figure 1). In 2023, Portugal accounted for 1.7 % of the EU’s net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and achieved net emissions reductions of 43.9 % from 2005 to 2023, above the EU average reduction of 30.5 % over the same period. During that period, the country achieved a reduction of 66.2 % in emissions covered by the EU emissions trading system (ETS). Portugal’s land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector has mostly performed as a carbon sink, except in 2017 on account of extensive forest fires. In May 2023, Portugal updated its national recovery and resilience plan and included a REPowerEU chapter. The plan dedicates 41.2 % of total funding to the climate transition. Portugal submitted a draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) in July 2023. The European Commission assessed it and made recommendations for the final updated NECP, which was submitted on 10 December 2024. The results from a 2023 Eurobarometer survey showed that 43 % of Portuguese, against an EU average of 46 %, find climate change to be one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect the EU (52 %), national governments (47 %) and business and industry (41 %) to tackle climate change. Only 28 % find it to be a personal responsibility.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on energy-intensive industries – B10-0209/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Giorgio Gori, Wouter Beke, Brigitte van den Berg, Benedetta Scuderi
    on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

    B10‑0209/2025

    European Parliament resolution on energy-intensive industries

    (2025/2536(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the report of September 2024 by Mario Draghi entitled ‘On the future of European competitiveness’,

    – having regard to the report of April 2024 by Enrico Letta entitled ‘Much more than a market’,

    – having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 entitled ‘The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation’ (COM(2025)0085),

    – having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 entitled ‘Action Plan for Affordable Energy’ (COM(2025)0079),

    – having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy,

    A. whereas energy-intensive industries (EIIs) account for a significant share of the EU’s economy and play a key role in job creation, especially in areas and regions where they are concentrated; whereas EIIs are crucial for the EU’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness, as well as for decarbonisation, taking into account their energy footprint;

    B. whereas the transition to a decarbonised economy and a clean energy system must lead to reducing energy prices and must take into account all available technologies that contribute to reaching the EU’s net zero goal for 2050 in the most cost-efficient way, avoiding lock-in effects and taking into account the different energy mix across Member States, including with regard to renewables and nuclear;

    C. whereas electrification is at the centre of the decarbonisation of EIIs; whereas EIIs include sectors that use fossil resources to meet temperature, pressure or reaction requirements, such as chemicals, steel, paper, plastics, mining, refineries, cement, lime, non-ferrous metals, glass, ceramics and fertilisers, for which greenhouse gas emissions are hard to reduce because they are intrinsic to the process or because of high capital or operating expenditure costs or low technological maturity;

    D. whereas the energy price gap between the EU and the US and China undermines the competitiveness of the EU’s industries; whereas elevated and volatile fossil fuel prices heavily affect electricity prices and the affordable cost of renewable energy sources is not transferred to energy bills;

    E. whereas an insufficiently integrated energy union poses further challenges to EIIs, in particular in relation to the lack of cross-border interconnections and the limited availability of clean energy, owing to lengthy permitting procedures or high capital or operating expenditures, as well as grid congestion;

    F. whereas the emissions trading system (ETS) provided long-term investment signals and helped bring down the emissions of ETS sectors by 47 %; whereas the energy market has profoundly changed since the introduction of the ETS, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the shift from pipeline gas to liquid natural gas (LNG); whereas a lack of carbon market transparency risks hampering EIIs’ competitiveness; whereas ETS revenues are used unevenly across Member States, failing to adequately support EIIs’ decarbonisation;

    G. whereas unnecessary regulatory burdens and lengthy permitting procedures undermine the business case for investing in decarbonisation in Europe; whereas the concept of overriding public interest is provided for in EU legislation; whereas complex and fragmented EU funding impedes timely investment in net-zero technologies and digitalisation, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);

    H. whereas the lack of necessary private investment risks hindering EIIs’ decarbonisation; whereas relying excessively on State aid can have the unwanted consequences of exacerbating disparities and distorting competition across the EU;

    I. whereas the EU’s dependencies and limited access, both in quantity and quality, to primary and secondary raw materials pose significant challenges to EIIs; whereas circularity and efficiency can help reduce the annual investment needs in industry and in energy supply; whereas currently, ferrous metals exported to non-EU countries account for more than half of all EU waste exports, raising concerns about their sound treatment;

    J. whereas unfair competition from non-EU countries, including subsidised overcapacity, poses a great challenge to EU companies; whereas many regions around the world do not currently have ambitious decarbonisation targets, thus increasing the risk of carbon leakage;

    K. whereas a profound transformation of EIIs cannot succeed without the involvement of local and regional communities, workers and social partners, which are heavily affected by the transition;

    1. Reiterates its commitment to the EU’s decarbonisation objectives and to stable and predictable climate and industrial policies;

    2. Calls on the Member States to accelerate permitting and licensing processes for clean energy projects, ensuring administrative capacity, and to facilitate grid connections to enable clean, on-site energy generation, especially in remote areas; stresses that the growth of renewables and electrification will require massive investment in grids and in flexibility, storage and distribution networks; calls on the Commission to develop, beyond the concept of overriding public interest, solutions for speeding up decarbonisation projects;

    3. Believes that further action is needed to implement the electricity market design (EMD) rules, especially to promote power purchase agreements (PPAs) and two-way contracts for difference (CfDs) to reduce volatility and energy costs for EIIs; calls on the Commission to propose urgent measures to address current barriers to the signing of long-term agreements, especially for SMEs, using risk reduction instruments and guarantees, including public guarantee such as by the European Investment Bank (EIB); suggests that additional ways to decouple fossil fuel prices from electricity prices be explored, in the framework of the EMD, including with the aim of boosting long-term contracts in line with the affordable energy action plan, and by advancing the analysis of short-term markets to 2025;

    4. Calls on the Commission to assess the possibility of scaling up best practice for EIIs from Member States, such as Italy’s energy release; calls on the Commission to develop recommendations for reducing the exposure of consumers, and especially EIIs, to rising energy costs, such as by reducing taxes and levies and harmonising network charges, while ensuring public investment in grids;

    5. Calls for the enhancement of energy system integration, in particular in relation to cross-border interconnections, to ensure clean and resilient energy supply; asks for increased investment in flexibility, such as storage, including pumped storage hydropower and heat and waste heat storage, and demand response, to optimise grid stability; recalls the importance of energy efficiency in bringing costs down;

    6. Underlines the need to phase out natural gas as soon as possible; stresses that some sectors cannot rely substantially on electrification in the short to medium term; calls on the Member States – over the same time span and for these limited sectors – to develop measures to address gas price spikes in duly justified cases; calls on the Commission to develop tools to ensure gas supply at a mitigated cost, by enabling demand aggregation, building on AggregateEU, and joint gas purchasing, while keeping decarbonisation objectives; highlights the importance of encouraging stable contracts with gas suppliers, diversifying supply routes and improving market transparency and stability, in line with current legislation; calls for an impact assessment in the upcoming ETS review to analyse the relationship between the gas market and CO2 prices and the role of the market stability reserve and its parameters;

    7. Calls on the Commission to support EIIs in adopting clean and net-zero technologies, including hydrogen, and energy-efficient production methods by strengthening funding mechanisms and ensuring that ETS revenue is used effectively by Member States; calls for EU-level support to be complemented by State aid that allows for targeted support to EIIs, while preserving a level playing field within the single market;

    8. Calls for InvestEU to be topped up before the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) and for leftover Resilience and Recovery Facility loans to support investment in EII decarbonisation; notes that the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform already allows for flexibility within current programmes but that this is insufficient; insists that the upcoming MFF increase funding to support EIIs, building on the Innovation Fund and the Connecting Europe Facility – Energy or through the competitiveness fund; stresses that the European Hydrogen Bank and the carbon contracts for difference programme need to be scaled up; calls on the Commission to build on the Net-Zero Industry Act[1] in the upcoming decarbonisation accelerator act, to streamline the processes for granting permits and strategic project status;

    9. Stresses the need to simplify bureaucratic procedures to enhance the attractiveness of private investment and support EIIs’ transition; believes that both InvestEU and the EIB are pivotal in catalysing private financing, especially through de-risking measures;

    10. Emphasises the need to secure access to critical raw materials; stresses that the upcoming circular economy act should improve resource efficiency, including through better waste management of products containing critical raw materials, as well as fostering the demand and availability of secondary raw materials; stresses the need to define those secondary raw materials that are strategic and that should be subject to export monitoring, such as steel and metal scrap, and to tackle any imbalance in their supply and demand, including by exploring export restrictions; insists on the effective enforcement of the Waste Shipment Regulation[2];

    11. Calls on the Commission to make full and efficient use of trade defence instruments; calls on the Commission to find a permanent solution to address unfair competition and structural overcapacity, before the expiry of current steel safeguard measures in 2026; calls on the Commission to engage with the US in relation to the announced tariffs on EU imports and avoid any harmful escalation;

    12. Stresses that an effective implementation of the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) is essential to ensure a level playing field for EU industries and prevent carbon leakage, taking into account the impact of the parallel phasing out of the ETS free allowances and the risk of increased production costs; calls on the Commission to address the risks of resource shuffling and circumvention of the CBAM; asks, furthermore, for the implementation of an effective solution for EU exporters and an analysis of the possible extension to further sectors and downstream products, preceded by an impact assessment;

    13. Calls for the creation of lead markets for clean and circular European products, via non-price criteria in EU public procurement, such as sustainability and resilience and a European preference for strategic sectors, as well as by creating voluntary labelling schemes and minimum EU content requirements in a cost-effective way;

    14. Highlights the importance of a just transition to assist areas heavily reliant on EIIs, by keeping and creating quality jobs through upskilling and reskilling programmes for workers and through the effective use of regional support mechanisms, such as the Just Transition Fund and the Cohesion Fund; stresses that public support will be pivotal for the transition of EIIs and that this support should be tied to their commitment to safeguarding employment and working conditions and preventing off-shoring; welcomes the Union of Skills initiative to ensure a good match between skills and labour market demands;

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

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – EMPL ICM on “Affordable Housing for All” – Wednesday, 9 April 2025, 14:30-17:30 – Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) will host an Interparliamentary Committee Meeting (ICM) titled “Affordable Housing for All – Policy Approaches and Best Practice Cases in the Member States.” The event will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels (Antall 6Q2) on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, from 14:30 to 17:30.

    Organised in cooperation with the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis (HOUS), the meeting will address the escalating housing crisis across Europe and explore policy solutions at both the EU and Member State levels. Discussions will focus on the social and economic impacts of rising housing costs, mass tourism, and short-term rentals, which have limited access to affordable housing and affected employment and social welfare. The event will bring together representatives from the European Parliament, national parliaments, EU institutions, and key NGOs to assess these challenges and align efforts with the European Affordable Housing Plan. Participants will also exchange successful strategies and best practices to identify effective, adaptable housing policies across the EU.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Organic Regulation’s run provisions – E-001177/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001177/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Lena Düpont (PPE), Christine Schneider (PPE), Marion Walsmann (PPE), Stefan Köhler (PPE), Norbert Lins (PPE)

    The grazing provisions in Regulation (EU) 2018/848 (Organic Regulation) are increasingly being interpreted by the Commission as obligations, creating even bigger problems, especially for poultry farms. Mandatory access to open-air areas is not feasible everywhere, nor is it useful or necessary for young chicks in particular.

    • 1.Does the Commission still support the objective of increasing the share of organic farms?
    • 2.Does it recognise this issue and should flexible alternatives such as poultry houses be accepted in future to prevent a decline in the number of organic farms?

    Submitted: 19.3.2025

    Last updated: 27 March 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Introduces Pershing County Lands Bill to Support Economic Development, Increase Conservation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act to expand protections for and improve the management of public lands in the County, and create new conservation and recreation opportunities, while ensuring the revenue from land sales stay in Pershing County. 
    This bill was drafted in collaboration with local officials and stakeholders in order to support long-term economic growth for Pershing County’s rural communities, while also prioritizing the protection and effective management of our public lands. The bill will also transfer land into trust for the Lovelock Paiute Tribe to support the expansion of their Tribal cemetery. This legislation has the support of county commissioners, ranchers, recreationists, conservationists, and private landowners.
    “As Nevada continues to grow, we need to make sure that federal lands are being used in a way that fits the needs of our growing communities,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m working to support responsible economic development while also prioritizing the conservation of public lands. This bill will help boost Pershing County’s local economy and critical industries like mining, while also protecting more than 130,000 acres of public lands. I’ll keep working to ensure that this bill passes in the new Congress and becomes law.”
    “The Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act is vital for the future of Pershing County and our citizens,” said Joe Crim Jr., Chairman of the Pershing County Commission. “Reconciling our checkerboard lands and protecting important Federal lands will ensure we have an ability to grow our economy in the future. We thank Senator Rosen for her support of this important legislation.”
    “Friends of Nevada Wilderness is very grateful for Senator Rosen’s support for reintroducing the Pershing County bill,” said Shaaron Netherton, Executive Director of Friends of Nevada Wilderness. “We have been active partners with stakeholders and local governments working to resolve public lands issues in Pershing County for a number of years. We are excited about the seven beautiful Wilderness areas and we are also excited for the opportunity to block up public and private lands to support appropriate development including green energy along with better conservation and management in the checkerboard area along the railroad and I-80 corridor.” 
    The Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act:

    Designates over 130,000 acres of public lands as wilderness.
    Resolves the checkerboard of alternating parcels of public and private land in Pershing County to allow for more effective land management, and creates new economic development and conservation opportunities.
    Allows specific mining lands to be sold to support the mining industry in Pershing County, a key economic driver in the community, and funds new conservation and restoration activities.
    Requires revenue from the land sales to stay in Pershing County to obtain, conserve, and protect environmentally sensitive areas and support outdoor recreation.
    Transfers land into trust for the Lovelock Paiute Tribe to expand their Tribal cemetery.

    Senator Rosen has been a champion for Nevada’s public lands. Earlier this year, she reintroduced the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act to expand economic development and affordable housing opportunities in Washoe County, support local Tribal communities, increase conservation, and protect public lands and outdoor recreation. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Rosen helped pass the modernization plan for the Fallon Range Training Complex at Naval Air Station Fallon, which was signed into law at the end of 2022. This compromise included Senator Rosen’s Lander County Land Management and Conservation Act, which transferred land to Lander County to improve airports, allow greater access to water infrastructure, increase recreation and outdoor tourism opportunities, and support economic development, while also designating over 14,000 acres of new wilderness.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer, Colleagues Request Removal of Burdensome Biden-Era Regulations on Broadband Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chair of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, joined Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick ahead of his review of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

    In their letter, the Senators request that Secretary Lutnick improve implementation of the BEAD program, which is aimed at expanding Internet access to Americans in rural areas and other unserved communities, by removing burdensome Biden-era regulations.

    “As you may be aware, Republican senators have previously raised concerns with the Biden administration’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and its implementation of the BEAD program,” the Senators wrote. “Specifically, NTIA ignored congressional direction and acted inconsistently with its statutory authority in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), filling the program with onerous regulations that prevented the quick, efficient deployment of broadband and resulted in not a single household being connected to the internet.”

    “Under your leadership, the BEAD program can finally fulfill its long overdue mission and ensure taxpayer dollars are not spent funding extraneous, burdensome regulations,” the Senators continued. “Eliminating these obstacles will empower states to work closely with broadband providers and accelerate deployment, maximize resources, and reach truly unserved and underserved communities without any more delay caused by unnecessary government interference.”

    The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).

    Read the full letter 

    here or below:

    Dear Secretary Lutnick:

    We write to thank you for committing to a rigorous review of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.  As you may be aware, Republican senators have previously raised concerns with the Biden administration’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and its implementation of the BEAD program.  Specifically, NTIA ignored congressional direction and acted inconsistently with its statutory authority in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), filling the program with onerous regulations that prevented the quick, efficient deployment of broadband and resulted in not a single household being connected to the internet.  Therefore, we urge you to remove the Biden-era extraneous regulations as you review the BEAD program to ensure the responsible and effective use of taxpayer dollars. 

    In particular, we encourage you to remove the BEAD program’s restrictive labor requirements that disadvantage rural communities, provisions favoring government-owned networks over private investment, and guidelines that prioritize certain technologies over others and clearly contradict congressional pursuit of tech-neutrality. 

    Furthermore, despite the IIJA’s explicit prohibition on broadband rate regulation, NTIA exceeded its statutory authority and attempted to enact rate regulations anyway.  The inclusion of climate change mandates further diverted funds and focus away from the program’s primary objective of ensuring broadband access for unserved and underserved communities.  These unnecessary bureaucratic barriers slow deployment, increase costs, and ultimately run contrary to the very purpose of the program and should also be removed.  Even the former Director of the BEAD program recently admitted that many of these woke requirements were “inserted by the prior administration for messaging/political purposes” and “never central to the mission of the program.”

    Under your leadership, the BEAD program can finally fulfill its long overdue mission and ensure taxpayer dollars are not spent funding extraneous, burdensome regulations.  Eliminating these obstacles will empower states to work closely with broadband providers and accelerate deployment, maximize resources, and reach truly unserved and underserved communities without any more delay caused by unnecessary government interference.

    Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.  We appreciate your leadership in reviewing and addressing these concerns, and we look forward to working with you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin appointed Irina Tarasova as CEO of the Russian Ecological Operator

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Documents

    Order of March 26, 2025 No. 720-r

    Order of March 26, 2025 No. 721-r

    Order dated March 26, 2025 No. 722-r

    Irina Tarasova has been appointed the new CEO of the public-law company for the formation of a comprehensive system for handling municipal solid waste, the Russian Ecological Operator. The order to this effect was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    Previously, Irina Tarasova held the position of Director of the Administrative Department of the Ministry of Agriculture.

    Irina Tarasova was born in Dnepropetrovsk. She graduated from the Moscow Banking Institute and the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

    Worked in the field of financial accounting. Since 2018, she has worked in various positions in the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia.

    Denis Butsaev, who previously held the position of General Director of the Russian Ecological Operator, has been appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial News: Most Households Increased Real Income in 2022–2024: Bank of Russia Survey

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    Real incomes increased for 65% of Russian households in 2022–2024, shows the sixth round of the All-Russian survey conducted by the Bank of Russia last year. At the same time, the share of those who are confident in the stability of their financial situation has increased.

    At the same time, there was an increase in spending, as well as an increase in the number of households with savings. Financial assets increased most significantly among respondents with an average income level.

    The number of households with debt has not changed significantly. However, the average debt size increased in 2024 compared to 2022, including due to the increase in the share of respondents with large loans. Households whose incomes increased significantly in 2024 applied for new mortgages more often.

    Read more in the survey materials.

    Preview photo: Yuganov Konstantin / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //vv. KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 23495

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Roya Rismankar Appointed IAM Canadian Research Analyst

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM International President Brian Bryant has appointed Roya Rismankar as a Research Analyst in the Canadian Territory, effective March 10, 2025.

    Rismankar will play a crucial role in providing members with accurate and timely information to support their success. 

    “With her experience and dedication, we are confident that Roya will make meaningful contributions to our research efforts and help set strategies to advance our goals,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President David Chartrand.

    Rismankar graduated in 2021 and has gained four years of research experience, specializing in public policy. She has worked with the Government of Canada on an ongoing qualitative research project for the Privy Council Office, advising the Prime Minister on key issues such as housing, government benefits, and cost of living. 

    “As a Research Analyst, it is a foundational component of my role to provide our fellow members with timely and accurate information to set them up for success,” said Rismankar. “The collective IAM Union will continue to set the standards for workers’ rights at all stages, from employment wages and benefits to retirement and pensions. I am elated to start my journey with the IAM and contribute toward a meaningful cause to amplify workers’ voices all across Canada.”

    In addition to her professional work, Rismankar is actively involved in several humanitarian organizations, volunteering her time to support various causes.

