NewzIntel.com

Category: Weather

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese products deliver cool comforts to world amid heatwaves

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    As global temperatures hit record highs and heatwaves blanket most of the Northern Hemisphere, Chinese manufacturers are stepping up with innovative cooling solutions, from advanced textiles to smart gadgets, to meet surging global demand for heat relief.

    At a new material technology company in east China’s Zhejiang Province, a batch of cooling fabric rolled off the production line and was then neatly packaged before being loaded into 18 containers for export.

    Measuring approximately 4 million meters in length, this load of fabric, valued at more than 7 million yuan (roughly 980,000 U.S. dollars), will be sold to markets in the Middle East, Europe and North America.

    Since 2021, this cool-touch material has driven average annual sales growth of about 25 percent for its manufacturer Yibei, a company based in the city of Huzhou in northern Zhejiang, while delivering heat-relief solutions to consumers worldwide, said Zhu Yifan, general manager of Yibei.

    Originally designed as a garment lining, this material’s affordability and skin-friendly comfort have fueled unexpected demand for it as a primary fabric, especially after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when it gained viral traction in countries like Türkiye, Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates to make scarves and robes.

    The EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed the year 2024, recording a global average temperature of 15.1 degrees Celsius, as the warmest year globally since 1850, and June 2025 as the world’s third-warmest June on record, reaching 16.46 degrees Celsius globally.

    Amid the global warming trend, Chinese textile manufacturers like Yibei are innovating their products and scaling production to satisfy surging demand for cooling products.

    On JD.com, a major Chinese e-commerce platform, searches for “cool touch” products reveal nearly 20 cooling items, including towels, bedsheets and pillows. The best-selling cooling towel has surpassed 4 million orders, with its inner layer containing menthol and other active cooling ingredients that release long-lasting coolness when exposed to water.

    “With intensifying global climate change and consumers’ increasing pursuit of quality of life, the demand for cooling products has prompted companies to explore different materials, techniques and functional cooling products,” said Dai Junming, an industrial expert of the modern textile technology innovation center of Zhejiang.

    A leading province in China’s textile industry, Zhejiang exported textiles and apparel worth 92 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, accounting for more than 30 percent of the country’s total.

    The cooling boom is not limited to textiles. Data from Alibaba.com, the cross-border B2B platform of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba, show that portable mini fans, mobile air conditioners, ice makers, double-door refrigerators and freezers have emerged as popular purchased categories over the past month — with sales surging nearly 77 percent and orders increasing by 56 percent year on year.

    Before Father’s Day this year, a U.S. content creator recommended a hat as a gift in her short video on TikTok, amassing over 9 million views and sparking a buying frenzy.

    The star of the video — a sun hat designed with two solar-powered fans aimed at delivering a cool summer experience — hails from the city of Yiwu, also in Zhejiang, which is renowned as a small commodity hub that trades with over 230 countries and regions.

    At Zhejiang Senwai Garments Co., Ltd., which holds the patent for this fan hat’s production and R&D, General Manager Jiang Yongtao revealed that the hat, priced at almost 40 U.S. dollars, began test-marketing in March before surging to popularity two months later.

    Within just 28 days of its official launch, 11,100 units were sold, generating over 3.2 million yuan in revenue. To date, the company has sold some 500,000 units of these fan hats.

    “The hat provides both shade and cooling relief,” Jiang said, noting that the miniature fans can also be charged by USB on cloudy days.

    The company is also developing a winter version — a heated cap intended to transform headwear from mere accessories to therapeutic tools, thereby extending the reach of this “made-in-China” phenomenon beyond summer.

    “Hit products may become outdated, but the ability to consistently identify needs and create bestsellers never will,” Jiang said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Flood threat in Rajasthan’s Dholpur as Chambal river swells; Army called in, Officials’ leave cancelled

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A flood threat looms over rural areas in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district after heavy rainfall in the Hadoti region and nearby areas led to the release of nearly 5 lakh cusecs of water into the Chambal River – from both Kota Barrage and later the Navnera Barrage.

    The Chambal’s water level surged to 141.10 metres by 10 PM on Wednesday, significantly breaching the danger mark of 131.79 metres, according to the Water Resources Department. The old Chambal bridge has submerged due to the rising water, prompting the district administration to request Army assistance. Troops are expected to reach Dholpur today.

    Floodwaters have begun entering villages in the Sarmathura and Rajakheda subdivisions, sharply increasing the risk to life and property. In response, the leave of all government officers and employees has been cancelled to ensure coordinated relief efforts.

    Despite the flooding of the old bridge, traffic on National Highway 44 remains unaffected, as vehicles are being rerouted via the new Chambal bridge.

    Dholpur SP Vikas Sangwan and District Collector Nidhi B.T. are closely monitoring the situation and conducting visits to the affected areas. Army personnel will assist in relief and rescue operations, particularly in flood-prone zones like Rajakheda.

    Meanwhile, Director of the Meteorological Center, Jaipur, Radheshyam Sharma, said that the low-pressure system, a remnant of the Bay of Bengal depression, is expected to weaken from August 2. However, due to the monsoon trough line currently passing through Bikaner and Sikar, heavy rainfall is still likely in parts of Rajasthan on Thursday. A reduction in rainfall activity is anticipated from August 1.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma conducted a detailed inspection of rain-affected areas in Jaipur, spending over two-and-a-half hours reviewing the situation.

    He visited B-2 Bypass Road, Sanganer, Sumer Nagar, Surajmal Circle, Muhana Mandi, and Chauradia Petrol Pump, issuing immediate instructions to address waterlogging, damaged roads, potholes, and drainage issues.

    The Chief Minister also inspected the Dravyavati River near B-2 Bypass Road and directed officials to prune overgrown trees and repair damaged ferro drain covers.

    At the Sanganer camp office, he reviewed the status of waterlogged areas across the city. Later, at the Muhana Mandi intersection, he gave instructions for the construction of a traffic circle and urgent road repairs at Maharaja Surajmal Circle and Kesar Nagar intersection.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New members appointed to OPSS Advisory Board

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New members appointed to OPSS Advisory Board

    New members appointed to the Office for Product Safety and Standards Advisory Board.

    Five new members have been appointed to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) Advisory Board. They are:

    • Jen Dinmore – Legal Director, Digital, Commerce and Creative team, Lewis Silk 
    • Frank Given – Founder, Close Focus
    • Amanda Long – Chief Executive, Construction Product Information
    • Professor John Loughhead – Industrial Professor of Clean Energy at the University of Birmingham and Chair of the Redwheel-Turquoise ClimateTech fund
    • John McDermid – Professor of Software Engineering, University of York

    OPSS welcomes these new members of its Advisory Board, who have a wealth of experience in areas including engineering, regulation, research and standards development.

    The OPSS Advisory Board typically meets once a quarter. Its members act as critical friends, providing external challenge and bringing fresh perspectives and ideas, ensuring OPSS is best prepared to deal with current and future challenges. The group is not involved in operational decisions, such as handling individual regulatory incidents.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 43 killed in Nepal monsoon disasters

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KATHMANDU, July 31 (Xinhua) — Nepal has seen 43 people killed and 116 injured since the monsoon season began in late May, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said.

    According to a report released by the department on Wednesday evening, 16 people were missing in 569 monsoon-related disasters.

    Floods were the deadliest, killing 15 people and injuring seven others. Lightning strikes were next, killing 14 and injuring 95. Landslides were the third deadliest natural disaster, killing 14 people.

    The monsoon season in Nepal usually lasts until early October. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: Aggrieved Liberals stamp their feet, testing Sussan Ley’s authority

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    As any leader of a political party knows, when you demote people they can become difficult, or worse.

    Among Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s multiple problems are two very unhappy former frontbenchers. Sarah Henderson, who was opposition education spokeswoman last term, and Jane Hume, who had a high profile in finance, were dumped to the backbench in Ley’s reshuffle.

    There were mixed views about Ley’s judgement. But it was clear neither would take the relegation lying down.

    Henderson at the time declared she found it regrettable that “a number of high-performing Liberal women have been overlooked or demoted”. Hume said, ominously, “there is something very liberating about being on the backbench and being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points”.

    This week, both women used their freedom to freelance.

    On the government’s student debt legislation, Henderson made her presence felt by moving an amendment designed to cap indexation. It got only a handful of votes from the crossbench. The opposition abstained.

    Also in the Senate, Hume put down her marker, on a motion moved by One Nation repudiating the net zero target. Predictably, Matt Canavan (Nationals) and Alex Antic (right-wing South Australian Liberal) voted for the motion. The Liberals’ official position – given they’re in no-man’s land, reviewing their policy – was to abstain. But Hume and Andrew McLachlan (a moderate from South Australia), voted against the motion.

    Hume has kept a regular spot on Sky News Australia, an opportunity to use her “liberated” voice.

    Then there’s Andrew Hastie who, despite being a frontbencher, doesn’t feel under collective discipline. Hastie, whom some see as a possible future leader, didn’t get his wish for a non-security portfolio in the reshuffle. Instead, the former defence spokesman was moved to home affairs, a broad job that presents many opportunities.

    When the Western Australian Liberal council passed a motion rejecting net zero at the weekend, Hastie gave his enthusiastic backing.

    He then got stuck into state Liberal leader Basil Zempilas, who had said the WA parliamentary party supported “the status quo on the net zero targets”.

    Hastie fired off a newsletter to supporters declaring, “This motion – moved and supported by my division of Canning – reflects a growing concern from mainstream Australians about our expensive energy bills, unreliable supply, and the erosion of our national sovereignty.

    “I was therefore disappointed to see [Zempilas] publicly dismiss those concerns.”

    The government was quick to exploit this, with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen telling parliament on Thursday Hastie “will undermine any opposition leader he can find. He’s taking a practice run in Perth for what he intends to do in Canberra, some time in the next 12 months as we all know. He loves undermining leaders of the opposition.”

    Peter Dutton was a disaster for the Liberals, as the election drubbing showed. But he was (mostly) able to impose substantial unity on the parliamentary party.

    That was seen as a big achievement. But it had two downsides. At the time, it stifled what might have been useful internal debate, or warnings, that could have helped the opposition. And now it has left some Liberals who felt they held their tongues last time determined not to do so again. Even those not aggrieved for specific reasons are likely to be more inclined to be outspoken this term.

    Ley will not be able to impose the degree of discipline that Dutton did.

    Meanwhile, as the aggrieved Liberals were stamping their feet, their colleague James Paterson, new to his post of finance spokesman, was seeking to repair some of the political damage the opposition did by its attacks on the public service.

    The hostility to the public service goes back a long way – some might argue it’s ingrained in the Liberals’ DNA. It was strong during Scott Morrison’s prime ministership.

    Dutton promised massive cuts to the Canberra-based public service, which even the Liberals admit would have been unattainable. Hume’s plan to force public servants back into the office five days a week, a policy the opposition had to drop midway through the election campaign, has also left deep suspicion.

    For the Liberals, attacking the public service has always appeared a ready road to savings. But the political dangers are obvious. It is not the seats directly affected – the ACT always votes Labor. But assaults on the public service can be readily segued by the Coalition’s opponents into code for attacks on government services.

    Paterson, who’s also shadow minister for the public service, told an Australian Financial Review summit on government services, “It is not lost on me that promising significant cuts to the size of the APS or changing the way public servants work from home was poorly received and not just here in Canberra.”

    Paterson said, “I have great respect for public servants, and I recognise the significant contributions they make to our democracy.

    “The Coalition aspires to have a respectful, constructive relationship with the APS. We want a motivated, high-performing public service that works in genuine partnership with government to deliver the services Australians rely on. And we want it to do so as a trusted steward of taxpayer dollars.”

    On the basis of history, the public servants will remain suspicious of the Liberals; Paterson’s aim will be to mitigate that as much as possible.

    In a twist on the working-from-home debate, the secretary of the health department, Blair Comley, this week expressed some concern about the implications of the trend.

    “I don’t think anyone is suggesting we go back to a rigid five days a week and no flexibility,” Comley told the AFR summit. But he was worried about what was happening to “learning, development, mentoring, and what’s happening to the social capital”.

    Knowing the sensitivities of the issue, Comley was extremely careful with his words. Hume, having been burned once, was not putting her hand into this particular fire again. “That is not a policy that the Coalition has now, not a policy that we took to the election”, she said. There is a limit to being liberated.

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

    – ref. Grattan on Friday: Aggrieved Liberals stamp their feet, testing Sussan Ley’s authority – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-aggrieved-liberals-stamp-their-feet-testing-sussan-leys-authority-262026

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas reappointed to The National Lottery Community Fund

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas reappointed to The National Lottery Community Fund

    The Secretary of State has reappointed Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas as Board Member to The National Lottery Community Fund and Chair of the Wales Committee for 4 years from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2029.

    Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas

    Starting life as an ecologist and then working on sustainable energy, community

    regeneration and sustainable development, Simone has been working with communities, businesses, government and academia for over 25 years. Currently Director for Nature and Climate at Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, Simone is working in partnership to accelerate a response to our climate, water and nature crises, in a way that works for both people and the natural world.

    Previous experience and roles include CEO at Severn Wye Energy Agency (a Fuel Poverty and Sustainable Energy Charity), Vice-President of Fedarene (European Federation of Energy Agencies), Founding Member of Community Energy Wales and as a Research Associate and Manager of Wales Biomass Centre (Cardiff University Research Centre on Bioenergy).

    Simone brings a very practical community based background and expertise in developing approaches to engagement and involvement having supported and developed some of the first community owned energy schemes, ‘Cynefin’ a Welsh Government Programme which demonstrate co-production and place-based approaches, and working with the Wellbeing of Future Generations Commissioners Office to develop guidance for the ways of working (Sustainable Development Principles).She has held voluntary roles including as Chair of Governors and has been a STEM Ambassador for 25 years.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Two Senior Executives from S&P and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) join the Diginex team

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diginex Limited (“Diginex” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DGNX), a leading provider of Sustainability RegTech solutions, is delighted to announce the appointments of Andrew Harling as Chief Commercial Officer and Matthew Rusk as Vice President of Strategic Relationships, Americas, effective immediately. These key additions to the senior team reinforce Diginex’s commitment to accelerating growth and advancing innovation in sustainability worldwide.

    Andrew Harling joins Diginex’s executive team with over 20 years of experience in commercial leadership within the credit, technology, and sustainability sectors. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Sustainability Sales at S&P, where he drove significant revenue growth by delivering tailored ESG solutions to global enterprises. Prior to that, Harling was Chief Revenue Officer at Sustainable Fitch, where he spearheaded strategic initiatives to expand market share in sustainable finance. As Chief Commercial Officer, Harling will lead Diginex’s global commercial strategy, focusing on scaling client acquisition and driving adoption of the company’s cutting-edge sustainability platforms & solutions.

    Matthew Rusk brings extensive expertise in strategic relationship development and sustainability to his role as Vice President of Partnerships in the U.S. Rusk has over 15 years of experience progressing corporate sustainability, most recently as Head of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) North America, where he built strong relationships with corporations, financial institutions, service providers, NGOs, and policy makers to advance standardized sustainability reporting. In his new role, Rusk will focus on cultivating strategic alliances with key stakeholders to expand Diginex’s ecosystem and enhance its impact in the US market. Matthew’s experience, connections, and expertise make him an invaluable addition to Diginex’s U.S. leadership.

    “Andrew and Matthew bring exceptional expertise and a shared passion for sustainability that align perfectly with Diginex’s mission to empower organizations with transparent, AI-driven ESG solutions,” said Mark Blick, CEO of Diginex. “Their leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our market position and fostering partnerships that drive meaningful change.”

    About Diginex

    Diginex Limited (Nasdaq: DGNX; ISIN KYG286871044), headquartered in London, is a sustainable RegTech business that empowers businesses and governments to streamline ESG, climate, and supply chain data collection and reporting. The Company utilizes blockchain, AI, machine learning and data analysis technology to lead change and increase transparency in corporate regulatory reporting and sustainable finance. Diginex’s products and services solutions enable companies to collect, evaluate and share sustainability data through easy-to-use software. 

    The award-winning diginexESG platform supports 19 global frameworks, including GRI (the “Global Reporting Initiative”), SASB (the “Sustainability Accounting Standards Board”), and TCFD (the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures”). Clients benefit from end-to-end support, ranging from materiality assessments and data management to stakeholder engagement, report generation and an ESG Ratings Support Service.

    For more information, please visit the Company’s website:

    https://www.diginex.com/.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results disclosed in the Company’s filings with the SEC.

    Diginex
    Investor Relations
    Email: ir@diginex.com

    IR Contact – Europe
    Anna Höffken
    Phone: +49.40.609186.0
    Email: diginex@kirchhoff.de

    IR Contact – US
    Jackson Lin
    Lambert by LLYC
    Phone: +1 (646) 717-4593
    Email: jian.lin@llyc.global

    IR Contact – Asia
    Shelly Cheng
    Strategic Financial Relations Ltd.
    Phone: +852 2864 4857
    Email: sprg_diginex@sprg.com.hk

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: SEK 8 billion to UN Green Climate Fund

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Sweden has announced its contribution of SEK 8 billion to the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF), making the country one of the largest donors. Through the GCF, low- and middle-income countries can receive support to implement climate investments for reduced emissions and protect their societies against climate change by taking adaptation measures.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: SEK 200 million to climate fund for loss and damage

    Source: Government of Sweden

    In connection with the COP29 climate change conference, Sweden is announcing a contribution to a new fund that aims to help particularly vulnerable countries manage climate-related loss and damage (the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage). The Fund is under the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Climate finance goal in focus ahead of COP 29

    Source: Government of Sweden

    The UN Climate Change Conference COP 29 will take place on 11–22 November in Baku, Azerbaijan. The key issues to be negotiated are the new global goal for financing climate action and emissions trading. The Government also wants to pick up the pace of work on new national climate action plans.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: New climate finance goal adopted at COP29

    Source: Government of Sweden

    After long negotiations, the UN Climate Change Conference COP29 concluded on 24 November 2024 with a decision on a New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG). The NCQG encompasses USD 300 billion annually. However, decisions on other negotiating points were postponed to next year’s COP30 in Brazil.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari attends 68th IAEA General Conference in Vienna on 17 September

    Source: Government of Sweden

    On 17 September, Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari is attending the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference. Sweden’s participation is focused on highlighting Sweden’s new nuclear energy policy in the international arena, and also the consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion for Ukraine.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Free webinar to help local hospitality and retail businesses beat the power bills

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo is holding a free webinar to provide local hospitality and retail businesses with energy saving advice.

    The Smart Energy Solutions for Hospitality and Retail Businesses webinar will take place from 4 to 5pm on Wednesday August 6 as part of the City’s Beat the Power Bills program.

    City of Greater Bendigo Climate Change and Environment Acting Manager Ian McBurney said the session is tailored specifically for small to medium operators in cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, and service-based retail.

    “It will provide practical advice on understanding energy bills, identifying costly inefficiencies in day-to-day operations, and assessing the value of upgrades like solar, batteries, or switching off gas,” Mr McBurney said.

    “The webinar will be presented by the City’s Zero Emissions Business Officer Tim Drylie and will cut through the jargon and provide hospitality and retail owners with the facts they need to make informed, cost-saving decisions.”

    The webinar is free to attend. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 31, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 31, 2025.

    5 reasons why wind farms are costing more in Australia – and what to do about it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magnus Söderberg, Professor and Director, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University Saeed Khan/Getty Building a solar farm in Australia is getting about 8% cheaper each year as panel prices fall and technology improves, according to an official new report. Battery storage costs are

    Sporty spice: how romance fiction is adding a new dynamic to sports fandom
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University Sports fans might love their teams, cheer or curse each game’s result and admire their favourite athletes, but we rarely associate sports with romance. However, that may be slowly changing thanks to the recent spike in the popularity

    Just as NZ began collecting meaningful data on rainbow communities, census changes threaten their visibility
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lori Leigh, Research Fellow in Public Health, University of Otago Getty Images New Zealand’s 2023 census was the first to collect data on gender identity and sexual orientation, showing one in 20 adults identify as LGBTQIA+. But just as reports from this more inclusive census are being

    Big tech says AI could boost Australia’s economy by $115 billion a year. Does the evidence stack up?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Imaginima / Getty Images AI is on the agenda in Canberra. In August, the Productivity Commission will release an interim report on harnessing data and digital technology such as AI “to boost productivity growth, accelerate innovation and

    Progress on Closing the Gap is stagnant or going backwards. Here are 3 things to help fix it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeleine Pugin, Research Fellow, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University The Productivity Commission’s latest data on Closing the Gap progress represents an unsurprisingly grim overview of the socioeconomic inequalities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Closing the Gap is the plan federal and

    More than 2 in 5 young Australians are lonely, our new report shows. This is what could help
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle H. Lim, Associate Professor, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney Oliver Rossi/Getty Images Loneliness is not a word often associated with young people. We tend to think of our youth as a time spent with family, friends and being engaged with school and work

    How migrant business owners turn their identity into an asset, despite some bumps along the way
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea X. Fan, Associate Professor, Human Resource Management, Deakin University Odua Images/Shutterstock Too often, it’s anti-immigration sentiment dominating headlines in Australia. But a quieter story is going untold. Migrants are not just fitting into Australian society, they’re actively reshaping it through entrepreneurship. Starting a business is difficult

    The Man from Hong Kong at 50: how the first ever Australian–Hong Kong co-production became a cult classic
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Ferris, Senior Lecturer, Media Arts & Production, University of Technology Sydney LMPC via Getty Images A cinematic firecracker of a film exploded onto international screens 50 years ago this week, blending martial arts mayhem, Bond-esque set pieces, casual racism – and a distinctly Australian swagger. From

    Rules for calculating climate risk in financial reporting by NZ businesses need revisiting – new research
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martien Lubberink, Associate Professor of Accounting and Capital, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Andrew MacDonald/Getty Images The recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on climate action marked a significant step forward in formalising an idea many already accept: climate inaction is not merely

    Climate justice victory at the ICJ – the student journey from USP lectures to The Hague
    By Vahefonua Tupola in Suva The University of the South Pacific (USP) is at the heart of a global legal victory with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivering a historic opinion last week affirming that states have binding legal obligations to protect the environment from human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. The case, hailed as a

    Climate justice victory at the ICJ – the student journey from USP lectures to The Hague
    By Vahefonua Tupola in Suva The University of the South Pacific (USP) is at the heart of a global legal victory with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivering a historic opinion last week affirming that states have binding legal obligations to protect the environment from human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. The case, hailed as a

    Kamchatka earthquake is among top 10 strongest ever recorded. Here’s what they have in common
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Today at about 11:30am local time, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the country’s far east. Originating at a depth of roughly 20 kilometres, today’s powerful earthquake – among the ten strongest in recorded

    Kamchatka earthquake is among top 10 strongest ever recorded. Here’s what they have in common
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Today at about 11:30am local time, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the country’s far east. Originating at a depth of roughly 20 kilometres, today’s powerful earthquake – among the ten strongest in recorded

    Tsunami warnings are triggering mass evacuations across the Pacific – even though the waves look small. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Last night, one of the ten largest earthquakes ever recorded struck Kamchatka, the sparsely populated Russian peninsula facing the Pacific. The magnitude 8.8 quake had its epicentre in the sea just

    NAPLAN is just one test. Here’s what to do if your child’s results were in the bottom bands
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sally Larsen, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of New England Rawpixel/ Getty Images The latest round of NAPLAN results are out, along with a string of news reports about “students falling behind” and “failing”, and experts sounding the “alarm” about school progress. In March, all Australian students

    Inflation slows again — but is it enough for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate Professor, School of Economics, University of Sydney Doublelee/Shutterstock Inflation is moving in the right direction, but new figures released today may not be soft enough to trigger a cut in official interest rates in August. The Australian Bureau of Statistics released the June quarter

    With the UK and France moving toward recognising Palestine, will Australia now follow suit?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University One of the smallest and most exclusive clubs in the world belongs to states. The US Department of State puts the number of independent recognised states at 197, while others count 200. The United Nations, meanwhile, has 193

    With the UK and France moving toward recognising Palestine, will Australia follow suit?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University One of the smallest and most exclusive clubs in the world belongs to states. The US Department of State puts the number of independent recognised states at 197, while others count 200. The United Nations, meanwhile, has 193

    An underwater observatory keeping the pulse of the Southern Ocean for nearly 30 years yields fresh results
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Traill, PhD Candidate Southern Ocean biogeochemistry, University of Tasmania Elizabeth Shadwick In a world affected by climate change, the Southern Ocean plays an outsized role. It absorbs up to 40% of the human-caused emissions taken up by the oceans while also being home to some of

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: SMHI donates diesel generator to hospital in Ukraine

    Source: Government of Sweden

    In connection with Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari’s visit to Ukraine in recent days, the Government decided to instruct the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) to transfer a diesel generator to Ukraine. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, together with the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) has been in contact with a Ukrainian hospital that is in great need of this support, and will promptly make arrangements for the generator to be transported to Ukraine.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: independent MP Allegra Spender on making tax fairer for younger Australians

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    With parliament now finished its first fortnight’s session, attention will soon be on the government’s August 19-21 economic reform roundtable, bringing together business, unions, experts and community representatives to pursue consensus on ways to lift Australia’s flagging productivity.

    Independent member for Wentworth Allegra Spender is one of the 25 participants invited to the roundtable. She’s particularly focused on tax reform and last week held a tax roundtable of her own.

    Spender joined the podcast to talk about making tax fairer, the need for greater economic reform, climate policy, the social media ban for under 16s, a ceasefire in Gaza, and more.

    On her ambitions on tax policy, Spender says income tax indexation is something that would benefit younger, working Australians:

    Myself and actually another number of crossbenchers […] wrote to both the government and the opposition last term, really pushing for tax indexation. And really the heart of this is startling statistics from last term. The [Reserve Bank of Australia] put out some information that showed that bracket creep was a bigger impost on average households’ budgets than the RBA increases in the interest rate.

    […] Just to give you two statistics about young working people: households over the age of 65, in the last 10 odd years, have grown their wealth by around 50%. Households under the age of 35 have not grown their worth at all, pretty much. So they are going backwards relative to the rest of the country. A household, two households, both on a $100,000, sitting next to each other. If [one] household is retired, they have to pay on average half the tax of a working age household.

    Spender says the system is stacked against young people, who “are really struggling economically compared to previous generations”.

    It’s in your early and midlife that you need money for housing, to raise kids and everything else. So we don’t have a tax system that works for younger people. We have a tax system that burdens younger people strongly and then actually gives people more tax breaks when they’re older, and normally wealthier.

    On climate targets, Spender says while she’ll be guided by the yet-to-be-provided Climate Change Authority’s advice, she wants to see Australia “try and lead other countries” – pointing to the United Kingdom, which has set a target to cut emissions by at least 81% by 2035.

    The Climate Change Authority put out their interim guidance to say that a target within 65 to 75% [emissions reduction on 2005 levels] was both achievable from an economic point of view and also appropriate towards a scientific point of view.

    My view is that we should be at the very top end of that. Now, if the Climate Change Authority significantly reviews, you know, revises down their targets, I will reconsider. But I think really what we should be doing is to say how can we be as ambitious as possible. And the reason I think that is important is actually, you know, from a business point of view, ambition and certainty is what they need to make the big investments that will actually achieve it.

    Ambition is needed from a scientific point of view, because if we took, say, less than 75% [emissions reduction], and the rest of the world did too, we would be looking at outcomes that are catastrophic for Australia. Regular days in Sydney and Melbourne that are above 50 degrees. A huge loss of coral reef. Continued adverse weather events.

    On the news that the government will include YouTube in its social media ban for under 16s, Spender says it’s now up to social media companies to make their websites safer to lift the bans.

    My eldest daughter [who’s 12] has a strong view on this. And she’s actually a big fan of the ban. She was like, ‘I just don’t understand how it makes sense to leave YouTube in and TikTok out’. […] She’s not on social media, but other people are, and she finds it sometimes frustrating.

    But I think the challenge on this is always going to be the implementation. I think it’s fiendishly complicated to implement. I think genuinely the most valuable part of this ban is actually the signal to families and parents about what is expected and what isn’t.

    […] I think the ball’s in the social media companies’ courts. If they want to move to a life beyond the ban, they need to show how they can make their platforms safe for younger Australians, because I don’t think they have delivered that to date. So I’d be open if they can provide the evidence of how they can change things. I’m always open minded to reversing or changing those bans. But at the moment, [social media] isn’t safe.

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

    – ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: independent MP Allegra Spender on making tax fairer for younger Australians – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-independent-mp-allegra-spender-on-making-tax-fairer-for-younger-australians-262225

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: “Sweden, France and Denmark calls for new global rules on exporting textile waste to developing countries”

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Opinion piece by Romina Pourmokhtari, Minister for Climate and the Environment in Sweden, Christophe Béchu, Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories in France and Magnus Heunicke, Minister for the Environment in Denmark, published in Dagens industri, March 25 2024.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister for Climate and the Environment attending UNEA-6 in Nairobi

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari is attending the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in Nairobi on 27–29 February. Items on Ms Pourmokhtari’s agenda include climate change, plastic pollution, circular economy and threats to biodiversity.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: International cooperation to triple global capacity of nuclear energy

    Source: Government of Sweden

    On Saturday 2 December at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, French President Emmanuel Macron and the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry – together with heads of state and government, ministers and industrial leaders from some 20 countries – launched a declaration for strengthened cooperation in the area of civil nuclear energy.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Unlock More Capital, Deputy Secretary-General Urges at AGFUND Event Citing Real Leadership across Africa to Achieve Sustainable Food Security, Resilience

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the UN Food Systems Summit+4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4) Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) side event:  “Mobilizing Investment for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2:  The Role of Public-Private Partnerships”, in Addis Ababa today:

    It is a pleasure to be with you today to confront one of the great injustices of our time, and to spotlight a response that offers hope.

    Let me start with the stark reality we all know too well.  Hunger is rising.  Over 800 million people are food insecure.  Climate shocks and conflict are battering food systems.  Inflation and instability are undermining livelihoods.

    Once again, those with the least are paying the highest price.  Behind the numbers are human potential being lost every single day.  Children whose growth is stunted, mothers who skip meals to feed their families and farmers trapped in cycles of debt when harvests fail.

    This is both a development emergency and a solvable failure.  We have the knowledge and the means, what we lack is the scale of investment needed to act decisively.  Food systems don’t stop at borders:  rivers flow across regions and markets stretch across continents. Our response must reflect that same interconnection grounded in shared responsibility. 

    We meet here in Addis Ababa, a city that has long embodied African cooperation and leadership.  There is no better place to recommit to food security and resilience.

    Food is more than a necessity.  It is also a foundation for peace and a force for unity.  In a divided world, food carries the promise of shared responsibility and shared survival.  It is with this understanding that I welcome the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security.

    That is why I welcome the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security.  Launched at the Sixteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16) under Saudi leadership and supported by AGFUND and many others, this initiative offers a structured, forward-looking response to today’s urgent needs.

    The value of the Flagship lies in its design.  It brings together science and policy, local knowledge and institutional finance, Governments and field-based delivery.  Over 30 partners are already involved.

    With careful targeting and strong regional coordination, the Flagship is directing resources to the people and places that need them most — smallholder farmers, women producers and fragile ecosystems.

    This approach recognizes that sustainable food security cannot be achieved through top-down solutions alone.  It requires empowering local communities, strengthening Indigenous knowledge systems and ensuring that women — who produce the majority of the world’s food — have equal access to land, credit and decision-making power.

    This initiative is not just a vision on paper, it is already generating real momentum — through integration with the Global Drought Resilience Partnership and through collaboration with the Joint SDG Fund in countries like Ethiopia and Cameroon.  These efforts show that it’s possible to build practical, blended financing models that support action.

    We are seeing real leadership across Africa.  Countries are moving forward with national strategies, restoring land and linking action to results.  This is African leadership in motion rooted in local priorities, supported by global partners.

    Yet we must be clear-eyed about the obstacles that remain, particularly around financing.  The financing gap for food systems transformation is estimated at over $300 billion annually.

    Connected, is the fundamental inequity in how climate finance flows.  The countries most affected by climate change receive the least support, while those who have contributed least to the problem bear the greatest burden.

    The financing gap is felt most in the least developed countries and small island developing States.  We need to unlock more capital, not only from traditional sources, but also through environmental, social and governance bonds, responsible land investment and climate-aligned funds.

    Before I close, I want to acknowledge the partners who have made this possible.  Let me thank AGFUND and Dr. Nasser Al Kahtani for their leadership, the Crop Trust for hosting the Secretariat and the Arab Coordination Group for their financial and strategic backing.

    As we move forward together, we must remember what this work is really about. This initiative is a reminder that change comes from purpose, partnership and persistence.

    So, let us move forward with a shared determination.  Because food systems transformation is not only about agriculture.  It is about dignity.  It is about justice.  It is about the future we owe one another.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More transport choices are coming to Mackworth

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby’s final mobility hub is underway, bringing more transport choices to residents in Mackworth.

    Building on the success of similar schemes elsewhere in the city, the new mobility hub will be installed at the Prince Charles Avenue shopping precinct, giving residents and local businesses greater choice when deciding how they travel around their local community.

    Mobility hubs provide greater opportunities to use sustainable and active travel methods – such as walking and cycling – making it easier to access local amenities. It is hoped that they will also draw more people into the area and enhance the local economy.

    Work on site to install the Prince Charles Avenue mobility hub is expected to be completed later this summer and will include:

    • Electric vehicle (EV) charging and dedicated parking for up to three EVs
    • An Enterprise Car Club location (subject to expected demand)
    • An accessible seating area with bike storage, designed in consultation with local businesses, ward councillors and the Police
    • Interactive information totem with live travel updates

    Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability said:

    This mobility hub will be the final piece of the jigsaw in delivering enhanced, sustainable transport choices to our communities. 

    A welcome addition to our ever-growing transport network, the Mackworth mobility hub will support our work to combat climate change through reduced pollution and congestion in Derby.

    The Mackworth mobility hub will add to the network of hubs already completed or in construction in Six Streets, Chaddesden, Allenton and Normanton/Arboretum. As well as providing alternative transport choices, the hubs help the Council to learn more about the community’s travel needs and preferences, helping to shape future schemes. 

    Mobility hubs are funded by the Department for Transport (DFT)’s Future Transport Zones Fund, which was awarded to Derby City Council to trial new and exciting developments in transport.

    Residents who would like to know more about the mobility hubs can get in touch with the Future Transport Zones team by emailing traffic.management@derby.gov.uk.
    Ends. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: As climate change hits, what might the British garden of the future look like?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adele Julier, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, University of Portsmouth

    Maria Evseyeva/Shutterstock

    Hosepipe bans in summer 2025 will mean many gardeners having to choose which of their plants to keep going with the watering can, and which to abandon. Are these temporary restrictions actually a sign we need to rethink British gardens altogether?

    Climate change will bring the United Kingdom warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers. Britain has seen warm periods before, such as in the last interglacial period 130,000 years ago, but the current speed of change is unprecedented. This will have many effects, but it will also change one of the core parts of British life: our gardens.

    Rather than fighting the inevitable and trying to keep growing the same plants we have always grown, how might we adapt what we grow and how we grow it?

    The first to go, tragically for some, may be the classic British lawn. Already this year across the country, large areas of grass are looking parched and brown in the face of a long drought. The traditional lawn has just a few species of grass and is unlikely to be very drought-resistant. You can maintain a grass lawn that is more tolerant of dry weather by using drought-resistant fescue species of grass, and keeping the lawn well aerated (that means putting small holes in it to allow air, water and nutrients to reach the grass roots). But it may still suffer periods in which it looks unhealthy.

    Swapping a lawn for a meadow can increase drought tolerance and decrease maintenance such as regular mowing and watering, because meadows only need to be cut once a year and don’t need as much water. Perhaps instead of lawns we can embrace No Mow May all year round, creating a greater diversity of plant and animal life in gardens.

    Wildflowers such as yarrow and common knapweed can be great for pollinators and the birds that feed on them. These plants are drought-tolerant too.

    As well as challenges in the face of a changing climate, there will be opportunities. Grape vines were grown in Britain in Roman times, and British wine production is once again a growing industry. Regular British gardeners could also grow a wider variety of grape vines, and even make their own wine. Warmer, drier summers could make plants such as citrus and olive trees easier to grow, with fruits more likely to ripen and less likely to be lost to frost in winter. Sunflowers, while they already grow here, could also thrive in the new conditions.

    There will be a shift in the best types of decorative plants for gardens, with those needing lots of water, such as hydrangeas, delphiniums and gentians, becoming difficult to grow. We could look to the Mediterranean for inspiration, and choose shrubs such as thyme and lavender, or climbers like passion flowers, that need less water. It is also possible to grow a drought-tolerant garden with plants that are native to Britain, such as species of Geranium and Sedum. Coastal plants such as sea kale and sea holly that grow in harsh, rocky conditions can also make great garden plants in a drier climate.

    Sea holly doesn’t mind our changing climate as much as other garden plants.
    olko1975/Shutterstock

    Finally, the way we garden will need to change. Setting up water storage systems, from simple water butts to larger, more complex systems that could include grey water harvesting (used but clean water from baths and washing up) or underground water storage, will help gardeners to make the most of storms by storing the rainwater for use during droughts. You can set up a dispersion system to recycle lightly used household water, such as from a dishwasher or shower.

    Soil health is important too, as soils with more organic matter are better at holding water. Composting food waste to add to soil would be a great way of helping to increase the organic content and make watering more efficient. This has the added value of avoiding peat composts. Peat comes from wetlands and it will eventually run out. Peat harvesting also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

    The next few decades will be challenging for gardeners. Britain will probably experience an increase in prolonged droughts and other extreme weather, as well as overall warming caused by climate change. Our gardens may cover a small proportion of land in the UK. But we can use them to experiment and develop sustainable ways of existing, growing not just new plants but also hope in the face of adversity.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

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

    – ref. As climate change hits, what might the British garden of the future look like? – https://theconversation.com/as-climate-change-hits-what-might-the-british-garden-of-the-future-look-like-261608

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Gradual v sudden collapse: what magnets teach us about climate tipping points

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Dearing, Emeritus Professor of Physical Geography, University of Southampton

    Andrey VP / shutterstock

    Some of Earth’s largest climate systems may collapse not with a bang, but with a whimper. Surprisingly, experiments with magnets are helping us understand how.

    We now widely accept that greenhouse gases and the way we use natural resources are putting enormous stress on the world’s climate and ecosystems. It’s also well known that even small increases in stress can push Earth systems, like rainforests, ice sheets or ocean currents, past tipping points, leading to major and often irreversible changes.

    But there’s a lot we still don’t know about tipping points. When might they happen? What will they look like? And what should we do about them?

    Some local tipping points have already been reached. For example, many lakes have abruptly shifted in the past few decades from clear water to slimy, algae-choked pools, usually in response to fertilisers running off nearby farmland.

    Smaller systems, like this pond, can very suddenly shift from one state to another.
    Janet J / shutterstock

    For larger systems, like the entire Amazon forest or the West Antarctic ice sheet, the longer timescales involved mean direct observation – and certainly experiments – are impossible.

    But we can look for clues elsewhere. In fact, we can now learn about tipping points from something much smaller and far more controllable: magnets.

    Magnets have tipping points too

    In our recent research, we used magnetic materials to mimic the behaviour of an ecosystem stressed by global warming. Just like Earth’s climate systems, magnets can tip from one stable state to another – flipping from positive to negative – when pushed hard enough.

    We found that magnets don’t all flip the same way. Some shift abruptly – a characteristic of many hard materials. Others shift smoothly and more easily – as commonly found with soft magnets.

    Whether a magnet collapses abruptly or smoothly is determined by its structure. As a general rule, hard materials are simple structures that absorb stress up to a point and then suddenly flip – much like a small, well-mixed lake that stays clear until one day, when enough fertiliser has leaked in, it turns green and slimy almost overnight.

    Soft magnets, on the other hand, are more complex inside. Different parts respond to stress at different rates. This is similar to a large forest, where some species can handle rising temperatures but others are less resilient.

    The result is a reorganisation. Some species die out, others take over, and the whole system gradually transitions into a different type of forest – or even into a new ecosystem like a grassland.

    Some Earth systems are more prone to abrupt collapse.
    Steve Allen / shutterstock

    The same principles may apply beyond biology. Ocean currents and ice sheets with their many varied and moving parts might also behave like soft magnets, reorganising gradually rather than collapsing in one sudden movement.

    Softer systems are easier to flip back

    Our experiments with magnets uncovered something else with implications for Earth’s climate systems and their tipping points.

    The softer a system is, the easier it is to reverse the change – but only if you act before the stress builds up. If the pressure has built up too much, even soft systems start behaving like hard ones, flipping suddenly and dramatically.

    We also found that what may look like a soft and complex system – a whole rainforest or ice sheet, for instance – can be made up of lots of smaller hard elements. Each of these elements has its own sensitivity to a specific level of stress. Zoom in far enough, and you’ll see many more abrupt tipping points at the level of a single lake or patch of trees.

    This matters because the speed of change is just as important as the amount. In magnets, the faster we applied stress, the more likely they were to tip suddenly. Climate systems seem to behave the same way: the faster we heat the world, the greater the risk of sudden collapse.

    If we see these big complex systems slowly shifting and think there’s still time to act – we may be wrong. Like the proverbial frogs in boiling water, we may not notice we have passed the point of no return until it is too late.

    This is why we must watch closely, especially at the local level, for any warning signs. A patch of wetland drying out or a small tract of forest dying back. These might seem like small changes, but they may signal a much larger decline is already underway.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    John Dearing is a member of the Green Party of England and Wales.

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

    – ref. Gradual v sudden collapse: what magnets teach us about climate tipping points – https://theconversation.com/gradual-v-sudden-collapse-what-magnets-teach-us-about-climate-tipping-points-258606

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How the UK’s cold weather payments need to change to help prevent people freezing in winter

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas Longden, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University

    DimaBerlin/Shutterstock

    The UK government recently expanded the warm home discount by removing restrictions that had previously excluded many people who can’t always afford to heat their homes. Now, the payment of £150 will be received by 2.7 million more households than last winter.

    The UK government has also reversed its decision to limit winter fuel payments to only the poorest pensioners. This could benefit up to 9 million people.

    The UK government has two other mechanisms for reducing heating costs over winter. The warm home discount and winter fuel payment are both one-off payments that help people pay their heating bills. The cold weather payment aims to support people during spells of very cold weather.

    Recipients of specific means-tested benefits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland automatically receive £25 after cold weather occurs in their region. Another policy applies in Scotland, where some people get a single winter heating payment.

    While these changes to the winter fuel payment and warm home discount are welcome, the cold weather payment has long been seen as an outdated, old-fashioned scheme in need of change. For example, it is paid after cold weather happens. Our research indicates that it can be improved by changing this.

    The wide use of smart meters means that researchers like us can now produce data-driven studies that improve our understanding of energy use and expenditure during cold weather. Our recent studies of prepayment meter customers’ energy use indicate ways to improve the cold weather payments.

    Analysis of electricity and gas smart-meter data from 11,500 Utilita Energy prepayment customers showed that 63% of households self-disconnected from energy supply at least once a year. In this study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, we found that more homes self-disconnected from gas during cold periods than at other times. There was no evidence to show that the cold weather payment as presently designed reduced this risk.

    Also using smart meter data from energy company Utilita Energy, a recent study published in the journal Energy Economics shows that prepayment gas customers in regions with high fuel poverty tend to struggle at temperatures below −4°C. Below this temperature, prepayment gas customers need to top up more often and with higher amounts. People using prepayment tend to top-up their credit in advance of cold weather.

    Cold weather payments could be sent directly to customers with smart meters.
    Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock

    In colder weather, more people use emergency credit and disconnect from power more often. Emergency credit is provided by the utility as a short-term loan. Self-disconnections occur when the household has no credit left and they have no energy supply.

    The government’s payment is triggered when the average temperature falls below 0°C for seven consecutive days. As this metric is not reported by news media or meteorology services, it’s hard to know when the cold weather payment will be received. The easiest way to find out if a payment will be made, after cold weather, requires people to enter their postcode at a Department for Work and Pensions website.

    If people are unsure if severe weather is forecast, they may not increase their top-up in advance. They may, however, self-ration or limit energy use to save money.

    The cold weather payment is only paid once even when there are multiple periods of cold. This “overlap penalty” severely affects those living in northern England and particularly Yorkshire, which is a colder region where cold weather spells are more common.

    Cause for reform

    The payment should be made in advance of cold weather, and utility companies could pay it directly to customers who have smart meters. Credits could be applied for those using other types of meters. This is likely to reduce self-disconnections and self-rationing during very cold nights.

    Payments should be triggered by the minimum night-time temperature. The temperature measure used at present is confusing and the money is not paid until up to two weeks after extremely cold weather, which is problematic for those on tight budgets.

    To better match the support needed during cold weather, the amount paid should be increased to £10 a day for every day that minimum temperatures are forecast to be below −4°C. This would improve energy security for people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    A policy will only be effective when it is clearly communicated and understood by those it applies to. To prevent self-rationing, people need to know that payment support has arrived, otherwise they may hesitate to turn up the heating on the coldest days of winter, with all the risks that involves.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Thomas Longden has recently received funding from Energy Consumers Australia and Original Power – a community-focused, Aboriginal organisation. He is a member of the ACT Climate Change Council and the NSW branch of the Economic Society of Australia.

    Brenda Boardman is affiliated in the UK with the End Fuel Poverty Coalition and the Labour Party. Her research on pre-payment meter households was co-funded by Utilita Giving.

    Tina Fawcett currently receives funding from UKRI. Her research on pre-payment meter households was co-funded by Utilita Giving.

    – ref. How the UK’s cold weather payments need to change to help prevent people freezing in winter – https://theconversation.com/how-the-uks-cold-weather-payments-need-to-change-to-help-prevent-people-freezing-in-winter-259339

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Hailing Progress to Transform Food Systems, Deputy Secretary-General Urges Stronger Collaboration to End Global Hunger, at UN Summit+4 Stocktake’s Closing Plenary

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the closing plenary of the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4), in Addis Ababa today:

    Let me begin by extending my appreciation to the Government of Ethiopia for its warm hospitality, and to the Italian Government as well, for their support as Co-Hosts of this Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake.

    Over the last three days, we have engaged and heard from over 3,000 of you — leaders from Ethiopia and Italy, Kenya, Somalia, Comoros, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, Cuba; the ministers from a wide range of sectors; National Convenors and other government representatives; youth, Indigenous Peoples, food producers, business, civil society, development partners; our Rome-based agencies; and the UN system.  I am particularly grateful to the resident coordinators that joined us here in Addis and will now go back to work with renewed impetus to make food systems transformation a reality.

    The energy and vitality of this movement continues to inspire.  This gathering has reminded us of the value of coming together as a global community to benefit from the perspectives and experiences of others and to shape new, bold action for the future.

    At the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in 2021, in the midst of a global pandemic, we embarked on a journey to grow and catalyse energy behind an emerging movement for the transformation of our food systems to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Too often food systems are seen as part of our challenges, when they can be one of the greatest solutions to deliver for people, planet, peace and prosperity.

    Two years ago, still grappling with the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, facing planetary crises and the effects of new conflicts, the Call to Action from the First Stocktake of the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+2) in Rome appealed for inclusivity to strengthen our efforts to drive more targeted investment and mutual accountability.

    Since then, Governments have continued to shift how they govern and shape policy for food systems.  A total of 130 countries have articulated integrated, multisectoral National Pathways for Food Systems Transformation and here again; I want to acknowledge the incredible contribution of Sir David Nabarro.

    In 168 countries, nationally determined contributions are now reflecting the critical role of food and agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as we seek to adapt and transform.

    More than 170 countries are implementing school meal programmes that support child nutrition, often connecting with local producers and contributing to regenerative production practices.  At the subnational level, many cities are leading the way in reducing food waste and strengthening local supply chains.

    I am proud of what we have achieved.  We have heard powerful stories of progress and rising ambition since 2021 from a diverse ecosystem of partners, who are reforming policies, championing local innovation and digitalization, mobilizing investments and partnerships and empowering women and youth.

    And when it comes to our young people, there is increased understanding that ensuring youth-inclusive and youth-led food systems transformation is important both for enhancing youth welfare and building sustainable and resilient food systems.

    The food systems movement has taken root in global and regional agreements — from the Twenty-Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) Declaration to initiatives emerging from the Group of Seven (G7) and Group of Twenty (G20) to regional agreements, such as the Kampala Declaration earlier this year.

    These are powerful commitments to transform food systems for people and the planet that you have helped inspire.  Thanks to your collective work and efforts we are better equipped to meet our ambition.

    You are strengthening coalitions and launching new initiatives to help drive our work, including:

    • The Food Systems Accelerator, launched by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), GAIN and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, will support countries to turn strategies into financed, scalable change.
    • Through greater uptake of the Financial Flows to Food Systems framework, co-developed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank, we can help Governments design more effective, tailored financing strategies.
    • Business engagement — co-led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development — broke new ground.  These efforts culminated in a Business Compendium of 15 investment-ready models, showing how business is shifting from commitment to implementation.
    • As a result of the investment pitch for Cameroon, the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security has announced their intent to partner with the Joint SDG Fund to significantly scale up existing programmes.  The launch for this large-scale commitment will take place in New York this September 2025.
    • The Convergence Initiative helps drive integration of food systems transformation and climate action for accelerated sustainable development and represents a useful resource for countries to navigate competing policy choices with partners.
    • Investments in critical sectors, including those under the Mattei Plan for Africa, are mobilizing public-private partnerships and catalysing private sector investment.
    • The UNFSS+4 Youth Declaration, crafted by more than 3,000 youth from all over the world, called for inclusive, participatory decision-making in food systems, climate justice and intergenerational collaboration.
    • The UNFSS Coalitions of Action demonstrated that they are dynamic vehicles for food systems transformation, mobilizing diverse stakeholders across sectors and scales to deliver impact aligned with national priorities.

    With just five years until 2030, it is encouraging to see that the world remains committed to the realization of the 2030 Agenda.

    As we conclude this Stocktake, we must acknowledge that we met in the face of challenges that test our moral values and threaten the future sustainability of our planet, underscoring the urgency of our work together.

    The release of the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report last night confirmed:  hunger and malnutrition persist.  Climate shocks, conflict, debt and inequality are widening the cracks in our systems.

    It is estimated that between 638 and 720 million people — a bit less than 1 in 10 people in the world — faced hunger in 2024. 2.6 billion people are still unable to afford a healthy diet.  Only about one third of children aged 6 to 23 months and two thirds of women aged 15 to 49 years achieved minimum dietary diversity globally.

    People’s access to food in conflict zones is highly constrained and — in some instances — attempts to access humanitarian relief has led to injury and death.  Whole communities experience man-made food insecurity and malnutrition, with extreme long-term consequences for their children.

    Farmers everywhere are facing unprecedented adverse climate impacts, threatening livelihoods and food security.  Developing economies are still coping with impacts of inflation, severe fiscal constraints, debt challenges and the high cost of capital.  Looking ahead, 512 million people are still projected to be facing hunger in 2030, of whom nearly 60 per cent will be in Africa.

    As we consider the pathway to 2030, peace and respect for human rights must anchor our ambition.  Every person in our world — rich or poor, young or old — has the right to food that is accessible, affordable, safe and nutritious. Present and future generations are depending on our choices.  Only through inclusive dialogue and genuine partnerships can countries and communities ensure faster and more effective progress.

    As we leave this Stocktake and take what we achieved here in Addis back home and to other milestones, clear points of emphasis have been identified:

    First, we must act urgently to summon the funding, innovations and global solidarity to build the food-secure and climate-resilient future that every person, everywhere, needs and deserves.  The dramatic reduction in life-saving humanitarian funding to respond to these needs must be immediately reversed and safe access to life-saving humanitarian support granted.

    Second, is to deepen the implementation of National Pathways for Food Systems Transformation.  The effective and meaningful participation of all relevant stakeholders is a priority, with particular attention to involving family farmers, front-line food workers, women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

    Third, we must unlock finance and investment.  That means mobilizing domestic resources and investments at scale for all dimensions of food systems transformation.  It also means scaling up finance and investment by multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, and public development banks behind country priorities.

    And we have work to do to scale up private sector investment in agriculture and food systems.  This should include the small and medium-sized enterprises that serve as a backbone of our food systems interfacing with millions of food producers and consumers.

    Fourth, we must continue the drive for an integrated approach.  We need to simultaneously pursue policy measures that focus on equity and resilience through linking environmental, economic and social dimensions of food systems.  Policies should be rooted in local culture, communities and traditional knowledge to help guide approaches that can accelerate transformation and enhance self-reliance.

    Fifth, we must continue to leverage science, technology and knowledge.  Science and innovation are prerequisites for food systems transformation and can support alignment of health, agriculture, climate, biodiversity and economic objectives and policies.  Strong science-policy-society interfaces are essential and must appreciate traditional knowledge.

    New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are changing our economies and our societies.  The road ahead demands we leverage the appropriate and responsible use of technology to ensure prosperity for all in a healthy and liveable planet.  The digital public infrastructure needs more investment to ensure the connectivity of our rural communities.

    And, finally, we must connect with our future.  I agree with our young people — they are not merely future beneficiaries of food systems change, they are active co-leaders in transformation.  Policies should enhance opportunities for young people to create, innovate and thrive.

    On the road to 2030, there will be important milestones that the outcomes of UNFSS+4 will inform and in which this movement will engage.  These include the World Social Summit, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP30, UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP17 and the 2027 SDG Summit.

    UNFSS+4 has reinforced the value of a dedicated space to foster collaboration, deepen systems approaches and encourage the emergence of food systems whose purposes are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda.

    The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub will continue to advance progress at country level, through our resident coordinators and country teams, accompanying National Convenors and collaborating with other partners.  Our movement has shown what is possible when we work together in deliberate ways across sectors, stakeholders and countries with a shared purpose.

    I call on Governments and people everywhere to build on what has been accomplished and continue to work together for peace and to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda.  Let’s continue to lead the way — together.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Aftermath of Tsunami Alert, Cantwell Thanks First Responders & NOAA: “Those Warnings Were Made Possible Because Of The Incredible Work of NOAA Employees”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.30.25

    In Aftermath of Tsunami Alert, Cantwell Thanks First Responders & NOAA: “Those Warnings Were Made Possible Because Of The Incredible Work of NOAA Employees”

    Tsunami warning comes on the heels of Cantwell’s letter to Trump calling for more NOAA investments in ocean data collection, emergency alert systems

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell thanked first responders and employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for tracking the risk of a tsunami following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake near Russia and immediately mobilizing alert systems to ensure people on the West Coast, in Hawaii, and in Alaska had the up-to-date information needed to stay safe.

    “Those warnings were made possible because of the incredible work of NOAA employees [and] emergency responders. And to make sure that our coastal communities like the State of Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, California, and Oregon, and other impacted areas, were given warning safely in advance,” Sen. Cantwell said during a meeting of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, on which she serves as ranking member.

    “We have this capability because of investments we’ve made in infrastructure. This includes the DART program — the NOAA buoys positioned in the ocean to monitor for tsunamis in real time — and the work of NOAA’s Center for Tsunami Research in Seattle working to improve the models to provide faster, more accurate weather warnings and information.”

    Video of her remarks in the committee meeting is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    Last night’s tsunami warning came on the heels of a letter Sen. Cantwell sent to President Donald Trump last week outlining her five-point plan to bolster the United States’ weather readiness.

    READ MORE:

    The Seattle Times: EDITORIAL — Cantwell’s bipartisan weather plan shows the leadership America needs

    CNN: Key senator makes bipartisan plea to Trump to invest in weather and early warning networks

    CBS: Sen. Maria Cantwell urges Trump to invest in modernized weather forecast system: “The money will save you money”

    Sen. Cantwell’s five recommendations for President Trump are:

    1. Modernize Weather Data Collection: The United States needs to collect and compile more data by land, air, space, and sea by modernizing our weather data infrastructure and other tools, including better radars, hurricane hunters, weather satellites, and ocean buoys.
    2. World Leading Analytics: We need to catch up with and surpass European weather forecasting capabilities, which will require more supercomputing and improvements in data analytics including assimilation.
    3. Cutting Edge Research: As our communities experience more frequent and extreme weather, now is the time to invest in additional cutting-edge basic and applied research.
    4. Modernizing Alert Systems: We must strengthen and expand weather emergency communication channels to keep the public informed and help first responders prepare and react to natural disasters.
    5. Advance Bipartisan Legislation: The bipartisan Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 would strengthen weather research and forecasting and expand commercial data partnerships.

    More details about each of Sen. Cantwell’s recommendations can be found HERE.

    NOAA provides critical services to the nation including weather forecasts, extreme storm tracking and monitoring, tools to enable communities to adapt to sea level rise and climate change, supporting fisheries management, and conserving marine mammals and other protected species.

    Last month, Sen. Cantwell joined renowned meteorologists from across the country for a virtual presser to sound the alarm on cuts at NOAA’s National Weather Service, and called on the Trump Administration to restore the agency to full capacity. In February, Sen. Cantwell voted against confirming Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, citing – among other issues – his “tepid support” for NOAA. She then sent a letter to Lutnick directly following his confirmation calling on him to exempt the NWS from the federal hiring freeze, and protect all NOAA workers from firings “that would jeopardize the safety of the American public.”

    Sen. Cantwell is a champion of NOAA and helped secure $3.3 billion in NOAA investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to help communities prepare for and adapt to climate change, boost science needed to understand changing weather and climate patterns, and invest in advanced computer technologies that are critical for extreme weather prediction and emergency response. Her Fire Ready Nation Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen NOAA’s ability to help forecast, prevent, and fight wildfires, passed the Commerce committee unanimously earlier this year and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. In 2011, she secured Washington state’s first coastal Doppler radar in Grays Harbor County, enabling forecasters to better determine wind speed and rainfall of incoming storms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier celebrates first LNG Canada shipments to Asia

    Premier David Eby is celebrating hundreds of jobs and billions in economic growth that come with the first shipments of liquefied natural gas from LNG Canada to Asia, marking a historic milestone for British Columbia diversifying its trade relationships and securing its clean energy future.

    “The first shipments of made-in-B.C. energy across the Pacific come at a pivotal time for our province and the country we love,” Premier Eby said. “Projects like LNG Canada are the reason that B.C. will be the economic engine of a more independent Canada. It creates good jobs, opportunities that let young people build a life here in the North and generates the revenue we need to improve public services everyone relies on.”

    LNG Canada is the largest private-sector investment in Canadian history, with $40 billion committed to building the export facility in Kitimat and associated infrastructure. The project is expected to contribute 0.4% to Canada’s GDP once fully operational.

    The Kitimat facility is one of the cleanest of its kind in the world, with emissions 35% lower than the best-performing global facilities, and 60% lower than the global average. Approximately $6 billion in contracts have gone to B.C. and Indigenous businesses. The project was built in partnership with the Haisla Nation and other Indigenous communities.

    “British Columbia will produce some of the lowest-emission LNG in the world. It is imperative that we get our clean-energy resources to global markets so that we can deliver a stronger, more diversified economy for people and communities to benefit from,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “LNG Canada’s first shipment to Asia is a major milestone and one that positions B.C. and Canada to meet growing global demand, while highlighting our commitment to responsible energy development.”

    Premier Eby’s recent trade mission to Asia confirmed strong demand for responsibly produced energy from B.C., demand that the LNG Canada project is helping to meet.

    The LNG Canada project has created thousands of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for people in the North and across Canada.

    Quick Facts:

    • At peak construction, there were more than 9,000 highly skilled workers at the LNG Canada site in Kitimat.   
    • More than 300 full-time permanent jobs have been created at the Kitimat facility.
    • Since the final investment decision, the project and associated pipeline have employed 65,000 workers over roughly a six-year construction period, including more than 40,000 Canadians who have worked on the site since the start of construction.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Diaz-Balart Secures Funds for the Everglades, the Miccosukee Tribe, and other Southern Florida Priorities in FY 2026 Interior Funding Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Dean of the Florida Delegation, and Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill:

    “I was proud to support the FY 2026 Interior funding bill, for which I obtained critical funding for Everglades preservation and restoration efforts, Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Miccosukee Tribe, among other Southern Florida priorities.

    “This bill also promotes American energy independence, enhances U.S. competitiveness, ensures access to public lands, and reduces burdensome Biden-era red tape, all while cutting wasteful spending by six percent.

    “My deepest gratitude to Chairman Simpson for working directly with me to address key priorities of Florida’s Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, the true stewards of our unique and treasured Everglades National Park.” 

    Díaz-Balart secured these priorities for Southern Florida:

    • $973,000 for the Town of MiamiLakes Big Cypress DrainageImprovements Project.
    • $11.6 million for the Everglades Restoration Project through the National Park Service.
    • $73.8 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program for the development and implementation of programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats.
    • $6 million to address water qualityby providing funding for critical harmful algal bloom research.
    • $1 million in direct funding for South Florida to expand water quality and ecosystem health monitoring and prediction network.
    • Report language supporting the Tribe’s ongoing efforts with the Department of the Interior to review subsurface mineral rights on their land.
    • Report language prohibiting drilling inBig Cypress National Preserve.
    • Report language recognizing the recent passage of the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act (H.R. 504), which expands the Miccosukee Reserved Area to include Osceola Camp in Everglades National Park and directs the Department of the Interior, in consultation with the Tribe, to take necessary actions to protect structures within the camp from flooding.
    • Bill language ensuring that no part of Big Cypress National Preserve may be designated as wilderness, a longstanding priority of Congressman Díaz-Balart to protect access for the Tribes and broader public.
    • Reduce our reliance on foreign countries for critical minerals by promoting access to resources here at home.
    • Ensures chemical and pesticide manufacturers are not overburdened with requirements that would drive businesses overseas and threaten American competitiveness.
    • Provides no funds for the American Climate Corps, eco-grief training, or environmental justice activities.
    • Blocks Biden-era regulations that were imposing costs on American families and industry, such as:
      • EPA’s car emission regulations on light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles;
      • EPA’s Clean Power Plan 2.0; and
      • Regulatory overreach regarding ozone emissions.

    A summary of the bill is available here.

    Bill Report is available here.

    Bill Text is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Spain: Regional Resilience Fund provides €230 million to finance agreement signed by EIB with A&G and Urbania Alpha to promote affordable housing, urban development and sustainable tourism

    Source: European Investment Bank

    EIB

    • The two financing agreements have been signed thanks to the backing of the Regional Resilience Fund financed by NextGenerationEU and implemented by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise with EIB support.
    • The EIB will allocate €130 million to A&G and €100 million to Urbania Alpha (which holds the AEXX Capital brand) for investments throughout Spain.
    • These agreements mark a further step forward in rolling out the Regional Resilience Fund – specifically the instrument designed to promote urban development and sustainable tourism – with €640 million already signed to support investments under this instrument.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed agreements with A&G and Urbania Alpha (which holds the AEXX Capital brand) to channel a total of €230 million to new urban development projects (including those promoting affordable housing) and others related to sustainable tourism.

    The agreements were made possible by a contribution from the Regional Resilience Fund, part of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and financed by NextGenerationEU. More specifically, this was facilitated by the new instrument launched by the EIB to channel financing via financial intermediaries. Thanks to this instrument, agreements totalling €640 million have already been signed to back investments in urban development and sustainable tourism.

    As with the first agreements signed by the EIB under this instrument, A&G Banco and Urbania Alpha/AEXX Capital will assess investment opportunities across the country to promote projects in areas such as affordable housing, education, healthcare, social and cultural infrastructure, sustainable mobility, waste and water management, energy efficiency and sustainable tourism.

    A&G has been allocated €130 million by the EIB, which it will channel through A&G Real Estate Sustainable Developments, SICC SA. Urbania Alpha/AEXX Capital has been allocated €100 million to be channelled through AEXX Impact Investments I, SICC SA. Both are regulated vehicles set up specifically for this purpose. A&G will invest in equity, while Urbania Alpha/AEXX Capital will finance projects through equity and loans, or a combination of both. The maximum allocation per project is €22 million while maximum recovery periods are 15 years for equity investments and 20 years for debt. The investment period runs until December 2030.

    “With these two new financing agreements, the EIB continues to accelerate the deployment of the Regional Resilience Fund while boosting investment in urban development, affordable housing, and sustainable tourism in Spain. Public-private partnerships—such as those signed today with A&G and Urbania Alpha/AEXX Capital—help unlock the capital needed to make housing more accessible, foster an environmentally responsible tourism model, and adapt our cities to the evolving needs of citizens.” said EIB Director General – Head of Lending and Advisory Operations within the European Union Jean-Christophe Laloux

    “The signing of these agreements consolidates the implementation of the Regional Resilience Fund’s intermediated instrument, extending its scope to new specialised financial intermediaries. This is an important step in continuing to channel European funding towards projects with a real impact in key areas such as affordable housing, urban regeneration and sustainable tourism,’ said Inés Carpio, Director General of International Financing at the Treasury, Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise

    Alejandro Nuñez, Managing Partner of Alternative Investments at A&G added, “We appreciate the trust placed in us by an investor of such exceptional prestige as the EIB to mobilize a significant portion of the Regional Resilience Fund. We believe that A&G is in a privileged position to manage public-private capital that effectively contributes to urban regeneration and sustainable tourism projects in Spain. Over the last few years, A&G has managed to create a highly regarded real estate investment platform in Spain. The mandate granted by the EIB gives us the opportunity to channel key resources into promoting affordable rental housing, while also supporting sustainable initiatives and local job creation.”

    Background information

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Agreement, as pledged in its Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.

    In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the country’s green and digital transition, economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for residents.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.

    Regional Resilience Fund

    The Regional Resilience Fund (RRF) was created to facilitate access to NextGenerationEU loans from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan for the autonomous communities, with the aim of boosting investments and developing projects in eight priority areas: social and affordable housing; urban renewal; transport and sustainable tourism; the energy transition; water and waste management; the care economy; research, development and innovation; and the competitiveness of industry and SMEs.

    The fund is led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, which takes input from the autonomous communities and cities for investment decision-making and looks to the EIB Group as a strategic management partner.

    The initial phase of the RRF includes the activation of up to €3.4 billion in financing via:

    • a direct financing mechanism, to co-finance EIB-supported operations in sectors like renewable energy, clean transport and sustainable infrastructure;
    • an intermediated mechanism managed by financial intermediaries selected by the EIB, to support projects in urban development and sustainable tourism;
    • two instruments intermediated by the European Investment Fund that will facilitate SME financing for innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.

    About A&G and A&G Global Investors

    A&G was founded in 1987 and is a leading independent financial services group with offices in Spain and Luxembourg. At the end of June 2025, the group’s total assets under management (AuMs) exceeded €15.5 billion. The group’s capabilities in alternative investments are focused on real estate, energy transition (with strategies dedicated to investing in infrastructure assets and growing technology companies) and private equity investments, grouped under the A&G Global Investors brand.

    www.aygglobalinvestors.com

    Urbania Alpha/AEXX Capital

    Urbania Alpha/AEXX Capital is a European alternative asset management platform. The firm provides debt, equity, and hybrid capital solutions to address a broad range of financing needs for real asset owners. To execute this strategy, AEXX has developed deep geographic and asset-class expertise across European markets through its offices in Spain, Italy, the UK, Germany, and Portugal.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump signs Kennedy, Cortez Masto bill to help Louisianians recover from natural disasters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed into law Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)’s bipartisan Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act, which will provide relief for taxpayers in states that have issued state-level disaster declarations.

    “I’m grateful to President Trump for signing our bipartisan Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law. Louisianians recovering from hurricanes and other disasters shouldn’t have to wait on Washington to get the tax extensions they need. This law will make sure hard-hit communities can get necessary tax relief without delay,” said Kennedy.

    “When a natural disaster strikes, hard-hit families looking for tax relief shouldn’t have to wait for the federal government to act. This commonsense bill will ensure that taxpayers who have been through state emergencies can get the flexibility from the IRS that they deserve while recovering,” said Cortez Masto.

    Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) also cosponsored the bill.

    “The last thing Tennesseans should have to worry about when a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene strikes is meeting a tax-filing deadline. Now that President Trump has signed our bipartisan Tax Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law, Americans impacted by natural disasters will have the flexibility to focus on recovery, not tax paperwork,” said Blackburn.

    Prior to the bill’s signing, the Internal Revenue Service had the authority to postpone tax filing deadlines following a presidentially declared federal disaster but not following a state-level emergency declaration. 

    The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act allows the governor of a state or territory to extend a federal tax filing deadline following a state-declared emergency or natural disaster without waiting for a federal disaster declaration. 

    This change will enable states to provide federal tax extensions independent of the federal government’s involvement in an emergency or natural disaster.

    The law also expands the mandatory federal filing extension from 60 days to 120 days. 

    The full bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –