For decades, the rapid urbanisation and industrial growth experienced by many nations, had come at a high environmental cost. Landfills overflowed, plastic waste contaminated rivers and oceans, and emissions from improper waste disposal intensified the climate crisis.
The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Congress 2024, themed “Waste to Wealth: Solutions for a Sustainable Future,” signalled a turning point, with the idea that waste could be transformed into wealth resonating deeply.
The congress brought together global experts, policymakers, and business leaders to share cutting-edge practices in waste management and the circular economy. But more importantly, it showcased South Africa’s commitment to turning its waste challenges into economic opportunities.
The government’s introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations and the accent of the Climate Change Bill into an Act marked a significant shift in how the nation approached waste. The EPR Regulations require manufacturers to take responsibility for the lifecycle of their products, from production to post-consumer waste. This policy forces businesses to rethink how they design, produce, and manage products, pushing them toward more sustainable practices.
The Climate Change Act further aligns the nation’s policies with its environmental goals. It ensures that South Africa’s response to climate change, particularly in transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy is supported by robust legislation. This act not only aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also promotes the creation of green jobs and investments in the emerging circular economy.
However, one of the most remarkable aspects of South Africa’s waste management evolution is the active role the private sector plays. While government policies set the framework, it is private companies that help drive real change. Faced with regulatory requirements, businesses are beginning to take ownership of their waste, investing in recycling technologies, sustainable product designs, and waste-to-energy initiatives.
The idea that waste could be a resource, rather than a burden, has begun to reshape industries. For instance, South Africa’s plastic manufacturing sector was forced to adapt to new requirements mandating the inclusion of recycled content in products. This sparked a wave of innovation, as companies began developing new methods to incorporate recyclates into their production processes. Similarly, the construction industry began embracing the reuse of demolition waste, reducing its dependence on raw materials and lowering its environmental footprint.
While these changes are promising, the waste crisis is still far from being resolved. This is due to municipalities across South Africa being overwhelmed and lacking the necessary infrastructure to handle the growing volume of waste. Many cities and towns have inadequate waste collection services, let alone the advanced recycling and waste-to-energy facilities needed to close the loop in a circular economy. Additionally, the waste management sector is in dire need of investment, and the ISWA Congress offered a unique platform for South Africa to engage with international experts and potential investors.
What made the congress particularly significant was its global scope. Waste management has long since ceased being a local problem; it is a global one, particularly in the fight against plastic pollution. South Africa found itself in the unique position of contributing to international discussions on the issue, especially through its involvement in the development of a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. The country is increasing its recycling capacity for plastic waste, and it supports global efforts to eliminate plastic pollution by regulating product design and prioritizing recyclates.
As South Africa prepares for its G20 presidency in 2025, the outcomes of the ISWA Congress took on even greater importance. The country has an opportunity to set the agenda on sustainability for some of the world’s most powerful economies. The government-to-government (G2G) session held during the congress provided a critical forum for sharing best practices with other nations, many of which were facing similar challenges. These exchanges were crucial, as they not only helped shape South Africa’s preparations for the G20 but also fostered greater international cooperation in addressing global waste and sustainability issues.
One of the most pressing priorities for the South African government remained job creation. The waste management sector, particularly through the circular economy, offers a promising avenue for addressing the nation’s high unemployment rate. Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) are already benefitting from government and private sector support to enter the waste management space.
Bernice Swarts is the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
In the past months, the planet has experienced the hottest months of June and August, boreal summer and day on record, with a global average temperature of 17.16°C on 22 July. While many have been getting on with their lives as best as they can, there are many more who are feeling the heat, as levels of climate anxiety continue to rise. At risk are people experiencing climate impacts in the Global South, but also professionals in the Earth sciences documenting and modelling them.
So, how can we channel our alarm in a way that doesn’t paralyse us, but propel us into action? To answer this question, The Conversation Europe spoke to one of the world’s most public-facing climate scientists, the Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Diána Ürge-Vorsatz.
Could you start off by describing your work? According to you, what have been the highlights of your career as a climate scientist?
So I mostly work in the area of energy efficiency. I have done a lot of modelling, including to demonstrate how higher efficiency buildings could reduce carbon emissions. Among others, I have alerted the world of what we call the carbon lock-in risks of inefficient building retrofits — when fossil fuel-intensive systems perpetuate, delay, or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.
I’ve always tried to concentrate on solutions which not only allow us to solve environmental issues, but also to increase human well-being and meet other societal goals. That’s because I come from a country [Hungary] where I see that while the environment and climate change are important, they typically play second fiddle to other priorities. Hence, I believe we have to solve these things in a way that makes it worthwhile.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, 2024. Fourni par l’auteur
My work therefore prompted lawmakers to revise the EU’s legislation to boost building energy efficiency – the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – in 2010. On the first day the Fidesz government was reelected that year, I showed them how many jobs could be created through high efficiency building retrofits. Based on our research, they committed that the entire building stock would be refurbished to slash energy consumption by 60 %, which would have been really very ambitious, the first such commitment in the world. Unfortunately, a few months later, they changed their direction and they rather went into other energy policy priorities.
That’s one of my concerns, yes, because it’s amongst the tipping points that would exert its impact the earliest.
If we look at other Earth system tipping points, most of them require a century, several centuries, if not several millennia until they exert a full impact. If AMOC collapses, it would exert its full impact within two to three decades, potentially. These are very strong impacts predicted clearly, on Europe as well as other regions. More and more papers have shown evidence that its collapse could already be underway. That’s definitely been alarming.
When you started on this career path, would you describe yourself as prey to eco-anxiety? And if not, was there a turning point when it appeared?
No, when I started I don’t think we had any knowledge that would have amounted to any existential threat, and it was still not so tangible that so many things could go wrong.
I was studying for my PhD at UCLA, at UC Berkeley from 1992-96. In the LA Times, there was a two page advertisement calling for artists to design artwork that would scare anyone away, which they could put above the Yucca Mountain deep high-level based nuclear repository so that even if people didn’t speak English or they didn’t understand our script anymore, they could still understand that there was something really dangerous under that.
At that point, I remember thinking: “Oh my God, if you just can’t dig or walk wherever you want anymore, that’s just wrong. We cannot do that to future generations.”
Then there’s the never-ending news cycle, making it hard to pinpoint specific moments that alarm you. One that comes to mind has been the discovery over time that forever chemicals – Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are everywhere, even in the most remote parts of the earth and rain is no longer of drinking water quality even in Antarctica. This isn’t going to go away — precisely because PFAS are what we call forever chemicals. We will never be able to vacuum clean the planet from PFAS. Likewise with microplastics. When you start looking ahead with your eyes open, it can be really scary.
And how do you experience the intimate knowledge of that alarming data on the one hand, and the public’s, and above all the elites’, climate inaction on the other?
Well, I wouldn’t quite call it “climate inaction”. It’s easy to dwell on the idea that the glass is half empty. But in fact, the glass is half full. Lots has been done since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was itself a miracle.
You were there when the deal was struck, weren’t you? Could you tell us what it was like?
Well, it was truly euphoric, because before that, if a scientist dared mentioning [the threshold of] 1.5°C [of warming above pre-industrial levels], you were a tree-hugger and an advocate, not a scientist. You did not get funding.
And suddenly that became a political reality, or at least a political goal. I think that was really amazing for me because that time we didn’t have science clearly backing that you actually could achieve 1.5°C. So in the run-up to the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asked the IPCC to produce a report on 1.5°C. I remember talking about it with colleagues at the time, who told me: “That’s crazy, this train is gone, let’s not do it”.
Then the months went by and and those voices faded. By the time we got to the plenary meeting in January there was not a single voice saying “We shouldn’t do this report”. Scientists changed course and put so much effort in on trying to say “Okay can this be done well? Let’s actually see”. Then they ran their models to figure out that actually not only can it be done — but there are so many ways we can get there. Yes, I know that it’s now increasingly unlikely that we still will meet it, but it still created a lot of momentum.
One fact that we don’t emphasize enough: we have prevented the world from warming by five to six degrees by the end of the century, and we are now at worst saying perhaps four degrees, but more likely 2.5°C to 3.5°C.
How do you communicate with your children about the climate crisis? For example, are there things that you choose not to tell them in order to protect them?
I don’t hide anything from them. We quite frequently talk about the gravity of the situation because I cannot help bearing on them in the evening all the negative experiences and facts I learned during the day and I just have to unload these for them at dinners and so on.
One of my daughters did experience quite severe environmental anxiety for almost two years when she was about nine years old. She had come with me to a TV shooting and they allowed her into the studio. And before my interview, they just played this intense clip about storms and fires – typical climate impacts. But after that, she was really very afraid for a long time.
How did that fear translate itself?
She couldn’t sleep very well. She was constantly afraid physically. She would tell me: “My god, is this going to burn around us? Are we going to have floods?”
And it’s that a nine year old cannot, of course, fully comprehend yet how these risks will unfold in the future. I think she was put in this state of fear and anxiety. So that’s why it was also hard to manage because it wasn’t anything concrete or anything that she could verbally express or phrase nicely.
And I couldn’t say, “Look darling, it’s not going to happen.”
And how did she manage to surface from that state of paralysis?
After a while, I think she understood that it wasn’t yet threatening her life. But all of my children are still concerned and many of them want to contribute to fighting climate change in some way.
For example, my eldest daughter was studying medicine, but after her second year, she spent the entire summer in tears. She was deeply passionate about climate action and believed there were only two paths forward. Either she could still save the planet by becoming an architect to design zero-energy buildings, or, if it was too late, she should focus on mitigating the damage by remaining in medicine. After two months of struggling with this dilemma, she abandoned her dream of architecture and decided to continue with medical school. It was heartbreaking for me to see how little hope they had of solving the climate crisis.
What would your advice be for parents whose children are suffering from eco-anxiety?
I think the best way is to turn anxiety into action — to explain to them that they have and we still have agency. Even though we are small, we have a very important impact. We can vote. We can choose a profession where we can change the world. We can be role models and we can influence our peers through social media and many other ways.
So if we tell them the five scenarios that the IPCC presents (investor, consumer, citizen, role model, professional) in the 6th Assessment Report as individual roles we can play to curb climate change, it’s not only through whether we choose to take a plastic bag or not. The future isn’t something that happens to us, but in our hands. We are all part of systems where each of us can influence more than we think.
If your children were to start striking for the climate, would you support them?
Yes, I think protests are one of the very important ways how we can have an impact. Besides, children often don’t have any other tools. And that’s why they also feel anxiety because they don’t yet have influence. They don’t have any money to spend, or any voting rights yet. They don’t yet have a profession through which they can influence the world. They feel powerless.
And often children’s only power is to protest. If we give them other means to where they can influence the processes, that’d be even better.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
In the past months, the planet has experienced the hottest months of June and August, boreal summer and day on record, with a global average temperature of 17.16°C on 22 July. While many have been getting on with their lives as best as they can, there are many more who are feeling the heat, as levels of climate anxiety continue to rise. At risk are people experiencing climate impacts in the Global South, but also professionals in the Earth sciences documenting and modelling them.
So, how can we channel our alarm in a way that doesn’t paralyse us, but propel us into action? To answer this question, The Conversation Europe spoke to one of the world’s most public-facing climate scientists, the Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Diána Ürge-Vorsatz.
Could you start off by describing your work? According to you, what have been the highlights of your career as a climate scientist?
So I mostly work in the area of energy efficiency. I have done a lot of modelling, including to demonstrate how higher efficiency buildings could reduce carbon emissions. Among others, I have alerted the world of what we call the carbon lock-in risks of inefficient building retrofits — when fossil fuel-intensive systems perpetuate, delay, or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.
I’ve always tried to concentrate on solutions which not only allow us to solve environmental issues, but also to increase human well-being and meet other societal goals. That’s because I come from a country [Hungary] where I see that while the environment and climate change are important, they typically play second fiddle to other priorities. Hence, I believe we have to solve these things in a way that makes it worthwhile.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, 2024. Fourni par l’auteur
My work therefore prompted lawmakers to revise the EU’s legislation to boost building energy efficiency – the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – in 2010. On the first day the Fidesz government was reelected that year, I showed them how many jobs could be created through high efficiency building retrofits. Based on our research, they committed that the entire building stock would be refurbished to slash energy consumption by 60 %, which would have been really very ambitious, the first such commitment in the world. Unfortunately, a few months later, they changed their direction and they rather went into other energy policy priorities.