    Share and Follow:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio holds a joint press availability with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio and Guyanese Foreign Minister Hugh Todd sign a security cooperation memorandum of understanding, followed by Secretary Rubio’s press availability with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Georgetown, Guyana, on March 27, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Government meeting (2025, No. 10)

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    1. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Assistance to the Development and Improvement of Management Efficiency in the Housing Sphere and on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” and Article 2 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation”

    The bill is aimed at creating a single register of citizens entitled to receive state and municipal support for the purpose of improving their housing conditions.

    2. On amendments to the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 18, 2013 No. 1038 (in terms of amendments to the Regulation on the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation)

    The draft resolution proposes to grant the Russian Ministry of Construction the authority to adopt, among other things, standard additional professional programs in the field of construction and housing and public utilities.

    3. On amending the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 16, 2009 No. 228 (in terms of amending the Regulation on the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media)

    The draft act provides for amendments to include in the scope of Roskomnadzor’s powers the area related to counteracting the financing of extremist activities.

    4. On Amendments to Certain Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation (in terms of amendments to the Regulation on the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media)

    The draft act is aimed at bringing the Regulation on the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media and the Regulation on the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation into line with the provisions of Federal Law No. 158-FZ of June 22, 2024 “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Information, Information Technology and Information Protection” and Articles 11 and 15 of the Federal Law “On the Activities of Foreign Persons in the Information and Telecommunications Network “Internet” on the Territory of the Russian Federation”.

    5. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”

    The bill is aimed at introducing changes to the legislation of the Russian Federation that will allow widows (widowers) of participants in a special military operation to continue to use vehicles owned by their spouses during the period before the inheritance is accepted.

    6. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Limited Liability Companies””

    The adoption of the bill will facilitate the expansion of the principle of discretion for participants in entrepreneurial activity, and will also allow for the optimization of the economic activity of companies in terms of determining the actual value of a participant’s share in the company, bypassing possible legal proceedings.

    7. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Combating the Legalization (Laundering) of Criminally Obtained Incomes and the Financing of Terrorism” and the Federal Law “On Special Economic Measures and Coercive Measures”

    The bill is aimed at improving the system of freezing (blocking) funds or other property as one of the elements of the state system of countering terrorism and the application of special economic measures.

    8. On amendments to the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 19, 2012 No. 610 (in terms of amendments to the Regulation on the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation)

    The draft act is aimed at bringing the situation into line with current legislation.

    9. On amending the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 11, 2015 No. 1219 (in terms of amending the Regulation on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation)

    The draft act is aimed at granting the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia the authority to approve risk indicators for violation of mandatory requirements applied by Rosprirodnadzor in the implementation of federal state land control (supervision).

    10. On amending the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 7, 2016 No. 1140 (in terms of suspending the effect of certain clauses of the Regulation on the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and the Regulation on the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance)

    The draft act is aimed at bringing the Rules for the creation, development and operation of the Federal State Information System in the field of veterinary medicine into line with the Federal Law of December 26, 2024 No. 496-FZ “On Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation “On Veterinary Medicine” and Article 2 of the Federal Law “On Amendments to Article 14 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On Veterinary Medicine””, as well as suspending the effect of certain provisions of Government acts.

    Moscow, March 26, 2025

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The International Arctic Forum 2025 has started in Murmansk

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The VI International Arctic Forum opened yesterday in Murmansk. It is being held on March 26–27 under the motto “Live in the North!” The IAF is a key platform for discussing current issues of the socio-economic development of Arctic territories, developing multi-level multilateral mechanisms for joint disclosure and effective development of the powerful resource potential of the Arctic region. The forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian Government.

    “The interest of the world community in the Arctic is growing every year. Along with the Arctic countries, an increasing number of countries that do not have direct access to the Arctic Ocean are seeking to be present in the region and participate in its development. On the one hand, this opens up broad opportunities for international economic, environmental, and scientific cooperation, but on the other hand, it requires greater regulation and a more attentive attitude to the fragile Arctic ecosystem. Today, the main international platform for cooperation on sustainable development of the region – the Arctic Council – has effectively suspended its work. This means that we need to look for new formats of interaction. The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue Forum may become one of them. This year, the forum’s motto is “Live in the North!” Key topics for discussion: the Northern Sea Route strategy and the formation of new logistics chains, preserving unique nature, supporting tourism, attracting new personnel, and improving state support for investment projects in the Arctic. The forum should help us find new solutions for the sustainable development of the Arctic and expand cooperation with partner countries,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.

    The business program of the MAF-2025 includes about 20 sessions. They are divided into four thematic blocks: “The Arctic and the NSR: how to win in the competitive struggle of world routes”, “The Arctic and the NSR: a pole for attracting investments”, “The Arctic and the NSR: development of key settlements”, “International cooperation and ecology”.

    “The International Arctic Forum is a landmark event, the holding of which corresponds to Russia’s strategic goals in the exploration and development of the Far North. The forum’s events are aimed at discussing current challenges, including the development of the Northern Sea Route, the introduction of innovative technologies, improving the quality of life in the Arctic regions, environmental issues and the preservation of the culture of indigenous peoples. Discussions within the framework of the IAF program will contribute to the development of coordinated decisions on these and other key issues of the region. I am confident that the event will make a significant contribution to ensuring Russia’s long-term interests in the Arctic,” emphasized Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of Russia and Executive Secretary of the IAF Organizing Committee.

    Representatives of federal and regional authorities, the business community, scientists and experts will discuss the prospects of the Northern Sea Route as a logistics corridor of global significance, business development in the Far North taking into account the environmental agenda and the interests of the indigenous peoples of the North, development of the territory’s resource base, Arctic tourism and other issues.

    The key sessions include “The Enchanting North: Prospects for Tourism Beyond the Arctic Circle” (March 26, 10:00), “The NSR: Five Centuries of History” (March 26, 12:00), “The Long-Term Development Model of the NSR” (March 26, 16:00), and “The Economy of Future Generations: Developing the Resource Base” (March 27, 10:00). The central event of the forum will be the plenary session, which will take place on March 27. Broadcasts of the business program are available onofficial website.

    The sports program will include a ceremonial event dedicated to the 90th Festival of the North. Under the auspices of the MAF, the 51st ski marathon will start on March 29. In addition, during the forum, participants will be able to get acquainted with national northern sports, as well as go alpine skiing and snowboarding.

    The cultural program included the launch of the Taste of the Arctic gastronomic festival, where a joint team of restaurateurs and chefs from the subjects of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation presented a menu of regional cuisine. The Sami village was opened, where one can get acquainted with the life of the indigenous peoples of the North. Film screenings, exhibitions, and excursions were also organized for the forum participants. In particular, they will be able to visit the icebreaker Lenin.

    The MAF hosts creative meetings with participants of the project “Soul of Russia. Arctic”. The films “North Pole” and “Village of Widows” are shown. They tell about the inseparable connection between the past and the present, about the exploits of Russian people, immortalized in stories about unity, fortitude and love for the Fatherland.

    The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of national and international congress, exhibition, business, public, youth, sporting and cultural events, created in accordance with the decision of the President of Russia.

    The Foundation was established in 2007 to promote the development of economic potential, advance national interests and strengthen Russia’s image. The Foundation comprehensively studies, analyses, formulates and covers issues on the Russian and global economic agenda. It provides administration and facilitates the promotion of business projects and the attraction of investments, and promotes the development of social entrepreneurship and charitable projects.

    The Foundation’s events bring together participants from 209 countries and territories, more than 15,000 media representatives work annually at Roscongress venues, and more than 5,000 experts in Russia and abroad are involved in analytical and expert work.

    The Foundation interacts with UN structures and other international organizations. It develops multi-format cooperation with 212 foreign economic partners, associations of industrialists and entrepreneurs, financial, trade and business associations in 86 countries of the world, with 293 Russian public organizations, federal and regional executive and legislative bodies of the Russian Federation.

    Official telegram channels of the Roscongress Foundation: in Russian – T.Ta/Roscongress, in English – T.Ta/Roscongress, in Spanish – T.Ta/RoscongressP, in Arabic – T.Ta/Roscongressarabik. Official website and information and analytical system of the Roscongress Foundation: Roscongress.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –