Question for written answer E-000787/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Michalis Hadjipantela (PPE)
Tsunamis – characterised by sudden, powerful waves caused by undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides – pose significant threats to coastal regions.
Climate change, contributing to rising sea levels that may intensify seismic activity, could increase the frequency and severity of tsunamis. This growing threat poses significant risks to the EU’s islands and coastal regions, where dense populations and critical infrastructure are concentrated.
Recent events in the Aegean Sea, in particular near the island of Santorini, have caused concern among Europeans living on islands and in coastal areas about the possibility of tsunamis affecting EU territory.
Given the foregoing:
1.Have evaluations been made regarding the potential increase in tsunami occurrences and their severity in EU coastal regions due to climate change?
2.How does the Commission facilitate collaboration between Member States to enhance tsunami preparedness, early detection and early warning systems?
3.What strategies and protocols are currently in place to ensure the readiness of Member States, in particular Cyprus, for dealing with potential tsunamis, particularly as regards public education and emergency response plans?
Our circadian rhythm – that internal biological clock – requires our internal body temperature to drop at night for quality sleep. The ideal room temperature for sleep is 15°C to 19°C.
Rising outdoor temperatures make this body temperature increasingly difficult to maintain, especially for those without air conditioning. Paradoxically, widespread air conditioning use further contributes to climate change by using fossil-energy, which creates emissions.**
Research shows the impact on our sleep is already measurable. Our 2023 study of 375 Australian adults found people lost 12 minutes per night on the hottest nights compared with the coldest (31°C vs 0.4°C overnight temperatures across the year).
Globally, scientists predict we could lose 50–58 hours of sleep annually per person by the end of the century if warming continues unchecked. This is one way climate change will make geographic inequalities worse.
Rising temperatures make it increasingly difficult to maintain your body’s circadian rhythm, especially for those without air conditioning. Antoniodiaz
2. Climate change is worsening air pollution
Hot and dry conditions typically tend to make air pollution worse. As climate change increases the number of hot days and frequency of heatwaves, the rate of wildfires will increase. This adds another source of air pollution, increasing emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and airborne particles.
Air pollution is linked with poorer health, increased risk of chronic illness and early death.
Air pollution also impacts our sleep through breathing issues, inflammation and potentially disrupting our nervous system’s ability to regulate sleep.
With these extreme events comes widespread upheaval in affected communities. From mass population displacement to loss of shelter, security and essential resources, sleep is likely way down the list of priorities when dealing with natural disasters.
However, sleep disturbances are common after these extreme events. A review of global research on wildfire survivors found two-thirds experienced insomnia and more than a third reported nightmares. These effects persisted up to 10 months after the disaster.
Two-thirds of wildfire survivors experienced insomnia and over a third reported nightmares. Toa55/Shutterstock
Research confirms these climate concerns are linked with sleep disturbances including difficulty falling asleep, insomnia and wakefulness. They occur across the age spectrum, affecting both younger and older adults.
If climate-related concerns or ongoing poor sleep are significantly impacting your life consider consulting a doctor or psychologist.
Tips for getting a good night sleep during hot nights
Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. They cost nothing or very little and require just a small bit of pre-bedtime planning.
· sleep in the coolest room in the house (this may not be the bedroom)
· keep curtains closed during the day to limit heating from sunlight
· put on a fan – air flow can lower your perception of the temperature (by helping sweat evaporate faster) without actually cooling your room
· select light, breathable bedding (natural fibres work best)
· if outside temperatures drop at night, open the windows to encourage air circulation.
For your body:
· take a cool shower before bed to help lower body temperature
· timing your exercise is important: aim to exercise early in the day
· wear light natural-fibre clothing
· keep a damp towel or spray bottle by your bed to dampen your skin
· stay hydrated but avoid heavy meals before sleeping.
As we adapt to a changing climate, getting a good night’s sleep should be a top priority for our health.
With some practical adjustments to our environments and habits, we can adapt to these changes while advocating for the broader climate solutions that will ultimately help us all rest easier.
Ty Ferguson receives funding from the Medical Research Future Fund and the National Health and Medical Research Council
Carol Maher receives funding from the Medical Research Future Fund, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Heart Foundation, the SA Department for Education, Preventive Health SA, the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation, the South Australian Office for Sport, Recreation and Racing, Healthway, Hunter New England Local Health District, and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network.
Headline: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 arrives on July 11 with new skaters, parks, music and more
Multiple new skaters are joining the original line-up, and you’ll also be able to create your own skater, not only customizing their appearance, but their hometown, skating style, and more. And of course, no Tony Hawk game would be complete without music, and you’ll be skating along to tracks from the original soundtrack, as well as new tracks.
THPS 3+4 builds on the work started by Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, bringing the easy-to-learn, hard-to-master controls and handling you’d expect – and for those taking on the series for the first time, an in-depth tutorial from Tony Hawk himself will walk you through exactly how to play.
Welcome to Waterpark
You may have caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar location in today’s reveal trailer – this is Waterpark, a new level added to THPS 3+4. Introduced as part of the revamped THPS 4 Tour, this is a broken-down, dried-out park in the heart of the Mojave desert – perfect for budding skaters.
The rides might not be functional any more, but they’re more than open for finding lines and trick opportunities. Six rides are open for you to try and trick off of – Down the Drain, Peak Cyclone, Twisted Vipers and more offer challenging trips down to ground level. Just skate to the entrance of each one, and you’ll be transported to the top to try your luck.
If you’re looking for something a little more chill, take a trip down the Lazy River, which snakes around the entire map, head to the Marquee for a ramp-filled area perfect for combos, or find a way to open up the Castle Slide for even more opportunities to earn points.
Pre-Order Now for Early Access and More
Pre-orders for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 open today, and will give you access to the Foundry Demo (not available on Nintendo Switch). Kicking off in June, this demo will include two skaters and two parks to try out – and your pre-order will also net you an extra in-game shader for Tony Hawk at full game launch.
Pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition will give you three days of Early Access to the full game – as well as some far more unexpected bonuses. Play as both the Doom Slayer (with two outfits, two unique tricks, and a hoverboard) or a Revenant (with its own two unique tricks), not to mention themed skate decks, Create-a-Skater items and bonus soundtracks.
And if you want to go all-out, the Collector’s Edition of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will come complete with a limited-edition, full-size Birdhouse skateboard deck (deck-only, other skateboard components not included) featuring a reissued version of the iconic Wings graphic and a printed Tony Hawk autograph. The Collector’s Edition includes a physical copy of the game, and all the Digital Deluxe Edition benefits.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 launches on July 11. Pre-orders open today. Learn more ontonyhawkthegame.com.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 – Digital Deluxe Edition
Headline: Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina Shares Recovery Progress, Launches Public Dashboard
Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina Shares Recovery Progress, Launches Public Dashboard lsaito
Raleigh, NC
Today, the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) shared progress on Helene recovery and launched a public dashboard at WNCRecovery.nc.gov. The newly released website features updates, resources, and information detailing progress of Helene recovery efforts, including rebuilding safe housing, restoring infrastructure, and revitalizing the economy.
“My commitment to the people of North Carolina is this: I will bring urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability to everything my administration does as we work to rebuild,” said Governor Josh Stein. “This new resource will allow us to provide regular updates on our progress along with information and resources for our neighbors in western North Carolina.”
Since January, GROW NC has worked across state agencies and with local, state, federal, and nonprofit partners to accelerate recovery in western North Carolina. Much more is left to be done but below is an overview of recovery progress.
Temporary housing programs are serving 5,720 households, ensuring they have safe, warm shelter.
4,753,466 cubic yards of right-of-way debris has been removed from WNC roadways.
84% of impacted public roads in western North Carolina are fully reopened. Nearly 1,300 roads have been reopened since the beginning of the storm.
Interstate 40 reopened to traffic on Saturday, March 1st for the first time since Hurricane Helene swelled the Pigeon River and scoured large swaths of eastbound lanes last September. The N.C. Department of Transportation and contract crews have stabilized the remaining westbound lanes and prepared them to provide one lane of traffic in each direction.
The WNC Small Business Initiative has funded 989 loans for small business owners impacted by Helene to bolster economic recovery. The program is expected to award more than 600 additional grants to small business owners across western North Carolina in the coming weeks.
Half of all state parks and cultural sites impacted by the storm have fully reopened, and all but three are open for visitors in some capacity.
“There is still so much work to do to help western North Carolina recover,” said Matt Calabria, Director of GROW NC. “Our team is committed to working quickly to ensure a robust recovery for the region, while providing complete transparency along the way.”
Governor Stein continues to advocate for additional resources from the state and federal government to support recovery efforts. In February, Governor Stein requested an additional $19 billion in federal funds to support home rebuilding, restore critical infrastructure, keep businesses open, shore up local governments, and reduce impacts from future natural disasters. He continues to work with the legislature to secure state funding to address immediate needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, following his request for $1.07 billion.
Headline: Governor Stein Issues Preparedness Tips Ahead of Potential Severe Weather Across the State Wednesday
Governor Stein Issues Preparedness Tips Ahead of Potential Severe Weather Across the State Wednesday lsaito
Raleigh, NC
Governor Stein and emergency officials are urging all North Carolinians to prepare for the possibility of severe weather on Wednesday as well as the continued high fire danger conditions today statewide. Tomorrow, the state faces the potential of severe storms, strong winds, potential flooding, and isolated tornadoes. North Carolinians should prepare today to be ready for what may come through tomorrow.
“As our state from the mountains to the coast faces a severe storm, strong winds, and potential flooding late tonight and all day tomorrow, we urge all North Carolinians to stay tuned to their local weather forecast and stay safe,” said Governor Josh Stein. “If a severe weather warning for isolated tornadoes is issued for your area, please have a plan to take immediate cover.”
A Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5) for severe storms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and locally heavy rainfall has been introduced to portions of the mountains overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday, a line of storms ahead of a strong cold front will move into western North Carolina before sunrise and continue moving eastward while strengthening, reaching western portions of central North Carolina by late Wednesday morning. The line of storms will reach eastern North Carolina by early afternoon eventually moving offshore by Wednesday evening. This line of storms has the potential for wind gusts in excess of 70 mph. The current forecast places much of central and eastern North Carolina at a level 3 of 5 (enhanced risk) for severe weather on Wednesday. In the enhanced risk area, there is the potential for a few isolated tornadoes. Risk levels vary across the state; North Carolinians should pay attention to local forecasts and make plans that are appropriate for the risk level in their area.
Ahead of tomorrow’s severe weather, dry conditions, gusty winds, and low relative humidity will increase the threat for wildfires. Outdoor burning is discouraged today.
Preparedness Tips:
During periods of severe weather, it is important to go inside a sturdy structure and to the middle of the building, away from windows.
You should secure all outdoor items at your house that could become airborne in gusty winds.
Make sure your cell phone is charged and that you have enabled emergency alerts so you can be informed by local emergency management and by the National Weather Service.
Have a plan to take cover if a severe weather warning is issued for your area.
As a reminder, a watch is a reminder that weather conditions may support severe weather conditions. A warning means that hazardous weather conditions are expected and imminent.
Visit www.readync.gov for more information on how you and your family can be prepared.
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
March 04, 2025
Legislation would protect American jobs, keep energy security competitive against China, and support record investments in rural communities
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor, D-Fla., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., today introduced legislation to nullify Donald Trump’s day-one executive orders on energy. The Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act would reassert America’s clean energy leadership, keep energy costs for families as low as possible, and unfreeze critical Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to protect jobs and support rural economies.
“Since day-one, Trump has been laser focused on giving handouts to the oil and gas industry at the expense of American jobs,” Wyden said. “As the nation braces itself for more spin from Trump during tonight’s State of the Union, here are the facts: crippling clean energy production at home will only lead to clean energy manufacturing packing up and moving to China. Rural communities, which are the American epicenter of clean energy jobs and investments, will suffer the consequences of Trump’s ignorance. America needs a leading clean energy response to continue to be a dominant energy force against China.”
“President Trump’s reckless energy agenda will hike electric bills, raise costs for families, and give China the upper hand in advancing clean energy solutions,” Castor said. “By reversing progress in clean energy initiatives and thumbing his nose at allies, Trump is forcing American families to pay the price of unchecked climate change while other nations reap the economic benefits of innovation. Floridians know the costs of extreme weather and pollution firsthand, and we must stand firm against policies that harm our economy and environment. That’s why I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in introducing this important legislation, which will protect our significant progress in expanding cleaner, cheaper energy for American families.”
“Donald Trump’s Day One executive orders were nothing more than a massive giveaway to his Big Oil donors — gutting climate action and stalling clean energy investments while American families were left holding the bag,“ Tonko said. “Trump promised that his actions would lower energy costs for consumers, but instead, energy prices have only gone up. That’s why I’m joining Senator Wyden and Congresswoman Castor to introduce this legislation to repeal these reckless orders, restore American leadership on fighting the climate crisis, and put working families’ pocketbooks over oil industry profits.”
The Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act would nullify the “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, the executive order declaring a National Energy Emergency, the executive order behind the U.S. departure from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the executive order that pauses offshore wind leases in the Outer Continental Shelf.
Cosponsors in the Senate include Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Jack Reed, D-R.I.
Wyden is a longtime champion of keeping energy costs low for consumers while electrifying the grid. In 2019, Wyden and his colleagues introduced legislation to overhaul the federal energy tax code, create jobs and combat climate change. In 2022, Wyden’s Clean Energy For America Act was enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act – significantly lowering carbon emissions while reducing energy costs.
The text of the bill is here.
[. With increased wildfire activity in recent years, it is crucial that Alberta’s wildland firefighting teams and communities at risk are prepared for any challenge that may arise this season.
If Budget 2025 is passed, the province will invest a new historic high of $160 million in base funding for wildfire personnel, equipment, training and contracts for aircraft, an additional night vision equipped helicopter, and heavy equipment. This investment is vital to ensure Alberta’s wildland firefighting teams have the equipment, training, and personnel needed to respond to wildfire threats and mitigate the impacts of catastrophic wildfires on Alberta’s communities.
“There is nothing more critical than protecting Albertans, our homes and our communities from the effects of wildfires. Alberta is home to some of the best firefighting personnel in the world and through Budget 2025, we are making a major investment in our wildfire teams and communities, giving them the tools, training and support they need to prevent, mitigate and respond quickly to any challenge that may come up this wildfire season.”
“We thank our Alberta Wildfire team and first responders for their ongoing dedication to keeping people safe. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) aims to strengthen the province’s emergency preparedness and recovery efforts, collaborating with communities to enhance resilience and public safety. With a 2025-26 budget increase of $10 million for a total of $118 million, the AEMA will empower communities to turn challenges into opportunities for growth and safety.”
The Community Fireguard and FireSmart programs are critical to ensuring vulnerable communities in the Forest Protection Area have the tools needed to successfully mitigate the risks of wildfires. In addition to ongoing work on Fireguard projects across the province – including in the Bow Valley near Canmore, as well as Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Hinton, Whitecourt and Slave Lake, Budget 2025 would allocate an additional $15 million over three years to continue supporting projects being administered by the Forest Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA.)
Alberta’s government would also allocate $10.8 million to ensure Albertans can easily access FireSmart resources to better protect their homes and properties.
“FRIAA is pleased to help support Alberta Forestry and Parks as the province enters the 2025 wildfire season. We continue to strongly encourage all communities in Alberta that are exposed to risks of wildfire to participate in the Community Fireguard and FireSmart programs by developing plans and proposals to access funding. Wildfires pose a significant risk to Alberta’s communities, and it’s great to see the province is making wildfire management a priority.”
“Alberta’s wildfire team remains fully prepared and is ready for the 2025 wildfire season. Each year we improve our ability to meet the challenge ahead and the investments we make in people, resources and new technology prove critical in our response efforts.”
A key part of prevention efforts is stopping wildfires before they start. It is essential that every Albertan understands their role in wildfire prevention – every action counts in protecting our communities and natural resources. Last year, the province saw a significant decrease in human-caused wildfires. In 2024, there were 282 wildfires caused by residential and recreational fires, down from 385 in 2020, 395 in 2021, 399 in 2022, and 303 in 2023. This represents a nearly 30 per cent drop from the highest numbers Alberta saw in 2022. It is more important than ever to continue building on that progress to further reduce the risk of future wildfires. As part of these efforts, Alberta’s government is renewing its commitment to public awareness and education campaigns on safe practices, while also enforcing fire bans when necessary.
“Wildfire is the hazard which poses the greatest risk to communities like Canmore. We are more prepared than we have ever been with work on the Bow Valley Community Fireguard ongoing, years of FireSmart work in the community and ongoing efforts to ensure we have the emergency resources we need in place. The support from the Government of Alberta has been instrumental in helping us advance these initiatives.”
“As a community surrounded by forests, fire hazard reduction and protection is a priority for the ongoing safety and security of our community. With the ongoing support of the province, we are nearing completion of our internal community fireguard which will help break the path of a wildfire and keep it away from populated areas and vital infrastructure.”
In 2025, Alberta Wildfire is also launching a pilot project using hoist-equipped helicopters. These helicopters will enable rapid deployment of crews to remote, hard-to-reach areas and provide critical support for emergency evacuations if needed. One new helicopter is under contract and two specialized crews have been hired for this wildfire season. The results of this pilot will determine whether the program will be expanded and continue into 2026.
Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on supporting the economy.
Quick facts
Budget 2025 allocates more than $1.4 million over three years in additional capital investment to expand and enhance response capacity during the wildfire season.
Additional funding of $900,000 over three years for Alberta’s Fire Weather Network, ensures enhanced fire weather monitoring to support the wildfire response throughout the province.
About 51 per cent of wildfires in 2024 were caused by people, down from the five-year average of 67 per cent.
In 2024, Alberta Wildfire responded to more than 1,210 wildfires with just over 705,000 hectares burned.
In 2023, there were 1,080 wildfires and more than 2.2 million hectares burned.
So far in 2025, there have been 21 wildfires, and 78 hectares burned, a dramatic reduction from the same time last year where there were 34 wildfires, and 306 hectares already burned.
Related information
Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta
Bow Valley Community Fireguard
Related news
Protecting the Bow Valley from wildfires (Jan. 13, 2025)
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Grover D. Jordan, 57, of Charmco, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jordan in Fayetteville. Jordan admitted that he possessed three firearms discovered during the traffic stop: a Taurus model PT1911 .45-caliber pistol, an Armi Galesi model 9 6.35mm pistol, and a Beretta model 3032 Tom Cat .32-caliber pistol with a removed, altered or obliterated serial number.
Jordan also admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver discovered during an August 20, 2023 traffic stop by law enforcement of a motorcycle he was operating in Charmco. Jordan further admitted that he possessed a Dupont electric generator, which is explosive material under federal law, discovered during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jordan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of wanton endangerment in Raleigh County Circuit Court on March 15, 2019.
Jordan has a long criminal history that also includes numerous other convictions for such offenses as grand larceny, domestic battery, DUI, and possession of controlled substances.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Fayetteville Police Department, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Justin Marlowe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-29.
Greenbelt, Maryland – On Friday, February 28, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national, pled guilty to a federal charge for wire fraud conspiracy. Jemide, who was recently extradited from France, was involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.
Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General – Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.
“Mr. Jemide and his co-conspirators’ greed and utter disregard for the suffering of those who need national emergency assistance, by stealing from the government, will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Hayes. “The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to hold those accountable who try to defraud our government through fraud, waste, and abuse during times of crisis.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that individuals who defraud the federal government for their own personal gain will be identified and held accountable,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, PhD. “DHS-OIG is grateful for our continued partnership with our law enforcement partners as we continue fighting waste, fraud, and abuse.”
During the timeframe covered by the indictment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided emergency benefits and compensation for damages to victims affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Among other benefits, an individual in an area affected was immediately eligible for Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life-sustaining materials. Victims could decide how to receive assistance payments, which included deposits on prepaid debit cards.
According to the guilty plea, in 2016 and 2017, Jemide and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the United States to purchase hundreds of Green Dot Debit Cards. Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States. Jemide and his co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging application and other means to communicate.
In 2017, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires, Jemide, and other co-conspirators from Nigeria, used stolen personal information to apply online for FEMA and CNA benefits. FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot Debit Cards that co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.
“Bringing these criminals to justice prevents further victimization of American taxpayers and abuse of the programs put in place as safety nets for the most vulnerable in our country,” said SAC McCool. “This investigation underscores the Secret Service’s global reach and steadfast commitment, in collaboration with our partner agencies, to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and relentlessly pursue those committing them.”
In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, Jemide and co-conspirators also submitted false online claims for Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, and other government benefits using stolen identities of multiple individuals, including names, addresses, social security numbers, and other personal identifiers.
“Newton Ofioritse Jemide and his co-conspirators misused Social Security numbers to steal government funds via SSA’s online services. The misuse of SSA’s e-Services to defraud SSA and rightful beneficiaries and recipients will not be tolerated at any level,” said Acting SAC Lawlor. “Our office will continue to investigate those who abuse SSA programs and operations, including its e-Services, for their own selfish gain. I thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this complex case.”
As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot Debit Cards. The funds were deposited on the debit cards using multiple stolen identities, including identities different from the identities used to register the cards. Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission. Additionally, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by enlisting others to make purchases and withdrawals; utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal; and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.
Jemide faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow.
United States Attorney Hayes commended DHS-OIG, SSA-OIG, and USSS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Jemide to the United States. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.
Flowing clockwise around Antarctica, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest ocean current on the planet. It’s five times stronger than the Gulf Stream and more than 100 times stronger than the Amazon River.
It forms part of the global ocean “conveyor belt” connecting the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. The system regulates Earth’s climate and pumps water, heat and nutrients around the globe.
But fresh, cool water from melting Antarctic ice is diluting the salty water of the ocean, potentially disrupting the vital ocean current.
Our new research suggests the Antarctic Circumpolar Current will be 20% slower by 2050 as the world warms, with far-reaching consequences for life on Earth.
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is like a moat around the icy continent.
The current helps to keep warm water at bay, protecting vulnerable ice sheets. It also acts as a barrier to invasive species such as southern bull kelp and any animals hitching a ride on these rafts, spreading them out as they drift towards the continent. It also plays a big part in regulating Earth’s climate.
Unlike better known ocean currents – such as the Gulf Stream along the United States East Coast, the Kuroshio Current near Japan, and the Agulhas Current off the coast of South Africa – the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is not as well understood. This is partly due to its remote location, which makes obtaining direct measurements especially difficult.
Understanding the influence of climate change
Ocean currents respond to changes in temperature, salt levels, wind patterns and sea-ice extent. So the global ocean conveyor belt is vulnerable to climate change on multiple fronts.
Theoretically, warming water around Antarctica should speed up the current. This is because density changes and winds around Antarctica dictate the strength of the current. Warm water is less dense (or heavy) and this should be enough to speed up the current. But observations to date indicate the strength of the current has remained relatively stable over recent decades.
This stability persists despite melting of surrounding ice, a phenomenon that had not been fully explored in scientific discussions in the past.
What we did
Advances in ocean modelling allow a more thorough investigation of the potential future changes.
The model captures features others often miss, such as eddies. So it’s a far more accurate way to assess how the current’s strength and behaviour will change as the world warms. It picks up the intricate interactions between ice melting and ocean circulation.
In this future projection, cold, fresh melt water from Antarctica migrates north, filling the deep ocean as it goes. This causes major changes to the density structure of the ocean. It counteracts the influence of ocean warming, leading to an overall slowdown in the current of as much as 20% by 2050.
Far-reaching consequences
The consequences of a weaker Antarctic Circumpolar Current are profound and far-reaching.
As the main current that circulates nutrient-rich waters around Antarctica, it plays a crucial role in the Antarctic ecosystem.
Weakening of the current could reduce biodiversity and decrease the productivity of fisheries that many coastal communities rely on. It could also aid the entry of invasive species such as southern bull kelp to Antarctica, disrupting local ecosystems and food webs.
A weaker current may also allow more warm water to penetrate southwards, exacerbating the melting of Antarctic ice shelves and contributing to global sea-level rise. Faster ice melting could then lead to further weakening of the current, commencing a vicious spiral of current slowdown.
This disruption could extend to global climate patterns, reducing the ocean’s ability to regulate climate change by absorbing excess heat and carbon in the atmosphere.
Ocean currents around the world (NASA)
Need to reduce emissions
While our findings present a bleak prognosis for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the future is not predetermined. Concerted efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could still limit melting around Antarctica.
Establishing long-term studies in the Southern Ocean will be crucial for monitoring these changes accurately.
With proactive and coordinated international actions, we have a chance to address and potentially avert the effects of climate change on our oceans.
The authors thank Polar Climate Senior Researcher Dr Andreas Klocker, from the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, for his contribution to this research, and Professor Matthew England from the University of New South Wales, who provided the outputs from the model simulation for this analysis.
Taimoor Sohail receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Bishakhdatta Gayen receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC). He works at University of Melbourne as ARC Future Fellow and Associate Professor. He is also A/Prof. at CAOS, Indian Institute of Science.
The coordinator will work on the southern and southwestern coasts of the Island, which are facing serious erosion and landslide problems.
These areas are being hit hard by strong waves and heavy rain, causing damage to homes, road closures, and a drop in business activity.
The funding was secured following a successful bid by council officers to the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (SRFCC) via the Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCERM) 7 funding route.
Councillor Paul Fuller, Cabinet member for planning, coastal protection and flooding, said: “Our coast is always changing, and the threat to human life is very real.
“This new role is crucial to help our communities understand the risks and take steps to protect themselves and their properties.
“We are committed to building a resilient future for the Isle of Wight, and this specialist will play a key part in that mission. Their work will ensure that our coastal communities are better prepared and more resilient in the face of these ongoing threats.”
The new coordinator will be part of the council’s climate, coast, and environment team.
Their role will be to support residents affected by frequent geological events on the Island and provide advice and support to council departments, councillors, outside agencies, developers, and the public on coastal erosion and landslide issues.
They will also research and develop opportunities to minimise the impact of erosion and landslides and design future strategies for managing these problems.
Natasha Dix, service director for waste, environment and planning, added: “Decaying defences and outdated policies are causing significant problems, worsened by climate change.
“This funding is crucial for providing the necessary resources to support homeowners and businesses. The new coordinator will research and share findings with the SRFCC, focusing on benefits like regeneration, poverty reduction, mental health support, and emergency services.
“They will also collaborate with other councils facing similar issues to find the best solutions. This teamwork is essential for helping coastal communities adapt to the challenges of erosion and landslides, ensuring a more resilient future for the Isle of Wight.”
Source: The White House
Meet the special people who will join the First Lady and President Trump at the U.S. Capitol when President Trump delivers his address to a joint session of Congress.
These men, women, and families come from all different walks of life with incredible stories about the disaster wrought by the previous administration, and the historic achievements President Trump has already enacted to usher in the Golden Age of America.
Elliston Berry from Aledo, TX: Elliston is a 15-year-old who was the victim of computer-generated deepfakes created by a bully at her school intended to humiliate and degrade Elliston and her friends.
The Comperatore Family from Sarver, PA: Helen, Allyson, and Kaylee are the widow and daughters of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was killed by the gunman who also shot President Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024.
Jeff Denard from Decatur, AL: Jeff has spent nearly three decades working at a steel plant owned by Nucor Steel. His good paying, middle class job at the steel plant has allowed Jeff to serve as volunteer firefighter, provide a loving home to dozens of foster children, and organize his fellow steelworkers to respond to natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene.
Stephanie Diller from Long Island, NY: Stephanie is the widow of Jonathan Diller, an NYPD officer who was murdered at a traffic stop in Queens in March 2024 by a repeat criminal who was allowed to roam the streets.
Haley Ferguson from Spring Hill, TN: Haley is a former foster child, a senior at Middle Tennessee State University majoring in Elementary Education, and a Fostering the Future scholarship recipient, which was launched by the First Lady’s organization, Be Best.
Marc and Malphine Fogel from Butler, PA: Marc is an American history teacher who was held hostage by the Russian government and wrongfully sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. On February 12th, President Trump fulfilled his promise to Malphine, Marc’s 95-year-old mother, that he would bring Marc home.
January Littlejohn from Tallahassee, FL: January is a mother and parents’ rights advocate who sued the School Board of Leon County after school officials at her daughter’s middle school socially transitioned her daughter to a different sexual identity without January and her husband’s knowledge or permission. The school drove a wedge between January’s daughter and her parents, and deceived January about their covert plan to transition her daughter.
Payton McNabb from Murphy, NC: Payton is a former high school athlete who had her dreams of competing in college sports crushed in a September 2022 volleyball match when a biological man playing on the opposing women’s team spiked the volleyball at Payton’s face, leaving her with a traumatic brain injury. Payton joined with the Independent Women’s Forum and has made it her mission to put an end to this brutal unfairness.
Allyson and Lauren Phillips from Woodstock, GA: Allyson and Lauren are the mother and sister of Laken Riley, a young female nursing student who was murdered by an illegal alien during a morning jog. The Biden administration apprehended and released Laken’s murderer into the country under its reckless open border policies. The very first bill President Trump signed into law this year was named in Laken’s honor.
Alexis Nungaray from Houston, TX: Alexis is an angel mom and the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was murdered by two illegal aliens during a walk to a corner store. The Biden administration apprehended and released these vicious illegal aliens into the country just weeks before Jocelyn’s murder.
Roberto Ortiz from Weslaco, TX: Roberto has served with U.S. Border Patrol for nearly a decade, and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and California State Guard. He has been shot at repeatedly by cartel members while performing his duties near the Rio Grande River in Texas.
A range of organisations, from landholders to grassroots community groups, joined together last week for the first time to discuss different ecological challenges in the city, and discussed how they can work better together to tackle them. The meeting- hosted by Westminster City Council- provided a platform to collaborate, network and share ideas with the goal of enhancing biodiversity and greening across Westminster.
Named Wilder Westminster, the first meeting marks the beginning of a long-term commitment by the council to address the ecological emergency. Regular collaboration between members will help to continue the discussion and develop the biodiversity and greening action plan outside the group bi-annual meetings.
The aim for future meetings is to continue collaborating to ensure greening efforts are coordinated and impactful and that nature is supported to recover and thrive.
Westminster is home to exceptional green spaces, owned and managed by a variety of stakeholders including Royal Parks, and BIDS (Business Improvement Districts) and community and third sector organisations, so there was an emphasis on partnership building, calling on everyone to take collective responsibility for creating a greener and more nature-rich environment. The working group also touched on issues such as strategy and purpose, and case studies of good greening practices including recent improvements to Cardinal Place in Victoria by Landsec.
Westminster City Council is hopeful that this new partnership will play a key role in shaping a greener future for central London.
For more information about the work group is doing as well as how to get more involved by visiting the Environment Hub.
Cllr Ryan Jude, Cabinet member for Climate Action, Ecology and Culture said:
It was great to see different organisations come together in one space to focus on how we can work better together to be more environmentally sustainable, in recognition of the ecological emergency and to help deliver a net zero city by 2040.”
“We all recognise that we can’t do this alone and there is still a lot to be done but by making sure our efforts are coordinated we can bring about meaningful and lasting change in Westminster.”
Asia and the Pacific face a daunting infrastructure challenge, requiring sustained investment to enhance connectivity, safety, and resilience. While road networks dominate spending, underinvestment in maintenance and limited private-sector involvement threaten long-term sustainability.
Asia and the Pacific will require about $43 trillion from 2020 to 2035 to develop, maintain, repair, and climate-proof its transport infrastructure, according to the Asian Transport Observatory. This represents about 2% of the region’s GDP, averaging roughly $2.7 trillion annually.
Infrastructure investment requirements have tripled, increasing from roughly $750 billion annually between 2000 and 2020 to $2.7 trillion.
Failing to secure the needed resources risks inadequate infrastructure development, leading to deterioration, costly repairs, and transport disruptions over time.
Traffic congestion currently represents about 2-4% of GDP in Asia’s major cities. Road traffic fatalities and severe injuries cost $1.5 trillion in 2021, factoring in the loss of lives, assets, and workforce productivity.
The health consequences of PM2.5 air pollution also contributed to a further loss of at least $4 trillion in 2019. Climate-related challenges may also bring significant expenses, with potential damages to Asia’s transport infrastructure approaching $54 billion.
Moreover, delays and interruptions due to weakened transport infrastructure could lead to logistical losses estimated annually at $43 billion in 2023. It’s estimated that inadequate transport infrastructure directly threatens about 7% of GDP.
Tackling these challenges requires a forward-thinking approach emphasizing infrastructure maintenance, capacity enhancement, safety enforcement, and disaster preparedness to mitigate these considerable costs.
The infrastructure investment needs across the region are vast and varied. The largest share of the investment needs lies within East Asia (58%) and South Asia (17%) sub-regions, representing 73% of the population.
Our projections suggest that investment in transport infrastructure within high-income economies will stagnate by 2035, influenced by an aging population, stabilized travel demand, and well-established infrastructure networks.
On the other hand, low- and middle-income economies are expected to see a sharp rise in investment requirements, driven by inadequate access to transport infrastructure and increasing demand for passenger and freight transport.
Upper-middle-income economies are set to spearhead transport infrastructure investments, maintaining a significant share of 67% of total investment from 2000 to 2020, followed by 65% from 2020 to 2035.
About 74% of total investment needs over the next decade will be concentrated in East and South Asia, propelled by the ongoing rapid growth of transport demand in India and the People’s Republic of China.
Road transport will continue to secure bulk investments from 2020 to 2035, accounting for 63% of total investments (approximately 1.3% of GDP). This is required to bridge the infrastructure gap and improve access and connectivity.
The remaining investment needs are as follows: 17% for railways, including high-speed rail (around 0.4% of GDP), 11% for raid urban transit (about 0.2% of GDP), 4% for ports (0.1% of GDP), and 5% for airports (0.1% of GDP).
Urban rail investment will equal that of heavy rail infrastructure for the first time. Investment in metro systems is expected to increase from 7% of total investments between 2000 and 2020 to 10% from 2020 to 2035. Other than that, we don’t see a significant shift in the pattern of infrastructure spending.
Maintenance is crucial for transport infrastructure, guaranteeing assets’ durability, safety, and effectiveness. Studies show that every dollar invested in maintenance saves $4-$5 later required for reconstruction.
However, there’s a worrying trend of underinvestment in maintenance. This underinvestment will likely persist. On average, maintenance costs for transport infrastructure are expected to represent approximately 24% of total investment expenses from 2020 to 2035.
Nonetheless, maintenance expenditures differ across various modes and countries. New construction projects often receive significant media and political attention, but maintenance initiatives, which are vital for the long-term viability of transport infrastructure, are usually overlooked and go underfunded.
Regrettably, the issue of insufficient maintenance funding is a persistent challenge in Asia.
With nearly 1.8 billion people lacking access to transport infrastructure in Asia, countries are rapidly building infrastructure. But even with a $43 trillion investment by 2035, the infrastructure gap with the global North will continue to exist.
By 2035, Asia’s average transport infrastructure per capita is projected to still be 70% lower than current levels in wealthier countries, as measured by OECD country levels. However, the silver lining is that we will bridge the gap in specific modes at a lower income level.
For example, the average availability of urban rapid transit per capita in Asia and the Pacific is expected to double, rising from 6 kilometers in 2020 to 12 kilometers per million people by 2035. OECD countries had similar access back in 2013, having a GDP per capita nearly four times higher.
Maintaining a sustained annual investment rate of 2.3% of GDP is a challenge in itself. Identifying who will provide that investment is another complex question. While infrastructure development offers clear socio-economic benefits, investments in this area have declined as a percentage of GDP.
This shift raises concerns, especially given the limited involvement of private funding in the region’s infrastructure development. Historically, governments have been the leading financiers.
However, the aftermath of COVID-19 has strained public finances and increased debt burdens. Public-private partnerships show potential but have not expanded enough to meet the growing transport infrastructure demands.
There is an urgent need for a significant increase in private investment to bridge this gap. Attracting such capital depends on the government’s ability to create a more favorable regulatory and planning environment.
Moreover, there is considerable potential for optimizing public infrastructure investments. Governments should explore alternative funding methods, such as raising user fees, leveraging land value, and adopting innovative financing techniques.
Strategic investments, regulatory reforms, and innovative funding solutions are essential to ensuring Asia’s transport infrastructure meets future demands.
TheAsian Transport Observatorywas developed by the Asian Development Bank to strengthen the knowledge base on transport in Asia and the Pacific, and to support better informed investments and policies in the sector.
Headline: Thales reports its 2024 full-year results
Share this article
Order intake: €25.3 billion, up 9% (+6% on an organic basis1)
Sales: €20.6 billion, up 11.7% (+8.3% on an organic basis)
Adjusted EBIT2: €2,419 million, up 13.4% (+5.7% on an organic basis)
Adjusted net income, Group share2: €1,900 million, up 7%
Consolidated net income, Group share: €1,420 million, up sharply by 39%
Free operating cash flow from continuing operations2,3: €2,142 million, up 9%
Free operating cash flow2: €2,027 million, stable against 2023
Dividend4of €3.70 per share, representing 40% of Adjusted net income, Group share
Non-financial performance: steady progress towards medium to long-term targets
2025 objectives:
Book-to-bill5above 1
Organic sales growth of between +5% and +6%, corresponding to sales between €21.7 billion and €21.9 billion
Adjusted EBIT margin between 12.2% and 12.4%
Thales’s Board of Directors (Euronext Paris: HO) met on March 3, 2025 to review the 2024 financial statements6.
“2024 was once again a year of strong profitable growth for Thales. Thales, a world leader in advanced technologies in Defence, Aerospace, Cybersecurity and Digital, maintained excellent sales momentum throughout the year, achieving a record order intake of more than €25 billion. The record order book provides unprecedented visibility for all our activities. Sales exceeded the €20 billion mark with organic growth of 8.3%, above expectations. Defence activities, underpinned by an ongoing increase in the Group’s production capacity, the technological excellence of our products and the commitment from all our colleagues, contributed in particular to this performance. Thales also demonstrated once again its ability to generate profitable growth, with an increase in EBIT in absolute terms and as a percentage, reflecting the strength of its operating leverage. Thanks to its unique business model based on world-class products, systems and services, Thales generated free operating cash flow of more than €2 billion. Non-financial performance was also remarkable in 2024. The validity of our CSR strategy was acknowledged as Thales joined the CAC 40 ESG index in 2024. This historic performance is the result of the unfailing commitment of our 83,000 employees, and I would like to thank them sincerely for their dedication to our clients. We are starting 2025 with confidence and determination and a positive outlook for the vast majority of our activities. Thales presented its new strategic roadmap in November 2024. By drawing on its unique leadership positions serving growing markets and its ability to innovate and anticipate technological breakthroughs, the Group affirms its ambition to deliver accelerated, profitable and sustainable growth over the coming years, starting in 2025.” Patrice Caine, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Key figures
Order intake for the 2024 financial year increased by 9% compared with 2023 at €25,289 million and by +6% on an organic basis (i.e. at constant scope and exchange rates). Commercial performance was once again supported by strong demand in the Defence segment and by continued sustained momentum in the Aerospace segment. As at 31 December 2024, the consolidated order book amounted to nearly €51 billion, a record level, up by nearly €5.4 billion compared with the end of 2023.
Sales totaled €20,577 million, up 11.7% from 2023 (+8.3% in organic growth). This robust growth reflects in particular the solid performance of the Defence business throughout the year.
Adjusted EBIT7 stood at €2,419 million in 2024 (11.8% of sales), compared with €2,132 million (11.6% of sales) in 2023, an increase of 13.4% (+5.7% organic change).
At €1,900 million, Adjusted net income,Group share7 was up +7% compared to 2023.
Consolidated net income, Group share, stood at €1,420 million, up sharply by +39% from 2023. This increase can be explained notably by the recognition in 2023 of a non-current and non-recurring expense linked to the implementation of insurance coverage for the Group’s commitments under the Thales UK Pension Scheme. These commitments were transferred to Rothesay at the end of 2023.
Free operating cash flow from continuing operations7,9 amounted to €2,142 million, compared with €1,968 million in 2023. Including the contribution of discontinued operations, free operating cash flow7 amounted to €2,027 million, compared with €2,026 million in 2023. Calculated on the basis of the scope of continuing operations, the cash conversion ratio of Adjusted net income, Group share, into operating free cash flow was 114%. This once again exceptional performance, which saw the cash conversion ratio exceed 100% for the fifth consecutive year, reflects the excellent momentum of new orders, the phasing effects on cash inflows related to contracts’ execution and the continued Group’s mobilization of its CA$H! plan aimed at optimizing this conversion ratio.
In this context, the Board of Directors decided to propose the payment of a dividend of €3.70 per share, corresponding to a payout ratio of 40% of the Adjusted net income, Group share. An interim dividend of €0.85 per share was paid on December 5, 2024. The balance of €2.85 will be paid on May 22, 2025.
Order intake
Order intake for the 2024 financial year totaled €25,289 million, up 9% from 2023 in total change and up +6% at constant scope and exchange rates11. For the fourth consecutive year, the order intake was more than 20% higher than sales (book-to-bill). Thebook-to-bill ratio was 1.23, flat against 2023, and 1.28 excluding the Cyber & Digital business, where the order intake is structurally very close to sales.
In 2024, Thales signed 35 large orders with a unit value of over €100 million, representing a total of €8,674 million:
Four large orders booked in Q1 2024:
The entry into force of the third phase of the order placed by Indonesia in 2022 for the purchase of 42 Rafale aircraft (18 aircraft and support services);
Phased contract with the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to develop the next generation of sonars to equip French nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN);
Order of an aerial surveillance system for a military customer in the Middle East;
Second tranche of the contract signed in 2023 between France and Italy for the production of 400 ASTER B1NT ground-to-air missiles.
Eight large orders booked in Q2 2024:
Order for a next generation cloud native “FLYTEDGE” InFlight Entertainment System for a major worldwide airline;
Order by SKY Perfect JSAT to Thales Alenia Space of JSAT-31, a new generation of satellite reconfigurable in orbit using Space INSPIRE technology;
Exomars 2028, a contract signed between industrial prime contractor Thales Alenia Space and the European Space Agency (ESA) to relaunch the European space mission dedicated to the exploration of the Red Planet;
Order of two new F126 frigates by the German Navy. This additional contract brings the number of F126 frigates acquired by the German Navy to six in the past four years;
Order by the Dutch Ministry of Defence of seven additional Ground Master 200 multi-mission compact radars;
Service contract for the maintenance of the Royal Australian Navy fleet;
Order by an Asian customer of latest-generation Ground Master 400 Alpha long-range air surveillance radars;
Order by France’s Joint Munitions Command (SiMu) of tens of thousands of 120mm rifled ammunition.
Seven major orders recorded in Q3 2024:
Notification by the DGA of the second tranche of the development of the future RBE2 XG radar for the Rafale F5;
Order for the supply of anti-submarine warfare systems for the first phase of the construction of six HUNTER-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy;
Order for the renovation of an air traffic management system;
Order from the UK Ministry of Defence for the supply of Lightweight Multi-role Missiles (LMM) to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities;
Order of LMM for the British armed forces;
Order for the supply of Ground Fire multifunction radar and engagement modules following France’s acquisition of seven SAMP/T NG air defence systems;
Order for the supply of communications, vetronics, navigation and optronics equipment for vehicles in the French Army’s SCORPION program.
Sixteen large orders booked in Q4 2024:
Order for the supply of a satellite for the European Space Agency’s EnVision scientific mission to understand the planet Venus;
Contract amendment signed with OHB System for the payload of the third satellite of the European CO2M mission focused on CO2 emissions generated by human activity;
Amendment to the contract with the European Space Agency for the development of the ESPRIT communications and refueling module for the future lunar space station, Gateway;
Order for the development of the world’s first quantum key distribution (QKD) system from geostationary orbit, in collaboration with Hispasat;
Contract with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to develop the Emirates Airlock Module on board the future lunar space station Gateway;
Entry into force of the contract for the supply of 12 Rafale to Serbia;
Order from Naval Group for the supply of equipment for the submarine delivery contract in the Netherlands;
Order under the AJISS contract to provide In-Service Support to Royal Canadian Navy ships;
Order for the development and production of 430 new-generation MICA-NG interception, combat and self-defence missile seekers;
Order from the UK Ministry of Defence for the development and preparation of large-scale production of STARStreak HVMs (High Velocity Missiles) for the armed forces;
Order from the French Air Navigation Services Directorate (DSNA) aimed at improving the 4-Flight air traffic management system;
Amendment to the CONTACT contract with the DGA providing the armed forces with a range of software-defined radios designed for collaborative combat;
Order from the UK Ministry of Defence to ensure the permanence and maneuverability of the Royal Navy’s operational communications;
Order from the DGA as part of the SYRACUSE IV program to equip the French army’s SCORPION vehicles with Thales’ secure satellite communications solution;
Order from the DGA for the design, delivery and maintenance of a resilient communication system;
Order from the DGA to produce an encryption key management and distribution system and key injector for the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
With a total amount of €16,615 million, order intake with a unit value of less than €100 million continued to record favorable momentum.
Geographically12, order intake in mature markets amounted to €19,010 million, very close to that recorded in 2023, which though included the £1.8 billion MSET contract in the United Kingdom. Sales momentum elsewhere was also solid, particularly in the rest of Europe (up by 16% on an organic basis) and in Australia and New Zealand (up by 13% on an organic basis). Order intake in emerging markets was up sharply in 2024, amounting to €6,279 million (+39% at constant scope and exchange rates) thanks to continued strong momentum in the Near and Middle East (with an organic increase of 80%).
Order intake in the Aerospace segment totaled €6,434 million compared to €5,606 million in 2023 (+14% at constant scope and exchange rates). This solid growth reflects several trends.
The different segments of the Avionics market continued to record sustained demand in 2024;
The Space business posted sustained growth in order intake, including five orders with a unit value of more than €100 million recorded in the fourth quarter, four of which in OEN (Observation, Exploration & Science and Navigation) activities.
At December 31, 2024, the segment’s order book stood at €10.5 billion, up 13% from 2023.
At €14,723 million compared to €13,944 million in 2023, order intake in the Defence segment set a new record (+5% at constant scope and exchange rates). The book-to-bill ratio was 1.34, above 1.2 for the sixth consecutive year. This high level is explained by continued strong demand in all activities, with twenty-seven contracts with a unit value of more than €100 million recorded in 2024. The segment’s order book reached a new record at €39.2 billion (up 12%), corresponding to 3.6 years of sales, offering strong visibility for the years ahead.
At 4,032 million, order intake in the Cyber & Digital segment was structurally very close to sales as most business lines in this segment operate on short sales cycles. The order book is therefore not significant.
Sales
Note: full-year 2023 figures have been restated to reflect the transfer of cyber civil activities from the Defence segment to the Cyber & Digital segment.
Sales for the 2024 financial year totaled €20,577 million, compared to €18,428 million in 2023, up 11.7% in total change and 8.3% in organic terms (at constant scope and exchange rates14), driven in particular by the robust performance of the Defence segment.
Geographically15, sales recorded solid growth in both mature markets (+7.9% in organic terms) and emerging markets (+9.6% in organic terms), driven by double-digit growth in Asia.
Sales in the Aerospace segment totaled €5,471 million, up 4.8% from 2023 (+2.9% at constant scope and exchange rates). Momentum in this segment reflects contrasting trends:
The Avionics business posted mid-single digit organic growth in 2024, notably driven by strong momentum in both original equipment activities and aftermarket services, with a return to pre-Covid levels in air traffic. However, as expected, the fourth quarter was impacted by delays in aircraft deliveries to airlines, which postponed in-flight entertainment (IFE) sales;
As expected, sales were almost flat in the Space business. The telecommunications segment continued to be impacted by structurally lower demand in the geostationary satellite market. Conversely, trends remain positive for OEN activities.
Sales in the Defence segment totaled €10,969 million, up 13.9% from 2023 (+13.3% at constant scope and exchange rates). This strong growth came against a backdrop of steady growth in the Group’s production capacity, enabling it to meet high demand in all product lines. Growth was notably driven by land and air systems, such as tactical vehicles and systems or surface radars. The fourth quarter of 2024 also benefited from favorable cut-off effects.
At €4,024 million, sales in the Cyber & Digital segment increased by 1.4% at constant scope and exchange rates (and +14.8% in total change including the positive scope effect of the acquisitions of Imperva and Tesserent). This moderate organic sales growth reflects different trends depending on the activities:
Strong momentum continued for cyber businesses, including a strong performance from Imperva;
Against a high comparison basis in 2023, payment services sales were impacted by destocking by our customers in North America;
Lastly, the digitalization of secure connectivity solutions maintained its strong growth. Sales generated in fully digital connectivity solutions (including eSIMs and on-demand connectivity platforms) recorded double-digit organic growth and accounted for more than half of sales of this secure connectivity solutions business in 2024.
Results
For 2024, the Group posted Adjusted EBIT16 of €2,419 million, or 11.8% of sales, compared to €2,132 million (11.6% of sales) in 2023.
The Aerospace segment recorded Adjusted EBIT of €391 million (7.2% of sales), compared with €369 million (7.1% of sales) in 2023. The segment’s Adjusted EBIT margin is driven by the Avionics business, which posted a double-digit margin and improving, including the contribution of Cobham AeroComms. However, Space activities weighed on the segment’s margin, recording as expected a negative Adjusted EBIT margin in 2024 resulting from several factors: an expected increase in R&D spending, restructuring costs linked to the adaptation plan announced in March 2024 and the impact of inflation not reflected on past contracts.
Adjusted EBIT for the Defence segment amounted to €1,432 million, compared with €1,270 million in 2023 (an increase of +13.0% at constant scope and exchange rates). The margin for this segment was stable at 13.1%, compared to 13.2% in 2023.
At €585 million (14.5% of sales), Adjusted EBIT in the Cyber & Digital segment recorded solid growth in both value and margin. The improvement in profitability was notably due to the successful integration of Imperva and the robust margin on payment services and secure connectivity solutions for mobile networks in highly competitive markets.
Naval Group’s contribution to the Group’s Adjusted EBIT amounted to €93 million in 2024, compared with €91 million in 2023.
At -€166 million, compared with €2 million in 2023, net financial interest increased sharply, as expected. This increase was mainly linked to the substantial rise in debt following the acquisitions made in 2023. Other adjusted financial income16 stood at €35 million in 2024 versus -€37 million in 2023, reflecting the exceptional positive impact of dividends on non-consolidated affiliates and foreign exchange gains. The adjusted financial expense on pensions and other long-term employee benefits16 improved significantly (-€49 million compared with -€76 million in 2023), reflecting the removal of the interest expense following the transfer of UK pension obligations in December 2023.
At €21 million, compared with €105 million in 2023, the Adjusted net income, Group share, from discontinued operations16 was in line with trends in the Transport business, which was sold on May 31, 2024.
As a result, Adjusted net income, Group share16 was €1,900 million, compared to €1,768 million in 2023, after an adjusted income tax charge16 of -€427 million, compared to -€370 million in 2023. At 20.4% in 2024 compared to 20.1% in 2023, the effective tax rate was stable.
The Adjusted net income, Group share, per share16 amounted to €9.24, up 9% from 2023 (€8.48).
Consolidated net income, Group share, stood at €1,420 million, up 39% from 2023. This increase can be explained notably by the recognition in 2023 of a non-current and non-recurring expense linked to the implementation of insurance coverage for the Group’s commitments under the Thales UK Pension Scheme.
Financial position at December 31, 2024
Free operating cash flow17 amounted to €2,027 million compared to €2,026 million in 2023. It included a contribution of €2,142 million from continuing operations and -€116 million from discontinued operations. For continuing operations, the cash conversion ratio of Adjusted net income, Group share, into free operating cash flow was 114%.
The net balance of acquisitions and disposals of subsidiaries and affiliates amounted to €359 million. Under its acquisition strategy, the Group completed two major operations in 2024:
The acquisition (on April 2, 2024) of Cobham Aerospace Communications, a leading supplier of cutting-edge technologies enabling flexible, integrated and more-autonomous avionics systems, based primarily in the United States and generating sales of approximately $200 million in 2023 (see press releases dated July 12, 2023 and April 2, 2024);
The sale (on 31 May 2024) to Hitachi Rail of the Transport business, a global leader in rail signaling and train control systems, telecommunications and supervision systems, and fare collection solutions (see press releases dated August 4, 2021 and May 31, 2024). This business generated sales of €1,822 million in 2023.
As part of the share buyback program covering a maximum of 3.5% of the capital announced in March 2022 and completed in March 2024, 1,245,757 shares were repurchased during 2024, representing 0.6% of the share capital, for €176 million. The Group repurchased a total of 7,469,396 shares under this program, 3.5% of the share capital.
At December 31, 2024, net debt amounted to €3,044 million compared with €4,190 million at December 31, 2023. This decrease reflects the impact of free operating cash flow generation, acquisitions and disposals for -€359 million (€3,464 million in 2023), the payment of €708 million in dividends (€634 million in 2023), new lease liabilities for €143 million (€166 million in 2023) and the share buyback program.
Equity, Group share amounted to €7,515 million, compared with €6,830 million at December 31, 2023. This increase reflects the positive contribution of consolidated net income, Group share (€1,420 million) less the dividend payout (-€708 million) and share buybacks (-€176 million).
Non-financial performance
In line with its corporate purpose of “Building a future we can all trust”, Thales has set itself the ambition in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): to contribute to a safer, greener and more inclusive world. First, the Group will seek to maximize the contribution of its portfolio of solutions to the planet and society. Secondly, Thales has set itself ambitious targets on three main priorities:
The fight against global warming;
Strengthening gender diversity at all levels;
The implementation of the best standards in terms of ethics and compliance.
In terms of the fight against global warming, scope 1 & 2 CO2 emissions fell by 56.8% in 2024 compared to 2018 and scope 3 emissions fell by 24.7% compared to 2018. The Group has thus achieved its 2030 targets ahead of schedule for the second consecutive year. The absolute value reduction targets for carbon footprint remain relevant for 2030 given the Group’s growth prospects. To raise employee awareness to climate change and its impacts on society and on the Group, a voluntary training named “Thales Climate Passport” was deployed in 2024 with the aim of training 50% of managers. Over 67.4% of managers, representing around 35,000 employees, completed this training course in 2024, demonstrating the great success of this training.
With regard to strengthening diversity, Thales has set itself an ambitious target for 2026 to have 75% of management committees with at least 4 women. Thus, at the end of 2024, 61.5% of the Group’s management committees had at least 4 women, compared to 52.6% at the end of 2023. The highest levels of responsibility comprised 21.1% women at the end of 2024[1]; a performance in line with the Group’s trajectory to reach the set goal of 22.5% by 2026 (compared to 20.4% at the end of 2023 and 16.6% at the end of 2018).
In the area of ethics and compliance, 100% of employees concerned by the 2024 anti-corruption training campaign have been trained, demonstrating the Group’s continuous commitment to train all employees potentially exposed to risk situations. In 2024, the ISO 37001 certification “Anti-bribery management systems” was renewed for 3 years and extended to Germany, Australia, and New Zealand after Canada and the United States in 2023, and the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in 2022. Thus, in 2024, the revenue generated by certified entities represents 64% of the Group’s revenue (vs. 58% in 2023).
[1] Percentage of women in the total workforce: 27.4%.
Proposed dividend
The Board of Directors decided to propose to the shareholders, who will convene at the Annual General Meeting on May 16, 2025, the payment of a dividend of €3.70 per share. This corresponds to a payout ratio of 40% of the Adjusted net income, Group share, per share.
If approved, the ex-dividend date will be May 20, 2025, and the payment date will be May 22 2025. This dividend will be paid fully in cash and will amount to €2.85 per share, after deducting the interim dividend of €0.85 per share paid in December 2024.
Outlook
Thales is embarking on 2025 with confidence, bolstered by good visibility in the vast majority of its activities.
In 2025, the Avionics business will be driven by both the original equipment and aftermarket services activities, the continued growth of the Cobham AeroComms business, and the gradual recovery of the IFE business. In the Space business, the outlook remains positive, particularly in the Observation, Exploration & Science, Navigation and military telecommunications activities. However, the structural weakness of demand in the geostationary satellite market will dampen the growth of this activity. Thales will continue to implement its cost adaptation plan, with the objective of an Adjusted EBIT margin of 7%+ in the Space business in 2028.
The Defence segment, which enjoys a record order book, will be further supported by strong demand in 2025, against a backdrop of increasing military spending, particularly in the geographical areas where the Group operates. With the increase in its production capacity over the past several years and a portfolio of premium solutions incorporating differentiating leading technologies, Thales is ideally positioned to meet its customers’ needs.
Lastly, the Cyber and Digital segment will benefit from positive momentum in 2025, supported by Thales’ unique positioning and leadership. The continued development of Imperva will strengthen the differentiating value proposition in cybersecurity activities in order to take advantage of the buoyant environment. The payment services business is also expected to gradually return to growth.
The Group expects net investment expenses to slightly exceed €700 million in 2025 (after €617 million in 2024) to meet the need to increase production capacity, particularly in the Defence business.
As a result, Thales sets the following targets for 2025:
A book-to-bill ratio above 1;
Organic sales growth of between +5% and +6%, corresponding to sales in the range of €21.7 billion to €21.9 billion;
An Adjusted EBIT18 margin between 12.2% and 12.4%, up 40 to 60 basis points from 2024.
The Group also expects to maintain a high cash conversion ratio of between 95% and 100% in 2025.
Note: assuming no new major disruptions of macroeconomic and geopolitical context; including tariff increase.
Impact of new tax measures in France
Following the adoption of the 2025 budget, which introduces various tax changes, the impacts for the Thales Group are as follows:
An additional tax expense of ~€80 million related to the temporary additional corporate tax charge, giving rise to an additional tax of 41.2% in 2025, resulting in an overall tax rate of 36.13% (instead of the current rate of 25.83%);
~€8 million in taxes payable on share cancellations made in October 2024 as part of the share buyback program.
The temporary additional contribution to corporate tax for Naval Group could have a negative impact of around €8 million on Thales’ Adjusted EBIT in 2025.
These different impacts will represent an equivalent cash outflow in 2025.
****
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although Thales believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, actual results may differ significantly from the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties, as described in the Company’s Universal Registration Document, which has been filed with the French financial markets authority (Autorité des marchés financiers – AMF).
1 In this press release, “organic” means “at constant scope and exchange rates”. See note on methodology on page 18 and calculation on page 23.
2 Non-GAAP financial indicators, see definitions in the appendices, page 18. The title “EBIT” has been amended to “Adjusted EBIT”, in accordance with ESMA’s recommendation.The definition remains unchanged.
3 Operating free cash flow from continuing operations, excluding the Transport activity sold on May 31, 2024.
4 Proposed to the Annual General Meeting on May 16, 2025.
5 Ratio of order intake to sales.
6 As at the date of this press release, the verification process on the sustainability information is ongoing. With the exception of the possible impact of the conclusions of this process, the audit procedures have been carried out. The audit report will be issued following the Board of Directors’ meeting on April 2, after the finalization of the procedures related to sustainability information.
7 Non-GAAP financial indicators, see definitions in the appendices, page 18.
8 Proposed to the Annual General Meeting on May 16, 2025.
9 Free operating cash flow from continuing operations, excluding the Transport activity sold on May 31, 2024.
10 Mature markets: Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand; emerging markets: all other countries. See table on page 22.
11 Taking into account a currency effect of €49 million and a net scope effect of €625 million.
12 See table on page 22.
13 Mature markets: Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand; emerging markets: all other countries. See table on page 22.
14 The calculation of the organic change in sales is shown on page 23.
15 See table on page 22.
16 Non-GAAP financial indicator, see definition in the appendices, page 18 and calculation, pages 20 and 21.
17 Non-GAAP financial indicator, see definition in the appendices, page 18.
18 The title “EBIT” has been amended to “Adjusted EBIT”, in accordance with ESMA’s recommendation.The definition remains unchanged.
Expansion of enhanced Climate Friendly Household Programme
To encourage more households to take climate action, NEA and PUB will further enhance the Climate Friendly Households Programme.
From 15 Apr 2025, eligible HDB households will receive an additional $100 in Climate Vouchers, on top of the existing $300 offered in 2024. The programme will also be expanded to include Singapore Citizen households living in private residential properties. This means that eligible HDB and private households can claim a total of $400 worth of Climate Vouchers, which are valid until 31 Dec 2027.
By switching to more resource efficient appliances and fittings, households can reduce their energy and/or water consumption, lower their utility bills, and help to tackle climate change.
$25 million Weather Science Research Programme to enhance Singapore’s weather prediction capabilities
A new Weather Science Research Programme (WSRP) has been launched to enhance Singapore’s ability to understand and predict our tropical urban weather, including extreme weather arising from climate change.
The new programme aims to build weather science capability in the national research ecosystem. The Centre for Climate Research Singapore will collaborate with local research institutions to incorporate the latest scientific and technological developments such as Artificial Intelligence. A key initiative under the WSRP is to create a detailed historical weather re-analysis over recent decades for Southeast Asia – the first of its kind in the region.
Funded under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan, the WSRP is now open for research proposals from local research institutions.
The Alliance for Action on Packaging Waste Reduction for the E-commerce Sector has published a set of Guidelines on Sustainable E-commerce Packaging.
Apart from a list of 3R solutions tailored to various types of e-commerce packaging, the Guidelines also provide operating models for e-commerce marketplaces to promote sustainable packaging to consumers, and drive awareness and responsibilities among suppliers.
Also included in the Guidelines is a scorecard that company leaders can use to assess the maturity of their management practices in relation to sustainable packaging, and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Up to $1 billion to upgrade hawker centres and build 5 new hawker centres
Over the next 20 to 30 years, MSE and NEA will invest up to $1 billion to upgrade existing hawker centres and build another 5 new hawker centres.
Through the Hawker Centre Upgrading Programme 2.0, hawker centre infrastructure will be upgraded to be more vibrant, accessible, with climate-resilient community spaces. Hawkers can also look forward to a more conducive work environment.
To better serve residents, 5 additional new hawker centres will be built. 2 new hawker centres will also open at Bukit Batok West and Punggol Coast.
To celebrate SG60 and the 5th anniversary of the inscription of Singapore’s Hawker Culture on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, cooked food and market stallholders across all hawker centres and markets managed by the Government or Government-appointed operators will receive a one-off rental support of $600 per stall.
Singapore, 4 March 2025 – The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), under the National Environment Agency (NEA), has launched a $25 million Weather Science Research Programme (WSRP). The new programme aims to enhance Singapore’s ability to understand and predict our tropical urban weather, including extreme weather arising from climate change. The WSRP, funded under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan, is now open for research proposals from local research institutions.
2 Climate change poses significant challenges for Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian region. Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study, led by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) [1] under MSS, projects higher temperatures, more extreme wet and dry periods, and rising mean sea levels by the end of the century. Singapore is located in the deep-tropics where weather prediction is particularly challenging, due to the complexity of dominant local weather processes like thunderstorms and fine-scale interactions with local features such as coasts and the urban landscape. Recent advancements in weather research and technology, such as high-resolution modelling, artificial intelligence and enhanced remote-sensing observational networks, present opportunities to tackle the challenges of tropical local weather prediction.
3 Through the new programme, MSS aims to build weather science capability in the national research ecosystem. CCRS will work with Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes to improve weather prediction for Singapore and the region by incorporating the latest scientific and technological developments in this area.
4 For example, researchers will use artificial intelligence (AI) to combine data from various sources, potentially enhancing predictions of heavy rainfall and strong winds. The programme will also develop advanced weather prediction systems that consider how local weather is affected by ocean and land conditions, which could improve our ability to forecast phenomena like Sumatra squalls. Scientists will also investigate new ways of incorporating weather observations, such as those from polar-orbiting environmental satellites and ground-based radars, for more accurate and timely weather forecasts.
5 A key initiative under the new programme is to create a detailed historical weather re-analysis over recent decades for Southeast Asia – the first of its kind in the region. This comprehensive dataset will offer valuable insights into past weather patterns and provide a valuable dataset to leverage AI for local weather prediction. WSRP projects are expected to be awarded in the second half of 2025.
———————————
[1] CCRS is a research centre under MSS and part of NEA. It was officially launched in March 2013, with the vision to be a world leading centre in tropical climate and weather research focusing on the Southeast Asia region.
~~ End ~~
For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.
Singapore, 4 March 2025 – The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) will invest up to $1 billion over the next 20 to 30 years to upgrade existing hawker centres under the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0 (HUP 2.0) and build another five new hawker centres.
Ongoing Efforts to Upgrade Hawker Centres
2 The Government first built hawker centres in the 1960s to resettle street hawkers. Over the decades, the Government has invested in infrastructural upgrades to ensure that our hawker centres continue to be community dining rooms where Singaporeans can easily access and enjoy affordable food in a clean and hygienic environment.
3 Repairs and Redecoration (R&R) works are regularly carried out by NEA and the Town Councils at each hawker centre every six to eight years, to upkeep and maintain the existing infrastructure. These works typically include repainting, basic repairs and replacement of fixtures and fittings in the centres. In 2021, learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme (HTP) was piloted at Cheng San Market & Cooked Food Centre and Geylang Serai Market. The HTP aimed to address infrastructural issues beyond the typical R&R works and increase hygiene levels, such as through better seating configuration and fans to enhance ventilation, and toilet refurbishments for greater ease of cleaning and maintenance. We will incorporate lessons learnt from HTP in the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0 (HUP2.0) [1].
Future Proofing Our Hawker Centres through HUP 2.0
4 Our hawker centres will require future proofing to cope with a warmer climate and an aging population. In particular, older hawker centres in mature estates need to be revitalised to meet the evolving needs of local communities, in tandem with rapid urban redevelopment in Singapore.
5 To ensure our hawker centres continue to serve current and future generations of Singaporeans, the Government will allocate up to $1 billion over the next 20 to 30 years to upgrade hawker centres and build another five new hawker centres. HUP 2.0 [2] will upgrade hawker centre infrastructure to be more vibrant, accessible, and climate-resilient community spaces. Hawkers can also look forward to a more conducive work environment.
Vibrant Community Spaces
6 To make hawker centres a more pleasant space for multi-generational families and the community, NEA will optimise the use of space within hawker centres, such as through better stall configuration and centre layout. NEA will work closely with planning agencies such as HDB and URA to better plan and utilise common spaces so that they can serve the needs of the community more effectively. These spaces could be used for community activities and events which can help draw people to the hawker centres.
Accessible Hawker Centres for All
7 NEA will also explore more elderly- and mobile-friendly features in hawker centres so that our hawker centres are more inclusive and accessible for all. These could include escalators, lifts, wider aisles, and greater digitalisation and adoption of technology. The features would take into account the demographic needs of the surrounding estate and feasibility of the site. With such features, NEA aims to make hawker centres more accessible to those who require mobility devices or young families with children in prams.
Climate-resilient Infrastructure
8 To adapt to rising temperatures and improve thermal comfort for patrons and stallholders, NEA will explore solutions to improve air circulation and reduce ambient temperatures, such as using high-volume-low-speed (HVLS) fans and greenery. With these efforts, patrons and stallholders can look forward to a more comfortable dining and working experience at hawker centres.
9 While such future-proofing efforts can be implemented in most hawker centres through upgrading or refurbishment works, some older hawker centres in mature estates may need to be rebuilt. MSE and NEA are working closely with the relevant planning agencies to identify such hawker centres to dovetail their redevelopment works with estate development plans and ensure that they continue to serve the needs of surrounding residents and hawkers.
10 To minimise disruptions to the hawkers and the community, the Government will engage hawkers and surrounding residents on the upgrading plans and timelines, and also provide appropriate support to hawkers affected by these plans.
Five additional new hawker centres; Opening of New Hawker Centres at Bukit Batok West and Punggol Coast
11 Since 2011, the Government has built and opened 14 new hawker centres in newer housing estates to ensure that our growing population has access to modern hawker centres with affordable food options. Examples include One Punggol Hawker Centre, Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, Jurong West Hawker Centre and Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre.
12 In 2025, two new hawker centres will open at Bukit Batok West and Punggol Coast [3].Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre (469 Bukit Batok West Ave 9) will have 22 cooked food stalls and over 400 seats, while Punggol Coast Hawker Centre (84 Punggol Way) will have 40 cooked food stalls and over 680 seats.
13 Complementing HUP 2.0, the Government will build another five new hawker centres to serve residents better. More details will be shared when ready.
$600 rental support for SG60
14 Hawker stallholders are a critical part of Singapore’s treasured hawker culture, which has shaped our national identity and heritage over the years. To recognise the contributions of our hawker stallholders, and in celebration of SG60 and the fifth anniversary of the inscription of Singapore’s Hawker Culture on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a one-off rental support of $600 per stall will be given to cooked food and market stallholders across hawker centres and markets managed by Government and Government-appointed operators, including those managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators. Existing registered stallholders with an active tenancy as of 18 February 2025 will receive the $600 per stall. The $600 rental support will be disbursed progressively from April 2025.
——————-
[1] HUP1.0 took place between 2001 and 2013, where we upgraded and rebuilt almost 100 hawker centres.
[2] Possible features in existing Hawker Centres to be considered under Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme 2.0 are illustrated in Annex A.
[3] Refer to the Annex B for images of the new hawker centres to be open in 2025.
~~ End ~~
For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.
Nuclear energy is costly and toxic and will do nothing to cut bills.
More in Climate
New nuclear power would cost Scottish households while diverting funding and resources from real climate action, says Scottish Green Co-leader Patrick Harvie.
Speaking ahead of a Scottish Government debate on Scotland’s renewable future, Mr Harvie warned that Labour’s focus on nuclear power would risk increasing household bills and would be a gift to a toxic industry that is not offering the solutions we need.
The UK Labour government has proposed building new nuclear power plants across the UK touting so-called ‘small modular reactors’, despite one never having been built and the long-running record of the nuclear power industry running over schedule and budget.
The first nuclear power plant to be built in the UK for over 30 years, at Hinkley Point, is nearing £28 billion over budget and despite the construction phase beginning in 2016, it will likely not generate any electricity until at least 2029 but possibly 2031.
“This cold war era obsession with nuclear power shows just how out of touch Labour are with the real crisis we face. It is costly, takes years to go online and will leave a long and toxic legacy for future generations.
“New nuclear power would cost billions of pounds at a time when Labour are telling the public that there is no money to tackle poverty or keep pensioners warm. These new reactors would do nothing to reduce the bills that Labour promised to cut during the election.
“Hinkley Point is the perfect example of everything wrong with nuclear power. Its construction has been a disaster for the environment, requiring masses more concrete and steel than initially thought and it is now running significantly over budget and behind schedule. Does Keir Starmer really think the people want more of this?
“It is a distraction from doing the real work that is so important in terms of investing in clean, green renewable energy that will make a big difference for people and planet.
“Keir Starmer seems to have been sold up the river by his friends in the nuclear power industry who promise modular reactors, which have never been built to any kind of scale and don’t remove the major problem of highly toxic nuclear waste that will still scar our landscape for centuries to come.
“Scotland can have a positive and prosperous green future, but nuclear energy has no part in it. We have the resources for a renewables revolution but we need all governments to commit to it rather than taking a big backwards step with nuclear.”
Renewable Energy Generation & Demand in 2023 (expressed as a percentage change from the 1991-2020 baseline)
Figure: Global annual deviations for the four energy indicators – wind, solar, hydropower and energy demand – as presented in the report. Deviations are expressed as percentages for 2023 relative to the 1991-2020 reference period average and are aggregated by region. Hatching is used to highlight negative values for easier identification.
Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by WMO, the United Nations, IRENA or the European Union.
Key energy indicators – wind, solar, hydropower and energy demand – exhibited significant geographic variability in 2023 compared to the long-term climate average (1991-2020). Driven by drier and warmer El Niño conditions, South America experienced a 3.9% increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity factor (CF), leading to an estimated 3.5 TWh/year of additional generation from the region’s 50 GW installed capacity. Similarly, East Asia saw a 4.1% positive anomaly in wind power, generating an estimated 45 TWh from its 420 GW of installed onshore capacity, with 95% of this in China.
Climate informed energy planning: The report illustrates the potential applications of seasonal forecasts as a valuable tool for energy planning and management. Seasonal climate forecasts empower stakeholders to anticipate supply–demand fluctuations, optimize grid operations and enhance energy system resilience. They also enable better preparation for extreme weather events, ensuring energy security and minimizing disruptions.
Policy implications for achieving 2030 targets: Diversified energy portfolios, combining wind, solar and hydropower with emerging technologies such as geothermal and storage, are essential to mitigate the impact of climate variability and change on renewable power generation and management.
Regional collaboration and localized solutions will also play a key role in balancing supply–demand dynamics, optimizing cross-border energy flows and building resilient energy infrastructures.
Comprehensive energy data collection and sharing are vital for advancing the understanding of climate variability’s impacts on energy supply and demand.
Adopting a climate-informed, collaborative approach will accelerate progress toward a sustainable, net-zero future, says the report.
It also recommends the creation of new market structures to account for the flexibility of new and clean power systems.
Despite abundant renewable energy resources, Africa accounts for only 2% of global installed capacity. By integrating resource potential with climate information, countries can effectively develop renewable energy infrastructure to support industrialization and economic growth, accelerating sustainable development across the continent.
Achieving the 1.5 °C climate target necessitates substantial increases in renewable energy capacities by 2030 and 2050.
Wind power installed capacity surpassed 1 000 GW in 2023, a 13% increase compared with 2022). Solar power has been growing considerably faster than wind power, with an installed capacity reaching 1 420 GW in 2023, a 32% increase compared with 2022. Hydropower has grown slightly, with an installed capacity of about 1 410 GW in 2023, an increase of 1% compared with 2022.
Wind power capacity is projected to reach approximately 3 000 GW by 2030 and 8 000 GW by 2050, solar power capacity is expected to expand to about 5 400 GW by 2030 and 18 000 GW by 2050, and hydropower capacity is anticipated to grow to 1 500 GW by 2030 and 2 500 GW by 2050.
These figures are consistent with the targets established in the UAE Consensus during COP28 in 2023, which emphasized the need to triple RE capacity by 2030.
Additionally, IRENA reported significant cost reductions in Renewable Energy technologies between 2010 and 2023, with solar energy costs decreasing by approximately 90% and wind energy costs by about 68%.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation in atmospheric science and meteorology.
WMO monitors weather, climate, and water resources and provides support to its Members in forecasting and disaster mitigation. The organization is committed to advancing scientific knowledge and improving public safety and well-being through its work.
The Marae Moana Coordination Office (MMCO), within the Office of the Prime Minister, is seeking to contract a Project Manager to manage the implementation of the Cook Islands Island-Scale MSP Project. This is a two-year appointment.
The Project Manager will be integral to the success of Cook Islands efforts to build capacity and capability within Cook Islands for ‘Island-scale Marine Spatial Planning’.
This is part of the Government’s efforts to fulfil the obligations of the Marae Moana Act 2017. The two main outcomes of the project are:
Improved Capability of Individuals, at Government and community level, to deliver Climate and Biodiversity-smart Marine Spatial Planning.
Improved Capacity of organisations to deliver, gender sensitive, Climate and Biodiversity-smart Marine Spatial Planning.
A copy of the Terms of Reference (TOR), including selection criteria and how to apply, can be found on the Marae Moana and NES websites: www.environment.gov.ck and www.maraemoana.gov.ck.
Please email a cover letter and curriculum vitae to Maria Tuoro, Marae Moana Director, on [email protected].
Submissions close: 4:00pm Friday 14th March 2025
TOR Consultancy Project Coordinator Island Scale Marine Spatial Planning project in the Cook-Islands
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
Today, environmental group the Wilderness Society launched a case in the Federal Court against Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, arguing she and successive environment ministers have failed to meet their legal obligations to create threatened species recovery plans.
Other species forming the basis of the case are Baudin’s cockatoo, the Australian grayling, Carnaby’s black cockatoo, red goshawk, forest red-tailed black cockatoo and the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle.
Many other species and ecological communities also don’t have recovery plans. If successful, the case would set a precedent compelling future environment ministers to meet their legal obligations and improve Australia’s dire conservation record. This is a significant moment for conservation in Australia – testing how accountable environment ministers are in preventing species extinctions.
Why do recovery plans matter?
Threatened species recovery plans lay out very clearly why species or ecological communities are in trouble and the actions necessary to save them. Once a plan is in place, it can directly benefit the species by tackling threats and safeguarding habitat.
Proposals such as a new farm, suburb or mining project can be assessed by the environment minister and rejected if they are inconsistent with recovery plans and place threatened species at increased risk of extinction. Recovery plans have helped dozens of species come back from the brink.
Under Australia’s national environmental laws, the environment minister must decide whether a recovery plan is required for a species or ecological community listed as threatened.
If a plan is ordered, it must typically be created within three years. But a 2022 Auditor-General’s report found just 2% of plans met this timeframe.
Recovery is possible, but plans are vital
Successive governments have failed to keep up with creating and implementing recovery plans in a timely manner. The perennial and chronic lack of funding for conservation means there’s little capacity to do the vital but time-consuming work of planning and recovery.
As a result, the federal government has increasingly shifted to offering conservation advices in place of recovery plans. Conservation advices can be produced and updated faster than recovery plans. This is useful if, say, a new threat emerges and needs a rapid response.
But there’s a key legal difference. When the environment minister is considering a project such as land clearing for new farmland or a mine, they need only consider any conservation advice in place. When a recovery plan is in place, the minister is legally obliged not to approve actions which are contrary to its objectives and would make the plight of a species or ecological community worse.
A conservation advice can be thought of more like a fact sheet without the same legal weight or accountability that recovery plans have.
In March 2022, the Morrison government scrapped recovery plans for 176 threatened species and habitats, despite thousands of submissions arguing against this.
After the Albanese government took power in May 2022, it pledged to end “wilful neglect” of the environment and to introduce stronger environmental laws. Sadly, this commitment has not been honoured.
Australia’s species protection record is unenviable. Since European colonisation, more than 100 species have been driven to extinction and more than 2,000 species and ecological communities are listed at risk of suffering the same fate.
For a species to be considered threatened, its population has to have shrunk. The severity of the decline and hence its extinction risk will determine how it’s categorised, from vulnerable through to critically endangered. Recovery plans lay out the research required to actually recover these species, meaning helping their populations to grow out of the danger zone.
A key role for these plans is to coordinate planning and action between relevant interest groups and agencies. This is especially important for species found across state and territory borders, such as the southern greater glider and the migratory swift parrot. The greater glider should have had a recovery plan in place since 2016, but does not.
Are individual plans still worthwhile?
Faced with so many species in need of protection and limited funding, prominent figures including former Environment Minister Peter Garrett have argued we should focus our efforts on protecting ecosystems rather than single species to make the best use of scarce funds.
But there is a deeper issue. Australia is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. It has the capacity to greatly increase conservation spending without impoverishing humans, and should do so for the benefit of the economy, culture and our health and wellbeing.
That’s not to say ecosystem protection isn’t worthwhile. After all, ecosystems are made up of species and their interactions with each other and their environment. You cannot have healthy species without healthy ecosystems and vice versa.
But if we focus only on protecting large expanses of wetland, forest and grasslands, we risk overlooking a key issue. Two species in the same ecosystem can be very differently affected by a specific threat (predation by foxes, for instance). Some species can even have conflicting management needs. For some species, invasive species are the biggest threat, while climate change and intensified fire regimes threaten others the most.
As Australia’s natural world continues to deteriorate, climate change deepens and worsening wildlife woes abound, these issues will no doubt be front of mind for many in the upcoming federal election.
It can be easy to see these trends as inevitable. But they are not – the collapse of nature is a choice. We have what we need for success, including traditional, ecological and conservation knowledge. What’s sorely needed is political will.
There were once fewer than 50 northern hairy-nosed wombats alive. Today, that number exceeds 400. When supported, conservation can succeed.
Almost all Australians want their government to do more to save our species. Let us hope whoever forms the next government takes up that challenge – even if it takes court cases to prompt action.
Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society, and President of the Australian Mammal Society.
Navigating the challenges in a complex environment7 min read
We are in the midst of rapid technological advancements, shifting regulatory and political landscapes, evolving social expectations and visible impacts of climate change. In this context, Australian companies and their directors and officers are navigating an increasingly complex, inter-connected and unpredictable risk environment.
Key takeaways
As part of our ongoing CPD Series, Allens hosted a discussion with Christine Holman, a senior non-executive director with over 30 years of experience, on the emerging risks boards and management are facing in 2025. The session highlighted several key issues that are expected to shape the year ahead.
Geopolitical uncertainty is an increasingly prominent feature of the international landscape, threatening global supply chains and operational stability.
Inflation will continue to trouble economies around the world, spilling across borders and putting a strain on business financial performance.
Cyber incidents have escalated in frequency, scale, sophistication and severity.
Climate change is having increasingly tangible impacts on the natural environment in which Australian businesses operate.
Reputational issues tie directly to company value as they are scrutinised under a media spotlight of higher political, regulatory and social expectations.
Technological advancements are occurring faster than ever, requiring businesses to adapt quickly to respond to new opportunities whilst managing the risks they present.
The discussion also touched on the practical steps companies can take to navigate these risks, not only to avoid exposure to downside scenarios, but to capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead.
Geopolitical uncertainty
In recent years—and indeed just these last few days—there have been growing challenges to the post-World War II, rules-based world order, which has given way to increasing geopolitical instability around the world.
Prolonged military conflicts have significantly impacted civilian populations through displacement, loss of life and heightened instability, whilst more broadly resulting in actions such as sanctions and supply disruptions. In addition, the rise of protectionist and nationalistic ideologies is now seeing the return of tariffs and pullback from previously settled global trade relationships. In this evolving environment, Australian businesses will need to remain vigilant given the importance of our trade relationship with China and our close security ties with the United States.
In addition, as we move towards a federal election this year, there is the potential for these forces to manifest in domestic regulatory and economic policy settings as our politicians react to these global trends.
Our experience has been that good governance, regular risk assessments and scenario planning, and appropriate management structures, assist to navigate these geopolitical challenges.
Prolonged inflation
At the same time, many economies including Australia have been experiencing pronounced and persistent inflation following global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. These conditions have caused significant cost-of-living pressure at the individual household level, which is projected across the broader economy in the form of reduced demand and heightened uncertainty for businesses.
In an environment like this, we see best practice involving companies seeking to plan for all scenarios. This often involves stress testing financial models and, if possible, looking to diversify supply chains to reduce exposure to economic fluctuations.
Cybersecurity
In 2024, the Australian Signals Directorate saw a cybercrime being recorded every six minutes. The growing frequency of major incidents in recent years has put a spotlight on the cyber vulnerabilities of Australian businesses and the huge consequences they can have for customers and shareholders.
Cybersecurity has become a critical business continuity issue, though not all those in senior positions in Australian companies have experience in responding to cyber incidents. To bridge this gap, boards and senior management should be kept abreast of the relevant issues in this area both within and outside the company. Cyber strategies should not just be in place but be understood, and boards should challenge and validate the information they are given by management to test and assess these strategies where they see fit. This includes seeking out opportunities to learn from prominent examples in the market and undertaking live simulation exercises to test preparedness.
Climate change
Although climate change has been on the agenda for quite some time, it is an area that continues to evolve. Recent legislative reforms mean that certain Australian companies will soon publish their first mandatory sustainability reports. At the same time, we are seeing some stakeholders around the world signal a retreat from environmental initiatives and commitments, even as the physical effects of climate change continue to manifest in communities globally.
Companies will need to be ready to comply with regulations in this space as they are introduced and, as part of good business planning, take steps to identify and mitigate their exposure to climate-related risks. From a risk mitigation perspective, this is particularly pertinent in Australia given it is the second-most popular jurisdiction globally for climate change litigation.
Reputational matters
Although a company’s reputation has always had intrinsic value, that value has become more tangible and apparent through the significant disruption and real financial consequences that some companies have felt when their reputation has come under the spotlight.
Through this lens, there is an increasing sensitivity amongst customers and stakeholders to incidents or behaviour within companies that—whilst not necessarily illegal—falls below public expectations. Perceived shortcomings, whether justified or not, have seen some companies suffer significant loss in shareholder value, even if the financial performance of the company was otherwise sound.
This focus has placed a spotlight on the role of the board in embedding and enforcing cultural expectations within the workplace.
Artificial intelligence
The continued development and adoption of artificial intelligence tools in the workplace has the potential to be one of the most important developments in the way we work in our lifetime. Companies that do not adapt quickly enough risk a competitive disadvantage, whilst those overly keen to embrace it need to ensure they understand the inherent risks in the technology and are attuned to the regulatory requirements and ethical considerations that flow from it.
Understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations in the context of a specific business is critical, and key in informing the scale and pace at which the company should move. Companies are well placed to navigate these considerations where they foster a culture of lightweight R&D amongst their own people, including by investing in AI literacy at all levels of the organisation right up to the board.
Responding to emerging risks
Given the potential for emerging risks to evolve quickly and unpredictably, including those outlined above, managing these issues presents a formidable challenge, especially when directors and management are already grappling with significant responsibilities.
With this in mind, we have seen companies position themselves to succeed when they do the following:
Prioritise the information flowing to directors and streamline the issues they are being asked to consider and the decisions they are required to make. Information should be presented clearly and succinctly, so that directors can be confident they are getting the right information to make decisions and allocating their time appropriately across different issues.
A management structure with clear allocation of responsibilities provides confidence that risks—including new ones—will be identified at the appropriate level and that they will be escalated and addressed as necessary. A good management structure is one which is explicit and transparent in its decision-making processes. It avoids relying on a leap of faith in the sufficiency of general policies and routine processes to adequately address more nuanced issues.
Emerging risks can be highly complex and, by their very nature, involve new frontiers in dealing with issues that may be non-core or unfamiliar to the business. This underscores the importance of ongoing training programs and educational sessions for the board geared towards emerging risks and refreshing newer skills like digital and technology literacy. At the management level, it is necessary to consider the appropriateness of organisational structures and reporting lines to ensure they account for emerging risks. This could involve investing in personnel with expertise in particular areas of increasing prominence, such as cybersecurity and geopolitical strategy, who are equipped to execute strategy in practice, day to day.
What’s next?
Managing risk well can create opportunities as strategies and decisions play out in the global corporate landscape. We can expect all stakeholders—including regulators—to continue to keep a close eye on how Australian companies fare in 2025.
The significance and complexity of a company’s emerging risk profile may be a daunting prospect to think about in abstract, but being informed and proactive are important early steps in identifying and managing these issues. When focusing on risks, it is instinctive to focus on possible downsides—however, the other side of the coin is the enormous opportunities that can be realised when strategies and decisions allow the company to effectively navigate these challenges.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, March 4 — Recent years have witnessed record-breaking heatwaves worldwide, making it clear that global warming is not merely a distant warning but a harsh reality.
Meanwhile, China, with its steadfast commitment and remarkable progress in green development, has emerged as a champion in the global transition to renewable energy, serving as a beacon of hope in the fight against climate change.
What has China achieved so far? What does it mean to the world? Here is what to know.
A GREENER CHINA
China has been making concrete steps toward its commitment to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
China’s carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 50.9 percent in 2021 compared to 2005, the base year for the country’s climate contributions, according to recent reports submitted by China to the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The country has been growing literally greener. China’s forest coverage rate reached 25 percent by 2023, with forest stock exceeding 20 billion cubic meters. The annual carbon-sink capacity of China’s forests and grassland has exceeded 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, ranking first in the world.
Meanwhile, renewable energy expansion in China continues to set new records, with over 200 million kilowatts of newly installed capacity for renewable energy power generation in the first three quarters of 2024, accounting for more than 80 percent of total new installed capacity. In 2023, China accounted for 60 percent of the new renewable capacity added worldwide, according to World Energy Outlook 2024.
Electricity generated from clean energy accounted for 39.7 percent of the country’s total power generation in 2023, up by around 15 percentage points from 2013, according to a white paper titled China’s Energy Transition issued in 2024.
China is also a top player in reducing energy intensity, with 26 percent down since 2012. Its production and sales of new energy vehicles have topped the world for 10 consecutive years.
China’s achievements in green development reflect its strong commitment to balancing economic development with environmental sustainability, said Naing Swe Oo, a senior advisory board member of Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies.
“Through the ambitious carbon neutrality goals, energy structure adjustments and industrial decarbonization efforts, China has made significant progress in the transition to a more sustainable economy,” he said.
THE GREEN GROWTH
Bearing fruitful achievements domestically, China has been assisting other countries in achieving green growth and strengthening their adaptation capacity for climate change.
For years, China has aided the construction of clean energy and environmental protection projects in developing countries.
For instance, under the China-Ethiopia-Sri Lanka Renewable Energy Technology Transfer Project, 11 green energy solutions have been installed covering 12 small and medium-sized demonstration sites and benefiting more than 50,000 people across five provinces in Sri Lanka and four regions in Ethiopia. They are expected to generate at least 70,000 kWh of energy — saving approximately 157,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
Moreover, clean energy stations with Chinese investments have taken off in both Kazakhstan and Mali. The Zhanatas Wind Farm in Kazakhstan generates 350 million kWh of clean electricity annually, equivalent to saving 109,500 tons of standard coal and cutting carbon emissions by 289,000 tons every year.
The Gouina Hydropower Station in Mali has transformed West Africa’s energy landscape since its 2022 launch. Generating 687 million kWh annually, the hydropower plant provides enough power for 1 million residents across Mali, Senegal and Mauritania, replacing 240,000 tons of coal and reducing carbon emissions by 630,000 tons yearly.
Kenya economist James Shikwati noted that China’s experience in green and sustainable development provides valuable inspirations for Kenya and other African countries. “If China can produce more green products within Africa, it would be a significant benefit for the continent,” he said.
Boasting the world’s largest and most complete new-energy industrial chain, China is home to 70 percent of the photovoltaic components and 60 percent of wind power equipment worldwide. In 2023 alone, the country’s export of wind and photovoltaic products helped reduce carbon emissions by 810 million tons in recipient countries.
“Solving China’s problems also helps solve problems for many other countries,” said Hoe Ee Khor, chief economist of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office.
“If a country has effective and low-cost green technologies, is committed to a global ecological civilization, practices free trade, and is willing to share its green technologies, then it can play a key role in shaping a postmodern, ecological global civilization,” said Philip Clayton, president of the U.S. Institute for Ecological Civilization. “China can play and is playing this crucial role.”
A GREEN FUTURE
No matter how the international landscape evolves, China’s determination and action for proactive climate response never changes.
It is one of the initial parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and among the first signatories and ratifiers of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
From 2016 to 2023, China supported other developing countries with roughly 24.5 billion U.S. dollars in total climate-related funding.
Over the years, China has been active in promoting a fair and more equitable global climate governance system. Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UN Environment Programme on building a green Belt and Road for 2017-2022, launched the Initiative for Belt and Road Partnership on Green Development together with 31 countries, and formed the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition with more than 150 partners from more than 40 countries.
“Through such initiatives as the BRI, China is helping other developing countries deploy green technologies, such as solar farms and wind power infrastructure. This not only promotes China’s influence, but also accelerates the global green transformation,” said Anna Malindog-Uy, vice president of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, a Manila-based think tank.
By October 2024, China, an active participant in South-South cooperation, had signed 53 MoUs on South-South cooperation addressing climate change with 42 developing countries, and had implemented nearly 100 projects focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Additionally, China had rolled out over 300 capacity-building programs in climate-related fields and provided training opportunities for over 10,000 participants from more than 120 developing countries.
With climate change and green development listed among its eight key areas, the Global Development Initiative proposed by China has won the support of an increasing number of countries and regions around the world. It has established more than 30 cooperation platforms, with over 1,100 projects launched, covering all 17 of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
“There’s no doubt that China’s commitment to green development has positioned itself as a leader in the global fight against climate change, which is critical to global decarbonization efforts,” said Malindog-Uy. “China’s continued leadership in this field is likely to shape the future of the global energy markets and climate policy.”
Source: The Conversation – USA – By John W. Daily, Research Professor in Thermo Fluid Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
The wind and terrain can quickly change how a fire, like this one near Los Angeles in January 2025, behaves.AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
When wildfires break out, fire crews count on fire-spotting technology and computer models to help them understand the rapidly changing environment.
That technology has evolved over the years, yet some techniques are very similar to those used over 100 years ago.
I have spent several decades studying combustion, including wildfire behavior and the technology used to track fires and predict where wildfires might turn. Here’s a quick tour of the key technologies used today.
Spotting fires faster
First, the fire must be discovered.
Often wildfires are reported by people seeing smoke. That hasn’t changed, but other ways fires are spotted have evolved.
In the early part of the 20th century, the newly established U.S. Forest Service built fire lookout towers around the country. The towers were topped by cabins with windows on all four walls and provided living space for the fire lookouts. The system was motivated by the Great Fire of 1910 that burned 3 million acres in Washington, Idaho and Montana and killed 87 people.
Before satellites, fire crews watched for smoke from fire towers across the national forests. K. D. Swan, U.S. Forest Service
Today, cameras watch over many high-risk areas. California has more than 1,100 cameras watching for signs of smoke. Artificial intelligence systems continuously analyze the images to provide data for firefighters to quickly respond. AI is a way to train a computer program to recognize repetitive patterns: smoke plumes in the case of fire.
Once a fire is spotted, one immediate task for firefighting teams is to estimate how the fire is going to behave so they can deploy their limited firefighting resources most effectively.
Fire managers have seen many fires and have a sense of the risks their regions face. Today, they also have computer simulations that combine data about the terrain, the materials burning and the weather to help predict how a fire is likely to spread.
Fuel models
Fuel models are based on the ecosystem involved, using fire history and laboratory testing. In Southern California, for example, much of the wildland fuel is chaparral, a type of shrubland with dense, rocky soil and highly flammable plants in a Mediterranean climate. Chaparral is one of the fastest-burning fuel types, and fires can spread quickly in that terrain.
For human-made structures, things are a bit more complex. The materials a house is made of – if it has wood siding, for example – and the environment around it, such as how close it is to trees or wooden fences, play an important role in how likely it is to burn and how it burns.
How scientists study fire behavior in a lab.
Weather and terrain
Terrain is also important because it influences local winds and because fire tends to run faster uphill than down. Terrain data is well known thanks to satellite imagery and can easily be incorporated into computer codes.
Weather plays another critical role in fire behavior. Fires need oxygen to burn, and the windier it is, the more oxygen is available to the fire. High winds also tend to generate embers from burning vegetation that can be blown up to 5 miles in the highest winds, starting spot fires that can quickly spread.
Today, large computer simulations can forecast the weather. There are global models that cover the entire Earth and local models that cover smaller areas but with better resolution that provides greater detail.
Both provide real-time data on the weather for creating fire behavior simulations.
Modeling how flames spread
Flame-spread models can then estimate the likely movement of a fire.
Scientists build these models by studying past fires and conducting laboratory experiments, combined with mathematical models that incorporate the physics of fire. With local terrain, fuel and real-time weather information, these simulations can help fire managers predict a fire’s likely behavior.
Examples of how computer modeling can forecast a fire’s spread. American Physical Society.
Advanced modeling can account for fuel details such as ground-level plant growth and tree canopies, including amount of cover, tree height and tree density. These models can estimate when a fire will reach the tree canopy and how that will affect the fire’s spread.
Forecasting helps, but wind can change fast
All these tools are made available to firefighters in computer applications and can help fire crews as they respond to wildfires.
However, wind can rapidly change speed or direction, and new fires can start in unexpected places, meaning fire managers know they have to be prepared for many possible scenarios – not just the likely outcomes they see on their computer screens.
Ultimately, during a fire, firefighting strategy is based on human judgment informed by experience, as well as science and technology.
John W. Daily receives funding from the Department of Defense for wildland fire research. He is affiliated with the Combustion Institute and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is a Fellow of both organizations.
What causes debris flows, sometimes called mudflows, and why are they so common and dangerous after a fire? I am a geologist whose research focuses on pyrogeomorphology, which is how fire affects the land. Here’s what we know.
How debris flows begin
When severe fires burn hillslopes, the high heat from the fires, sometimes exceeding 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius), completely destroys trees, shrubs, grass and structures, leaving behind a moonscape of gray ash. Not only that, the heat of the fire actually burns and damages the soil, creating a water-repellent, or hydrophobic, layer.
What once was a vegetated hillslope, with leaves and trees to intercept rain and spongy soils to absorb water, is transformed into a barren landscape covered with ash, and burned soil where water cannot soak in.
When rain does fall on a burned area like this, water mixes with the ash, rocks and sediment to form a slurry. This slurry of debris then pours downhill in small gullies called rills, which then converge to form bigger and bigger rills, creating a torrent of sediment, water and debris rushing downhill. All this debris and water can transform small streams and usually dry gullies into a danger zone.
Because the concentration of sediment is so high, especially when there is a large amount of ash and clay, debris flows behave more like a slurry of wet cement than a normal stream. This fluid can pick up and move large boulders, cars, trees and other debris rapidly downhill.
In January 2018, a few weeks after the Thomas fire burned through the hills above Montecito, a storm triggered debris flows that killed 23 people and damaged at least 400 homes.
Fire and debris flow scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey use these variables to create models to predict the likelihood and possible hazards from postfire debris flows. They are already developing maps to help residents, emergency managers and city officials prepare and predict postfire debris flows in 2025 burn areas in Los Angeles.
The U.S. Geological Survey modeled debris flow risks after the Palisades Fire near Los Angeles. The map shows some of the highest-risk areas if hit by 15 minutes of rain falling at just under 1 inch (24 millimeters) per hour. USGS
Some of the triggers of debris flows are literally part of the landscape.
For example, the slope angle in a watershed and the amount of clay in the soil are important. Watersheds with gentle slopes – generally less than about 23 degrees – and a lack of clay and silt-sized particles are unlikely to produce debris flows.
Other key factors that contribute to postfire debris flows relate to the proportion of the watershed that is severely burned and the intensity and duration of the rainstorm event.
Early important research in the field of pyrogeomorphology demonstrated that while large, intense storms are more likely to cause large, intense debris flows, even small rainstorms can produce debris flows in burned areas.
Debris flows are becoming more common
A whopping 21.8 million Americans live within 3 miles of where a fire burned during the past two decades, and that population more than doubled from 2000 to 2019. A recent study from central and northern California indicates that nearly all the observed increases in area burned by wildfires in recent decades are due to human-caused climate change.
The warming climate is also increasing the likelihood of more extreme downpours. The amount of moisture the atmosphere can hold increases by about 7% per degree Celsius of warming, leading to more intense downpours, particularly from ocean storms. In California, scientists project increases in rainfall intensity of 18% will result in an overall 110% increase in the probability of major debris flows.
Jon Frye, of Santa Barbara Public Works, shows what happened in the January 2018 Montecito debris flow and why the risks to downslope communities would continue for several years. Source: County of Santa Barbara, 2018.
Studies using models of fire, climate and erosion rates estimate that the amount of sediment flowing downhill after fires will increase by more than 10% in nine out of every 10 watersheds in the western U.S.
Even without rain, debris on fire-damaged slopes can be unstable. A small slide in Pacific Palisades shortly after a fire burned through the area split a home in two. A phenomenon called “dry ravel” is a dominant form of hillslope erosion following wildfires in chaparral environments in Southern California
Preparing for debris flow risks
Research on charcoal pieces from ancient debris flows has shown fires and erosion have shaped Earth’s landscape for at least thousands of years. However, the rising risk of wildfires near populated areas and the potential for increasingly intense downpours mean a greater risk of damaging and potentially deadly debris flows.
As their populations expand, community planners need to be aware of those risks and prepare.
This article, originally published Jan. 23, 2025, has been updated with a flash flood watch issued.
Jen Pierce receives funding from the National Science Foundation and is the chair of the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology division of the Geological Society of America.
A major transformation is underway for Te Puhinui / Puhinui Stream, with Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 leading the charge to regenerate the mauri of this vital waterway and its surrounding communities.
A Healthier Future for Manukau
After years of declining water quality and environmental degradation, Te Aka Raataa is breathing new life into the stream and surrounding areas. This initiative reconnects people with nature, ensuring a healthier future for Manukau.
As part of the Eke Panuku Transform Manukau regeneration programme, this project will revitalise Rata Vine Stream Reserve, creating green spaces that connect communities and link to the town centre, Hayman Park, and beyond.
Councillor Daniel Newman is a strong advocate for seeing this investment in the south.
“At its heart this project is about the health of urban streams and waterways, and how they relate to the neighbours and the surrounding community.”
“I am proud to have been able to help secure the budgets necessary to deliver these projects, and I know we can make a meaningful difference to the Puhinui Stream.
My thanks to all of the staff and the contractors who are working on the front line to deliver a successful project, “says Councillor Daniel Newman.
Also representing the Manurewa-Papakura ward, Councillor Angela Dalton sees the project as positive place-shaping for Auckland’s south.
“I’m wholeheartedly behind Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 because it’s about shaping a sustainable future for our communities. By regenerating the awa, we’re making meaningful strides for the future – improving water quality, creating green spaces for people to reconnect with nature and each other, and strengthening links to the Manukau area. This is a wonderful opportunity to build a healthier, more resilient community, and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui: A Bold Regeneration Plan
Te Puhinui, a cherished ecological and cultural taonga, has long been disconnected from its surrounding communities. The launch of Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 marks a significant milestone—an ambitious collaboration aimed at regenerating this natural treasure while transforming Manukau into a greener, more connected city.
Grounded in mātauranga Māori, the initiative places iwi leadership at its heart, ensuring that the regeneration of Te Puhinui benefits future generations. Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui sets out a long-term vision for intergenerational well-being, emphasising the profound connections between people, place, and nature. This initiative is a key part of the broader Transform Manukau programme.
Eke Panuku Priority Location Director, Richard Davison, says “This marks an exciting milestone in a project that has been years in the making as part of the Transform Manukau programme. Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 is about more than just regenerating a stream—it’s about reconnecting people with nature and strengthening community ties.
“This first stage moves us closer to the vision of a continuous link from the Botanic Gardens to Hayman Park and Manukau city centre, creating a vibrant accessible pathway through a revitalised green space that everyone can enjoy, while also supporting new housing development in the area.”
A Collaborative Effort for Lasting Change
Bringing together Eke Panuku, Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience, Ngaati Tamaoho, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, and the Manurewa Local Board, this project is a shared commitment to restoring the health of the Puhinui catchment and its people. By restoring the stream to a more natural state, Eke Panuku and Auckland Council aim to improve water quality, support biodiversity, and create a healthier, more attractive and resilient environment for both people and wildlife.
Local Board Chair Matt Winiata acknowledges the collaboration with iwi and wider community groups that have progressed this important kaupapa.
“Undertaking a project like this would not be possible without the time, skill and mātauranga knowledge of our community.
“Stage 1 is an exciting time for residents who live near the awa, the long-term benefits of a revitalised Puhinui Stream will be felt for generations to come.”
Project Benefits
Awa-First approach: We’re helping the stream flow more like it used to by bringing back its natural state to improve its flow. By adding planting and wetlands, we’ll help protect the banks from washing away and improve the water quality.
Revitalising green spaces: providing quality open spaces for people to relax, gather, learn and play.
Connecting people to nature: Providing better community access to the stream with new boardwalks and improving connections with wider pathways for walking and cycling
Supporting native wildlife: Creating healthy habitats for birds, insects, and aquatic life.
This is just the beginning – Te Aka Raataa is laying the foundation for a greener, healthier Manukau, where both people and nature thrive together. Works are scheduled to be completed by December 2025.
The Australian Government is investing in Norfolk Island’s shipping needs, with a $10 million project to repair and raise the Cascade Pier apron, as well as supporting future freight containerisation.
The apron section of the Cascade Jetty sustained significant damage with large rocks being deposited on it from Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023.
The Australian Government’s investment will see this important commercial and recreational asset repaired and upgraded.
The project will see the apron raised and extended with storage and washdown facilities established for cargo containers, for the enhanced loading and unloading of materials, vessels and goods to and from the island.
It will improve cyclone resilience, marine access and shipping operations, along with safety for jetty users.
The Norfolk Island community and stakeholders will have opportunities for input throughout the design and construction of the Cascade Pier upgrades, particularly in considering the needs of business, industry and pier users.
Project design consultants will be on island for stakeholder engagement to support the detailed design works for the project in the next few months.
The project to deliver two purpose-built Cargo Transfer Vessels (CTVs) is also now almost complete with construction being finalised and the CTVs anticipated to be delivered to the island by April this year.
The CTVs have been specifically constructed for Norfolk Island lighterage and delivered in partnership with Norfolk Island Regional Council to improve safety, efficiency and reliability, including for the crew loading and unloading the cargo.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Territories, Kristy McBain MP:
“As the first issue raised with me when I commenced as Minister, I understand the importance of reliable shipping to Norfolk Island.
“Cascade Pier is not only critical for Norfolk’s sea freight supply, it’s an iconic part of the island’s coastline and heritage – which is why we’re investing in its future.
“Upgrading the Cascade Pier apron is part of our Government’s commitment to supporting the long-term resilience and sustainability of Norfolk Island’s freight network.”
Quotes attributable to the Member for Bean, David Smith MP:
“From fishing boats, to supply ships and cargo and lighterage vessels – Cascade Pier is a vital part of Norfolk Island.
“These essential upgrades have the potential to reshape how freight is transported to and from the island, which is why I’m proud we’re delivering this targeted investment.
“I’ll continue working with the community on ways we can support Norfolk Island’s distinct needs into the future.”
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
ICYMI: NBC: ‘L.A. fire captain who fought California wildfires to attend joint address to Congress’
Padilla and Líma survey the devastation of the Los Angeles fires [January 8, 2025] Additional photos of Senator Padilla and Captain Líma are available here.WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, NBC recently highlighted U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) announcement that Frank Líma, a longtime Los Angeles City fire captain and firefighter union leader, will be his guest at President Trump’s 2025 Address to a Joint Session of Congress. Captain Líma was on the frontlines in the fight against the devastating Los Angeles fires in January, including defending the Pacific Palisades fire station.
The article focuses on Padilla and Líma’s push for a fully supported firefighting workforce as well as federal disaster relief for Southern California communities with no strings attached — as has always been the case for disaster aid from the federal government.
Key Excerpts:
Palisades and Eaton fire survivors still need help. That’s the message Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., hopes to send to Congress next week at first joint address of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Joining him at the address Tuesday will be union leader Frank Lima, a Los Angeles fire captain who helped defend the Pacific Palisades fire station when flames and scorching embers surrounded it on Jan. 7.
“As President Trump outlines his priorities for our country, we want to make clear that Los Angeles County cannot be forgotten,” Padilla said in a statement. “The community faces a long road to recovery and we need a fully staffed and supported firefighting workforce and federal support without conditions.”
Lima described the nearly weeklong siege “as a once-in-a-generation, biblical fire.” … Among the difficulties that week was persistent lack of resources, including water and staffing, within the overwhelmed fire department, whose ranks have dwindled in recent years. “We had more firefighters on duty in 1971 than we do today, yet our population doubled,” Lima told NBC News. “Our call load has increased fivefold per day. Our members are being run into the ground.”
Padilla has repeatedly questioned the Trump administration’s approach to distributing disaster aid. He pushed Doug Burgum, who is now the interior secretary, at his confirmation hearing on the question of whether conditions should be placed on aid. “Each situation is different,” Burgum said. Padilla countered that there had never been strings attached to disaster relief. “And I certainly hope this is not the first case,” he said.
Full text of the article is available here and below:
L.A. fire captain who fought California wildfires to attend joint address to Congress
By Alicia Victoria Lozano
Palisades and Eaton fire survivors still need help.
That’s the message Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., hopes to send to Congress next week at first joint address of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Joining him at the address Tuesday will be union leader Frank Lima, a Los Angeles fire captain who helped defend the Pacific Palisades fire station when flames and scorching embers surrounded it on Jan. 7.
Attendees often bring guests who represent causes important to lawmakers.
“As President Trump outlines his priorities for our country, we want to make clear that Los Angeles County cannot be forgotten,” Padilla said in a statement. “The community faces a long road to recovery and we need a fully staffed and supported firefighting workforce and federal support without conditions.”
It has been nearly two months since deadly wildfires devastated the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, the city of Altadena and surrounding communities in what is likely to be the costliest disaster in California’s history.
At least 29 people died, and more than 16,000 structures were destroyed.
Lima described the nearly weeklong siege “as a once-in-a-generation, biblical fire.” Hurricane-force winds ripped through large swaths of Los Angeles County, toppling trees and utility wires and sending thick smoke, ash and soot whirling across the county.
Among the difficulties that week was persistent lack of resources, including water and staffing, within the overwhelmed fire department, whose ranks have dwindled in recent years.
“We had more firefighters on duty in 1971 than we do today, yet our population doubled,” Lima told NBC News. “Our call load has increased fivefold per day. Our members are being run into the ground.”
Amid ongoing tensions over how the fires were handled, Mayor Karen Bass ousted Fire Chief Kristin Crowley last week.
The decision was made “in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department,” Bass said in a statement.
“We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch,” Bass said.
On Thursday, Crowley appealed the decision, she said in a statement obtained by NBC Los Angeles.
The blame game has been constant since January.
When Trump viewed the destruction two weeks after the fires, he initially expressed shock and then pointed the finger at California Democratic leaders for failing to address the state’s ongoing wildfire threat.
Trump argued that wildlife protections have impeded access to water in California and then suggested he could withhold disaster aid over disagreements about voter ID laws and water policies.
Lima said Thursday: “Federal aid should not come with strings attached. Our firefighters and this community and the state need federal support.”
A recent economic impact study estimated total damages of the Palisades and Eaton fires will top $53 billion. The study, released by the nonprofit Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, listed “federal funding uncertainty” as a primary recovery challenge.
Padilla has repeatedly questioned the Trump administration’s approach to distributing disaster aid. He pushed Doug Burgum, who is now the interior secretary, at his confirmation hearing on the question of whether conditions should be placed on aid.
“Each situation is different,” Burgum said.
Padilla countered that there had never been strings attached to disaster relief.
“And I certainly hope this is not the first case,” he said.
Background:
Senator Padilla has fought relentlessly to secure and protect Southern Californians’ access to desperately needed disaster relief aid. In the immediate aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) led 47 bipartisan members of the California Congressional delegation in successfully urging President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration to expedite timely relief to Los Angeles County residents impacted by these disasters. Padilla also delivered remarks on the Senate floor urging his Republican colleagues and President Trump to provide essential disaster recovery aid to California without conditioning it on the passage of partisan legislation.
Last month, Padilla introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. He also announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts, including the Wildfire Emergency Act, the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act. In January, Padilla introduced another suite of bipartisan bills to strengthen wildfire recovery and resilience, including the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act to protect firefighter pay.
overnor Kathy Hochul today urged New Yorkers to prepare for potential flooding due to warm temperatures and rainfall, starting Tuesday night and continuing through Thursday. Temperatures will increase across the State starting Tuesday, with some places seeing close to 60 degrees. Higher-than-normal temperatures combined with up to an inch of rainfall may result in localized flooding and elevated river flows with some ice jams, especially on creeks and streams in Western and northern Central New York.
“New York is no stranger to extreme weather and the potential danger of flooding,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration is monitoring the weather closely and will deploy resources if necessary to keep New Yorkers safe, and I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and watch the forecast closely over the next several days.”
There is a Flood Watch in effect for Western NY, the northern Finger Lakes, northern Central NY and the Tug Hill Plateau of the North Country from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon due to snow melt, rainfall and ice movement. Ice jam flooding will be possible, especially on creeks and streams where blockages have already been reported. For a complete listing of weather alerts, visit the National Weather Service website. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by subscribing to NY Alert — a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer.
Agency Preparations
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services The Division’s Office of Emergency Management is in contact with their local counterparts and is prepared to facilitate requests for assistance. State stockpiles are staffed and ready to deploy emergency response assets and supplies as needed. The State Watch Center is monitoring statewide impacts closely. Flood safety tips can be found at www.dhses.ny.gov.
Department of Transportation
The State Department of Transportation is prepared to respond with more than 3,763 supervisors and operators. Department staff are actively monitoring known problem areas and are ready to take action as needed to mitigate flooding. Crews can be configured into any type of response needed, including flood response, chipper, load & haul, sewer jet, cut & toss, traffic signal, etc. DOT crews are also proactively clearing snowbanks, checking and clearing drains and culverts. All residencies in impacted locations will remain staffed with operators, supervisors and mechanics throughout the duration of the event and priority cleanup operations.
Statewide equipment numbers are as follows:
1,610 large dump trucks
349 large loaders
90 chippers
83 wheeled and tracked excavators
15 vacuum trucks with sewer jets
12 tree crew bucket trucks
The need for additional resources will be re-evaluated as conditions warrant throughout the event.
For real-time travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit https://www.511ny.org/#:Alerts, New York State’s official traffic and travel information source.
Thruway Authority
The Thruway Authority has 693 operators and supervisors prepared to respond to any wind, flood, or weather-related issues across the State with small to large plow/dump trucks, medium sized excavators, large loaders, vacuum trucks, portable pumps, chainsaws, brush chippers and other equipment. In addition, Division Maintenance crews are proactively inspecting, clearing and maintaining ditches, culverts and storm drains to effectively channel storm water away from road surfaces and roadbeds to prevent flooding on the roadway.
Variable Message Signs and social media are utilized to alert motorists of weather conditions on the Thruway. The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download its mobile app which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic information, live traffic cameras and navigation assistance while on the go. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails and follow @ThruwayTraffic on X for the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.
New York State Police
State Police have instructed all Troopers to remain vigilant and will deploy extra patrols to affected areas as needed. All four-wheel drive vehicles are in service and all specialty vehicles, including Utility Terrain Vehicles, are staged and ready for deployment.
Department of Public Service
New York’s utilities have about 5,500 workers available statewide to engage in damage assessment, response, repair and restoration efforts across New York State, as necessary. Agency staff will track utilities’ work throughout the event and ensure utilities shift appropriate staffing to regions that experience the greatest impact.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation DEC Emergency Management staff, Environmental Conservation Police Officers, Forest Rangers and regional staff remain on alert and continue to monitor the developing situation and weather forecasts. Working with partner agencies, DEC is prepared to coordinate resource deployment of all available assets, including first responders, to targeted areas in preparation for potential impacts due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
Unpredictable weather and storms in the Adirondacks, Catskills and other backcountry areas, can create unexpectedly hazardous conditions. Visitors should be prepared with proper clothing and equipment for rain, snow, ice and the cold to ensure a safe outdoor experience. Trails have mixed conditions of snow, ice, slush and mud.
Hikers are advised to temporarily avoid all high-elevation trails, as well as trails that cross rivers and streams. Hikers in the Adirondacks are encouraged to check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for updates on trail conditions, seasonal road closures and general recreation information. Backcountry visitors should Hike Smart and follow proper safety guidelines. Plan trips accordingly. In an emergency, call 9-1-1. To request Forest Ranger assistance, call 1-833-NYS-RANGERS.
With warmer temperatures expected throughout the week, DEC reminds any outdoor enthusiasts to be mindful of conditions when hiking and to use caution when venturing onto ice. While some waterways may appear frozen, DEC advises outdoor enthusiasts to review ice safety guidelines before heading out.
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
New York State Park Police and park personnel are on alert and closely monitoring weather conditions and impacts. Park visitors should visit parks.ny.gov, check the free mobile app, or call their local park office for the latest updates regarding park hours, openings and closings.
Flood Safety Tips
Learn the safest route from your home or business to high, safe ground should you have to leave in a hurry.
Develop and practice a ‘family escape’ plan and identify a meeting place if family members become separated.
Make an itemized list of all valuables including furnishings, clothing and other personal property. Keep the list in a safe place and consider maintainig photo and video documentation.
Stockpile emergency supplies of canned food, medicine and first aid supplies and drinking water. Store drinking water in clean, closed containers.
Plan what to do with your pets.
Have a portable radio, flashlights, extra batteries and emergency cooking equipment available.
Keep your automobile fueled. If electric power is cut off, gasoline stations may not be able to pump fuel for several days. Have a small disaster supply kit in the trunk of your car.
Find out how many feet your property is above and below possible flood levels. When predicted flood levels are broadcast, you can determine if you may be flooded.
Keep materials like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber handy for emergency waterproofing.
Check on your insurance coverage. Homeowners’ insurance policies generally do not cover flood damages. Only flood insurance can protect your home against flood damages. You can purchase flood insurance whether or not you live in a mapped flood zone.
For a complete list of weather terms and preparation ideas before, during and after a flood, visit the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services website at https://www.dhses.ny.gov/flood-safety-tips.