That’s one of my concerns, yes, because it’s amongst the tipping points that would exert its impact the earliest.
If we look at other Earth system tipping points, most of them require a century, several centuries, if not several millennia until they exert a full impact. If AMOC collapses, it would exert its full impact within two to three decades, potentially. These are very strong impacts predicted clearly, on Europe as well as other regions. More and more papers have shown evidence that its collapse could already be underway. That’s definitely been alarming.
When you started on this career path, would you describe yourself as prey to eco-anxiety? And if not, was there a turning point when it appeared?
No, when I started I don’t think we had any knowledge that would have amounted to any existential threat, and it was still not so tangible that so many things could go wrong.
I was studying for my PhD at UCLA, at UC Berkeley from 1992-96. In the LA Times, there was a two page advertisement calling for artists to design artwork that would scare anyone away, which they could put above the Yucca Mountain deep high-level based nuclear repository so that even if people didn’t speak English or they didn’t understand our script anymore, they could still understand that there was something really dangerous under that.
At that point, I remember thinking: “Oh my God, if you just can’t dig or walk wherever you want anymore, that’s just wrong. We cannot do that to future generations.”
Then there’s the never-ending news cycle, making it hard to pinpoint specific moments that alarm you. One that comes to mind has been the discovery over time that forever chemicals – Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are everywhere, even in the most remote parts of the earth and rain is no longer of drinking water quality even in Antarctica. This isn’t going to go away — precisely because PFAS are what we call forever chemicals. We will never be able to vacuum clean the planet from PFAS. Likewise with microplastics. When you start looking ahead with your eyes open, it can be really scary.
And how do you experience the intimate knowledge of that alarming data on the one hand, and the public’s, and above all the elites’, climate inaction on the other?
Well, I wouldn’t quite call it “climate inaction”. It’s easy to dwell on the idea that the glass is half empty. But in fact, the glass is half full. Lots has been done since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was itself a miracle.
You were there when the deal was struck, weren’t you? Could you tell us what it was like?
Well, it was truly euphoric, because before that, if a scientist dared mentioning [the threshold of] 1.5°C [of warming above pre-industrial levels], you were a tree-hugger and an advocate, not a scientist. You did not get funding.
And suddenly that became a political reality, or at least a political goal. I think that was really amazing for me because that time we didn’t have science clearly backing that you actually could achieve 1.5°C. So in the run-up to the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asked the IPCC to produce a report on 1.5°C. I remember talking about it with colleagues at the time, who told me: “That’s crazy, this train is gone, let’s not do it”.
Then the months went by and and those voices faded. By the time we got to the plenary meeting in January there was not a single voice saying “We shouldn’t do this report”. Scientists changed course and put so much effort in on trying to say “Okay can this be done well? Let’s actually see”. Then they ran their models to figure out that actually not only can it be done — but there are so many ways we can get there. Yes, I know that it’s now increasingly unlikely that we still will meet it, but it still created a lot of momentum.
One fact that we don’t emphasize enough: we have prevented the world from warming by five to six degrees by the end of the century, and we are now at worst saying perhaps four degrees, but more likely 2.5°C to 3.5°C.
How do you communicate with your children about the climate crisis? For example, are there things that you choose not to tell them in order to protect them?
I don’t hide anything from them. We quite frequently talk about the gravity of the situation because I cannot help bearing on them in the evening all the negative experiences and facts I learned during the day and I just have to unload these for them at dinners and so on.
One of my daughters did experience quite severe environmental anxiety for almost two years when she was about nine years old. She had come with me to a TV shooting and they allowed her into the studio. And before my interview, they just played this intense clip about storms and fires – typical climate impacts. But after that, she was really very afraid for a long time.
How did that fear translate itself?
She couldn’t sleep very well. She was constantly afraid physically. She would tell me: “My god, is this going to burn around us? Are we going to have floods?”
And it’s that a nine year old cannot, of course, fully comprehend yet how these risks will unfold in the future. I think she was put in this state of fear and anxiety. So that’s why it was also hard to manage because it wasn’t anything concrete or anything that she could verbally express or phrase nicely.
And I couldn’t say, “Look darling, it’s not going to happen.”
And how did she manage to surface from that state of paralysis?
After a while, I think she understood that it wasn’t yet threatening her life. But all of my children are still concerned and many of them want to contribute to fighting climate change in some way.
For example, my eldest daughter was studying medicine, but after her second year, she spent the entire summer in tears. She was deeply passionate about climate action and believed there were only two paths forward. Either she could still save the planet by becoming an architect to design zero-energy buildings, or, if it was too late, she should focus on mitigating the damage by remaining in medicine. After two months of struggling with this dilemma, she abandoned her dream of architecture and decided to continue with medical school. It was heartbreaking for me to see how little hope they had of solving the climate crisis.
What would your advice be for parents whose children are suffering from eco-anxiety?
I think the best way is to turn anxiety into action — to explain to them that they have and we still have agency. Even though we are small, we have a very important impact. We can vote. We can choose a profession where we can change the world. We can be role models and we can influence our peers through social media and many other ways.
So if we tell them the five scenarios that the IPCC presents (investor, consumer, citizen, role model, professional) in the 6th Assessment Report as individual roles we can play to curb climate change, it’s not only through whether we choose to take a plastic bag or not. The future isn’t something that happens to us, but in our hands. We are all part of systems where each of us can influence more than we think.
If your children were to start striking for the climate, would you support them?
Yes, I think protests are one of the very important ways how we can have an impact. Besides, children often don’t have any other tools. And that’s why they also feel anxiety because they don’t yet have influence. They don’t have any money to spend, or any voting rights yet. They don’t yet have a profession through which they can influence the world. They feel powerless.
And often children’s only power is to protest. If we give them other means to where they can influence the processes, that’d be even better.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
2024 ExportNZ DHL Barometer reveals challenges and opportunities in the Business Central region
The 2024 ExportNZ DHL Barometer, released this week, reveals challenges and opportunities for exporters in the Business Central region, alongside suggestions to boost export growth.
This year’s survey shows signs of optimism, despite challenging conditions at home and abroad.
Business Central CEO Simon Arcus says: “These results prove what we know already – exporters in our region are exceptionally resilient, managing to grow export earnings despite the challenges of a sluggish economy and the damage of Cyclone Gabrielle.”
“I acknowledge the really difficult time that Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne faced in the recent past. It’s a credit to the hard work of businesses in our region that more than half expect their orders to grow,” says Arcus.
Business Central represents exporters across the lower North Island and Nelson-Tasman through our network partner, ExportNZ. Businesses in the region contribute significantly to New Zealand’s export earnings, primarily through manufacturing and agriculture.
39% of exporters in the region saw orders increase in the last 12 months. 28% saw a decrease, while 28% saw them stay the same.
Encouragingly, 54% of businesses expect export orders to increase in the next 12 months.
But the survey reveals significant cost pressures are restraining export earnings. 78% of respondents saw costs increase in the past 12 months, with the cost of transport and logistics and the price of doing business in New Zealand cited as the biggest barriers to growth.
There are a number of opportunities to boost exporters through enhanced government support. 43% of respondents in the Business Central region highlighted support for attending trade shows as an opportunity to export more, while 33% cited better access to market research. 29% called for new free trade agreements and better access to R&D.
Business Central also welcomes the announcement of a new free trade agreement between New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, which was signed today. 24% of firms in the Business Central region export to the Middle East.
Joshua Tan, ExportNZ Executive Director, praised the industry’s response to the volatile economic and exporting environment.
“The current operating environment is difficult to navigate, with persistent challenges connected with the rising cost of doing business. Despite the many challenges, exporters have expressed optimism and confidence in future growth through the survey, which is very encouraging.
“Given the Government’s goal to double export value within ten years, there are areas where Government support would be valued by exporters – support to help them grow their businesses here in New Zealand and leverage market opportunities overseas,” says Tan.
Business Central delivers and supports ExportNZ in the Hawke’s Bay and wider Central New Zealand region. It represents 3,500 employers and exporters across the lower North Island, providing advice, training, support, and advocates for policies that reflect the interests of the business community.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The state-federal Disaster Recovery Centers in Boone and Roane counties will be closed Friday, Sept. 27, because of forecast inclement weather.
The centers are located at:
Boone County Disaster Recovery Center
Madison City Hall
255 Washington Ave.
Madison, WV 25130
Hours of operation:
Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Closed Friday, Sept. 27, 2024
Roane County Mobile Disaster Recovery Center
Old National Guard Armory Parking Lot
206 E Main St.
Spencer, WV 25276
Hours of operation:
Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Closed Friday, Sept. 27, 2024
Pending any effects from the weather, the centers are scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 28.
Survivors do not have to visit a disaster center to register with FEMA. They can call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. They can also go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA app on their smartphone.
The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is Nov. 2, 2024.
For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page,www.fema.gov/disaster/4787 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.
###
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).
Source: United States Senator for Maryland Ben Cardin
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) today announced $10,698,764 in National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funding for 11 Maryland projects to protect and restore water quality, species and habitats in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
“Maryland’s ecological and economic identity revolves around the health and preservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Bay watershed puts food on our tables, supports the livelihood of thousands of people across the region and provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife species,” said the lawmakers. “In order to maintain this legacy, Team Maryland continues to fight for and secure investments to restore our environment and protect public health. Through these projects and the work of our local partners, we’re working to ensure that generations to come can continue to rely on our beloved Bay.”
The following agencies and organizations received awards:
$2,839,348, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy: To engage Talbot County landowners, the Coastal Conservation Association and high school volunteers to install 280 oyster reef balls and restore 2,700 linear feet of living shoreline, as well as nearly two acres of low-marsh habitat.
$1,481,650, Blue Water Baltimore, Inc.: To mitigate stormwater runoff and pollution in Baltimore’s urban watershed by building rain gardens and permeable pavements at more than a dozen sites across the City.
$1,274,392, Prince George’s County Government: To restore more than 1,000 linear feet of a degraded, unhealthy tributary to Lower Beaverdam Creek.
$1,225,069, Future Harvest, Inc.: To advance the adoption of soil health and climate-smart farm management systems by engaging underserved agricultural producers to improve water quality and habitat restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
$1,081,656, Stewardship Network: To accelerate the installation and maintenance of nature-based green infrastructure solutions across Central Maryland by growing the nascent Climate Crew Network.
$997,500, The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County: To mitigate flooding and improve water quality in the historic community of Columbia Beach, Maryland.
$542,994, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science: To improve the delivery of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Report Card and increase its relevance to watershed citizens by integrating socially relevant indicators and community perspectives on watershed ecosystem health.
$420,247, Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Inc.: To increase the adoption of conservation practices through a refreshed farm certification program.
$330,000, Chesapeake Stormwater Network, Inc.: To deliver core stormwater training programs to the stormwater management community across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and expand efforts to focus on younger and more diverse audiences of existing and emerging stormwater professionals.
$265,877, Nature Forward, Inc.: To collaborate with four local community organizations to improve water quality and restore pollinator habitat in underserved areas of the Anacostia River watershed.
240,028, Civic Works, Inc.: To engage community residents and young AmeriCorps adults in training and installation of stormwater best management practices in East Baltimore.
The awards were made available through the Chesapeake Small Watershed Grants Program, which the lawmakers fought to provide funding for within Fiscal Year 2024 annual appropriations.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the deployment of a team of 16 swift water rescue personnel, two canines and emergency response equipment to assist communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The team, made up of members from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Department of Environmental Conservation and State Police, are en route to Conover, North Carolina where they will deploy as directed.
“New Yorkers lead by example and help our neighbors in times of despair,” Governor Hochul said. “Our expert swift water rescue team and the equipment they will bring with them will help save lives and protect against the potential destruction of property from Hurricane Helene. I thank these brave New Yorkers for answering the call and look forward to their safe return.”
This team can conduct search and water rescues for people and animals, provide emergency medical care and support helicopter rescue operations. They are trained to operate in areas with compromised access to roadways, utilities, transportation and medical facilities, and with limited availability of shelter, food and water. Equipment sent to North Carolina with the team includes Zodiac boats and motors with trailers, two high-water rescue vehicles and drones.
Personnel were deployed as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nation’s all-hazards national mutual aid system. EMAC has been ratified by U.S. Congress (PL 104-321) and is law in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. EMAC’s Members can share resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy and be reimbursed for mission-related costs.
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services CommissionerJackie Bray said, “New Yorkers know all too well the impacts that severe weather can have on a community. We are always willing to lend a hand to help other states in need, and we thank those who are currently on their way to provide support to those who will be impacted by Hurricane Helene.”
Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “DEC Forest Rangers are some of the most highly trained search and rescue professionals in the country and we are fortunate that they are always willing to answer the call when other states are in need. As preparations for Hurricane Helene’s landfall continue, I thank our experts for accepting the challenge and joining a team of heroes from across New York State.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The New York State Police have always answered the call for assistance wherever it’s needed. We are proud to work hand-in-hand with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Department of Environmental Conservation to mitigate this emergency situation. Our members will be assisting our partners with public safety and recovery efforts as long as necessary.”
The swift water team is just the latest instance of New York State sending assistance to other states to help with emergencies. Since the beginning of this summer, Governor Hochul deployed a total of 45 New Yorkers, including 26 DEC Forest Rangers, to battle wildfires in Montana and Oregon. New York’s expertly trained wildland firefighters serve as task force leaders, facilities unit leaders, engine crews, and on suppression teams. One Forest Ranger remains deployed to the Homestead Complex fire on the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon and is scheduled to return home on Oct. 9.
Hurricane Helene, currently a Category 3 storm, is expected to strengthen and make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida tonight or early Friday bringing with it winds near 100 mph. After landfall, Helene is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
09.26.24
Cantwell, Collins Release GAO Report Revealing Federal Government is Ill-Equipped to Handle Cost of Climate Change
Conservative estimates find climate impacts will cost federal government many trillions of dollars
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a new report requested by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, on the economic impacts of climate change to the federal government.
The report, titled Climate Resilience: Congressional Action Needed to Enhance Climate Economics Information and to Limit Federal Fiscal Exposure, warns that “Available estimates indicate significant projected costs to the economy and the federal government as a result of climate change,” and that “the federal government is currently not well-organized to manage this reality.”
“This bipartisan request to GAO to ask how much taxpayers are at risk has revealed we have big exposure. We already know we are being buffeted by more frequent wildfires, shrinking snowpacks, coastal erosion, and harmful ocean acidification. This report makes clear that Congress should act to limit the U.S. government’s alarming fiscal exposure due to the intensifying impacts of climate change,” Sen. Cantwell said.
“In Maine, our economy is inextricably linked to the environment. From rising sea levels to warming waters to damaging storms, the impacts of climate change are already threatening our working waterfronts and coastal communities,” said Sen. Collins. “This nonpartisan GAO report Senator Cantwell and I requested contains astonishing numbers about the cost of climate-related weather events to the federal government. These findings support the need for a coordinated plan by the federal government to increase climate resiliency efforts and improve reporting of climate-related financial risks.”
After reviewing agency documents, conducting literature reviews, and interviewing government experts, the GAO discovered that federal agencies currently have little capacity to analyze or report climate-related risks, making it difficult to evaluate potential climate resilience actions or investments the U.S. government could take to lessen future damages and ultimately save taxpayers money.
GAO’s work on costs to the federal government follows eye-opening analysis last November in the Fifth National Climate Assessment that found the cost of climate damages to the entire U.S. economy from extreme weather events is already $1.5 trillion per decade. This number is a conservative estimate that does not account for loss of life, health care-related costs, or damages to ecosystem services noted the authors, which include federal science agencies whose assessment was reviewed by external experts and required by statute.
GAO’s report identified six key sectors of great financial risk to the federal government due to the projected impacts of climate change: crop insurance, coastal disaster relief, health care expenditures, wildland fire suppression, flood insurance, and sea level rise. By synthesizing scientific and economic analysis across different government and private-sector sources, GAO reported that changes in the first four sectors would cost the federal government an estimated $18 billion annually by midcentury and nearly $69 billion annually by late century. Payouts for flood insurance are estimated to increase by nearly $4 billion per year by 2050, and hurricanes alone are projected to reduce America’s balance sheet by $36 billion per year by 2050 in a high emissions future.
Additionally, there are more than 160,000 federal buildings in a current 500-year flood plain valued at over $490 billion that are at ever increasing risk of flooding due to climate change, while damages to federal facilities due to sea level rise may be even worse. GAO noted that these sectors are not comprehensive and climate change has many other significant impacts, including falling tax revenues due to decreased real estate values, household income, and business revenues.
This report builds on an October 2017 GAO report requested by Senators Cantwell and Collins on the costs of climate change to the federal government.
The full 2024 GAO report can be found HERE.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Acting unitedly to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Pact for People and Planet (4Ps) agenda in support of an ambitious reform of the international financial architecture
Just over a year after the June 2023 Summit for a New Global Financial Deal, the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week provided an opportunity for world leaders to reaffirm their support for the 4P agenda to reform the international financial system. They also expressed their commitment to establishing a 4P Senior Officials Group that will play a strategic facilitative role in delivering ambitious outcomes for the upcoming major events in 2024, ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville in 2025.
On this occasion, the United Kingdom, Mauritania, Togo, Seychelles, Gambia and Guinea Bissau joined the Compact, bringing the number of 4P member countries to 66. Just over a year after its launch, the 4P is now a vibrant network involving countries from all income levels and continents. It offers the international community a unique opportunity to work together in a spirit of solidarity and equality to develop constructive measures and overcome bottlenecks. Heads of State and Government welcomed the establishment of the Compact Secretariat (housed at the OECD as an independent body) and are committed to supporting its important role in implementing the 4P agenda.
Numerous operational coalitions have been established under the Compact, enabling countries and interested stakeholders to work together in concrete ways to improve outcomes, including the Debt, Nature and Climate Review Process by International Experts, the Coalition for the Inclusion of Debt Suspension Clauses in the Event of Climate-Related Natural Disasters, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, the Global Roadmap on Biodiversity Credits, the Global Green Bonds Initiative, and the Coalition for Paris-Compliant Carbon Markets.
Despite an increasingly difficult international context, encouraging results have been achieved, but greater efforts will be needed to accelerate progress. Accordingly, in the presence of the UN, WTO, OECD, and IMF, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to work together, in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Pact and in synergy with other relevant initiatives, such as the Bridgetown Initiative.
They have in particular:
affirmed their commitment to accelerate efforts to increase the participation and representation of developing countries and emerging economies in the decision-making bodies of international development finance institutions and other international economic and financial institutions. They supported the ambition of the Brazilian G20 presidency to work towards a fairer system of global governance, in particular with regard to the reform of the international financial architecture; stressed the need to provide concrete solutions to alleviate the debt burden and vulnerabilities of developing countries, including through innovative instruments, such as debt-for-climate or environmental swaps or the adoption, based on good practices, of debt service conditions, including debt suspension clauses in the event of climate-related natural disasters, as well as solutions to address liquidity issues and a voluntary reallocation of Special Drawing Rights to increase fiscal space for countries most in need; affirmed their commitment to support the scaling up of concessional financing for the poorest and most vulnerable countries, including to ensure that the 21st replenishment of the International Development Association is successful; stressed the importance of cooperation to support multilateral development banks (MDBs) and international financial institutions in following the recommendation to achieve a “1:1” ratio for private finance mobilized by public resources, and they recognized the need to mobilize private financial flows for their common priorities by reducing the mismatch between real and perceived investment risks. To this end, Heads of State and Government recognized the need to work together to develop a roadmap and establish a constructive dialogue between regulators, rating agencies, private investors, States and other stakeholders to improve the transparency and accuracy of country ratings and risk assessments, including to maximize the risk reduction impact and the mobilization of private financing by MDBs, development finance institutions and bilateral donors; recalled the need to increase public financing from all sources, including by exploring the possibility of globally targeted levies and other measures to develop fairer and more efficient tax systems, and by further supporting capacity building and the sharing of expertise to increase domestic resource mobilization. To advance these priorities, Heads of State and Government will continue to coordinate their efforts with other members of the Compact and raise the level of ambition in all fora, in order to contribute to ensuring that the best possible outcomes can be achieved. be obtained at the COPs, the International Conference on Financing for Development and other major international events.
List of signatories:
Emmanuel MACRON, President of the French RepublicMacky SALL, Special EnvoyAziz AKHANNOUCH, Head of Government of the Kingdom of MoroccoLolwa AL-KHATER, Minister of State for International Cooperation of the State of QatarGabriel BORIC, President of ChileMohamed Ould EL-GHAZOUANI, President of the Islamic Republic of MauritaniaMoussa FAKI, President of the African UnionMette FREDERIKSEN, Prime Minister of DenmarkLuiz Inácio LULA DA SILVA, President of the Federative Republic of BrazilAmina MOHAMMED, Deputy Secretary-General of the United NationsLuís MONTENEGRO, Prime Minister of the Portuguese RepublicMia MOTTLEY, Prime Minister of BarbadosGustavo PETRO, President of the Republic of ColombiaWilliam RUTO, President of the Republic of KenyaPedro SANCHEZ, Prime Minister of SpainKeir STARMER, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of Northern IrelandJonas Gahr STØRE, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of NorwayTo LAM, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Rachel Kyte will support ministers to increase senior international diplomatic engagement on climate and clean energy.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Energy Secretary of State Ed Miliband have announced Rachel Kyte as the UK’s Special Representative for Climate. The role, previously left vacant for over a year, has been re-appointed under this administration as part of our ambitions to restore the UK’s role as an international leader on the climate.
Ms Kyte is Professor of Practice in Climate Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford and dean emerita of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She has extensive international climate experience with previous roles including Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, World Bank Group Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change as well as Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank and for Business Advisory Services at the International Finance Corporation.
The announcement was made in New York in the margins of a discussion on ‘Accelerating Deployment of Clean Power: Building a Global Clean Power Alliance’, an event hosted by the Foreign Secretary and Energy Secretary.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
We cannot address the urgency of the climate and nature crisis without coordinated global action. This government is committed to boosting the UK’s climate leadership. Rachel Kyte will bring invaluable expertise and experience as we work together with partners to drive the energy transition, support those most vulnerable to the worst impacts of the climate crisis and meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
Climate change is the defining issue of our time. The governments mission for clean power by 2030 is about protecting energy security for families and businesses at home, whilst also driving global action to provide climate security for our future generations.
Rachel’s expertise will be invaluable in unlocking climate finance and supporting countries on the front line of the crisis – backing that strong action at home with leadership on the international stage.
Rachel Kyte said:
This government is committed to reconnecting the UK to the world with climate action as a priority. And the world is being shaped politically and economically by climate change.
This provides an opportunity to use international action to help deliver on the UK’s energy mission. And it provides challenges, not least in mobilizing the financing to protect people and drive greener growth. There is no time like now for the UK to help drive action and I am excited to play my part in this new role.
The UK Special Representative for Climate role will support ministers to increase senior international diplomatic engagement on climate and clean energy, increasing UK international leadership, building influence, raising global ambition and accelerating progress on UK strategic climate objectives. A joint role between the FCDO and DESNZ, Ms Kyte will report to both the Foreign Secretary and Energy Secretary.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
France and Kenya have agreed to jointly host the Africa-France Summit in 2026 in Nairobi. This decision was confirmed by the President of the Republic and the President of the Republic of Kenya, Mr. William RUTO, during a meeting held this Wednesday, September 25 in New York, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Africa-France Summit 2026 will focus on solutions to address climate-related challenges, environmental preservation and the reform of the international financial architecture, topics on which the two heads of state are strongly committed. The Summit will also seek to encourage inclusive multilateralism, in line with the Paris Pact for People and the Planet and the Nairobi Declaration adopted at the end of the African Climate Summit.
This summit will bring together political authorities from the African continent and representatives from civil society and the private sector.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
“While this weather may help with issues related to our ongoing drought, too much could lead to big problems like flooding and power outages,” Gov. Justice said. “That’s why I’m declaring this State of Preparedness—to ensure our state agencies are ready. We need the rainfall, but we also need to use common sense when it comes to the hazardous weather. Please use extreme caution as we deal with the aftermath of this hurricane.”
The State of Preparedness allows the West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) to posture personnel and resources for quick response to any emergency that may develop. Coordinating agencies have been placed on standby to report to the State Emergency Operations Center should the need arise.
Gov. Justice and the WVEMD ask all West Virginians to remain attentive to weather conditions through local media reports and follow any instructions issued by emergency officials.
Check National Weather Service Watches, Warnings or Advisories for all areas of West Virginia here:
National Weather Service Charleston
National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington (Eastern Panhandle)
National Weather Service Blacksburg (Southeast WV)
National Weather Service Pittsburgh (Northern Panhandle)
The Government is looking at integrating the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the MetService to improve the weather forecasting system for New Zealand, Science, Innovation & Technology Minister Judith Collins says.
“We have agreed in-principle to NIWA acquiring the MetService, with the MetService retaining its role as New Zealand’s authorised meteorologist, subject to further work being completed.
“Having a strong weather forecasting system which combines weather forecasting science with land and hydrological system sciences through to daily public weather updates will help us meet the current and future demands of New Zealanders,” Ms Collins says.
“Our weather forecasting system is critically important, not only to give us warning of severe weather so that we can prepare, but for daily operations of the aviation, marine and energy industries, and many businesses across New Zealand. It is crucial that our capabilities are streamlined in order to ensure that it is easy to access information about the weather from a single trusted source.
“Extreme weather events in 2023 resulted in a tragic loss of life. These events cost nearly $12 billion in economic terms and $5 billion in insured loss. The Weather Forecasting System Review found that there is a compelling case for change.
“Bringing together the science around climate, weather forecasting, hydrology, and coastal hazards will improve our understanding and allow us to better prepare for, and respond to, severe weather events,” Ms Collins says.
“More work is needed before this change can happen. We have asked officials at the Treasury and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to work with the MetService and NIWA to provide implementation details as soon as possible.
“A more streamlined system will increase safety, improve efficiencies and support a future focused weather forecasting system that works for all New Zealanders.”
Source: Regional Government of Canada – in French 2
Press release
Today, Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings–Hants, and Yvon LeBlanc, Warden of the Municipality of the District of Clare, announced a joint investment of more than $2.9 million to renovate the Clare Veterans Centre in Saulnierville.
Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, July 14, 2023 – Today, Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings–Hants, and Yvon LeBlanc, Warden of the Municipality of the District of Clare, announced a joint investment of more than $2.9 million to renovate the Clare Veterans Centre in Saulnierville.
This investment will improve the building’s accessibility, including the addition of a new accessible entry point with a concrete ramp and an interior elevator. It will also install photovoltaic solar panels that will produce renewable energy and reduce operating costs. In addition, the building’s exterior cladding will be re-done with sustainability in mind, and a new façade will be constructed. Inside, numerous renovations and equipment upgrades will be carried out, including the installation of a new heating and cooling system, modernization of electrical systems and lighting, construction of new accessible washrooms, renovation of the kitchen, construction of a cold room, installation of new drywall and application of new paint.
These improvements are expected to reduce the building’s energy consumption by approximately 31.9% and greenhouse gas emissions by 33.2 tonnes annually. In addition, the improvements will create an accessible environment for users and extend the life of the building, while enhancing its versatility and improving its overall appearance.
The Clare Veterans Centre in Saulnierville is located in the largest rural Acadian community in Nova Scotia. The centre is widely used by groups from all sectors and demographics. In addition, it hosts many annual events.
By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country’s economy, increasing the resilience of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.
Quotes
“The Government of Canada’s investment will help ensure that the Clare Veterans Centre remains a welcoming and inclusive place for all members of the community. The renovations will allow the community to continue to successfully host cultural events in a comfortable environment. In addition, by reducing the facility’s carbon footprint, this project contributes to provincial and federal climate change mitigation efforts.”
Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings–Hants, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
“The upgrade to the Clare Veterans Centre is necessary and well deserved. The building is used daily by residents of the municipality, and I am confident that the planned renovations will be enjoyed by all those who make good use of public space. The planned work will certainly improve the aesthetics of the building, but also more functional elements such as its accessibility and carbon footprint.”
Yvon LeBlanc, Warden of the Municipality of the District of Clare
Quick Facts
Our government is investing $2,356,494 in this project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) Program. The Municipality of the District of Clare is contributing $589,124.
The BCVI program aims to improve the places where Canadians work, learn, play, live and gather by reducing pollution, making life more affordable and supporting thousands of good jobs. Through green upgrades and other work to existing public community buildings, and new construction in underserved communities, the BCVI program helps ensure community facilities are inclusive, accessible and have a long lifespan, and help Canada achieve its net-zero emissions targets by 2050.
At least 10 percent of the funds are allocated to projects for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, which includes Indigenous populations in urban centres.
The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program was created to support Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, and supports the first pillar of the Plan by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency and building resilience to climate change. The program provides $1.5 billion over five years for retrofits, repairs or improvements that promote the environment and accessibility.
The funding announced today is part of the work the Government of Canada is doing under the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create good-paying middle-class jobs, strengthen local economies and build inclusive communities.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Jean-Sébastien Comeau Press Secretary and Senior Communications AdvisorOffice of the Honourable Dominic LeBlancMinister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities343-574-8116Jean-Sebastien.Comeau@iga-aig.gc.ca
Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today voted to pass a bill to keep the government open until December 20th, 2024. Cassidy has urged Congress to extend the authorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and secure additional funding for disaster relief following Hurricane Francine.
“Nobody wants a shutdown. We must keep the National Flood Insurance Program going, put more money into FEMA’s disaster relief fund, continue to pay our troops, and give the Secret Service additional resources to protect President Trump. While I’m disappointed the SAVE Act was not included, this bill gives us the time to find a lasting solution without harming Americans,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Background
Cassidy spoke on the Senate floor last week about the need to reauthorize and reform NFIP. That speech was the sixth installment of a series of Senate floor speeches Cassidy is using to focus attention on unsustainable flood insurance premiums.
In January, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on NFIP at the request of Cassidy. The hearing highlighted the urgent need for Congress to act and featured a Louisiana witness. Cassidy also participated in a roundtable hosted by GNO, Inc. and the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance before introducing the bill to hear from community leaders and advocates on the issue. Last year, Cassidy traveled St. Bernard Parish to talk with residents about their flood insurance premiums, resulting in the second episode of his series Bill on the Hill.
Earlier this month, President Biden approved a disaster declaration in the wake of Hurricane Francine. Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary, and Terrebonne Parishes were all covered by the declaration.
Following the second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, Cassidy and seven Senate Republican colleagues called for President Trump to receive the same level of Secret Service protection as a sitting president.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)
GAINESVILLE, FL — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack sent a letter to President Biden requesting the full scope of Public Assistance Category B for Alachua, Columbia, and Marion Counties prior to Hurricane Helene’s landfall on Thursday, September 26.
The Bureau of Meteorology today (Wednesday 25 September 2024) issued test posts on the BOM Weather app between 11AM-12PM AEST.
The test warnings were issued to the public in error as part of tests to tsunami early warning system software.
The Bureau acknowledges and apologises for any confusion that this test has caused.
The test warnings were sent to the BOM Weather app for various locations. The test warnings were cancelled immediately after they were issued.
Testing ensures the Bureau and partners are prepared for real tsunami threats.
The Bureau is part of the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) and this is operated 24 hours a day to detect, monitor, verify and warn of any tsunami threats to the coastline of Australia and its offshore territories.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre is the national authority and provides the most accurate tsunami warning information for Australia.
The Bureau will continue to issue forecasts and warnings via the website and BOM Weather app.
Casey billto provide long-term stability for Pennsylvania homeowners
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation to cap the cost of flood insurance, making homeownership more affordable for working families. Across Pennsylvania, as floods become more frequent and intense, homeowners are struggling to keep up with significant increases in flood insurance costs, which can be as high as thousands of dollars per year. The Fair Flood Protection Act would lower the cost of flood insurance by creating a sliding scale premium cap to ensure that families pay fair amounts based on their income.
“Throughout the Commonwealth, including in my home county of Lackawanna, families’ budgets are being increasingly squeezed by the rising costs of flood insurance. This bill will cut fees and cap flood insurance costs to help ensure that Pennsylvanians can afford to keep their homes safe for generations to come,” said Senator Casey. “Hardworking homeowners should be able to protect their homes without worrying about how to pay the bills.”
With many Pennsylvanians struggling to get by and raise their families, flooding poses a looming financial threat. Most home insurance does not include flood insurance, making the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) a key safety net to protect against the devastating impacts of flooding. After hearing concerns about rising costs of flood insurance, coupled with reports of increased heavy rain and flood risk, Casey introduced the Fair Flood Protection Act to help working families protect their homes without breaking the bank. This bill would help make and keep flood insurance affordable and strengthen the NFIP. This legislation would help expand flood insurance coverage by reauthorizing NFIP for ten years, increasing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s authorization to provide funding for flood protection and mitigation projects, and creating a cap for NFIP premiums based on a sliding scale determined by income. Currently FEMA has instituted a premium model that sets rates based on an individual’s flood risk, which can lead to prohibitively high costs of flood insurance. Adjusting premium rates to account for income, rather than risk alone, would help to ensure that working class homeowners are not priced out of flood protection.
Senator Casey has long worked to help Pennsylvania communities mitigate and recover from the devastating impacts caused by floods. Most recently, he successfully pushed President Biden to provide federal disaster relief support to Pennsylvania communities affected by the devastating flooding last month. Additionally, Casey has championed infrastructure investments to improve flood control infrastructure, including through community project funding and FEMA grant programs. Additionally, Casey voted to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which poured billions of additional federal funding into programs like the Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program.
Senator Casey has always fought to lower costs for working families in Pennsylvania. From creating tax credits for renewable energy development, to negotiating the price of prescription drugs, Casey has consistently worked to bring prices down Pennsylvania families.
Read more about the Fair Flood Protection Act HERE.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement after voting to pass legislation to avoid a MAGA government shutdown and extend current government funding through December 20, 2024:
“Today, House Democrats stepped in to provide the votes needed to avoid a government shutdown after extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress refused to pass a budget.
“This is no way to govern, but the last thing Florida families need is a government shutdown as Floridians prepare for Hurricane Helene and its difficult aftermath. I’m disappointed that 11 of my Republican colleagues from Florida were among the 82 Republicans who voted against the government in the face of a natural disaster. MAGA Republicans have exploited each funding deadline to play political games and force their radical Project 2025 policies on Americans while American families’ livelihoods hang in the balance.
“House Democrats stand ready to work with Republicans to pass appropriations bills that reflect the bipartisan framework they committed to, and that lower costs, grow the middle class and protect our freedoms.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3)
Womack Votes to Avoid a Costly Government Shutdown and Bolster Secret Service Protective Operations
Washington, September 25, 2024
Washington, D.C.—September 25, 2024…Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) released the following statement after voting for the continuing resolution (CR), H.R. 9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives today:
Congressman Womack said, “Continuing resolutions are the sad reality of our broken budget process, something I’ve worked tirelessly to reform throughout my time in Congress. However, they’re better than the alternative – a government shutdown. Our national security is at grave risk when the government ceases operations. Hardworking taxpayers would pay the steep price, and programs Americans desperately rely on would come to a screeching halt. Further perpetuating dysfunction in the legislative process is the last thing the American people need. When Congress returns to Washington in November, we must get our act together and fulfill our most fundamental duty of passing fiscally responsible full-year appropriations.”
Bill Summary:
Continues government funding at current levels through December 20, 2024, or the enactment of an applicable full-year appropriations act, whichever occurs first.
Allows for necessary payments to the District of Columbia for planning and security for the 2025 Presidential Inauguration, to the General Services Administration for support of the presidential transition, to the National Archives and Records Administration for record keeping of the presidential transition, and to the National Park Service for planning and security for the 2025 Presidential Inauguration.
Provides an additional $231 million for the Secret Service for protective operations for presidential and vice-presidential nominees in the 2024 campaign and activities related to National Special Security Events and provides the agency with flexibility to quickly obligate funds for protective operations. This additional money will be subject to existing funding caps, rejecting Democrats’ efforts to designate it as emergency spending.
Extends the National Flood Insurance Program through the duration of the CR.
Allows the Department of Health and Human Services to continue providing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits during the duration of the CR.
Extends programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure our veterans continue to receive the care and benefits they have earned.
Extends expiring health care programs, including priority review vouchers for rare pediatric diseases, autism support activities, and Medicaid funding for the Northern Mariana Islands. The package is fully offset with a one-year delay to a scheduled change in Medicare payments to clinical laboratories.
‘Distress migration’ is becoming more common as children and families flee their homes due to climate change
There are up to 2.5 million migrant children in Thailand living without domestic legal status
Migrating children, especially girls, are at risk of exploitation and abuse
Climate change has been identified as the root cause of issues facing migrants including hunger, missing school, and anxiety over mounting debts
Northern Viet Nam identified as a likely climate out-migration “hotspot” by 2050.
A new report from World Vision reveals how the escalating climate crisis is disproportionately affecting children across Southeast Asia and causing children and families to flee their homes.
The report, Climate Change, Vulnerability, and Migration: Impacts on Children and Youth in Southeast Asia, paints a harrowing picture of climate-induced migration and its impact on the region’s most at-risk children.
Drawing on nearly 100 first-hand accounts from child migrants, children who stayed behind, parents, and caregivers, along with insights from local leaders and experts, the report documents the severe repercussions of climate change.
Dr. Olivia Yates, World Vision’s Advocacy Policy & Research Advisor, International Partnerships, says the report highlights the urgent need to protect the rights and interests of young migrants in Southeast Asia.
“The climate crisis is one of the greatest forces shaping our world – both present and future. None of us are immune to this fact, however, the reality is most acutely felt by those families already living precariously close to the edge, just one drought or flood away from the tipping point.
“As climate change worsens, driving increasing migration, it’s vital that we safeguard the rights of children who are particularly at risk. Their health, education, livelihoods and economic prospects are all at stake. We must support these children and do what we can to help prevent their exposure to exploitation and abuse.”
The findings of the report offer a stark portrayal of the way in which climate change is deepening poverty, deprivation, and debt that force families to leave their homes. Daily struggles include hunger due to low crop yields or crop failures, missed schooling as children face increased responsibilities, and mounting anxiety over financial instability caused by a lack of stable work.
Many parents view migration as a long-term investment in their children’s future. Other economically insecure households are selling their land to pay off debts and even cover the costs of migration.
Every year in Southeast Asia, countless families choose to migrate with their children, and many children also migrate on their own.
According to the latest figures, there were about 1.27 million international child migrants in the region as of 2020 – about 40% in Thailand. However, given the high prevalence of irregular migration, the number of migrant children in Thailand living without domestic legal status has been estimated be between 1 – 2.5 million.
Terry Ferrari, World Vision International’s Regional Leader for East Asia says the emotional impact of forced migration on children is huge.
“Children told us they feel sad, isolated and miss their family and friends. Moreover, the disruption to their education, exposure to hazardous working conditions, and other factors could have long-term consequences for children’s personal development and future opportunities,” Ferrari says.
Ferarri adds that many children are also left behind when their parents migrate because many migration settings that focus on employment do not allow migrants to bring their dependents.
The interviews revealed profound emotional impacts on children left behind, particularly when the mother migrated. Caregivers were often overwhelmed, and some grandparents felt that they could not provide the support children needed. Many households struggled financially, and some children did not have enough to eat. In some cases, the absence of parents was associated with worse educational outcomes and school dropouts.
Ferrari says if families want to take their children with them, they can be forced to migrate through irregular channels, which can be dangerous. Irregular migrants also remain vulnerable at their destination and must hide from the authorities.
The report finds that for many migrant parents, whether they stayed in their country or crossed the border, the financial benefits fell short of their expectations. Often, they could not send as much money as they wished – or send it consistently.
With the UN estimating 10.6 million international migrants in Southeast Asia as of 2020, the urgency for targeted, effective action is clear. The report calls on national governments, donors, and international organisations to prioritise the needs and rights of children in the face of a rapidly changing climate. The report provides a series of detailed recommendations aimed at mitigating climate-related impacts, including enhancing community resilience through infrastructure and disaster preparedness, supporting sustainable livelihoods, protecting migrating families, caring for caregivers and children who stay behind, and empowering youth to build a brighter future.
World Vision’s report also underscores the need for child-responsive and mobility-sensitive climate finance. With climate finance set to be the focus of talks at COP29 climate summit, this is a critical opportunity for the New Zealand Government to stand with children and advocate for effective climate finance that meets the scale of need in lower-income countries, ensuring children and their families need not turn to migration to meet their basic needs.
Terry Ferrari, World Vision International’s Regional Leader for East Asia, says: “Urgent steps need to be taken to address the root causes of climate-related migration and protect the future of these young lives. We want all nations to commit to supporting safe, orderly and dignified migration that upholds the rights, well-being and opportunities of migrants, particularly vulnerable children.”
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
09.25.24
Yakima Projects to Reduce Flooding & Recover Salmon Get Federal Investment
Yakima County, in collaboration with the City of Yakima, gets $10.9M federal grants for Cowiche Creek Confluence Projects to restore floodplains and protect the City of Yakima from flooding; Chelan County also receives grant for floodplain restoration on lower Chiwawa River
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Yakima County will receive $9,976,792 to implement Phase I of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project, which will address recurring flooding of Cowiche Creek, improve fish passage and habitat, and maintain water delivery by constructing a new irrigation delivery pipeline, removing obsolete irrigation structures, and restoring adjacent floodplains and riparian areas along Cowiche Creek. Yakima County will also receive $1,002,149 for Phase II of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project to complete the study and design on additional floodplain restoration and salmon habitat projects along Cowiche Creek and at the confluence of Cowiche Creek and Naches River.
The Chelan County Natural Resource Department will also receive $806,511 to work with the Yakama Nation to complete designs of a floodplain restoration project at the lower Chiwawa River in the Wenatchee Basin. The grants were awarded from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program.
“Restored floodplains can provide rich fish habitat and protect homes, community infrastructure, and farms from flooding,” said Sen. Cantwell. “These federal funds will enable Yakima County to restore the Cowiche Creek floodplains, helping to reduce flooding, clearing the way for salmon to pass, and improving water delivery to Yakima residents. This funding will also help Chelan County restore a floodplain in the lower Chiwawa River that will revive once-thriving salmon habitat in the Wenatchee Basin.”
Cowiche Creek overflowed into Yakima in 2016 and 2017, and the once-productive floodplain no longer provides optimal spawning habitat for native populations of Steelhead trout and Coho salmon.
With this funding, Yakima County will make progress on two critical projects:
Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase I
Construct a new irrigation delivery pipeline to connect to existing surface water irrigation delivery systems on the Naches River to the City of Yakima;
Remove surface irrigation diversion facilities including a dam, fish screen, and bypass facilities to allow restoration of the lower Cowiche Creek to a more natural alignment;
Restore adjacent floodplains and riparian zones on property owned by the Flood Control Zone;
Construct approximately 800 feet of side channel habitat fed by existing cold-water springs in the project area;
Convert approximately 67 acres of current and former orchard into native floodplain vegetation;
Reconfigure existing flood control levees; and
Design a wider Powerhouse Road bridge over Cowiche Creek to further expand the floodplain of Cowiche Creek.
Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase II
Complete the 60% design to replace an undersized bridge, remove obsolete irrigation infrastructure, regrade disturbed areas to mimic natural floodplain topography, and replant with native riparian vegetation;
Reorganize lands, easements, and covenants held by the County to facilitate development of a future park; and
Reduce flood potential across 136-acres of floodplain, improve fish passage and riparian habitat in over two river miles of the confluence area, and create a park that will provide recreation opportunities.
With its funding, Chelan County, in partnership with the Yakama Nation, will complete designs for a floodplain restoration project on the lower 13 miles of the Chiwawa River and the lower 0.2 miles of Big Meadow Creek. The project area is afflicted by low baseflows, homogeneous, plane-bed habitat with limited large wood, and high stream temperatures — all of which limits its utility as habitat for endangered salmon.
Throughout her time in the Senate, Sen. Cantwell has been a staunch advocate for protecting and strengthening critical salmon populations. Sen. Cantwell secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
09.25.24
Yakima Projects to Reduce Flooding & Recover Salmon Get Federal Investment
Yakima County, in collaboration with the City of Yakima, gets $10.9M federal grants for Cowiche Creek Confluence Projects to restore floodplains and protect the City of Yakima from flooding; Chelan County also receives grant for floodplain restoration on lower Chiwawa River
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Yakima County will receive $9,976,792 to implement Phase I of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project, which will address recurring flooding of Cowiche Creek, improve fish passage and habitat, and maintain water delivery by constructing a new irrigation delivery pipeline, removing obsolete irrigation structures, and restoring adjacent floodplains and riparian areas along Cowiche Creek. Yakima County will also receive $1,002,149 for Phase II of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project to complete the study and design on additional floodplain restoration and salmon habitat projects along Cowiche Creek and at the confluence of Cowiche Creek and Naches River.
The Chelan County Natural Resource Department will also receive $806,511 to work with the Yakama Nation to complete designs of a floodplain restoration project at the lower Chiwawa River in the Wenatchee Basin. The grants were awarded from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program.
“Restored floodplains can provide rich fish habitat and protect homes, community infrastructure, and farms from flooding,” said Sen. Cantwell. “These federal funds will enable Yakima County to restore the Cowiche Creek floodplains, helping to reduce flooding, clearing the way for salmon to pass, and improving water delivery to Yakima residents. This funding will also help Chelan County restore a floodplain in the lower Chiwawa River that will revive once-thriving salmon habitat in the Wenatchee Basin.”
Cowiche Creek overflowed into Yakima in 2016 and 2017, and the once-productive floodplain no longer provides optimal spawning habitat for native populations of Steelhead trout and Coho salmon.
With this funding, Yakima County will make progress on two critical projects:
Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase I
Construct a new irrigation delivery pipeline to connect to existing surface water irrigation delivery systems on the Naches River to the City of Yakima;
Remove surface irrigation diversion facilities including a dam, fish screen, and bypass facilities to allow restoration of the lower Cowiche Creek to a more natural alignment;
Restore adjacent floodplains and riparian zones on property owned by the Flood Control Zone;
Construct approximately 800 feet of side channel habitat fed by existing cold-water springs in the project area;
Convert approximately 67 acres of current and former orchard into native floodplain vegetation;
Reconfigure existing flood control levees; and
Design a wider Powerhouse Road bridge over Cowiche Creek to further expand the floodplain of Cowiche Creek.
Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase II
Complete the 60% design to replace an undersized bridge, remove obsolete irrigation infrastructure, regrade disturbed areas to mimic natural floodplain topography, and replant with native riparian vegetation;
Reorganize lands, easements, and covenants held by the County to facilitate development of a future park; and
Reduce flood potential across 136-acres of floodplain, improve fish passage and riparian habitat in over two river miles of the confluence area, and create a park that will provide recreation opportunities.
With its funding, Chelan County, in partnership with the Yakama Nation, will complete designs for a floodplain restoration project on the lower 13 miles of the Chiwawa River and the lower 0.2 miles of Big Meadow Creek. The project area is afflicted by low baseflows, homogeneous, plane-bed habitat with limited large wood, and high stream temperatures — all of which limits its utility as habitat for endangered salmon.
Throughout her time in the Senate, Sen. Cantwell has been a staunch advocate for protecting and strengthening critical salmon populations. Sen. Cantwell secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers.
LITTLETON – Today, Governor Polis helped kick off two new facilities that will support Colorado’s climate goals and protect the state for future generations. First, Governor Polis attended the grand opening of the new agrivoltaics Solar Farm at Denver Botanic Gardens’s Chatfield Farms. This solar farm, funded through Denver’s Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency, will create clean energy to power the entire site while generating low-cost energy for 150 Denver Public School families. The Governor joined Denver Mayor Mike Johnston at the Chatfield ribbon cutting.
“Colorado is a national leader in clean energy and conservation solutions. Harnessing the power of agrivoltaics, Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms will continue to provide a habitat for hundreds of plant species and butterflies, while creating clean, low-cost energy for hardworking families and businesses. The Botanic Gardens is an example of how innovative solutions are lowering costs, creating a more sustainable future, and enhancing our Colorado way of life,” said Governor Polis.
Earlier this month the Department of Agriculture announced $500,000 in new awards for agrivoltaics efforts around the state. Governor Polis then attended and provided remarks at the Auraria Sustainable Campus Compost Program Launch. This first-in-Colorado student-led composting effort will reduce campus waste to create compost for trees, plants, and grass across campus. This initiative received a $129,150 Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) Grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
“Thanks to these students and their passion for sustainability, Auraria Campus will reduce waste and ensure healthy green spaces for the community to enjoy. By utilizing a state grant this effort will boost sustainability on campus while helping the state identify how to reduce landfill waste,” said Governor Polis.
Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)
WASHINGTON – The National Fossil Act has now passed the Senate. This bill names the mastodon as the U.S. national fossil, and was introduced by Senator Mike Braun and Senator Gary Peters and cosponsored by Senator Eric Schmitt and Senator Maggie Hassan.
This is Senator Braun’s 5th standalone bill to pass the Senate just this year, and if signed into law will be his 10th in the 118th Congress (2023-2024) to become law, including provisions on veterans healthcare, opioids, and budget reform.
The National Fossil Act aims to celebrate the unique natural history of the United States, and encourage interest in paleontology.
If the National Fossil Act is passed by the House and signed into law, the mastodon would join the bald eagle, bison, rose, and oak tree as enduring national symbols of the United States.
The mastodon lived more than 13,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era, predominantly on land that would eventually become the United States of America. A fully grown mastodon was over 10 feet tall, weighed more than 11 tons, and was preceded by a pair of 16-foot-long tusks. Unlike its distant cousin, the mammoth, the mastodon was found exclusively in the United States, with its bones being unearthed in every state across the continental U.S.
Mastodon fossils are frequently found in Indiana and Michigan.
The mastodon was made the Indiana state fossil in 2022.
Mastodons have been found in nearly every Indiana county, including notable discoveries in Hebron, Fort Wayne, and Seymour.
“Mastodons embody the spirit of exploration, resilience, and strength that exemplifies our great nation. As a uniquely American symbol, mastodons inspire us to embrace our heritage and to protect our country’s natural treasures. I hope making Indiana’s state fossil our national fossil will inspire young Hoosiers to take an interest in our country’s rich natural history that may be in their own backyard.” – Senator Mike Braun
“Michigan made history when we uncovered one of the most complete skeletons of the Mastodon ever found, and we continue to find traces of this prehistoric giant all throughout our state,” said Senator Peters. “The Mastodon represents a unique piece of both Michigan’s and our nation’s history. By establishing the Mastodon as our national fossil, we can better preserve that history and inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers to continue their pursuit of discovery.”
The National Fossil Act:
Section 1 designates the bill as the National Fossil Act.
Section 2 establishes findings on the role of the Mastodon in American public life.
Section 3 designates the Mastodon as the national fossil under Title 36 U.S. Code, and makes necessary conforming amendments.
Senator Braun’s legislative wins this Congress:
As mentioned, this is Senator Braun’s 5th standalone bill to pass the Senate just this year, and if signed into law will be his 10th bill in the 118th Congress (2023-2024) to become law.
Some other Braun bills to become law or pass Senate in the 118th Congress (2023-2024) are:
(Became Law) The Federal Prison Oversight Act
A bill to provide independent oversight to improve conditions for staff and prisoners in federal prisons like Terre Haute.
(Became Law) COVID-19 Origins Act
A bill that required the intelligence community to declassify important information about the origins of COVID, specifically the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
(Became Law) The Wounded Warrior Access Act
A bill that streamlines the claims process for veterans with a new online tool, helping those who previously had to get their claims information through the mail or by driving to a regional VA location.
(Became Law) Department of Defense Overdose Data (DOD) Act
A bill to ensure naloxone and any other medication to reverse opioid overdose is available on all military installations and in each operational environment.
(Became Law) Reforming Benefits for Children of Vietnam Veterans with Spina Bifida
A bill to help the children of Vietnam Veterans suffering from spina bifida due to their father’s exposure to Agent Orange get access to medical benefits for the rest of their lives
(Became Law) Administrative Pay-As-You-Go Act
A bill which requires agencies to propose pay-fors to offset expensive government regulations.
(Passed Senate) VA Home Loan Awareness Act
A bill to inform veteran homebuyers of their eligibility for the VA Home Loan Program, which helps more veterans achieve the dream of homeownership.
(Passed Senate) Working Dog Health and Welfare Act of 2023
A bill to improve conditions for dogs used in the detection of explosives, narcotics and patrol duties by federal agencies, by instituting programs that detect abuse and neglect and ensure emergency medical care, food and water, and rest time.
(Passed Senate) Mark Our Place Act
A bill to provide special headstones upon family request for all veterans who have received the Medal of Honor.
If signed into law, the National Fossil Act will join the following Braun bills signed into law:
BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE 118TH CONGRESS (2023-2024).
Federal Prison Oversight Act
The COVID-19 Origins Act (Public Law 118-2)
The Administrative Pay-As-You-Go Act (included in Public Law 118-5)
Reforming Benefits for Children of Vietnam Veterans with Spina Bifida (Public Law 118-8)
The Wounded Warrior Access Act (Public Law 118-21)
The Korean American VALOR Act (Public Law 118-20)
The Department of Defense Overdose Data (DOD) Act (Public Law 118-31)
Supporting the Provision of Veteran Survivor Benefit Plans (Public Law 118-31)
Flexibility and Funding for the World Trade Center Health Program (Public Law 118-31)
BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE 117TH CONGRESS (2021 – 2022):
Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-67)
A bill to properly implement the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act (Public Law 117-3)
The Consider Teachers Act (Public Law No: 117-49)
The Growing Climate Solutions Act (Public Law 117-328)
The STREAM Act (Public Law 117-328)
Small Business Establishment Registration Waiver Act (Public Law 117-328)
The Make It in America Act (Public Law 117-58)
The DUMP Opioids Act (Public Law 117-29
Better ODDS to Reduce Diversion Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-328)
FREED of Opioids Act (Public Law 117-328)
The Access for Veterans to Records Act (Public Law 117-328)
Women Who Worked on the Home Front World War II Memorial Act (Public Law 117-328)
Apply the Science Act (Public Law 117-328)
The Emergency Use Transparency Act (Public Law 117-328)
The Recovery Startup Assistance Act (Public Law 117-328)
Promoting Access to Critical Countermeasures by Ensuring Specimen Samples (ACCESS) to Diagnostics Act (Public Law 117-328)
Predetermined Change Control Plan Act (Public Law 117-328)
Protecting Patients from Counterfeit Medical Devices Act (Public Law 117-328)
The PLUM Act (Public Law 117-328)
BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE 116TH CONGRESS (2019 – 2020):
The Safeguarding Small Business Act
Healthcare Transparency
the Whistleblower Act of 2019
the VA Directly Returning Opioid Prescriptions Act
the Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act of 2019
Restore Harmony Way Bridge Act
Richard Lugar Post Office Act
Payment Integrity Information Act
ALS Disability Insurance Access Act
OTC Reform
The Fair Care Act
Braun Provisions in the WRDA Reauthorization in the OMNI
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrew J. Hoffman, Professor of Management & Organizations, Environment & Sustainability, and Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan
The U.S. has seen a large number of billion-dollar disasters in recent years.AP Photo/Mark Zaleski
Millions of Americans have been watching with growing alarm as their homeowners insurance premiums rise and their coverage shrinks. Nationwide, premiums rose 34% between 2017 and 2023, and they continued to rise in 2024 across much of the country.
There are a few reasons, but a common thread: Climate change is fueling more severe weather, and insurers are responding to rising damage claims. The losses are exacerbated by more frequent extreme weather disasters striking densely populated areas, rising construction costs and homeowners experiencing damage that was once more rare.
Hurricane Ian, supercharged by warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane in October 2022 and caused an estimated $112.9 billion in damage. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images
Just a decade ago, few insurance companies had a comprehensive strategy for addressing climate risk as a core business issue. Today, insurance companies have no choice but to factor climate change into their policy models.
Rising damage costs, higher premiums
There’s a saying that to get someone to pay attention to climate change, put a price on it. Rising insurance costs are doing just that.
Increasing global temperatures lead to more extreme weather, and that means insurance companies have had to make higher payouts. In turn, they have been raising their prices and changing their coverage in order to remain solvent. That raises the costs for homeowners and for everyone else.
The importance of insurance to the economy cannot be understated. You generally cannot get a mortgage or even drive a car, build an office building or enter into contracts without insurance to protect against the inherent risks. Because insurance is so tightly woven into economies, state agencies review insurance companies’ proposals to increase premiums or reduce coverage.
The insurance companies are not making political statements with the increases. They are looking at the numbers, calculating risk and pricing it accordingly. And the numbers are concerning.
The arithmetic of climate risk
Insurance companies use data from past disasters and complex models to calculate expected future payouts. Then they price their policies to cover those expected costs. In doing so, they have to balance three concerns: keeping rates low enough to remain competitive, setting rates high enough to cover payouts and not running afoul of insurance regulators.
But climate change is disrupting those risk models. As global temperatures rise, driven by greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use and other human activities, past is no longer prologue: What happened over the past 10 to 20 years is less predictive of what will happen in the next 10 to 20 years.
The number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. each year offers a clear example. The average rose from 3.3 per year in the 1980s to 18.3 per year in the 10-year period ending in 2024, with all years adjusted for inflation.
With that more than fivefold increase in billion-dollar disasters came rising insurance costs in the Southeast because of hurricanes and extreme rainfall, in the West because of wildfires, and in the Midwest because of wind, hail and flood damage.
Hurricanes tend to be the most damaging single events. They caused more than US$692 billion in property damage in the U.S. between 2014 and 2023. But severe hail and windstorms, including tornadoes, are also costly; together, those on the billion-dollar disaster list did more than $246 billion in property damage over the same period.
As insurance companies adjust to the uncertainty, they may run a loss in one segment, such as homeowners insurance, but recoup their losses in other segments, such as auto or commercial insurance. But that cannot be sustained over the long term, and companies can be caught by unexpected events. California’s unprecedented wildfires in 2017 and 2018 wiped out nearly 25 years’ worth of profits for insurance companies in that state.
To balance their risk, insurance companies often turn to reinsurance companies; in effect, insurance companies that insure insurance companies. But reinsurers have also been raising their prices to cover their costs. Property reinsurance alone increased by 35% in 2023. Insurers are passing those costs to their policyholders.
What this means for your homeowners policy
Not only are homeowners insurance premiums going up, coverage is shrinking. In some cases, insurers are reducing or dropping coverage for items such as metal trim, doors and roof repair, increasing deductibles for risks such as hail and fire damage, or refusing to pay full replacement costs for things such as older roofs.
Some insurances companies are simply withdrawing from markets altogether, canceling existing policies or refusing to write new ones when risks become too uncertain or regulators do not approve their rate increases to cover costs. In recent years, State Farm and Allstate pulled back from California’s homeowner market, and Farmers, Progressive and AAA pulled back from the Florida market, which is seeing some of the highest insurance rates in the country.
In some cases, insurers are restricting coverage. Roof repairs, like these in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., after Hurricane Ian, can be expensive and widespread after windstorms. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
State-run “insurers of last resort,” which can provide coverage for people who can’t get coverage from private companies, are struggling too. Taxpayers in states such as California and Florida have been forced to bail out their state insurers. And the National Flood Insurance Program has raised its premiums, leading 10 states to sue to stop them.
According to NOAA data, 2023 was the hottest year on record “by far.” And 2024 could be even hotter. This general warming trend and the rise in extreme weather is expected to continue until greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are abated.
In the face of such worrying analyses, U.S. homeowners insurance will continue to get more expensive and cover less. And yet, Jacques de Vaucleroy, chairman of the board of reinsurance giant Swiss Re, believes U.S. insurance is still priced too low to fully cover the risk from climate change.
Climate change is a major factor in the rising cost of insurance. Join us for a special free webinar with experts Andrew Hoffman of the University of Michigan and Melanie Gall of Arizona State University to discuss the arithmetic behind these rising rates, what climate change has to do with it, and what may be coming in your future insurance bills.
Andrew J. Hoffman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-02)
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-02) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 which extends government funding at current levels through December 20, 2024:
“I have learned from experience over the years that shutting the federal government down not only fails to force a given policy result, but also results in a significant amount of financial and operational destruction at the federal agency level,” said Rep. Mark Amodei.
“While it may sound sexy or tough to talk of shut down, without out a plan for what specifically that policy objective is, and a plan for how reopen the shuttered federal government, it looks like a political temper tantrum. So, on balance a shutdown that negatively impacts border patrol agents from handling the crisis at our southern borders, servicemen and women from receiving the care they deserve, and communities devastated by natural disasters from receiving the relief they need to name a few, and which further would occur on the eve of a significant federal election, hardly sounds like a good idea.
“Everyone knows there is plenty of room for improvement, but a shutdown at this point brings nothing resembling improvement.
“On the continuing resolution — I voted yes.”
Background
This legislation delivers funds to strengthen Secret Service’s Presidential protection efforts, allows respective federal agencies to continue addressing the needs of our veterans and seniors, and keeps the doors open of programs that support communities who have been devastated by natural disasters:
Provides an additional $231 million for the Secret Service for protective operations for National Special Security Events and subjects additional money to existing funding caps.
Extends the National Flood Insurance Program through the duration of the CR.
Allows the Department of Health and Human Services to continue providing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits during the duration of the CR.
Extends programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure our veterans continue to receive the care and benefits they have earned.
Extends expiring health care programs, including priority review vouchers for rare pediatric diseases, autism support activities, and Medicaid funding for the Northern Mariana Islands
I am delighted to be able to speak before you today, as representatives of Hessian family businesses. Family businesses play a significant role for the German economy and German society.
In cooperation with the audit firm EY, the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland compiles the Global Family Business Index.[1] It lists the 500 largest family businesses in the world. And, last year, 78 businesses on this list – nearly 16% – were located in Germany. This puts Germany in second place behind the United States, which, however, has nearly five times the GDP of Germany. According to EY data, these 78 businesses generated the equivalent of just over €1 trillion in revenues in 2023.[2] Germany’s share of total revenues is therefore just over 10%. And, let it be noted, these are merely the largest and highest-revenue family enterprises.
However, when we talk about family businesses, it is naturally not just numbers that come to mind. It’s about much more than that, not least about tradition. What I often hear in this context is that “family businesses think in terms of generations, not quarterly reports”. For me, staying power is a good and important quality to have in order to comprehensively rise to challenges and overcome them sustainably. And we are currently facing our share of challenges; of that there is no doubt. I am referring to macroeconomic challenges, which also matter to family businesses.
Once a year, the Society for the German Language (Gesellschaft für die deutsche Sprache) chooses several terms as “Words of the Year”. Krisenmodus – “crisis mode” – took first place last year.[3] The term Krisenmodus will probably ring a bell if you look back across the past few years: the COVID–19 pandemic, disintegrating supply chains, high energy prices. This has also left its mark on economic growth, which, this year, will remain weak as well.
In my speech, I want to discuss in depth the factors that are still continuing to gnaw away at growth. These factors can be either temporary or also permanent in nature. My focus will be on the permanent factors, as we have to address these structural factors in order to make long-term progress. I will subsequently discuss which economic policy measures can specifically help overcome the current weak growth. However, let me first put the current period of economic weakness into context. How serious is the situation really?
2 Are Germany’s days as an industrial superpower coming to an end?
In the first half of 2024, like last year, Germany ranked among the laggards in terms of growth in the euro area. German GDP more or less stagnated in the first six months of the year, whereas the euro area average picked up markedly. Germany does not come off favourably in a global comparison, either. The advanced economies’ collective GDP rose by 0.5% in the spring, and of these, the United States even saw a 0.7% increase.
Third-quarter economic figures for Germany have likewise remained weak. All the while, the media seem to be trying to outdo each other with horror stories about the German economy. “Germany’s days as an industrial superpower are coming to an end” was, for instance, the title of a Bloomberg article in February on the current economic situation in Germany.[4] We read further on in that story that the “underpinnings of Germany’s industrial machine have fallen like dominoes”.
Just a cursory look back over the history of our economy shows us this: there is nothing inherently new about such headlines and debates. Germany weathered a pronounced slump around the turn of the millennium. Bloomberg Businessweek titled the cover page of its February 2003 issue “The decline of Germany”.[5] And, at the end of 2004, German author Gabor Steingart published a book titled Deutschland – der Abstieg eines Superstars (Germany – The decline of a superstar).[6] Is that painful crisis threatening to repeat itself? Are we in decline?
Without wanting to get ahead of myself: we are undoubtedly in a midst of a difficult transformation process. But it’s a process we have the power to shape. And if we shape it right, then my clear response is: No, in my opinion Germany is not in decline! How is today’s situation in Germany different from that at the turn of the millennium? Let’s take a look at the numbers.
At that time, the unemployment rate as calculated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) stood at over 9% on average; it is now 3.3%, and thus also well below the euro area average of 6.5%. Back then, the most pressing labour market problem was unemployment; now, it is the shortage of skilled workers.
Moreover, German firms’ profitability and capital base are much better now than they were 25 years ago. As a case in point, the average capital ratio was 23% then, whereas in the 2020 to 2022 period it averaged 30%. The profit margin went up from 3.4% at the time to 4.5% in the 2020 to 2022 period. These data are subject to a major time lag, which is why we do not yet have any numbers for 2023.
However, what are the reasons for the current feeble growth dynamics? The energy crisis had an outsized impact on Germany, an exporting country where manufacturing has a special status. As, before the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, dependency on inexpensive Russian energy deliveries was high – too high. Moreover, the fallout from the high inflation weighed on the economy. Many consumers kept their purse strings tight. In addition, the restrictive monetary policy is dampening economic activity. And last but not least, industry continues to be impacted by weak foreign demand, particularly because our euro area trading partners’ imports rose less strongly than world trade. What we know for sure is that some of these factors are only temporary. We therefore assume that Germany’s economy will be able to slowly regain some momentum.
3 Structural challenges
Some factors, however, have a longer-term effect. We are facing extensive structural challenges which can likewise dampen growth. To wit, energy costs are set to remain higher than before Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine for quite a while to come. The price of natural gas fell from some €240 per kilowatt hour in August 2022 to €30 in early 2024, before then bouncing back up to around €38 in August of this year, still well above the average price of €13 in the pre-crisis year of 2019.
But the desired transition to a carbon-free energy supply will be costly as well, at least over a relatively long transition period. Plus there are further challenges such as demographic change, the reduction of unilateral dependence on imports and fragmentation of international trade.
The transition to a climate-neutral economy, above all, will require massive investment. On this point, a study commissioned by the KfW Group estimated the volume of investment needed to reach Germany’s net-zero targets by mid-century. The result: around €5 trillion. [7] A McKinsey study even puts the figure higher still, at €6 trillion.[8] And just like when you retrofit an old building to improve its energy efficiency, that number includes investment that will be made in any event. But the estimated incremental investment is considerable, too. The KfW study puts this at around €72 billion per year, or just under 2% of German GDP.
And even though the comprehensive digitalisation process that needs to take place will offer huge opportunities, it, too, will require investment, not to mention training or reconceptualising of processes and business lines. But how is investment faring in Germany at the moment? Let’s take a look at the statistics.
They show that investment in buildings, machinery and equipment, and other assets in Germany has not grown over the past few years. And declining investment was a key factor behind the slight contraction in economic output in the second quarter. But not just that: in a recent analysis the audit firm EY found that the number of foreign investment projects in Germany has dropped for the past six years in a row.[9] All things considered, despite the aforementioned challenges and the need for investment that they entail, there is currently no indication of an investment boom.
But what are the reasons for this weak investment propensity? We have investigated this question through our business survey, the Bundesbank Online Panel – Firms. In it, around 7,400 German firms were asked in the third quarter of 2023 about their motives for investment. We published the results in the May edition of our Monthly Report.[10]
The poor macroeconomic setting was evidently the key reason for declining investment. This was closely followed by high energy and wage costs, a shortage of skilled workers, uncertainty about regulation, and high taxes and public levies. Low public funding, inefficient public administration and poor digital infrastructure played a lesser role. These findings may be a year old, but there is much to suggest that they remain valid.
4 The tasks of economic policy
This brings us to the following question: what can economic policy do to remove barriers to investment, or at least mitigate them? One thing it certainly cannot do is directly influence the challenging global setting. For certain other barriers, however, it is very much possible and preferable to tackle them through economic policy. I would like to address three such areas: energy and climate policy, bureaucratic hurdles and the labour market.
4.1 Energy and climate policy
The first area primarily concerns planning certainty and reliability in energy and climate policy. The terms planning certainty and reliability were not plucked out of thin air, as shown by the Economic Policy Uncertainty Index. Developed by the economists Scott Baker, Nicholas Bloom and Steven Davis, this index is based on the analysis of pertinent newspaper articles.[11] According to the index, economic policy uncertainty in Germany has risen much more strongly over the past few years than the average for Europe.[12] Deciding to invest in green technologies is mostly tied up with irreversible costs. So where there is uncertainty about future policy, firms understandably hesitate before making such decisions.
Now, there is no doubt about the basic direction we’re heading in: we have to become carbon neutral if we care even just a little for the welfare of subsequent generations. But when it comes to the details, there is indeed uncertainty. How will the costs of fossil fuels develop? How will the costs of environmentally friendly energy develop and will there be a reliable supply? What will government regulation, taxation, and support look like?
To reduce these kinds of uncertainties about the energy transition, it is vital that we have a transparent, purposeful and consistent overall framework. This framework includes having sufficient capacity to import and store climate-neutral energy, and back-up power plants for the event that a dunkelflaute – a period with no wind or sunlight – coincides with a period of high energy needs. And, of course, an efficient energy grid. It will therefore be increasingly important, too, to expand power lines connecting Germany from north to south, but also connecting us to our neighbours in Europe.
The Bundesbank believes that the key instrument to achieve climate objectives should be a price on carbon emissions. This is because carbon pricing ensures that savings and investment are made where it is possible to do so with the lowest costs. However, the crucial thing is to apply carbon pricing as broadly, uniformly and predictably as possible.
Ambitious carbon pricing not only creates incentives for the use of renewable energy, but also for greater energy efficiency. Our April Monthly Report showed how important advancements in energy efficiency are to not missing climate targets.[13] Increases in energy efficiency reduce aggregate energy intensity and thereby boost aggregate production. They thus counteract the activity-dampening stimuli likely to emanate from a higher carbon price.
So the production losses or gains that would be associated with achieving climate goals depend not least on energy-saving technological progress. Besides carbon pricing, subsidies for research and development are one conceivable instrument to increase energy efficiency. However, subsidies should be used in a measured and purposeful manner.
I’m not just concerned about the burden on government finances, which we naturally have to keep an eye on as well. When government interventions become too complex and too extensive, they can significantly distort market incentives. It is possible, for example, that firms keep putting off the necessary investment in the hopes of receiving future subsidies. Some subsidies still in place in the energy and transportation sectors actually run counter to the climate goals. To a certain extent, they therefore act in the same way as a negative carbon price.[14] And last but not least, excessive government intervention ultimately leads to bureaucratic hurdles.
4.2 Bureaucratic hurdles
That brings me to the second area where economic policy can improve the investment climate: the burden of bureaucracy. We should make a distinction between two different aspects here. First, there is the extent of requirements placed on firms. For example, there has recently been intense debate about the Supply Chain Act and questions surrounding data protection. In this respect, politicians should make sure they don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Even if the objectives are legitimate, the ability to implement measures has to be borne in mind.
Second, the speed of bureaucracy is important. In Germany, congestion occurs not just on the motorways but also in approval processes. It can sometimes take years for a wind turbine to go into operation, say. When it comes to the pace and efficiency of bureaucracy, especially, we should consider digitalisation as a huge opportunity. Digital technologies can simplify and streamline administrative processes. Incidentally, that is very much in the interest of the administration seeing as it, too, is affected by the shortage of skilled workers. It would appear somewhat logical to bundle more processes when it comes to the digitalisation of administration.
That means the targeted transferral of responsibilities to central units, which develop harmonised approaches in a cost-effective way. This would open the door to achieving economies of scale, if the relevant costs per process are reduced thanks to a larger area of application, say. What I’m thinking about here is the digitalisation of the tax administration, for instance. It could likely leverage efficiency reserves if certain tasks were delegated to a single unit. A modern form of federalism could also help us to leverage efficiency reserves, specifically when those responsible actually learn from the best practices of others.
And I’m speaking on this not just as an economist, but also as the president of a large public authority. Dismantling bureaucracy and driving digitalisation often require enormous effort and persistence. But they also present huge opportunities. There’s a reason why the Society for the German Language listed “AI boom” as another “Word of the Year” in 2023, ranking it number eight.
4.3 Labour market
The third area where economic policy can play an important role is the labour market. You, as operators of businesses, have been complaining of a shortage of skilled workers for many years now. Quite apart from the current bout of economic weakness, the problem has been increasingly exacerbated by demographic change. And it will become even greater in the future.
The number of vacancies per unemployed person is often used as an indicator of tightness in the labour market. Up until 2014, there were around three vacancies for every 10 unemployed persons.[15] At the moment, there are roughly six jobs available for every ten unemployed persons. And the number of vacancies has also climbed to an all-time high since the end of the pandemic and is barely coming down. There is a shortage of skilled workers, and a shortage of labour.
There is a host of conceivable measures to reduce this shortage: open up better employment opportunities for women and older people, make a targeted play for skilled workers from abroad, strengthen vocational and further training, and do a better job of getting the long-term unemployed and immigrants into work.
Equally, we shouldn’t lose sight of the groups that so far haven’t participated in the labour market – known as the “hidden reserve”. According to the Federal Statistical Office, Germany’s hidden reserve recently came to almost 3.2 million people.[16] Close to 60% of them have a mid to high-level qualification. Looking at the hidden reserve, there are significant differences between the genders. For example, many women state that they cannot work because they care for children or family members. We should make better use of this untapped potential labour force. Expanded care facilities for children or dependants requiring care are an important way to help more people enter the labour market.
I am certain that many of you have already taken steps at your businesses to make it easier to reconcile work and family life: you operate kindergartens or have spaces reserved at other childcare facilities, offer flexible working time models or the option of working from home – the list of possibilities is long.
The number of older persons in employment could be increased as well, for example if the statutory retirement age were linked to life expectancy after 2030. This would allow the ratio of retirement to working years to be more or less stabilised. Without this link, the ratio would carry on growing as life expectancy continues to rise. Also, in the short term, it might be worth considering limiting the financial incentives to take early retirement.
After all, in the interests of preserving a good employment and investment climate, it is important to see to it that the tax burden on labour and capital remains reasonable. Germany, for instance, has a high corporate tax burden in comparison to other countries.[17]
The Federal Government has the three economic policy areas I have just spoken about on its radar. This can be seen in this year’s growth initiative from 17 July. The bundle of 49 measures is intended – amongst other things – to increase incentives to work, including making it more attractive for older people to remain in work, accelerate the reduction of bureaucracy and secure the further expansion of renewable energy generation. The growth initiative is an important step in the right direction if Germany wants to rise to today’s challenges. Much depends on its implementation, however. And there is still much to be done.
As an economist myself I must of course not forget what the term “budget constraints” implies: it is not easy to deal with all these challenges when the public purse is light. This being as it is, a critical evaluation of economic policy priorities is almost certainly unavoidable, and that evaluation will remain on the agenda even if the debt brake were to be reformed. The Bundesbank would tolerate a reform if it would continue to guarantee sound government finances. And we have proposed some stability-oriented reforms.
4.4 More financing via the capital markets union
I have gone over what politics and politicians can do to improve the investment climate in Germany. But whether or not an investment will pay off over the long term is not the only important factor. Any investment project must also be funded.
That brings me to the European perspective. Because, all too often, businesses come up against internal European borders in their search for funding. An integrated capital market across the whole of Europe could give European businesses access to more funding for important private investments. But to forge that integrated pan-European capital market, we must make swift progress on both the banking and capital markets unions.
To demonstrate my point with figures: securitisation markets in the EU saw a volume of around €800 billion in 2020. In the United States, this volume was at around US$3.2 trillion, excluding government-guaranteed products.[18] So that’s a different magnitude altogether, even though the United States and the EU have comparably large economies when measured by purchasing power parity.[19] The European securitisation market fell apart following the financial crisis and has never fully recovered since. The securitisation volume in the United States, on the other hand, has already exceeded pre-crisis levels, with the caveat that American market structures are not perfectly comparable with European ones.
You may be thinking that securitisation has a bad reputation. And you would be right. After the 2008 financial crisis it was the poster child for “bad financial market innovations” and mainly brought to mind the sale of potentially non-performing loans to unsuspecting investors. As the head of the Bundesbank’s financial crisis management team at the time, I had an unmatched position from which to examine the dynamics of the crisis in detail.
The financial crisis did indeed lay bare the weaknesses in the securitisation process, which can particularly come to bear in highly complex securitisation transactions. These related to deficits surrounding transparency, risk management and valuation methods. Properly structured and well regulated, though, securitisation vehicles can definitely offer added value to our economy. Securitisation markets complement other sources of long-term financing in the real economy. They give enterprises the opportunity to broaden their funding.
This particularly applies to small and medium-sized enterprises, because securitisation gives them indirect access to capital market investors. Moreover, securitisation can relieve the pressure on bank balance sheets and open up additional scope for lending to the private sector. Well-regulated and structured securitisation markets could improve the allocation of resources in an economy and ensure a better distribution of risk.[20] This could reduce funding costs and increase economic growth.
Support for the securitisation market is thus an important element of EU plans for a capital markets union. But there are others. The creation of integrated financial supervisory structures is planned. National insolvency rules, accounting and securities law are to be harmonised. The goal is to create a level playing field for all financial market participants operating at the EU level. And so long as this goal remains abstract, pretty much nobody has a problem with it. As soon as concrete decisions and negotiations enter the picture, however, unity often dissipates. Harmonising national rules is impossible without compromise, after all.
Happily, more and more European policymakers are coming around to the view that we urgently need a common capital market. There’s been some movement on that front in the last few months. I think, for example, that we have made good progress towards developing a European securitisation market. We need to break down the barriers separating European capital markets one by one!
5 Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen,
As far as the structural challenges are concerned, we need to set the necessary changes in motion and make them fit for purpose. I am certain we can achieve that. The underpinnings of Germany’s industrial machine are still intact, and Germany’s position as an industrial and investment location is better than its present reputation implies. After recording sluggish growth at the turn of the millennium, Germany ranked as an economic powerhouse in Europe for more than decade.[21] Perhaps that should inspire us to invest shrewdly and sufficiently in our future.
Economic policymaking can lay a solid foundation for that investment, but it is not all-powerful. It all comes down to enterprises and their employees in the end. Academic studies show that family businesses have greater resilience when in crisis mode than other enterprises.[22] I therefore firmly believe that all of you, as operators of family-owned businesses, continue to play an important role in ensuring the German economy rises to the challenges it faces today. And thus in ensuring that Germany remains ready for what the future holds
See EBA (2022), Joint Committee advice on the review of the securitisation prudential framework (Banking), p. 24. For comparison purposes, the total volume of the US securitisation market (US$13,131 billion) was adjusted for agency ABSs (75%), while the total volume of the EU securitisation market (€3,058 billion) was adjusted for mortgage CBs (63%) and other CBs (11%).
Buchner et al. (2021), Resilienz von Familienunternehmen – Eine systematische Literaturanalyse, Betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung und Praxis 73, Vol. 3, pp. 225 f.
Climate and Health Solutions (CHS) India Conclave jointly organized by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and Asian Development Bank inaugurated today in Delhi Two-day Conclave aims to address twin emergencies of climate change and public health by bringing together policymakers, experts and stakeholders to develop actionable strategies for India’s health sector
The Ministry is committed to developing robust strategies that protect the health of our citizens while contributing to global climate goals: Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
India’s leadership through G20 Presidency has been instrumental in bringing this issue to the global forefront, and through collaboration with key partners like the Asian Development Bank, we have a unique opportunity to shape resilient and adaptive health systems: Shri Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa
Posted On: 25 SEP 2024 3:41PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), inaugurated the Climate and Health Solutions (CHS) India Conclave at Delhi. The two-day conclave aims to address the twin emergencies of climate change and public health by bringing together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to develop actionable strategies for India’s health sector.
Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary, MoHFW, in his keynote address highlighted the urgent need for integrating climate considerations into health planning. He said that “The Climate and Health Solutions India Conclave is a testament to our commitment to building a climate-resilient health system that addresses the unique needs of developing nations like ours. India is leading by example, integrating climate considerations into our health policies and emergency response mechanisms.”
Shri Apurva Chandra further added that “we are proud to collaborate with the Asian Development Bank and other global partners to ensure that our health sector is equipped to tackle unforeseen climate impacts and support sustainable development for all. Together, we can achieve the vision of ‘One Health, One Family, One Future.”
Addressing the gathering, Ms. Punya Salila Srivastava, OSD, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighted the steps taken to integrate climate considerations into health planning. She said “India has taken proactive steps in integrating climate change considerations into its public health policies. A pivotal moment in this journey was the creation of the Mission on Climate Change and Health, nearly a decade ago, under the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change. In 2019, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare introduced the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) under the National Health Mission.”
She further added that India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change and Health has served as a blueprint for nearly all States and Union Territories to develop their respective State Action Plans. The next ambition, for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, is for each district to assess their vulnerability and develop tailored climate change and health action plans.
Shri Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, Government of India, in the Presidential Address, emphasized the importance of India’s leadership, scale and size in demonstrating the leapfrogging of development pathways at the intersection of climate change and health for India and the world, remarking, “As we confront rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and the growing burden on healthcare systems, it is critical that we design integrated, sustainable solutions that safeguard the health of our people and our planet. India’s leadership through the G20 Presidency has been instrumental in bringing this issue to the global forefront, and through collaboration with key partners like the Asian Development Bank, we have a unique opportunity to shape resilient and adaptive health systems. Together, we can forge a path that ensures the well-being of future generations while addressing the urgent imperatives of climate action.”
Ms. Leena Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, discussed India’s progress on sustainable development and the country’s commitments to climate and environmental goals. Underscoring the significance of cross-sectoral collaboration to achieve climate resilience, she stated, “We need macro-planning to address the challenges posed by climate change, particularly in areas like health and resource management. Health system readiness is key to adapting and ensuring a coordinated, complete, and comprehensive approach.”
Ms. Ayako Inagaki, Senior Director, Human and Social Development Sector Office, Sectors Group, Asian Development Bank stated, “The convergence of climate change and public health presents an urgent challenge that demands collaborative action. India’s vast and diverse landscapes make it a key battleground for addressing climate-induced health risks. Through collective efforts, we can build resilient, sustainable health systems capable of withstanding the evolving impacts of climate change. The Climate and Health Solutions India conclave marks a significant step toward uniting policymakers, experts, and stakeholders in shaping a healthier, climate-resilient future for all.”
From pledges to implementation, India is leading the climate and health movement from global agenda building to national-level contextualization, and on-ground execution. The conclave, including participation from various government agencies such as the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), G20 Secretariat, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), aims to foster dialogue on building climate-resilient health systems, infrastructure and supply chains. Leading development partners, private institutions and respective representatives from the state governments and the private sector have been invited to share their experiences and insights.
During the conclave, participants will engage on in-depth strategic and operational deliberations on eight deep-dive roundtable discussions on topics such as Adapting to Climate Change through Urban Heat Mapping and Management, Climate, Vector-Borne Diseases and One Health, Surveillance and Early Warning Systems, Health Based Action for Clean Air, Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Mental Health and Nutrition, and Climate Resilient and Responsive Health Infrastructure and Systems for Extreme Weather Events.
The call for action and package of CHS conclave outcomes includes stimulating dialogue on a nuanced understanding of climate and health challenges and tailored policies for different states and stakeholders in the country, co-creating a comprehensive roadmap and implementation plan to formulate robust policies, initiatives and innovations, identifying core climate and health process, product and technology innovations that can be piloted, scaled and mainstreamed in national and sub-national health plans, and to initiate public and private sector engagement in designing and delivering climate resilient healthcare. The CHS India Conclave underscores the dedication of the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank in advancing climate and health solutions in alignment with international and national leadership and commitments of India.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
President Biden approved Florida’s request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration, enabling FEMA to provide funding and resources to Florida in advance of Hurricane Helene.
FEMA is prepared to support state and local response efforts, and has staff, supplies, and equipment in place and ready.
It is very important to follow guidance from your local officials to evacuate – Helene will bring hurricane-force winds and deadly storm surge and floods.
Equally important is making sure you finish preparing for the storm today.
You can find more information and resources on how to stay safe before, during, and after the storm at Ready.gov or in Spanish at Listo.gov