Source: European Union 2
The Commission has proposed an amendment to the EU’s Climate Law that would see a 2040 EU climate target of a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 1990 levels. The proposal also sets out a more pragmatic and flexible way to reach the 2040 target.
Source: US State of Connecticut
A group of researchers in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment provided critical support for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s latest Wildlife Action Plan.
The UConn team was led by College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) faculty Chadwick Rittenhouse, associate professor in residence and associate department head; Tracy Rittenhouse, associate professor; and Ph.D. student Kathryn Bischoff ‘22 (CAHNR).
This is the third Wildlife Action Plan that Connecticut, along with every other U.S. state, has released. The first report was released in 2005 following a federal requirement that states create a plan for wildlife conservation every 10 years. The plans identify animal species of greatest conservation need, their habitats, and the challenges they face. By identifying these priorities, states can better direct conservation, policy, and research. Funding for this planning effort was provided in part by State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, a program providing funding to states for biodiversity conservation.
A draft of the plan was released last week and is open for public comment until July 27.
During the public comment period, anyone can provide feedback on the list of species and habitats in need of conservation, the types of actions they would be most interested in taking in their community, or any other part of the plan.
“That public review is a very important part of wildlife management and conservation,” Tracy Rittenhouse says. “There’s a long, long list of potential actions that can be taken, and hopefully some of those actions resonate with different people who can see that list and say, ‘I can do that’ or ‘my group, we can do this’.”
DEEP and the UConn team worked closely with a diverse group of stakeholders in the state, including the Connecticut Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, land trusts, fish and game clubs, community groups like garden clubs, organizations based in urban areas, as well as municipal and town governments in developing the plan. The creation of this plan also included “Taxa teams” who contributed detailed knowledge about specific groups of animals – like mammals, amphibians, insects, or birds.
“From UConn’s perspective, I really do value the relationship with the state agency and their willingness to partner with people who have the expertise, who have the abilities, who have that desire to contribute to conservation in the state,” Chadwick Rittenhouse says.
Some of the concrete conservation actions in the plan include things like protecting land, vegetation management, habitat restoration efforts, increasing enforcement of existing protection laws, and continuing research and monitoring to learn more about high-priority species.
Compared to the version released in 2015, the 2025 plan reflects the development of a greater understanding of not only which species are in greatest need of conservation, but where in the state they live. This is one of the key contributions the UConn team made to the plan, identifying “Conservation Opportunity Areas.”
By identifying these areas, the plan can operate alongside local governments as they make decisions about planning and zoning, conservation groups that have their own maps, and highlight where education and engagement resources, like nature centers, could be added to better support conservation goals in these areas.
“It’s bringing a whole bunch of ecological and social data together to prioritize all those different actions and plan where on the landscape different partners can take action,” Bischoff says.
The UConn team is also developing a web-enabled plan with interactive resources for towns and community partners. This will include interactive maps and species profiles. It is scheduled to come out later this year.
“There are a lot of people involved, and there’s a lot of motivation and goodwill to do things well for conservation in the state,” Chadwick Rittenhouse says. “We’re really optimistic that good things will come for wildlife and fisheries in the state through this effort.”
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Fostering Sustainable Landscapes at the Urban-Rural Interface, and Advancing Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate.
Follow UConn CAHNR on social media
The Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Vivianne Fock Tave received the outgoing Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Mr Gunnar Andrea Holm at Maison Quéau de Quinssy on Tuesday 01st July 2025.
Principal Secretary Fock Tave thanked Ambassador Holm for the work done during his tour of duty, noting that the bilateral cooperation between Seychelles and the Kingdom of Norway has strengthened, namely in the fields of capacity building, climate change and maritime security through EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
They touched on the issue of drug trafficking, whereby Norway is working alongside the UNODC on an information sharing mechanism with the Seychelles to help tackle this scourge.
Plastic pollution was another issue addressed, with Norway being the co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution.
Climate change, tourism and current international and regional issues were among the other topics broached by PS Fock Tave and Ambassador Holm during his farewell call.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
“I appreciate Senator Welch taking on the challenge to create an expedited, more efficient, and flexible emergency management system.”
“Nearly every municipal leader impacted by recent flooding in Vermont has told me that FEMA has been difficult to work with. I’m pleased to see Senator Welch proposing reforms to address these concerns.”
“What is needed, and what this bill would do, is build state and local capacity to prepare, mitigate, respond, and recover while making more efficient and effective use of federal resources.”
“We are grateful to Senator Welch for proposing a commonsense solution that would provide technical assistance, simplified procedures and support for long-term resiliency to municipalities that are in need.”
“Senator Welch’s Disaster AID Act provides a path toward more timely and effective recovery, especially for Vermont’s hardest-hit towns.”
“This legislation represents a fundamental shift in the way we administer hazard mitigation funding.”
WESTON, VT—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.)’s Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act has earned the support of community leaders across Vermont.
Senator Welch’s Disaster AID Act will cut red tape and empower state and local governments to access recovery assistance when it is needed. The bill will support hazard mitigation efforts, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide technical assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster response. He will officially introduce the Disaster AID Act next week, coinciding with the anniversary of the 2023 and 2024 floods.
“FEMA does lifesaving and important work after a disaster, but we need to find a way to fix the agency so it works better to help communities recover in the weeks, months, and years after a disaster. Vermont saw it firsthand: there’s too much red tape, and the long-term recovery process is inefficient,” said Senator Welch. “The Disaster AID Act is inspired by the experiences of flood-impacted Vermont communities that had to wait too long—and jump through far too many hoops—to get the federal support needed to build back after a disaster. I am proud the Disaster AID Act has earned the support of community and disaster recovery leaders across our state, and thank them for helping shape this commonsense bill.”
Vermont Governor Phil Scott, and Kristin Atwood, Barton Town Clerk; Ted Brady, Executive Director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns; Michele Braun, Executive Director of the Friends of the Winooski River; Chris Campany, Executive Director of the Windham Regional Commission, and Chair of the VAPDA Emergency Management Committee; Jon Copans, Executive Director, Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience; Ben Doyle, Executive Director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont; Peter Gregory, Executive Director of the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC); Thom Lauzon, Mayor of Barre City; Kristen Leahy, Zoning and Floodplain Administrator and Resilience & Adaption Coordinator for Hardwick; Jim Linville, Selectboard Vice Chair and Recovery Director of Weston; Julie Moore, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Stephanie Smith, Vermont Hazard Mitigation Officer; Justin Smith, Municipal Administrator for the Town of Lyndon; and Beverley Wemple, Director of the University of Vermont’s Water Resources Institute.
“After facing devastating floods over the last two summers, Vermonters have seen firsthand, the value of federal support and assistance from FEMA workers. However, we’ve also experienced gaps between response and recovery, and we need to make changes that better support responders on the ground and those trying to rebuild. I appreciate Senator Welch taking on the challenge to create an expedited, more efficient, and flexible emergency management system,” said Governor Phil Scott.
“The Town of Barton, Vermont, has been hit two years in a row on the same date by disastrous flooding. The unknowns of funding around that have us delaying needed normal maintenance until FEMA funds are received to cover flooding repairs, and slowing down the repairs to make sure those funds flow in before the next project is underway. This unknown funding element has the Town worrying as we look to the future instead of confident FEMA will have our backs. Our ability to prepare for and mitigate the next storm is significantly impacted by our unwillingness to overextend ourselves in case FEMA funding does not come through. This puts us at greater risk of damage if another storm were to come before we have completed recovery from the prior two,” said Kristin Atwood, Barton Town Clerk.
“Vermont municipalities can’t prepare for or recover from a disaster without the federal government’s help. Nearly every municipal leader impacted by recent flooding in Vermont has told me that FEMA has been difficult to work with. I’m pleased to see Senator Welch proposing reforms to address these concerns. The ballooning federal bureaucracy, rotating FEMA staff, inconsistent funding, and requirement to take on debt have combined to make recovering from the flooding here in Vermont another disaster. The Disaster AID Act addresses these challenges by providing technical assistance to municipalities before a disaster hits, providing disaster aid immediately to reduce the debt towns need to take on, and cutting down on the red tape communities need to navigate to access federal assistance,” said Ted Brady, Executive Director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
“Having helped dozens of towns to recover from devastating floods, we know firsthand that FEMA’s procedures are a barrier to accessing critical funds. Friends of the Winooski River appreciates Senator Welch’s efforts to improve access to the resources our communities desperately need for flood recovery and future health and safety,” said Michele Braun, Executive Director of the Friends of the Winooski River.
“FEMA provides critical resources and structure for disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery, but it needs reform to make it work better for people and their communities. I don’t think there’s disagreement there, including among FEMA rank and file personnel. Congress needs to act. What is needed, and what this bill would do, is build state and local capacity to prepare, mitigate, respond, and recover while making more efficient and effective use of federal resources,” said Chris Campany, Executive Director of the Windham Regional Commission, and Chair of the Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies (VAPDA) Emergency Management Committee.
“While it is far from perfect, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has repeatedly proven to be a critical part of disaster response here in Central Vermont. I commend Senator Peter Welch for his efforts to improve FEMA’s process and provide support to small municipalities as we struggle to navigate the bureaucracy to help our communities recover. The Disaster Assistance and Decentralization Act takes important steps to reform and strengthen federal disaster response so that cities and towns across the country can recover more quickly and make critical investments in future resilience,” said Jon Copans, Executive Director, Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience.
“One thing that became clear very quickly after the 2023 flood is that if you’ve seen one small town dealing with a disaster, you’ve seen one small town dealing with a disaster. The impacts on homes, businesses, and infrastructure, were all significant, but they were different depending on the community—and the capacity of municipalities to respond and support residents varied widely. While FEMA representatives were on the ground and well-intentioned, the truth is they were often more prepared to tell people what they couldn’t do because of regulations than to help them rebuild their lives. We need the federal government to meet people where they are—regardless of the size of the community or the scale of the disaster—and provide tailored technical assistance, financial support, and, most importantly, hope.” said Ben Doyle, Executive Director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont.
“We are very appreciative of Senator Welch’s proposal to reform FEMA and how it interacts with Vermonters. His proposal explicitly enables regional planning commissions to work as agents of municipalities when interacting with FEMA. We were pleased to offer this idea and even more pleased to help our communities,” said Peter Gregory, Executive Director of the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC).
“The City of Barre was hit hard by the 2023 and 2024 floods, and we are grateful to the many people who have and continue to help us rebuild better and stronger. While we’ve made significant progress, there’s much more work to be done. We are grateful to Senator Welch for proposing a commonsense solution that would provide technical assistance, simplified procedures and support for long-term resiliency to municipalities that are in need. We need to fix FEMA, not kill it,” said Thom Lauzon, Mayor of Barre City.
“Hardwick has faced devastating impacts from back-to-back floods in 2023 and 2024, with repeated damage to homes, businesses, and public infrastructure along the Lamoille River. One example is 41 Brush Street, a residential property now hanging precariously over the riverbank due to severe erosion. The home is slated for a FEMA-funded buyout, and additional stabilization is needed to protect surrounding properties. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program is essential for communities like ours, not only for rebuilding but for implementing long-term solutions that reduce future risk. Without sustained and accessible funding, rural towns will be left in a cycle of damage and short-term fixes. Senator Welch’s Disaster AID Act provides a path toward more timely and effective recovery, especially for Vermont’s hardest-hit towns,” said Kristen Leahy, Zoning and Floodplain Administrator and Resilience & Adaption Coordinator for Hardwick.
“The support for small towns in Senator Welch’s Disaster AID Act is crucial in enabling towns in Vermont and nationwide to obtain the expert assistance they require in responding to disasters, as well as identifying, designing and funding mitigation projects. Five months after the July 2023 flood in Weston, we applied for and received an MTAP grant that allowed us to retain professional help to guide us through the grant maze and get a head start on modeling the flooding and designing mitigation projects. Our hope is that with passage of the Disaster AID Act, this sort of assistance will be available soon after the next (inevitable) disaster event so our town fathers and mothers aren’t wringing their hands trying to figure out what to do, how to do it and how to pay for it,” said Jim Linville, Selectboard Vice Chair and Recovery Director of Weston.
“Vermont has experienced multiple federally-declared disasters since 2023 which laid bare Vermont municipalities’ need for additional technical assistance,” said ANR Secretary Julie Moore. “The Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization Act would help fill this critical need. In particular, we are grateful to Sen. Welch for his continued efforts to simplify procedures for complex relocation projects for critical facilities, such as the wastewater treatment facilities in Johnson, Hardwick and Ludlow – all of which have experienced repeated flood damage.”
“The BRIC program greatly improved Vermont’s ability to do the planning and scoping work necessary in order to develop important flood reduction projects in our communities,” said Stephanie Smith, Vermont Hazard Mitigation Section Chief. “This legislation represents a fundamental shift in the way we administer hazard mitigation funding that would allow us to successfully and efficiently utilize federal resources to reduce future flood risk in Vermont.”
“Like many rural towns in Vermont, Lyndon is not blessed with a large staff to handle the volume of paperwork required to receive funding from FEMA when a disaster occurs. Many towns in rural Vermont are not even fortunate enough to have a Municipal Administrator or Manager in place to handle the paper trail and are forced to rely solely on volunteers in their community. We understand and support the necessity of ensuring that funds are being properly spent and accounted for. However, there is a strong need to create a system where communities have one point of contact throughout the entirety of a declared disaster. Small Vermont communities such as ours, do not have the resources or the personnel work hours to start and re-start the process of disaster re-imbursement from scratch because a FEMA PDMG has reached their 50-week time limit and must move on,” said Justin Smith, Municipal Administrator for the Town of Lyndon. “Taking away a single employee from their normal day to day responsibilities to devote to disaster recovery severely understaffs any rural community, and extending this length of time attempting to get a new PDMG or multiple PDMGs up to speed is time and money that rural communities don’t have the luxury of wasting.”
“The Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act will provide critical assistance to communities impacted by flooding and other disasters. The bill’s provisions will get assistance into the hands of those who need it more rapidly following disasters. In Vermont and communities across the country, investments in hazard mitigation projects enabled by the Act, like reconnecting rivers to floodplains that store and dissipate the energy of floodwaters, will make communities safer and ensure we are prepared for the future in a way that also supports healthy ecosystems,” said Beverley Wemple, Director of the University of Vermont’s Water Resources Institute. “Thank you, Senator Welch, for introducing this important piece of legislation that will support all Americans in meeting the challenges of future natural disasters.”
•••
Over the course of consecutive summers in July 2023 and July 2024, Vermont experienced severe storms which caused catastrophic flooding, washouts, and mudslides. Homes, farms, businesses, and public infrastructure were destroyed, and communities were left reeling. In the immediate aftermath of the destruction, FEMA provided lifesaving on-the-ground assistance, working with local organizations and the state. In the long-term, however, FEMA’s response has not met the needs of communities.
Many of Vermont’s towns operate with limited resources and lack the administrative capacity needed to navigate the complex web of federal disaster assistance—especially in the aftermath of a brutal flood. FEMA has failed to provide necessary support and burdensome FEMA policies have slowed or blocked communities from accessing federal funds. Towns were not empowered to capitalize on their understanding of conditions on the ground. To make matters worse, under the Trump Administration, communities must now contend with uncertain federal funding streams, including for reimbursement of projects already approved and under way.
Senator Welch’s Disaster AID Act will cut red tape and ease cumbersome requirements that restrict state and local governments from tailoring solutions to local circumstances. The bill will also provide technical and financial resources for small towns and communities that lack administrative capacity, and restrain future administrations from arbitrarily turning off the funding spigot for communities in the midst of disaster recovery.
Learn more about the Disaster AID Act.
Read a section-by-section summary of the Disaster AID Act.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
A new analysis by UNESCO and World Resources Institute (WRI) reveals that 73% of World Heritage sites are highly exposed to water-related hazards, such as drought, water stress, or riverine and coastal flooding. Strengthening water stewardship is essential to protect these sites and the communities and ecosystems they sustain.
Water-related hazards—including floods, droughts, and storms—have accounted for over 90% of the world’s major disasters since 1970, resulting in more than 2 million deaths and economic losses exceeding USD 3.6 trillion, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). World Heritage sites have not been exempted from these hazards and face increasing threats to their natural and cultural values. These sites stand as powerful reminders of humanity’s enduring relationship with water. From awe-inspiring landscapes shaped over millennia to cultural landmarks forged through human ingenuity—such as ancient irrigation systems, historic canals, and modern engineering achievements—they reflect the cooperation with nature that has enabled societies to flourish across generations. Yet, while water is fundamental to their significance, it can also pose serious risks when its balance is disrupted, threatening the integrity of these irreplaceable places.
A new analysis by UNESCO and World Resources Institute (WRI) highlights the scale of these threats: 73% of World Heritage sites are highly exposed to at least one water-related hazard—such as drought, water stress, or riverine and coastal flooding—and 21% face multiple overlapping risks. Around the world, World Heritage sites are increasingly caught between the extremes of too much and too little water, with climate change, urbanization, river regulation, and upstream water withdrawals intensifying these pressures, especially in regions such as the Middle East, North Africa, parts of South Asia, and northern China.
“The Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas gives us critical data to track how water risks are evolving around the world. These insights are more urgent than ever, helping governments, site managers, and communities take targeted action — before floods, droughts, or water shortages cause irreversible damage to treasured places that serve as lifelines for both people and ecosystems,”
Approximately 600 World Heritage sites are highly exposed to water scarcity conditions — reflected in water stress or drought— making it the most widespread water-related risk, threatening nearly half of all properties. The vast majority (around 90%) of these exposed sites are cultural properties . While natural sites face a comparatively lower level of exposure, they are increasingly experiencing conditions that place growing stress on ecosystems and biodiversity. Sites such as the Ahwar of Southern Iraq and Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls (Zambia / Zimbabwe) have endured severe multi-year droughts since 2020. Drought also heightens the risk of wildfires, compounding the damage: in the Pantanal Conservation Area (Brazil) and Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (Bolivia), prolonged dry conditions have fueled intense fires with severe impacts on flora, fauna, and local communities.
Drought at Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls (Zambia / Zimbabwe) in 2019 / Source: Copernicus Browser
Severe flood risk, both riverine and coastal, affects approximately 400 World Heritage sites. Floods have already impacted both natural and cultural World Heritage properties, highlighting the urgent need for strengthened resilience. In 2020, Rwenzori Mountains National Park (Uganda) experienced significant climate-related flooding that that disrupted river systems, posing challenges for both local communities and wildlife. In 2022, major flooding led to the temporary closure of Yellowstone National Park (United States of America), with over $20 million required for infrastructure repairs before the park could reopen. More recently, in 2024, severe flooding in Kaziranga National Park (India) resulted in the loss of more than 200 animals, including 10 endangered rhinos, while Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal) has been affected by Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) linked to accelerating glacial retreat.
© ICIMOD
Cultural sites have also experienced serious impacts from flooding. The catastrophic floods that left nearly one-third of Pakistan submerged in 2022 caused significant damage to the Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro. Other ancient sites such as the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan), Angkor (Cambodia) and Petra (Jordan), have also been affected by flooding, with damage to their integrity. In parts of Africa, communities in Timbuktu (Mali) and the Historic Centre of Agadez (Niger) are facing the compounded challenges of severe drought followed by intense flooding — a clear illustration of increasing climate variability.
Flood at Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro (Pakistan) in 2022 / Source: Copernicus Browser
Around 50 World Heritage sites are highly exposed to coastal flooding. Some cultural sites are already experiencing the impacts, with growing risks to their integrity. The Complex of Hué Monuments (Viet Nam) has endured repeated flooding in recent years, accelerating deterioration. The Forts and Castles along the coast of Ghana, face increasing danger from shoreline erosion and rising seas, putting at risk these important remains of fortified trading posts that formed part of early global trade history. While coastal flooding has not yet caused major reported damage at natural World Heritage sites, the risk is rising. Sites such as the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China and Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania) are highly vulnerable, as sea level rise could transform or submerge critical coastal habitats essential for migratory species.
“This analysis underscores the urgent need to address water-related risks to World Heritage sites, which are being intensified by climate change. Strengthening resilience through innovation, traditional knowledge, and cooperation is essential to safeguarding these irreplaceable places for future generations.”
Despite these challenges, examples of effective action demonstrate that solutions are possible—particularly when supported by international cooperation, innovation, and traditional knowledge. UNESCO actively supports States Parties in addressing water-related threats through a combination of emergency mechanisms, technical guidance, and long-term cooperation. Emergency support is provided through instruments such as the World Heritage Fund’s International Assistance, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) and the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), while expert missions under the World Heritage Convention’s Reactive Monitoring process help guide response efforts. UNESCO also provides capacity building and technical support to strengthen local responses, contributing to long-term resilience, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable water management at World Heritage sites through programmes such as the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP).
Integrated water resource management (IWRM) — which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources — is increasingly being incorporated into conservation strategies for World Heritage properties. At Petra (Jordan) and the Old City of Sana’a (Yemen), for example, IWRM principles are guiding flood risk reduction strategies such as early warning systems, which help safeguard monuments from increasingly severe flash floods. Similarly, in the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, a government ban on land reclamation, followed by wetland restoration efforts, has led to a fivefold increase in bird populations in some areas, providing renewed habitat for migratory species.
© UNESCO / Community Engagement through Risk Prevention in Petra
Heritage-sensitive climate adaptation is also key. The Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (Peru) illustrates how site managers are applying innovative water management measures — including drainage improvements and protective earthworks — to reduce the impact of increasingly intense rainfall and flooding on fragile adobe structures. At the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan), UNESCO has supported emergency measures to stabilize the structure following flood events that endangered its integrity, along with technical assistance for improved flood management in the surrounding valley.
© UNESCO / The Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, a UNESCO project to safeguard the iconic site
Transboundary cooperation plays a vital role where shared water systems support World Heritage values. The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM), through collaboration between Angola, Namibia, and Botswana, coordinates efforts to protect the seasonal flooding that sustains the Okavango Delta’s biodiversity and local livelihoods. Similarly, at Iguaçu National Park, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, park managers work with upstream stakeholders to maintain sustainable water flows that protect the falls’ ecosystem while supporting vital hydroelectric production at the Itaipu Dam. To address the consequences of melting glaciers and increased occurrences of Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) due to climate change impacts, UNESCO is engaging with communities in the Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal) to identify potential adaptation pathways using the Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA).
Traditional knowledge, community stewardship, and partnerships between local communities, national authorities, and international organizations are central to many successful initiatives. In the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the revitalization of ancient irrigation systems and forest restoration supports both cultural heritage and resilience to drought and erosion. In the Ahwar of Southern Iraq, joint efforts have facilitated the restoration of marshlands, enhancing water governance and helping buffer against drought and salinity.
Modern technology further complements these approaches. Tools such as GIS mapping, remote sensing, and water quality monitoring provide real-time data to inform decision-making and enable site managers and authorities to respond effectively to emerging threats. To support this, UNESCO’s World Heritage Online Map Platform (WHOMP), serves as an important resource for monitoring water-related risks and informing site-level planning.
These efforts and solutions are among the many actions contributing to the protection of World Heritage sites and the strengthening of their resilience for generations to come. World Heritage sites are not static relics of the past, but dynamic systems shaped by human ingenuity, natural forces, and the enduring relationship between people and water. Strengthening their protection calls for an integrated approach that combines time-honoured practices with scientific innovation, draws on both traditional knowledge and modern science, and fosters inclusive governance and transboundary cooperation. Advancing water stewardship that supports both cultural and natural heritage is essential to safeguarding their Outstanding Universal Value and ensuring their continued contribution to sustainable development and the well-being of communities worldwide.
UNESCO gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Flanders (Belgium) for the World Heritage Online Map Platform (WHOMP), which made this analysis possible.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
UNESCO World Heritage Centre has launched a groundbreaking new report Climate Change in Mediterranean World Heritage Cities during a high-level online event attended by over 140 participants from international organisations, national authorities, academia, and civil society. The report addresses the intersection of three important concerns around impacts of climate change on cultural heritage, the Mediterranean region as a global climate hotspot, and cities as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions as well as of climate action. It marks a milestone in UNESCO’s efforts to bridge the knowledge gap between climate science and heritage-based adaptation planning. Combining qualitative analysis of reports from cities and settlements and Earth observation data, the study provides both Earth system models and regional climate models to identify the hazards already experienced and projections for future climate risks that the World Heritage properties should prepare for. This publication aims to raise global awareness of the gravity and urgency of the climate crisis, as well as recognise cultural heritage as a valuable resource for climate action.
The launch event was opened by Mr Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture who provided a broad introduction to ongoing engagements of UNESCO with regard to climate change and culture. Ms Yana Gevorgyan, Director of the GEO Secretariat emphasized the potential of Earth Intelligence and GEO’s global platforms to guide local responses to climate risks, referencing the Urban Heritage Climate Observatory (UHCO) and the Global Heat Resilience Service. While reiterating the importance of the report H.E. Ms Christina Kokkinakis, Ambassador of the European Union to UNESCO highlighted the urgency of climate change in Europe and the European Union’s priorities for achieving climate neutrality, while reflecting that “Mediterranean cities have survived for centuries—we don’t just lose a momentum, but our collective future. It is not about what we inherit, but what we choose for the future.”
Presented by its lead co-authors, Ms Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and Mr Evangelos Gerasopoulos, Director of the Greek GEO Office, the new publication is the first comprehensive, data-driven assessment of climate change risks to World Heritage cities in the Mediterranean region. Drawing on Earth observations, local climate projections, and qualitative reports from site managers, the study assesses 114 cities inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The results are alarming: nearly two-thirds of these cities already experience at least one climate-related hazard, such as extreme heat, flooding, droughts, or storms; and nearly a fifth of the Mediterranean World Heritage Cities report already facing 3 or more climate hazards.
Under the worst-case scenario for 2100, coastal World Heritage cities in the region will additionally face sea-level rise, and the majority will be exposed to multiple, compounding climate hazards.
Despite the challenges posed by climate change, World Heritage Cities are immense repositories of traditional knowledge accumulated over millennia. The report highlights key heritage-informed policies and actions, including urban planning responses to enhance resilience. Urban climate mitigation and adaptation strategies could also include adapting traditional building techniques and planning solutions to optimise climate conditions in historic cities and settlements. Case studies featured in the publication illustrate how such measures are already making a difference. Looking ahead, the report considers that a wide range of actions are required, from international policies to national and local strategies. Regular monitoring is key, as is the integration of cultural heritage into climate action plans and policies at all governmental levels. Better planning allows cities to harness resilience, adaptation and mitigation offered by their cultural heritage.
Comments by experts during the launch event reinforced the report’s urgency and relevance. Sir Jim Skea, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), stressed the importance of scaling up climate knowledge for local action, and commended the report’s multidisciplinary approach reminding participants that the impacts of climate change are not uni-dimensional, as well as the necessity of engaging with more diverse forms of knowledge, including indigenous and local one – as demonstrated in the publication. Professor Christos S. Zerefos, Secretary General of the Academy of Athens, noted that “The culture we inherit should be preserved—not by ignoring the discomforts our monuments endure, as they can’t speak.” Ms Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of IPCC Working Group III and Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee for the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change, recognised the report as an important and timely contribution aligned with global scientific efforts. All the experts noted that the value of the lessons learned from the 114 World Heritage Cities in the Mediterranean region extended far beyond the entire world.
Mr Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Centre, closed the event reiterating the importance of this report for UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre, emphasising that the report is “more than a diagnosis – it is a roadmap for protecting cultural heritage in the face of climate change”, especially as we prepare for the start of the 2025 World Heritage Committee session. He called for expanded partnerships and long-term monitoring, and stated: “As the climate crisis accelerates, so must our collaborations. This is an opportunity to ensure more resilient, just, and sustainable cities where our shared heritage is safeguarded for generations to come.”
The full publication is now available on the UNESCO platform. It aims to serve as a knowledge resource and decision-making tool for States Parties, site managers, urban planners, and heritage professionals working across the region and beyond.
Source: EuroStat – European Statistics
European Commission Press release Brussels, 02 Jul 2025 The European Commission today proposed an amendment to the EU Climate Law, setting a 2040 EU climate target of 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, compared to 1990 levels, as requested by the Commission Political Guidelines for 2024-2029.
Source: NASA
An unexpectedly strong solar storm rocked our planet on April 23, 2023, sparking auroras as far south as southern Texas in the U.S. and taking the world by surprise.
Two days earlier, the Sun blasted a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a cloud of energetic particles, magnetic fields, and solar material — toward Earth. Space scientists took notice, expecting it could cause disruptions to Earth’s magnetic field, known as a geomagnetic storm. But the CME wasn’t especially fast or massive, and it was preceded by a relatively weak solar flare, suggesting the storm would be minor. But it became severe.
Using NASA heliophysics missions, new studies of this storm and others are helping scientists learn why some CMEs have more intense effects — and better predict the impacts of future solar eruptions on our lives.
Why Was This Storm So Intense?
A paper published in the Astrophysical Journal on March 31 suggests the CME’s orientation relative to Earth likely caused the April 2023 storm to become surprisingly strong.
The researchers gathered observations from five heliophysics spacecraft across the inner solar system to study the CME in detail as it emerged from the Sun and traveled to Earth.
They noticed a large coronal hole near the CME’s birthplace. Coronal holes are areas where the solar wind — a stream of particles flowing from the Sun — floods outward at higher than normal speeds.
“The fast solar wind coming from this coronal hole acted like an air current, nudging the CME away from its original straight-line path and pushing it closer to Earth’s orbital plane,” said the paper’s lead author, Evangelos Paouris of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. “In addition to this deflection, the CME also rotated slightly.”
Paouris says this turned the CME’s magnetic fields opposite to Earth’s magnetic field and held them there — allowing more of the Sun’s energy to pour into Earth’s environment and intensifying the storm.
Cool Thermosphere
Meanwhile, NASA’s GOLD (Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk) mission revealed another unexpected consequence of the April 2023 storm at Earth.
Before, during, and after the storm, GOLD studied the temperature in the middle thermosphere, a part of Earth’s upper atmosphere about 85 to 120 miles overhead. During the storm, temperatures increased throughout GOLD’s wide field of view over the Americas. But surprisingly, after the storm, temperatures dropped about 90 to 198 degrees Fahrenheit lower than they were before the storm (from about 980 to 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit before the storm to 870 to 980 degrees Fahrenheit afterward).
“Our measurement is the first to show widespread cooling in the middle thermosphere after a strong storm,” said Xuguang Cai of the University of Colorado, Boulder, lead author of a paper about GOLD’s observations published in the journal JGR Space Physics on April 15, 2025.
The thermosphere’s temperature is important, because it affects how much drag Earth-orbiting satellites and space debris experience.
“When the thermosphere cools, it contracts and becomes less dense at satellite altitudes, reducing drag,” Cai said. “This can cause satellites and space debris to stay in orbit longer than expected, increasing the risk of collisions. Understanding how geomagnetic storms and solar activity affect Earth’s upper atmosphere helps protect technologies we all rely on — like GPS, satellites, and radio communications.”
Predicting When Storms Strike
To predict when a CME will trigger a geomagnetic storm, or be “geoeffective,” some scientists are combining observations with machine learning. A paper published last November in the journal Solar Physics describes one such approach called GeoCME.
Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence in which a computer algorithm learns from data to identify patterns, then uses those patterns to make decisions or predictions.
Scientists trained GeoCME by giving it images from the NASA/ESA (European Space Agency) SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft of different CMEs that reached Earth along with SOHO images of the Sun before, during, and after each CME. They then told the model whether each CME produced a geomagnetic storm.
Then, when it was given images from three different science instruments on SOHO, the model’s predictions were highly accurate. Out of 21 geoeffective CMEs, the model correctly predicted all 21 of them; of 7 non-geoeffective ones, it correctly predicted 5 of them.
“The algorithm shows promise,” said heliophysicist Jack Ireland of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who was not involved in the study. “Understanding if a CME will be geoeffective or not can help us protect infrastructure in space and technological systems on Earth. This paper shows machine learning approaches to predicting geoeffective CMEs are feasible.”
Earlier Warnings
During a severe geomagnetic storm in May 2024 — the strongest to rattle Earth in over 20 years — NASA’s STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) measured the magnetic field structure of CMEs as they passed by.
When a CME headed for Earth hits a spacecraft first, that spacecraft can often measure the CME and its magnetic field directly, helping scientists determine how strong the geomagnetic storm will be at Earth. Typically, the first spacecraft to get hit are one million miles from Earth toward the Sun at a place called Lagrange Point 1 (L1), giving us only 10 to 60 minutes advanced warning.
By chance, during the May 2024 storm, when several CMEs erupted from the Sun and merged on their way to Earth, NASA’s STEREO-A spacecraft happened to be between us and the Sun, about 4 million miles closer to the Sun than L1.
A paper published March 17, 2025, in the journal Space Weather reports that if STEREO-A had served as a CME sentinel, it could have provided an accurate prediction of the resulting storm’s strength 2 hours and 34 minutes earlier than a spacecraft could at L1.
According to the paper’s lead author, Eva Weiler of the Austrian Space Weather Office in Graz, “No other Earth-directed superstorm has ever been observed by a spacecraft positioned closer to the Sun than L1.”
By Vanessa ThomasNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Source: NASA
An unexpectedly strong solar storm rocked our planet on April 23, 2023, sparking auroras as far south as southern Texas in the U.S. and taking the world by surprise.
Two days earlier, the Sun blasted a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a cloud of energetic particles, magnetic fields, and solar material — toward Earth. Space scientists took notice, expecting it could cause disruptions to Earth’s magnetic field, known as a geomagnetic storm. But the CME wasn’t especially fast or massive, and it was preceded by a relatively weak solar flare, suggesting the storm would be minor. But it became severe.
Using NASA heliophysics missions, new studies of this storm and others are helping scientists learn why some CMEs have more intense effects — and better predict the impacts of future solar eruptions on our lives.
Why Was This Storm So Intense?
A paper published in the Astrophysical Journal on March 31 suggests the CME’s orientation relative to Earth likely caused the April 2023 storm to become surprisingly strong.
The researchers gathered observations from five heliophysics spacecraft across the inner solar system to study the CME in detail as it emerged from the Sun and traveled to Earth.
They noticed a large coronal hole near the CME’s birthplace. Coronal holes are areas where the solar wind — a stream of particles flowing from the Sun — floods outward at higher than normal speeds.
“The fast solar wind coming from this coronal hole acted like an air current, nudging the CME away from its original straight-line path and pushing it closer to Earth’s orbital plane,” said the paper’s lead author, Evangelos Paouris of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. “In addition to this deflection, the CME also rotated slightly.”
Paouris says this turned the CME’s magnetic fields opposite to Earth’s magnetic field and held them there — allowing more of the Sun’s energy to pour into Earth’s environment and intensifying the storm.
Cool Thermosphere
Meanwhile, NASA’s GOLD (Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk) mission revealed another unexpected consequence of the April 2023 storm at Earth.
Before, during, and after the storm, GOLD studied the temperature in the middle thermosphere, a part of Earth’s upper atmosphere about 85 to 120 miles overhead. During the storm, temperatures increased throughout GOLD’s wide field of view over the Americas. But surprisingly, after the storm, temperatures dropped about 90 to 198 degrees Fahrenheit lower than they were before the storm (from about 980 to 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit before the storm to 870 to 980 degrees Fahrenheit afterward).
“Our measurement is the first to show widespread cooling in the middle thermosphere after a strong storm,” said Xuguang Cai of the University of Colorado, Boulder, lead author of a paper about GOLD’s observations published in the journal JGR Space Physics on April 15, 2025.
The thermosphere’s temperature is important, because it affects how much drag Earth-orbiting satellites and space debris experience.
“When the thermosphere cools, it contracts and becomes less dense at satellite altitudes, reducing drag,” Cai said. “This can cause satellites and space debris to stay in orbit longer than expected, increasing the risk of collisions. Understanding how geomagnetic storms and solar activity affect Earth’s upper atmosphere helps protect technologies we all rely on — like GPS, satellites, and radio communications.”
Predicting When Storms Strike
To predict when a CME will trigger a geomagnetic storm, or be “geoeffective,” some scientists are combining observations with machine learning. A paper published last November in the journal Solar Physics describes one such approach called GeoCME.
Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence in which a computer algorithm learns from data to identify patterns, then uses those patterns to make decisions or predictions.
Scientists trained GeoCME by giving it images from the NASA/ESA (European Space Agency) SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft of different CMEs that reached Earth along with SOHO images of the Sun before, during, and after each CME. They then told the model whether each CME produced a geomagnetic storm.
Then, when it was given images from three different science instruments on SOHO, the model’s predictions were highly accurate. Out of 21 geoeffective CMEs, the model correctly predicted all 21 of them; of 7 non-geoeffective ones, it correctly predicted 5 of them.
“The algorithm shows promise,” said heliophysicist Jack Ireland of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who was not involved in the study. “Understanding if a CME will be geoeffective or not can help us protect infrastructure in space and technological systems on Earth. This paper shows machine learning approaches to predicting geoeffective CMEs are feasible.”
Earlier Warnings
During a severe geomagnetic storm in May 2024 — the strongest to rattle Earth in over 20 years — NASA’s STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) measured the magnetic field structure of CMEs as they passed by.
When a CME headed for Earth hits a spacecraft first, that spacecraft can often measure the CME and its magnetic field directly, helping scientists determine how strong the geomagnetic storm will be at Earth. Typically, the first spacecraft to get hit are one million miles from Earth toward the Sun at a place called Lagrange Point 1 (L1), giving us only 10 to 60 minutes advanced warning.
By chance, during the May 2024 storm, when several CMEs erupted from the Sun and merged on their way to Earth, NASA’s STEREO-A spacecraft happened to be between us and the Sun, about 4 million miles closer to the Sun than L1.
A paper published March 17, 2025, in the journal Space Weather reports that if STEREO-A had served as a CME sentinel, it could have provided an accurate prediction of the resulting storm’s strength 2 hours and 34 minutes earlier than a spacecraft could at L1.
According to the paper’s lead author, Eva Weiler of the Austrian Space Weather Office in Graz, “No other Earth-directed superstorm has ever been observed by a spacecraft positioned closer to the Sun than L1.”
By Vanessa ThomasNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Tang Ka-piu and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (July 2):
Question:
It is learnt that the Mainland is actively developing the Nan’ao checkpoint pier project in the Dapeng New District of Shenzhen (the Nan’ao checkpoint), with plans to set up a number of routes to and from Hong Kong. On the other hand, the SAR Government has been promoting multi-destination cross-boundary tourism in recent years, while the Urban Renewal Authority has proposed to develop the waterfronts of Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay, Kai Tak and To Kwa Wan along the Victoria Harbour into a world-class bay region known as “Victoria Cove Area”. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the Working Group for Sha Tau Kok Co-operation Zone set up under the Task Force for Collaboration on the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy under the Guangdong-Hong Kong and Hong Kong-Shenzhen cooperation mechanism has discussed the development of the Nan’ao checkpoint and the routes to and from Hong Kong; if so, of the relevant progress; whether, in view of the opening of the Nan’ao checkpoint, it will consider setting up more sea control points in the eastern part of Hong Kong and introducing more streamlined immigration measures and policies, so as to create favourable conditions for multi-destination cross-boundary marine tourism across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) as it has been reported that the Nan’ao checkpoint will set up a route connecting to Ma Liu Shui via Tung Ping Chau, which is only four kilometres away, while Tung Ping Chau, a tourist hotspot in Hong Kong, is yet to be supplied with tap water and electricity, whether the SAR Government will take advantage of the opportunity arising from the development of the Nan’ao checkpoint to work with the Shenzhen Municipality in providing Tung Ping Chau with infrastructure such as tap water and electricity to promote the development of the island; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) given that the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy proposes the establishment of the Mirs Bay/Yan Chau Tong Eco-recreation/tourism Circle, and there are views pointing out that the infrastructural facilities on the islands in such waters, particularly piers or landing facilities, are relatively outdated, whether the Government will allocate resources to upgrade the infrastructure on such islands so as to serve tourists’ needs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) given that the Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the Yacht Industry (2024-2027) announced by the Guangdong Provincial Government proposes to strive for the implementation of a pilot prorgamme for the free flow of yachts among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, of the progress of the SAR Government’s discussion with the Mainland authorities on the implementation of the plan, and whether additional measures conducive to cross-boundary high-end marine tourism will be pursued at the same time for Hong Kong’s tourism industry;
(5) whether, in the light of the establishment of the Nan’ao checkpoint, adjustments will be made to the planning for the Northern Metropolis to dovetail with the relevant development; and
(6) whether it will consider creating a “cross-boundary marine eco-tourism belt along the eastern waters of Hong Kong” through a multi-destination tourism approach, including but not limited to the development of tourism routes connecting the Nan’ao checkpoint with various scenic spots, such as Sai Kung, Lei Yue Mun (the Sam Ka Tsuen Ferry Pier), Kwun Tong (the Kwun Tong Public Pier and the Kwun Tong Ferry Pier), Kai Tak (the Runway Park Pier and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal), the Kwun Tong Waterfront Water Sports Centre, the Kai Tak Water Sports Centre and the proposed yacht club in Yau Tong Bay, with a view to utilising existing or planned facilities in combination with eco-tourism and water sports activities in Hong Kong’s eastern waters to attract high-value added visitors to come and spend money in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
As set out in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) promotes in-depth integration of Hong Kong’s unique world-class resources with tourism, leveraging Hong Kong’s position as an international metropolis and tourism hub to promote the development of multi-destination travel itineraries and tourism products with other cities inside and outside the Greater Bay Area (GBA). According to the Northern Metropolis (NM) Action Agenda published in 2023, the Blue and Green Recreation, Tourism and Conservation Circle situated in the easternmost part of the NM comprises Robin’s Nest, Lin Ma Hang, Sha Tau Kok, Yan Chau Tong as well as coastal villages and the outlying islands. With abundant blue and green resources including country parks, marine parks and a geopark as well as a number of traditional rural townships, this zone has the potential for recreation and tourism development.
Having consulted the CSTB, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Security Bureau, and the Transport and Logistics Bureau, a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu is as follows:
(1) and (5) The Working Group for Sha Tau Kok Co-operation Zone (the Working Group) under the Task Force for Collaboration on the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy aims to promote cultural and tourism collaboration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in Sha Tau Kok. The development of the proposed Nan’ao checkpoint, as mentioned in the question, includes routes to and from Hong Kong and is outside the scope of work of the Working Group. As regards setting up sea travel control points in the eastern part of Hong Kong and developing cross-boundary ferry routes between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, these will involve quite a number of considerations, including the long-term market demand for the ferry routes concerned and the carrying capacity of the region, the required infrastructure and supporting facilities and the cost-effectiveness, and the potential impacts on the ecological environment, etc, which warrant careful consideration.
(2) Regarding the power supply to Tung Ping Chau, the Scheme of Control Agreements signed between the Government and the two power companies stipulate that the power companies are obliged to contribute to the development of Hong Kong by providing, operating and maintaining sufficient electricity related-facilities and supplying electricity to meet the demand. This includes the conducting of feasibility studies and putting forward of proposals for supplying electricity to remote areas. The Government will conduct comprehensive assessments on the two power companies’ proposals, taking into account such factors as the supply method, cost-effectiveness and the impact on the environment, etc, with a view to achieving the balance of the four objectives of our energy policy, namely, safety, stability, reasonable prices and environmentally friendliness. Regarding the electricity supply to Tung Ping Chau, the Government has approved the proposals in the 2018-2023 Development Plan of the CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP) to supply electricity generated from solar power systems for Tung Ping Chau. The Government has also urged the CLP to maintain close liaison with the local residents.
Regarding the water supply to Tung Ping Chau, as the permanent residence of the island is sparse, if a treated water supply system is to be constructed irrespective of whether the submarine pipeline is constructed from Shenzhen or Hong Kong to Tung Ping Chau, it is expected that the low water consumption will likely lead to stagnant water in water mains, resulting in deterioration of water quality. Preliminary study shows that the capital cost per capita for the construction of treated water supply system for Tung Ping Chau is very high. Factors such as cross-boundary project and management should also be considered for laying the cross-boundary submarine pipeline. In view of technical and financial feasibility of the water supply system, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) is actively exploring using technology to provide water supply to Tung Ping Chau. To this end, the WSD is providing assistance to a non-governmental organisation to carry out pilot use of domestic seawater filter devices to provide an alternative water source for the villagers of Tung Ping Chau.
(3) The Government launched the policy of Pier Improvement Programme (PIP) in 2017, aiming to upgrade the structural safety and facilities of a number of existing public piers at remote areas in the New Territories and outlying islands, with a view to enhancing accessibility of some scenic spots and natural heritage as well as meeting the basic needs of local villagers relying on boats as their main transportation mode and fishermen’s operation. Under the PIP, eight public piers are located within the Mirs Bay/Yan Chau Tong in the NM, of which the construction of Lai Chi Chong Pier, Sam Mun Tsai Village Pier and Sham Chung Pier are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025. The remaining five piers are at the investigation and design stage. Upon completion of the detailed design, the Government will apply to the Legislative Council for funding for individual pier projects at appropriate time, based on the resource priority and related engineering deployment of the public works projects.
(4) The CSTB supports the development and co-operation of yacht tourism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA, with a view to expanding and promoting high value-added tourism activities in Hong Kong and demonstrating the role of Hong Kong as a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and the departments under its purview would make appropriate preparation in relation to land use planning and hardware for disembarkation and shores facilities so as to support the future development of yacht tourism in Hong Kong. With regard to the hardware facilities, the DEVB invited the market to submit expressions of interest (EOIs) for the proposed yacht berthing facilities at the ex-Lamma Quarry site and the expansion area of Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter in the first half of this year, and are currently consolidating and analysing the feedback collected. The target is to firm up the development parameters and requirements, conduct the relevant statutory procedures as needed, and invite tender by the end of 2026 and 2027, or even earlier, for the two projects mentioned above respectively. At the same time, the DEVB released in April this year the preliminary land use proposals for the sites around Hung Hom Station and its waterfront areas, proposing to make use of the water body to the west of the former Hung Hom Railway Freight Yard site to provide yacht berthing facilities. The DEVB is currently consulting the public on the whole land use proposal which includes, amongst others, the yacht berthing facilities. The target is to commence town planning and other statutory procedures in the second half of 2026.
To promote yacht tourism, apart from providing more yacht berthing facilities to address the shortage of berths, the Government will also need to consider whether there is any need to improve the immigration clearance procedures for yachts, the visa requirements for crew members, as well as arrangements and ancillary facilities such as ship repairing and maintenance, which involve the work of various bureaux and departments. In this relation, the DEVB has already made use of the opportunity of the EOI exercises mentioned above to collect the industry’s views and improvement recommendations on the development of yacht tourism and the related ancillary facilities. We are currently consolidating and analysing the feedback collected, and will provide them to the relevant bureaux and departments for reference, with a view to facilitating the formulation of more facilitating measures in the future to promote yacht tourism.
(6) At present, Mainland visitors can conveniently enter Hong Kong through various boundary control points to join local tours, including eco-tourism itineraries in Hong Kong. The Government will, under the premise of striking a balance between ecological conservation and tourism development, unveil Hong Kong’s precious ecological resources to visitors and develop island tourism. We will also make good use of the coastline and waterfront resources and encourage the trade to develop diversified tourism products.
Under the Tourism Commission’s Lei Yue Mun Waterfront Enhancement Project, the public landing facility was opened for public use in June. It has provided better supporting facility for developing tourism products in the eastern waters of Victoria Harbour, and promoting the development of marine tourism. In particular, for the licensed ferry route plying between Sai Wan Ho and Sam Ka Tsuen, some of the existing departures from Sai Wan Ho to Sam Ka Tsuen has been operated via the new public landing facility at Lei Yue Mun on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The service has commenced since June 28 on a trial basis for six months.
In addition, the Legislation Council approved the amended Protection of the Harbour Ordinance (Cap. 531) recently. The introduction of a streamlined mechanism under the amended Ordinance has facilitated small-scale reclamations to promote harbourfront enhancement and to strengthen harbour functions. We will explore suitable locations for taking forward harbour enhancement works that can upgrade ancillary tourist facilities on both sides of the Victoria Harbour, by capitalising on the streamlined mechanism, with a view to better leveraging harbourfront resources and promoting tourism.
Source: European Commission (video statements)
Our climate is our shared responsibility. The 2040 EU Climate Target marks a bold commitment to protect the planet while driving leadership, competitiveness, and innovation.
This vision sets the path for a resilient, secure, and sustainable future, fueling prosperity through a just green transition.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said that active monsoon conditions will continue over several parts of northwest, central, and east India for the next six to seven days, with widespread rainfall expected across multiple regions.
Extremely heavy rainfall (20 cm or more) is very likely at isolated places over east Rajasthan and the ghat areas of central Maharashtra today.
The IMD has also issued extremely heavy rainfall warnings for Meghalaya on July 5 and 6. Very heavy rainfall activity is also expected in several other parts of the country during this period.
Kerala and Karnataka are likely to receive heavy rainfall today. Himachal Pradesh is expected to witness heavy showers between July 5 and 7, while Punjab and Haryana may see intense rainfall on July 6 and 7.
East Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh are also expected to receive significant rainfall between July 2 and 4. Madhya Pradesh, Konkan & Goa, the ghat regions of central Maharashtra, Gujarat region, and northeastern states including Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura will likely see heavy rainfall between July 2 and 6.
Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive heavy rains from July 4 to 6, and Chhattisgarh and Odisha on July 2, 5, and 6.
Weather forecast for Delhi-NCR
In the Delhi-NCR region, partly cloudy skies and light rain accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning are expected through July 5.
Maximum temperatures are forecast to remain in the range of 35 to 38°C, consistently staying 1 to 2 degrees below normal. Minimum temperatures are also expected to be slightly below normal, ranging from 24 to 28°C.
Today, Delhi is likely to experience southeasterly winds with a speed of less than 15 kmph in the afternoon, gradually slowing to 8-10 kmph by evening and night.
On July 3 and 4, light rain and thunderstorms are likely to continue, with wind directions varying between southeast, east, and southwest at speeds generally under 10 kmph.
On July 5, both maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are expected to dip slightly further, with lows ranging between 24 and 26°C. Winds will predominantly come from the southwest, peaking at less than 20 kmph in the morning and gradually tapering off during the day.
Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the high-level session of the International Business Forum, in Sevilla, Spain, today:
It is a privilege to join you today at this pivotal moment for the future of development finance.
Sadly, the world faces a sustainable development crisis. Trade barriers are growing. Aid budgets are shrinking. Macroeconomic risks are mounting. Debt burdens are dragging down growth. Climate shocks are hitting harder and more often. Development finance is at a critical inflection point.
Official development assistance (ODA), long a cornerstone of international solidarity, declined by 7 per cent in real terms last year. And further cuts are already on the table.
But, the real picture is even starker. Much of what is counted as ODA today is being redirected to cover domestic priorities, not long-term Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) investments. At the same time, the SDG financing gap has ballooned to $4 trillion a year.
Yet, amid this sobering reality lies an opportunity: An opportunity to reimagine development finance for the world we live in now. To move from a model built on assistance, to one driven by purpose and partnership. From international assistance, to strategic, sustainable investment.
In this new vision, public finance, national and international, remains essential. Especially in sectors where market incentives are weak, but human needs are immense, like education, health, social protection.
But public finance alone cannot carry the weight. It must be used to unlock and leverage private investment, at scale and with speed. The question we need to answer is clear: What will it take for private capital to flow where it is most needed?
The outcome document of the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, the “Sevilla Commitment”, puts forward a compelling action agenda that seeks to answer this question.
First, we need an enabling business environment, supported by strong institutions, policy coherence and investment pipelines.
Second, we need better blended finance vehicles that deliver sustainable development impact and align with developing countries’ national priorities. This requires standardizing blended finance with replicable and scalable structures, a ready pipeline of bankable projects and more transparency in the development outcomes of transactions.
Third, we need financial innovation. Equity instruments. Auction mechanisms. Creative tools that allow public and private actors to share risk and reward more fairly.
Fourth, we must scale up aggregation platforms that expand catalytic capital and reduce transaction costs by pooling resources from international financial institutions.
Fifth, it is time to reassess prudential regulations that may unintentionally discourage long-term investments in developing countries. We need to engage with regulators to ensure risk is not mispriced and regulation enables greater use of risk-sharing tools.
Let’s be clear: we must dramatically expand our sources of development capital, and we must do so urgently and intentionally. This is why the United Nations calls on all actors across the investment ecosystem to join us in a long-term, collaborative effort to reshape development finance.
At the UN, we are taking concrete steps to strengthen partnerships to unlock capital for sustainable development. Platforms such as the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance are bringing together private investors, foundations, policymakers and leaders across the development finance spectrum. These leaders can shape sustainable finance frameworks, identify investment barriers and pilot innovative solutions.
Working together, we can coordinate action, amplify impact and accelerate the global shift towards long-term, responsible development finance. Private sector partners bring more than capital. They bring creativity, agility and scale. They can power the transition to green energy, accelerate digital inclusion and revolutionize service delivery.
Philanthropic partners are also uniquely positioned to take risks others cannot, test innovations and address gaps that markets and Governments may not reach. They can back new models and ideas in early stage projects or help unlock larger flows of investment by building proof points and trust.
Above all, our financing systems must work for those who have historically been excluded, and on a practical level that means that means removing structural barriers that keep capital out of the hands of women-led businesses, youth innovators and underserved communities.
This is not about making tweaks here and there. It is about rethinking the fundamentals. The current financial system was not built for today’s world. Let alone tomorrow’s. We need a system that allocates capital not only by profit, but by purpose; not only by returns, but by impact.
The next chapter of development finance is not yet written. But, it must be a shared story written by all of us and accountable to all people. So, let’s seize this moment and step into this new era not as donors or beneficiaries, but as equal partners, and deliver on the promise of sustainable development. On behalf of the United Nations, I thank you for your leadership, your ideas and your resolve.
Source: United Nations 4
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the special event “Forging a Common Agenda to Achieve Debt Sustainability in Developing Countries”, in Sevilla, Spain, today:
Ten years after countries adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), development faces formidable headwinds: slowing global growth, the threat of a trade war and repeated global shocks from climate and conflict.
But, the most unsettling challenge facing developing countries is the debt crisis. Borrowing is critical for development. It provides a means for Governments to invest boldly in a better future for their people.
It is especially critical at a time when all countries are required to undertake one-off generational investments to green their economies and build twenty-first-century digital infrastructure.
But, today, borrowing is not working for development. Over two thirds of low-income countries are either in debt distress or at high risk of it; 3.4 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on health or education.
The debt crisis is a silent crisis in two respects. First, the crisis doesn’t impact the lives or economies of those in advanced economies. The immediate effects of the crisis are contained and do not threaten the stability of global financial markets.
Second, among global policymakers, there is a striking reluctance to acknowledge the crisis for what it is, perhaps driven by the increasingly unlikely hope that the problem will solve itself if interest rates came down.
However, I’m pleased to report that, thanks to many of you, this is now starting to change. Over the last several months, we’ve seen the launch of several bold initiatives — the African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative, the Expert Review on Debt, Climate and Nature, the Jubilee Commission and the Secretary-General’s Expert Group on Debt — that are making crisis increasingly hard to ignore.
And through the Sevilla Conference and its outcome document, and the ongoing work of the South African Group of 20 (G20), this crisis is finally being seen and heard. These efforts have laid bare the shortcomings of our debt architecture, and the harms they are causing in developing countries.
They also identify actions that can arrest the debt crisis and enable debt to fulfil a supportive role in countries’ development success. Now that we are finally getting the attention of policymakers, we still face the challenge of compelling action.
Let me propose three things we, as a community, must do moving forward.
First, consolidate our message and asks. We have a rich set of analyses and recommendations but must find ways of bringing these together. This includes borrowing language and recommendations from the Seville outcome document and bringing it forward into the outcome documents of this year’s G20 and the thirtieth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30).
Second, everyone must do their part. For instance, Spain has shown outstanding leadership on promoting debt swaps and debt pauses. The UN stands ready to advance member states’ call for the creation of a platform for borrowers to share experience, build capacity and coordinate approaches and strengthen borrower countries’ voices.
Third and finally, we must continue to expand our coalition. This includes winning the support of the leading board members at the international financial institutions. It also means mobilizing civil society, as envisaged by the Jubilee campaign.
With these three steps, I believe we can break the cycle of debt together and usher in a new era of debt sustainability for all countries.
Source: Eastern Economic Forum
1 July 2025
Sakhalin Region will again participate in the Far East Street exhibition, scheduled to take place on 3–9 September as part of the 2025 Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The exhibition is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District. The country’s only island region will present major investment and social projects, share its unique history and culture, and touch on the development of unmanned aviation.
“Sakhalin Region is one of the Far East’s investment leaders. It ranks fourth on the National Investment Climate Rating and first out of the constituent entities of the Far Eastern Federal District. The manufacturing, coal, and construction industries are all growing. Awaiting entrepreneurs are TAD and free port benefits and preferential treatment in the Kurils. Science and technology are booming in the region. The President has ordered that an international campus be created. An engineering school and electrical engineering laboratory are currently in operation, the first phase of the Oil and Gas Industrial Park has been launched, and a scientific and production centre for the development of unmanned systems established, all contributing to new production facilities, new talent, and train for a new generation of specialists. The local master plan is reinventing Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. There’s no denying there is much to showcase and be proud of in the region,” Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev said.
The Sakhalin Region’s main pavilion on Far East Street, located next to the investor pavilion in the shape of a scallop shell, will take the form of waves and be decorated with installations related to logistics: a hydrogen train, a UAV, an aircraft, and the port of Korsakov.
“The EEF has long played an important role in Sakhalin Region’s economic development. We have signed more than 60 agreements here in the past five years, good for some 5,700 jobs, and launched important projects in energy, transport, and education, modernizing the power grid, developing hydrogen energy, spreading gas throughout the region, modernizing port infrastructure, building medical clinics, and developing science as part of the construction of the SakhalinTech campus. It is important to us that Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands become more comfortable and that people want to visit and live here, a goal we will continue to pursue in the future,” Governor of the Sakhalin Region Valery Limarenko said.
Inside the pavilion, there will be an installation dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, with the exhibition ‘Roads to Victory’ telling the story of the Battle of Sakhalin and the Landing on Shumshu and a film about the expedition to the island and videos reconstructing battles in the Kholmsky and Smirnykhovsky.
“The President of the Russian Federation has tasked us with creating a memorial complex on Shumshu, one the islands of the Kuril chain, dedicated to the Kuril landing operation, which essentially marked the end of World War II and the defeat of the Kwantung Army. Our soldiers defeated superior forces, demonstrated outstanding heroism, parachuted into the water fully equipped, and attacked tanks and firing points located on high ground. It is one of the most significant pages in our history,” Trutnev said.
The Tourism zone will feature new historical tours like ‘The Battle of Shumshu’ and ‘The Liberation of Southern Sakhalin’, winter and summer holidays, culinary tours, and the ‘Far East – Land of Adventure’ project.
The Sakhalin – Russian Showcase zone will feature important projects like the agglomeration master plan and regional development in medicine, science and education, logistics, culture, and the urban environment.
Another zone has been dedicated to the results of the Sakhalin Region Development Corporation’s work over the last decade and will use multimedia technologies, among others, to report on initiatives by the Mersi Agro Sakhalin livestock complex, the Horizon residential complex, the Uyun territory development project, the agro-park, and the oil service park.
The UAV and USV zone will showcase the island’s efforts to lead the development of unmanned systems in Russia, with a separate exhibition promoting Sakhalin’s achievements in the field.
There are plans to host three international forums in Sakhalin Region in 2025: ‘Wings of Sakhalin’, ‘Energy of Sakhalin’, and ‘Islands of Sustainable Development: Climate’ at the new Pushisty Drone Port. The Sakhalin Expo exhibition will be dedicated to the development of congress and exhibition activities in the region.
The main pavilion will be located next to the ‘Made in Sakhalin’ stand, which will showcase regional clothing, jewellery, souvenir, food, and health brands as well as achievements in the film industry and computer graphics. The pavilion will incorporate works by Sakhalin photographers and musicians into its design and feature a variety of murals, including an image of the Aniva lighthouse, the unofficial symbol of the region.
The art installation ‘Happy Motherhood’ will symbolize family values in honour of 2025 as the Year of Happy Motherhood on the islands and the focus of the regional government’s social policy on demographic issues and the conditions necessary for women to be mothers without having to sacrifice their careers or their families.
This year’s cultural programme from the Sakhalin Region will seek to promote local authors and musicians, with songs by Sakhalin composer and poet Georgy Zobov to be performed by artists from the Stage Academy and accompanied by the Aritmia dance studio and Dreambox band. Guests can look forward to performances by the duo Vishnya, who will present a combination of electronic music, songs, and ethnic music, the Larisa Dolina Academy of Pop Music ensemble, which will perform cover versions of well-known Russian hits, and stilt walkers from the 2233 theatre studio.
A regional delegation will present a series of unique performances entitled ‘Sea Meditation’. Over the course of three days, Sakhalin artist Konstantin Kolupaev will employ his own unique technique to create paintings dedicated to the beauty and power of nature on a huge canvas as viewers observe the master at work.
The Sakhalin Region sports programme will feature an interactive VR platform, where visitors can try their hand at downhill skiing, ski jumping, or parachuting, and the Beat the Champion chess platform.
The Eastern Economic Forum will be held on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok from 3–6 September, during which time the Far East Street exhibition will be open to Forum participants, before opening to the general public on 7, 8, and 9 September. The Eastern Economic Forum is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Uplifts to Guaranteed Service Standard Scheme will result in up to tenfold increase for customer compensation when they’ve been failed by water companies
Water companies will increase compensation payments to customers up to tenfold from today (2 July), ensuring that the public are more fairly reimbursed for supply issues and low standards of service.
Customers will automatically receive more money for issues such as continued low water pressure and cancelled appointments.
A key step in the government’s mission to reform the water sector, the move marks the first uplift in compensation rates in 25 years, with the government recognising the urgent need to bring payments in line with inflation and properly compensate households for poor service.
Severe issues such as flooding will see customer compensation double from £1,000 to up to £2,000, while households suffering consistent low water pressure will be automatically eligible to receive up to £250 – a huge uplift from the previous compensation rate of just £25.
From today, no action will be needed from eligible customers as payments will automatically be credited back to their accounts.
Too many water companies are letting down their customers – with leaking pipes, poor water supply and low water pressure.
The Government is holding water companies to account by making them put money back into people’s pockets when they fail their customers.
The government is also working with water companies to expand the list of circumstances that will trigger compensation payments. Compensation for when customers are asked to boil their water due to contaminated supply will come into force later this year.
The standards, outlined in the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, set out a baseline for customer service in the water sector. They include providing timely restoration of water supply following an interruption, responding to written complaints and managing the risk of sewer flooding.
This comes as part of the government’s action to cut sewage spills and attract investment in the sector, including:
Customers expect to be treated fairly when their water company lets them down, so we’re delighted the Government has moved at pace to strengthen service standards.”
This should give people peace of mind they now have far stronger protection from a much broader range of water company service failures – from the slow installation of water meters to the mishandling of debt recovery. As well as bolstering payments for thousands of customers, these changes mark an important step towards restoring trust in the water sector which is at an all-time low.
We welcome these improvements to guaranteed standards and payments for customers.
When customers suffer from problems like low pressure, disruptions to supply or sewer flooding they can experience major stress and inconvenience, and payment amounts must recognise the disruption to their lives when standards are not met.
These new changes are another way to make sure customers are protected when companies get it wrong.
| Existing Standards | Coming into force date | Old GSS payment | New GSS payments | Uplift | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household | Non-Household | Household | Non-Household | Household | Non-Household | ||
| Appointments not made properly | 2 July | £20 | £40 | 100% | |||
| Appointments not kept | Uprated payments to existing standard – 2 July Amended standard 1 Oct |
£20 | £50 | 150% | |||
| Account queries not actioned on time | Uprated payments to existing standard – 2 July Amended standard 1 Oct |
£20 | £40 | 100% | |||
| Requests to change payment arrangements not actioned on time | Uprated payments to existing standard – 2 July Amended standard 1 Oct |
£20 | £40 | 100% | |||
| Complaints not actioned on time | Uprated payments to existing standard – 2 July Amended standard 1 Oct |
£20 | £40 | 100% | |||
| Less than 48 hours’ notice of planned supply interruption of more than 4 hours | 2 July | £20 | £50 | £50 | £100 | 150% | 100% |
| Supply not restored on time | 2 July | £20, and £10 for each subsequent 24 hours | £50, and £25 for each subsequent 24 hours | £50, and £50 for each subsequent 12 hours | £100, and £100 for each subsequent 12 hours | 150% for initial payment, 400% for subsequent payment and halved subsequent payment period |
100% (for both initial and subsequent payment) and halved subsequent payment period |
| Low pressure | 2 July | £25 (once per financial year) |
£50, up to five payments per financial year – equivalent to just over the average water bill. Automatic £250pa for customers with ongoing low pressure |
100% and increased annual maximum by 10x | |||
| Internal flooding from sewers | 2 July | Payment equal to annual sewerage charges (Minimum payment of £150. Maximum of £1000) |
Payment equal to annual sewerage charges, at minimum of £300 and maximum of £2000 | Min and Max increased by 100%, with provision for repeated incidents in a year to warrant further increases to the maximum (see fig 1) | |||
| External flooding from sewers | 2 July | Payment equal to 50% of annual sewerage charges (Minimum payment of £75. Maximum of £500) |
Payment equal to 50% of annual sewerage charges, at minimum of £150 and maximum of £1000 | Min and Max increased by 100%, with provision for repeated incidents in a year to warrant further increases to the maximum (see fig 1) | |||
| Failure to make automatic GSS payment | 2 July | £10-20 depending on standard | £10-50 depending on standard | £40 | £100 | 100-200% depending on standard, consolidating all payments to one value for households and one value for non-households | |
| Max | Min | |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Sewer Flooding | £2000 + £500 per repeat occurrence within 12 months | £300 + £100 per repeat occurrence within 12 months |
| External Sewer Flooding | £1000 + £250 per repeat occurrence within 12 months | £150 + £50 per repeat occurrence within 12 months |
| New Standard | Coming into force | Information | GSS payments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household | Non-Household | |||
| Core Priority Services | 1 Oct | The company must keep a list of customers whose circumstances (such as medical or disability) are such that they require additional services to be provided in certain circumstances.
The company must provide the relevant service to the customer in response to an incident and must inform the customer if they are added to the Core Priority Services Register. |
£100 | N/A |
| Domestic Customer in Arrears | 1 Oct | Giving information relating to the customer’s non-payment to a Credit Reference Agency or beginning legal proceedings to recover the debt without giving the customer an ‘outstanding charges notice’ and an opportunity to make payment arrangements or make representations in connection with them. | £150 | N/A |
| Reading of Meters | 1 Oct | The water company must read a customer’s water meter (excluding smart meters) at least once every 13 months | £40 (£80 for each subsequent 13-month period) | £40 (£80 for each subsequent 13-month period) |
| Moving to Measured Charging Supply of Water | 1 Oct | The water company must (subject to some exceptions) install a water meter upon request and then begin to charge the customer on the basis of the volume of water used.
If the company fails to do this within the relevant time, the water company must pay the customer. |
Payment equivalent to charges payable in the period from the date that charging by volume should have started until meter fitted and charging by volume begins. | N/A |
| Water Quality Notices | 1 Oct | Payment is to be made to a customer if a water quality notice is served and supply is not restored by the end of a 48-hour period. | If a notice is in place for longer than 48 hours, £40 plus £20 per additional 24 hours that the notice is in place, up to a maximum of the customer’s annual water supply (not including sewerage services) bill | If a notice is in place for longer than 48 hours, £60 plus £40 per additional 24 hours that the notice is in place, up to a maximum of the customer’s annual water supply (not including sewerage services) bill |
| Indexation | 2 July | The payment amounts will increase in line with the consumer price index when this increases by 10% (using September 2025 as the baseline) and rounded to the nearest £5 | ||
Source: City of York
Ousewem has launched a new flagship initiative in York, designed to reconnect residents with their rivers and neighbourhoods, whilst inspiring action on flood resilience and climate change.
Building on the success of Natural Flood Management (NFM) projects across the Swale, Ure, Nidd and Upper Ouse catchments, this new riverside route will tell the story of how communities, landscapes and local leadership are coming together to shape a more climate-resilient future.
The project, will be co-designed with residents, schools and stakeholders, is being delivered in partnership with Innovate Educate – a creative consultancy known for embedding research, participation and place-based learning into every stage of their work.
Councillor Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency at City of York Council, added:
This project shows our commitment to working with York communities in visible and lasting ways.
“By telling the story of our rivers and the actions being taken to reduce flooding, we are helping people understand the value of nature-based solutions – not just in the countryside but here in the heart of the city.”
Karen Merrifield, Director of Innovate Educate, said:
We believe creativity is a core part of climate resilience -not an afterthought.
“This project is about more than signage or information, it is about co-creating something that belongs to York’s communities. From schoolchildren to heritage professionals, everyone has a part to play in imagining a future shaped by care, connection and the river itself.”
The route will feature creative elements and educational resources, helping residents and visitors of all ages explore how nature-based solutions, land use and local action are shaping a safer, greener future for York. It will also act as a platform for partnerships that connect climate resilience with the region’s rich cultural assets – from libraries and archives to heritage schools and local artists.
Opportunities for sponsorship may also be explored, supporting further investment in climate resilience and nature recovery across York and North Yorkshire. Just as rivers connect places upstream and downstream, this project links people across the catchment – from rural landowners to city residents – in a shared effort to live better with water.
Early engagement will begin this summer, with schools, community groups and partners invited to shape how the story of York’s rivers is shared.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The European Commission will on Wednesday propose an EU climate target for 2040 that for the first time will allow countries to use carbon credits from developing nations to meet a limited share of their emissions goal, a draft of the proposal showed.
The draft, seen by Reuters, said the European Union executive would propose a legally-binding target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, from 1990 levels – with the aim of keeping the EU on course for its core climate aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
But following pressure from governments including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, the draft EU proposal includes flexibilities that would soften the 90% emissions target for European industries.
Previous EU emissions targets have been based entirely on domestic emissions cuts.
Reflecting Germany’s public stance, up to 3 percentage points of the 2040 target can be covered by carbon credits bought from other countries through a U.N.-backed market, the draft said, reducing the effort required by domestic industries.
The carbon credits would be phased in from 2036, and the EU will propose legislation “setting robust and high integrity criteria and standards, and conditions on origin, timing and use of such credits,” the draft said.
Countries would also get more flexibility on choosing which sectors in their economy contribute most towards the 2040 goal, it said.
Climate change has made Europe the world’s fastest warming continent and a heatwave this week has caused wildfires and disruption across the continent, but Europe’s ambitious policies to combat temperature rise have stoked tensions within the 27-member bloc.
While the European Commission has pitched its climate agenda as a way to improve Europe’s competitiveness and security, some governments and lawmakers say industries reeling from U.S. tariffs and high energy costs cannot afford tougher emissions rules.
“Decarbonisation is not only crucial for the planet, but also a key driver of economic growth when integrated with industrial, competition, and trade policies,” the draft said.
A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the draft, which could change before it is published.
Carbon credits are generated by projects that reduce CO2 emissions abroad – for example, forest restoration in Brazil, and raise funds for such projects. However, investigations have shown some credits failed to deliver the environmental benefits they claimed.
The EU’s climate science advisers have opposed counting them towards the 2040 target, and said spending money on foreign carbon credits would divert investments from local industries.
EU countries and lawmakers must negotiate and approve the 2040 goal. That lawmaking process can take years, but the EU faces a deadline of mid-September to submit a new 2035 climate target to the U.N. – which the Commission has said should be derived from the 2040 goal.
(Reuters)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ22: Development of “Zero Waste Bay Area”
Question:
It is learnt that the Government is exploring with other Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to take forward the development of “Zero Waste Bay Area”, and that Guangdong and Hong Kong will tackle waste management issues through regional strategies and enhance regional recycling of recyclable materials in the GBA by leveraging each other’s competitive advantages and complementing strengths. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the specific work directions and strategies of the Special Panel for Building “Zero Waste Bay Area” established by the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong in January this year, and the latest progress of its work;
(2) given the opportunities arising from the “Zero Waste Bay Area”, how will the Government capitalise on Hong Kong’s advantage of connecting the country with the world to facilitate the development of green industries and a circular economy in the GBA, and whether it has assessed the difficulties and challenges that may arise in the process; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether the HKSAR Government has started to explore the arrangements for the cross-boundary transportation of waste to other Mainland cities in the GBA, such as the mode of transport (i.e. sea or land) and daily handling capacity; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
(1) According to the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Ecological Environmental Protection Plan” promulgated by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government continuously works with the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to develop a “Zero Waste Bay Area” and explore regional co-operation models for achieving “Zero Waste City”. The Special Panel for Building “Zero Waste Bay Area” (the Special Panel) was established by Guangdong and Hong Kong at the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change meeting held in January this year, serving as a standing mechanism for advancing solid waste management and resources circulation co-operation between the two places, thereby strengthening policy co-ordination, technical exchanges and project collaboration, as well as elevating the capability in jointly handling solid waste.
The first meeting of the Special Panel, held on March 27 this year, was co-chaired by the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR Government and the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province. It mainly focused on exploring strategies leveraging on the complementary advantages of the region, to promote resources circulation of recyclable materials in the GBA and foster collaborative development of green industries and related facilities through deepening the collaboration by a joint “project-based” model. At present, the Special Panel has commenced initial discussions on topics such as regional co-operation in resources circulation and waste management policy, and is actively discussing how to promote the co-ordination of regulations and market integration between the two places.
(2) and (3) The co-operation direction with the Mainland cities of the GBA is to promote resources circulation through the joint development of “Zero Waste City”, instead of transferring the municipal solid waste (MSW) to the Mainland cities of the GBA for treatment.
Under the co-operation framework of the Special Panel, Hong Kong will fully capitalise on our distinctive advantage of having strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world to further deepen the co-operation with other Mainland cities of the GBA in areas such as developing a “Zero Waste City” and promoting resources circulation. Hong Kong will introduce advanced recycling technologies and large-scale industrial expertise from the Mainland on one hand; and integrate its international market environment with its mature environmental management system to jointly explore the development pathway of a regional circular economy on the other. For example, the paper pulping facility and the retired electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling facility currently under construction in EcoPark, Tuen Mun, both incorporate mature Mainland technologies to process local waste paper and retired EV batteries. This not only strengthens Hong Kong’s role in the regional green industry chain, but also fosters collaborative development of green technologies and mutually beneficial co-operation in the environmental industry of the GBA.
As for the local treatment of MSW in Hong Kong, the HKSAR Government is pressing ahead with the development of a network of advanced and highly efficient modern waste-to-energy facilities. The first modern incineration facility for treating MSW currently under construction near Shek Kwu Chau, I∙PARK1, will commence operation within this year. In addition, the HKSAR Government is pushing forward the development of I∙PARK2 at full steam. The open tender for the project was invited in last December and will close on July 18 this year. We will seek funding from the Legislative Council for the project in a timely manner.
Issued at HKT 12:25
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia
Millions of people in New South Wales hunkered down last night as an intense “bomb cyclone” swept in. Falling trees took out power lines, leaving about 40,000 people without power, while some areas copped 200mm of rain in 24 hours.
Evacuation orders are in place at Wamberal, an erosion hotspot on the NSW Central Coast. Flood warnings are in place for the Nepean and Hawkesbury Rivers in Sydney.
But it could have been significantly worse. That’s because a second, slightly weaker low has formed out to sea, sucking energy away from the main storm. Without it, wave heights would likely have been much higher, and winds and rain would have been more intense. The main storm’s sustained winds offshore were downgraded from storm force (88–116km per hour) to gale force (63–87km per hour).
It’s one reason why the storm didn’t end up being classified as an East Coast Low – an intense and often damaging low-pressure system – but rather as a complex, but vigorous coastal low.
But we can’t relax yet. These two lows may begin to slingshot around each other. One of the storms may well spin off and approach coastlines further south.
Ahead of its arrival, this storm was shaping up as an East Coast Low – a specific type of very strong storm that emerges when a cold trough high up in the atmosphere triggers a strong low down at sea level.
But while the storm underwent “explosive cyclogenesis” – intensifying rapidly enough to make it a “bomb cyclone” – it didn’t meet the criteria for an East Coast Low.
The emergence of the second low out at sea drew some of the main storm’s energy away and reduced wind speeds and wave heights. This is why it’s considered a complex low. The storm also fell short of the duration of heavy rainfall and severe winds speeds needed to consider it an East Coast Low.
Meteorologists are rightly cautious about classifying a storm as an East Coast Low. That’s because these systems pack a real punch and deserve to be taken seriously on land and at sea.
The infamous 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race was hit by a sudden and severe East Coast Low. These storms normally form in cooler months, but this summer storm formed suddenly and made a direct hit on the yacht fleet. Six people died and many more had to be rescued. Intense winds destroyed masts and wild seas made rescue very difficult. That storm was also a bomb cyclone, as it intensified extremely quickly.
In 2007, five East Coast Lows hit. The biggest of these drove the huge Pasha Bulker coal carrier onto Nobbys Beach in Newcastle. In 2016, another East Coast Low led to the memorable image of a swimming pool collapsing onto a beach after huge waves caused erosion.
One unusual thing about this storm is its core. If you didn’t know better, you might think it was a tropical cyclone.
Storms like this one can also be classified as extratropical cyclones if they’re strong enough. That’s because they have the characteristic whirling cyclonic shape on radar. But there are important differences.
Tropical cyclones have warm cores and their strongest winds near the core, whereas these storms affecting more southerly regions mostly have cold cores and the strongest winds further out. At certain times of year, they may be “hybrid” systems, showing both tropical and extratropical features.
The emergence of the second low is likely to trigger the “dumb-belling effect”, a two-way interaction very similar to the Fujiwhara effect in which two tropical cyclones begin to spin around each other.
How does this happen? When two tropical or extratropical cyclones form close to each other, their low-pressure centres begin to orbit around a common point influenced by the intensity and relative size of each cyclone. This interaction can lead to the cyclones merging, intensifying or even altering their paths.
In the southern hemisphere, the two orbiting storms spin clockwise. That means it’s most likely the stronger low sitting off NSW will be spun northwest back out to sea, and the second low will spin southeast, possibly bringing more heavy rain and strong winds to southern NSW and eastern Victoria.
Steve Turton has received funding from the Australian government.
– ref. What’s next for NSW’s intense storm? Heavy rains, fallen trees – and a chance of a storm ‘slingshot’ – https://theconversation.com/whats-next-for-nsws-intense-storm-heavy-rains-fallen-trees-and-a-chance-of-a-storm-slingshot-260283
Source: Samsung
Today’s consumers are redefining what it means to live well. Beyond simple consumption, they strive to make environmentally responsible choices throughout the entire purchasing journey. As a result, sustainability is no longer a trend — it has become a way of life. Brands are working to communicate their messages effectively while fully embracing and reflecting these eco-conscious values.
Launched this year, Samsung Electronics’ Color E-Paper (EMDX model) is a next-generation signage solution that significantly reduces power consumption in digital content advertising. NONO SHOP, a zero-waste store and café in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood, has introduced Color E-Paper displays into its space — taking a proactive step toward more sustainable operations.
▲ Julian Quintart, Founder and Owner of NONO SHOP
Samsung Newsroom visited NONO SHOP to explore how the space has become even more eco-conscious with the integration of Color E-Paper.
Less Waste, More Flexibility
NONO SHOP is a zero-waste store and vegan café offering plant-based beverages, desserts and groceries, along with a refill station to reduce single-use packaging. The shop promotes sustainability through customer engagement programs such as recycling campaigns and Climate Fresk workshops, where participants learn about climate change.
Even with ongoing efforts to minimize waste, operating a store inevitably generates some trash. One example is printed promotional materials — including seasonal menus, event posters and schedule announcements — which must be updated frequently. As a result, a significant amount of paper-based signage was being discarded each month.
▲ Quintart shares the many advantages of Samsung Color E-Paper including reduced waste, power consumption and flexible installation options.
By adopting Color E-Paper, NONO SHOP has significantly reduced waste from printed promotional materials. Images and text can be easily updated through a dedicated mobile app, eliminating the need to print and mount posters. The displays now allow for real-time content updates while delivering more impactful visuals.
“Samsung Color E-Paper doesn’t feel like a digital screen,” said Julian Quintart, a Belgian entertainer and founder of NONO SHOP. “It looks so much like real printed material that, unless you look very closely, you’d think it was just an ordinary paper poster.”
“The ability to instantly update images through the mobile app makes daily operations much more efficient,” added Juwon Shim, a manager at NONO SHOP. “It helps us save not only the resources and energy required for printing, but also time.”
▲ Samsung Color E-Paper offers simple hanging installation options thanks to its 2.5kg-light and 17.9-millimeter-slim profile.
Sustainably Crafted From Packaging to Product
Color E-Paper is highly effective in reducing the energy typically required to operate and maintain commercial spaces. By applying ink technology to digital paper and using ambient light to render images, the displays eliminate the need for a backlight unit — the component in traditional screens that consumes energy to emit light. As a result, power consumption drops to 0.00 watts1 when content remains static. Even during updates, Color E-Paper uses significantly less energy than conventional digital signage.
“When introducing new devices into the store, it’s important to consider not just their power consumption, but also their overall environmental impact,” said Quintart. “Color E-Paper is especially appealing because its energy use is significantly lower than that of traditional digital displays.”
▲ The packaging of Color E-Paper also reflects a strong commitment to sustainability.
The product’s design and packaging also reflect a strong commitment to sustainability. Color E-Paper features 100% paper-based packaging and incorporates recycled plastic in more than half of its cover.
“Even the packaging was thoughtfully designed,” he emphasized. “All these small efforts add up and represent a meaningful step toward resource circulation.”
▲ Zoe McTackett, a regular customer at NONO SHOP, appreciates that the cover of Color E-Paper is made from recycled plastic.
Reactions to the Color E-Paper signage have been positive.
“I was really surprised to learn that recycled plastic was used in Color E-Paper,” said Zoe McTackett, a regular customer at NONO SHOP. “Knowing that Samsung values not just technology, but also the environment, makes me trust the brand even more.”
Built To Fit Anywhere
Color E-Paper effortlessly integrates into any space, preserving the aesthetic of existing interiors and resembling framed artwork. Equipped with a patent pending color imaging algorithm, the display optimizes content for enhanced visibility — delivering smooth edge rendering, seamless gradients and rich color expression for a look and feel strikingly similar to printed posters.
▲ NONO SHOP not only uses Color E-Paper for in-store displays but also uses it as versatile screens during workshops.
“Even though it’s a digital screen, it doesn’t feel too sharp — it has a natural, paper-like quality,” said McTackett. She noted how comfortable it was to view, even in bright daylight or well-lit environments, thanks to its non-reflective surface.
“I hope customers see the display not just as a digital device, but as a framed piece,” Quintart added. “Once they realize it’s actually digital paper, they focus more on the content and respond to the product more organically.”
Weighing just 2.5 kilograms with the battery and measuring only 17.9 millimeters thick, Color E-Paper features an ultra-lightweight design with exceptional installation flexibility — easily mounted on walls, ceiling rails or stands without the need for additional structures.
▲ Color E-Paper can be installed almost anywhere thanks to its ultra-lightweight and ultra-slim design.
“Depending on the setting, Color E-Paper can be used in various formats — on a stand, wall-mounted or hanging,” Shim explained. “One of its biggest advantages is that it can transform the store’s atmosphere without requiring major interior changes.”
“When mounted on a movable stand, Color E-Paper is easy to reposition and can be set up near the entrance or beside the checkout counter,” she continued. “Hanging the display with wires is especially space-efficient since it takes up virtually no space.”
Samsung’s Color E-Paper eliminates the trade-offs once associated with sustainable practices. Just as a single small action can spark meaningful change, Samsung remains committed to creating positive environmental impact — a mission now shared with NONO SHOP through Color E-Paper.
1 According to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62301 standards, power consumption under 0.005 watts is displayed as 0.00 watts.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
07.01.25
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today voted to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. This transformative legislation includes numerous provisions to unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential, deliver tax relief for hard-working families and small businesses, make the largest investment for the U.S. Coast Guard in history, secure the southern border and halt the flow of deadly fentanyl, continue the build-up of Alaska-based military, upgrade Alaska’s aviation safety, strengthen Alaska’s health care and nutrition programs, protect Alaska’s most vulnerable communities, and achieve historic savings for future generations.
“This comprehensive legislation is the product of months of relentless, focused work on behalf of Alaskans—and it delivers significant wins for our state. I think it is safe to say, no state fared better from this bill,” said Sen. Sullivan. “From Day One of these negotiations, which have been going on for months, I fought to ensure that Alaska wasn’t just included, but prioritized. An overriding focus of mine in shaping this legislation was ensuring it helps to unleash Alaska’s private sector economy for the benefit of our hard-working families and more job creation. The One Big Beautiful Bill works in concert with President Trump’s Day One, Alaska-specific executive order to unleash Alaska’s vast natural resource potential, restoring and establishing in law the first Trump administration’s mandate to unlock ANWR, NPR-A, and Cook Inlet for responsible resource development. These provisions are focused on creating good-paying jobs, generating billions of dollars in new revenues for the state, and putting Alaskans back in the driver’s seat of our economic future. Importantly, the historic resource development provisions cement regular lease sales into law for Alaska to guard against attempts by future Democratic administrations and Senate leaders to use regulatory powers to lock up our state and shut down our economy, as was done with President Biden’s 70 executive orders and actions targeting Alaska, what I called the ‘Last Frontier Lock-Up.’
“A second overriding focus of mine in shaping this legislation was ensuring it benefits Alaska’s working families. On that front, this bill is a home-run. We prevented the largest tax hike in history—more than $4 trillion—and locked in permanent, lower tax rates, an enhanced Child Tax Credit for millions of families, an increased standard deduction used by over 90 percent of taxpayers, a small business deduction that drives job creation and local economic growth, and an enhanced Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit—which incorporates language from a standalone bill I cosponsored, in addition to other deductions that will help Alaskans keep more of what they earn.
“As Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee overseeing the U.S. Coast Guard, I also fought to secure the largest investment in Coast Guard history—nearly $25 billion, which includes funding for 16 new icebreakers and $300 million to homeport the Coast Guard icebreaker Storis, in Juneau. And, with the Golden Dome initiative, we’re building the next generation of homeland missile defense—new interceptors, sensors, and radar systems to protect the entire country, with the cornerstone of this vital system continuing to reside in our great state. We’re also working to redevelop existing Arctic infrastructure, like the very strategically located Adak Naval Base in the Aleutians.
“With this bill, we are also securing our southern border with the most robust enforcement package in a generation—$46 billion for the wall, billions more for Border Patrol and law enforcement, and resources to crack down on the flow of deadly fentanyl into Alaska.
“Finally, contrary to the fear mongering from critics and naysayers for months on this legislation, I was able to secure significant funding—I am confident it will exceed about $200 million per year for five years—to modernize Alaska’s health system, stabilize our rural providers, improve patient outcomes, keep standalone hospitals open, and empower state leaders to maintain coverage for vulnerable Alaskans. The bill also includes commonsense work requirements for these benefits, ensuring able-bodied Americans utilizing these programs are contributing to our economy, and shoring up the social safety net program for those it was intended to support–struggling single parents, children and individuals with disabilities or mental health challenges. At the same time, Alaska faces challenges that no other state deals with, which is why we secured flexibility for our state government to implement the new Medicaid and SNAP work requirements, giving the state breathing room to fix program challenges without hurting Alaskans who rely on these benefits.
“From resource development to tax relief for small businesses and middle class families, to national defense, especially our Coast Guard, to securing our border, to strengthening our health care, this legislation reflects years of determined advocacy for Alaska. The final result is a transformative package full of historic wins for Alaska that will positively shape the future of our state for decades to come.”
Senator Sullivan fought to ensure this legislation unleashes Alaska’s natural resource potential, with provisions mandating at least four new area-wide lease sales in the ANWR Coastal Plain over the next decade, directing the Secretary of the Interior to expeditiously resume at least five lease sales in the NPR-A, and mandating a minimum of six lease sales over 10 years in Cook Inlet. The bill reopens areas designated as available for oil and gas leasing during the first Trump administration, and directs more revenues from the NPR-A, ANWR, and Cook Inlet to the State of Alaska, increasing the state’s percentage of the share to 70 percent for future leases. The legislation restores the leasing rules implemented during the first Trump administration—key to unlocking federal revenues from resource development in both ANWR and the NPR-A. The bill streamlines environmental reviews under NEPA by allowing project sponsors to opt into expedited timelines through a fee-based system—cutting review periods in half. The bill also creates a new Energy Dominance Financing program at the Department of Energy that has the potential to accelerate the momentum of the Alaska LNG project.
Finally, the bill requires increased timber harvests and long-term contracts in national forests and on public lands, including in the Tongass National Forest.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025:
“This energy package is a huge victory for Alaska’s jobs and economy, and for America’s energy future,” Sen. Sullivan said. “It’s time to unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential: This bill mandates lease sales—1.6 million acres in ANWR, 20 million acres in NPR-A, and millions of acres in Cook Inlet—so we can tap into the state’s vast resources and create good-paying jobs for thousands of Alaskans. Importantly, we were able to secure a strong 70-30 split for ANWR, Cook Inlet, and future NPRA-leases, which will deliver untold new revenues to the State of Alaska.
“Combined with President Trump’s Executive Order, ‘Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,’ this is a huge opportunity to jump start natural resource development and create new jobs in Alaska. These Alaska-driven provisions will lower energy costs for American families, create good-paying jobs for Alaskans, and generate billions in new federal revenues to realize our energy potential and put Alaskans back in the driver’s seat of our state’s economy.”
In 2017, Sen. Sullivan voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which included across-the-board tax cuts for small businesses and middle class families, and a doubling of the child tax credit to support working families and small businesses, and spur economic growth. Without Congress’ action, those tax cuts and tax credit increases were due to expire this year, which would amount to a $4.5 trillion tax hike on all Americans. It’s also important to note, contrary to what some critics of the legislation have said, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, millionaires and billionaires will be paying the exact same marginal tax rates as they do currently. There is no tax cut for them.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025:
“I have always fought to ensure hard-working Alaskans are able to keep more of their paycheck, and our small businesses are able to grow and hire more workers,” said Sen. Sullivan. “With this legislation, we are preserving the historic tax relief delivered for Alaskans in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and providing new relief for our workers and small businesses. Specifically, this bill prevents an average $2,380 tax hike on every Alaskan and a 25 percent tax increase on over 58,000 of Alaska’s small businesses. For Alaska’s working families, the bill permanently boosts the per-child tax credit to $2,200, preserves the doubling of the standard deduction we secured in 2017, and expands tax credits for paid family leave and child care—which I cosponsored in stand-alone legislation. The bill also eliminates taxes on tips, benefiting roughly one-in-ten Alaskans who work in our service and leisure industries. In sum, this bill will deliver a take-home pay increase of up to $10,900 for a family of four.
“The historic tax relief we are delivering in this bill, coupled with the legislation’s unprecedented provisions to unleash Alaska natural resources—working in concert with President Trump’s Day One, Alaska-specific executive order—bring together all of the elements needed to achieve strong growth in Alaska’s private sector economy. Importantly, that will mean more good-paying jobs for more of Alaska’s families.”
As Chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on the Coast Guard, Sen. Sullivan has consistently championed robust investments in our Coast Guard. Sen. Sullivan’s strong advocacy in the negotiations of the One Big Beautiful Bill of Act 2025 resulted in nearly $25 billion for fiscal year 2026 to the U.S. Coast Guard, including:
“This historic investment of nearly $25 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard—the largest investment in Coast Guard history—is a game-changer for the men and women who protect our nation’s oceans and maritime communities, especially in Alaska,” Sen. Sullivan said. “With funding for 17 new icebreakers, 21 cutters, dozens of aircraft, and billions to modernize docks and shore facilities–particularly in Alaska, we’re strengthening America’s maritime presence in the Arctic and along our vast coastline. I’ve been working for years to get an icebreaker homeported in Alaska. This is the next critical step: $300 million to support icebreaker homeporting in Juneau—cementing Alaska’s role as the nation’s Arctic operations hub. This investment will create good-paying jobs throughout Southeast Alaska, bolster our national security, and ensure our Coast Guard has the tools it needs to protect our waters and our communities for decades to come.”
Senator Sullivan has long advocated for stronger policies to secure the nation’s southern border, highlighting the negative impacts of President Biden’s four years of open border policies on all states, including those that are thousands of miles away, like Alaska. For two years in a row, Alaska experienced the largest annual increase in the rate of drug overdose deaths in the country, driven in large part by the flow of fentanyl across the porous border. In recognition of the havoc this crisis has wrought on Alaska’s communities, the Senator last year spearheaded the launch of a statewide “One Pill Can Kill” initiative to educate Alaskans about the dangers of the drug and raise awareness about the resources available for treatment, prevention and reporting criminal activity.
This legislation provides billions of dollars for our border security, funding and personnel to the immigration court system, materials and manpower to build the southern border wall, funding for Border Patrol and fleet vehicles, enhanced and upgraded Border Patrol technology, and additional law enforcement funding, including for DHS, DOJ, ICE, Secret Service, and federal courts.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 provides:
“This Homeland Security package is a critical step toward securing our borders and stopping the flow of deadly fentanyl into our country, a crisis that is even impacting Alaska,” Sen. Sullivan said. “Alaska’s communities, from our biggest cities to rural villages, have dealt with the deadly consequences of a porous southern border. For years, fentanyl poured into our state, surging overdose deaths by more than 40% between 2022 and 2023, and taking the lives of far too many young people. Thankfully, since President Trump came into office, illegal border crossings have dropped by 99%. These provisions will continue this enforcement of our border and stop this scourge of illegal aliens, drug cartels, and fentanyl from devastating communities across the country.”
Taking care of our troops and rebuilding our military guided by a policy of “Peace Through Strength” have been top priorities of Senator Sullivan since he joined the Senate Armed Services Committee. The strong military provisions in this bill include several major benefits for Alaska.
The bill allocates $9 billion to improve the quality of life for service members—enhancing housing, child care, and health care services at Alaska’s many military bases—building on the historic 14.5 percent military pay raise for junior enlisted warfighters that Senator Sullivan helped secure in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act. It also provides $115 million to support the exploration and development of existing Arctic infrastructure, like the critical Adak Naval Air Station in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and invests $9 billion in air superiority efforts that will help sustain aircraft and operations at Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).
The bill also invests heavily in missile defense systems—with $1.975 billion that could enhance radar sites like the Long Range Discrimination Radar at Clear Space Force Station, the COBRA DANE radar on Shemya, and other installations across the state. Alaska may also benefit from $800 million for next-generation interceptors at Fort Greely, and $500 million for national security space launch infrastructure that could include the Kodiak Pacific Spaceport. These investments are part of President Trump’s $25 billion “Golden Dome for America” initiative, which accelerates the development of a layered missile defense system to protect the homeland—cementing Alaska’s position at the forefront of national security. Senator Sullivan’s GOLDEN DOME Act would further add to the money appropriated by the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act to protect Alaska and the nation.
Additionally, Alaska stands to gain from the $12 billion Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which includes expanded military exercises involving Alaska Command, and from the $29 billion shipbuilding provision, which will likely strengthen U.S. Navy maritime presence to help safeguard Alaska’s waters.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 includes:
“Taking care of our troops and achieving ‘Peace Through Strength’ are two of my top priorities. This legislation includes funding for Alaska’s air defense superiority, readiness missions, maritime fleet, as well as an investment in better housing, child care, and health care at bases across Alaska,” said Sen. Sullivan. “The escalating missile threats from the Iranian regime—and the rapidly advancing capabilities of Russia and China—make clear why we must build a robust, modernized missile defense system to protect the entire country. That’s exactly what the Golden Dome initiative will do. With President Trump’s leadership, a $25 billion down payment in this legislation, and the Golden Dome Act I introduced with my colleagues to cement this vision in law, we now have all three pillars of effective policy: presidential backing, appropriated funding, and authorizing legislation. This initiative will deploy space-based sensors and next-generation interceptors, and significantly enhance our all-domain awareness. Alaska will remain the cornerstone of America’s missile defense, and I look forward to advancing this historic effort to secure our homeland.”
Alaska faces an aviation accident rate 2.35 times higher than the national average, and this legislation delivers major, long-overdue investments to address that challenge head-on. The Alaska-specific aviation safety provisions in this legislation include the installation of Weather Observing Systems and weather camera sites, as well as a $40 million carve out for the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative. These provisions are in addition to a federal overhaul of aviation safety announced by President Trump earlier this year that includes the addition of 174 new weather stations specifically for Alaska.
Included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
“With dozens of communities off the road system and wholly reliant on aviation, and an air traffic control system responsible for the heavily-trafficked aviation routes between North America and Asia, no state is more aware of our country’s aviation safety challenges than Alaska,” said Sen. Sullivan. “This bill includes historic critical upgrades to Alaska’s aviation safety equipment and funding for the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative. These weather observing systems and camera sites will provide real-time weather data and visual confirmation in remote areas with harsh, rapidly changing conditions, ensuring that Alaska’s pilots have the technology they need to fly as safely as possible.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 does not touch Medicare or Social Security despite false ads running in Alaska saying the contrary. The major Medicaid reform in this bill centers around limitations and reductions of states’ use of provider taxes and state-directed payments to enhance their federal Medicaid payments. Many observers view the use of provider taxes and state-directed payments as a scheme to enhance a state’s share of federal Medicaid dollars. Because Alaska is the only state in the country that doesn’t use provider taxes or state-directed payments, and never has, its Medicaid program and federal funds that the state receives are not impacted by the provider tax reforms in the bill.
Senator Sullivan has been working for years on legislation to increase Alaska’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) by 25 percent and Hawaii’s FMAP by 15 percent to better reflect the high cost of living and high cost of health care delivery in both states. This FMAP provision was included in the original budget reconciliation bill with White House and Senate Republican support. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that this provision would have generated approximately an additional $180 million in increased annual Medicaid dollars for Alaska.
However, during the final stages of the budget reconciliation debate, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats challenged Sen. Sullivan’s FMAP provision with the intent to strip it out of the budget reconciliation bill during a series of “Byrd baths.” Following this review, the Senate Parliamentarian advised that the provision violated the requirements of the Byrd Rule, resulting in its removal from the bill and costing Alaska potentially millions of dollars in additional annual Medicaid funding.
In response, Senator Sullivan pivoted and pursued an alternative solution. To address Alaska’s limited health care infrastructure, he successfully negotiated a $25 billion increase for the Rural Health Transformation Fund in the budget reconciliation bill, bringing it to $50 billion. Senator Sullivan helped shape the formula for this fund to allocate $100 million annually for Alaska for five years. He is confident that additional funding from this fund to Alaska will exceed another $100 million.
In total, this fund is anticipated to provide over $200 million annually for five years to help expand access and improve health care across Alaska, support providers in remote communities, and reduce the state’s Medicaid application backlog through the Alaska Division of Public Assistance.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025:
“For months, I have worked relentlessly on every aspect of this reconciliation bill to make sure Alaska isn’t just included, but prioritized—including our health care and nutrition programs,” said Sen. Sullivan. “My team and I also fought hard to secure a $50 billion fund to help states, like Alaska, modernize health systems, stabilize rural providers, improve patient outcomes, and keep standalone hospitals open. Thanks to this provision and commitments I received from the Trump administration, I am confident that Alaska will receive over $200 million a year—for five years—to empower our state leaders to maintain coverage for vulnerable Alaskans and shore up our state’s social safety net.
“Additionally, the Medicaid provisions in this bill will make this critical safety net program stronger, more accountable, and more sustainable—especially for Alaskans. Our goal is simple: maintain strong safety nets, reduce barriers to care, and grow good-paying jobs across Alaska so more people can thrive and get covered through the private sector.
“I do support Medicaid work requirements for those who are able, but we made sure to include commonsense, tailored work exemptions, including for Alaska Native people, those who live in places with low employment opportunities, pregnant women, and people with mental health and substance use disorders.
“Many of Alaska’s hospitals operate on the financial edge while continuing to serve as the backbone of care in remote regions. They are critical to Alaska’s health care system, and this legislation—the result of months of work from me and my team—ensures our hospitals will receive the Alaska-specific plus-ups and protections they need to continue serving our communities.”
Senator Sullivan worked to ensure the legislation included provisions directly aimed at protecting Alaska’s most vulnerable communities, especially seniors and those facing financial hardship. For seniors and elder Alaskans, the bill provides a $12,000 tax deduction to reduce Social Security taxes, with estimated average savings of between $9,000–$17,500 for seniors ages 60 and up. The legislation also allows telehealth copays to be covered by insurance outside of high-deductible thresholds—making virtual care more affordable for rural and senior populations, and exempts seniors over 65 from Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 also expands home-and community-based services for individuals with disabilities, repeals harmful Biden-era nursing home staffing mandates, and includes a 2.5 percent Medicare reimbursement increase for FY 2026—known as the “doc fix”—to ensure that seniors utilizing Medicare continue to have access to care.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025:
“My team and I worked hard to ensure the One Big Beautiful Bill protects Alaska’s most vulnerable communities, especially our seniors and those struggling to make ends meet,” said Sen. Sullivan. “We secured provisions that will provide real relief, like a $12,000 tax deduction that helps older Alaskans keep more of their hard-earned retirement income, and expanded telehealth access that makes care more affordable and accessible in our rural communities. We also were able to exempt seniors from burdensome work requirements and repeal a disastrous Biden-era federal nursing home mandate that threatened to close facilities across our state.
“Contrary to some of the fear-mongering by critics, this bill makes no changes to Medicare or Social Security. Programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP were created to protect our most vulnerable populations, and this legislation helps ensure that these social safety net programs are there for Americans and Alaskans who need them.
“My team and I also secured flexibility for implementing both the new Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements for Alaska, including exemptions for all Alaska Native people, parents or guardians of children 14 and under, caregivers for elders and adults with disabilities, individuals who are medically frail or are dealing with a substance use disorder, veterans, pregnant women, and areas of high unemployment. With regard to SNAP, I helped secure a delay for Alaska to implement these work requirements until 2029 based on a good faith effort. These flexibilities will be crucial to ensuring our state’s most vulnerable continue to receive benefits while allowing the State breathing room to adjust to the new requirements under the bill.
“This bill provides good governance cost-sharing measures to ensure that states properly administer their programs and get SNAP benefits to people who need it most. However, the State of Alaska is working on modernizing their system to administer their program and will need extra time to complete the overhaul. I pushed intensely to secure up to a two-year delay before the cost-sharing measures come into play. This crucial delay will provide the State the time it needs to overhaul their system and improve their program—ultimately ensuring that people who need SNAP the most, are the ones who receive it.”
IX. Achieving Historic Savings for Our Children’s Future
Sen. Sullivan shares the serious concern many Alaskans have about the size and scope of federal spending, especially the risks posed by the country’s $36 trillion debt. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 represents one of the largest federal spending reductions in American history, roughly $1.6 trillion, and will reduce the federal budget deficit by $508 billion over ten years. According to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the legislation will result in the debt-to-GDP ratio falling to between 88 and 99 percent, instead of rising to 117 percent without the bill.
“Our national debt of over $36 trillion has reached dangerous, unsustainable levels. Last year, we paid out more in interest on this debt—upwards of $950 billion—than we did to fund our military at about $870 billion,” said Sen. Sullivan. “When you look at history, great powers begin to fail when they hit this precarious inflection point—spending more in interest on the debt than they do to protect their own nation. These debt and spending levels also drive high inflation rates, as we’ve seen over the past few years, which remain the top concern of Alaskan families—the high cost of living. This bill includes one of largest spending reductions in history—$1.6 trillion, and will reduce the deficit by $508 billion over ten years. The bill accomplishes these reductions by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse—not by cutting essential services.”
X. Fighting Back Against Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Schumer’s Relentless Attempts to Shut Down Alaska’s Economy and Harm Our Citizens
In the budget reconciliation process, the parliamentarian of the Senate only rules on provisions of the bill when they are challenged by Democrat or Republican party leaders, to see if those provisions violate the so-called “Byrd Rule,” which dictates that a provision in reconciliation legislation must be principally focused on the budget, spending and taxes. The Byrd rule and the parliamentarian’s role are not self-executing, meaning, the parliamentarian does not scrub budget reconciliation bills looking for violations of the Byrd rule. She only looks into these issues if those issues are challenged by the Republican or Democratic Senate leaders.
In this bill, Democrats in the Senate, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, challenged nearly every single provision in the bill that would benefit Alaska. The most egregious was Sen. Sullivan’s provision, which he’s worked on for years, to increase the federal match for Medicaid in Alaska. Sen. Sullivan secured the provision in the bill, which was supported by all Senate Republicans and the White House, and would have provided Alaska with hundreds of millions of dollars more a year in federal Medicaid dollars.
The irony of this outcome is particularly strong given that far-left-wing Democrat-affiliated groups have been falsely attacking Senator Sullivan for weeks on cutting Medicaid. The only people objectively and factually trying to cut Medicaid for Alaskans are Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats, who successfully did so when they stripped out Sen. Sullivan’s FMAP provision for Alaska that was already in the budget reconciliation bill.
Other provisions that would dramatically help Alaska, but were challenged by Sen. Schumer and the Senate Democratic leadership to strip out of the budget reconciliation bill, include:
“Here is an undeniable fact: The only people who are advocating cutting Medicaid for Alaskans are Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats,” said Sen. Sullivan. “Worse, this is just one of a number of positive provisions for Alaska that Senate Democrats’ fought to strip out of the budget reconciliation bill. This is consistent with the long pattern of National Democrats’ attempts, for decades, to lock up our state, shut down our economy, and hurt our working families.”
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
Washington, D.C. – Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today released the following statement and list highlighting some Wyoming specific wins included in the One Big Beautiful Bill that passed the Senate today.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill represents a victory for our state and our nation’s future,” Lummis said. “This legislation reverses years of federal policies that hurt Wyoming’s energy workers and families, instead focusing on real American priorities: expanding domestic energy production, cutting taxes for working families, and backing our ranchers and farmers.”
Background:
Coal Industry:
Oil & Gas:
Timber Sales & Wildfire Prevention:
State & Local Revenue:
Bureau of Reclamation Investment:
Livestock Protection:
Market Access & Production:
Estate Tax Relief:
Business Investment Incentives:
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By William Trollinger, Professor of History, University of Dayton
The 1925 Scopes trial, in which a Dayton, Tennessee, teacher was charged with violating state law by teaching biological evolution, was one of the earliest and most iconic conflicts in America’s ongoing culture war.
Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” published in 1859, and subsequent scientific research made the case that humans and other animals evolved from earlier species over millions of years. Many late-19th-century American Protestants had little problem accommodating Darwin’s ideas – which became mainstream biology – with their religious commitments.
But that was not the case with all Christians, especially conservative evangelicals, who held that the Bible is inerrant – without error – and factually accurate in all that it has to say, including when it speaks on history and science.
The Scopes trial occurred July 10-21, 1925. Between 150 and 200 reporters swooped into the small town. Broadcast on Chicago’s WGN, it was the first trial to be aired live over radio in the United States.
One hundred years after the trial, and as we have documented in our scholarly work, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains strong – and yet, when it comes to creationism, much has also changed.
In May 1919, over 6,000 conservative Protestants gathered in Philadelphia to create, under the leadership of Baptist firebrand William Bell Riley, the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association, or WCFA.
Holding to biblical inerrancy, these “fundamentalists” believed in the creation account detailed in chapter 1 of Genesis, in which God brought all life into being in six days. But most of these fundamentalists also accepted mainstream geology, which held that the Earth was millions of years old. Squaring a literal understanding of Genesis with an old Earth, they embraced either the “day-age theory” – that each Genesis day was actually a long period of time – or the “gap theory,” in which there was a huge gap of time before the six 24-hour days of creation.
This nascent fundamentalist movement initiated a campaign to pressure state legislatures to prohibit public schools from teaching evolution. One of these states was Tennessee, which in 1925 passed the Butler Act. This law made it illegal for public schoolteachers “to teach any theory that denies the story of divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”
The American Civil Liberties Union persuaded John Thomas Scopes, a young science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, to challenge the law in court. The WCFA sprang into action, successfully persuading William Jennings Bryan – populist politician and outspoken fundamentalist – to assist the prosecution. In response, the ACLU hired famous attorney Clarence Darrow to serve on the defense team.
When the trial started, Dayton civic leaders were thrilled with the opportunity to boost their town. Outside the courtroom there was a carnivalesque atmosphere, with musicians, preachers, concession stands and even monkeys.
Inside the courtroom, the trial became a verbal duel between Bryan and Darrow regarding science and religion. But as the judge narrowed the proceedings to whether or not Scopes violated the law – a point that the defense readily admitted – it seemed clear that Scopes would be found guilty. Many of the reporters thus went home.
But the trial’s most memorable episode was yet to come. On July 20, Darrow successfully provoked Bryan to take the witness stand as a Bible expert. Due to the huge crowd and suffocating heat, the judge moved the trial outdoors.
The 3,000 or so spectators witnessed Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan, which was primarily intended to make Bryan and fundamentalism appear foolish and ignorant. Most significant, Darrow’s questions revealed that, despite Bryan’s’ assertion that he read the Bible literally, Bryan actually understood the six days of Genesis not as 24-hour days, but as six long and indeterminate periods of time.
The very next day, the jury found Scopes guilty and fined him US$100. Riley and the fundamentalists cheered the verdict as a triumph for the Bible and morality.
But very soon that sense of triumph faded, partly because of news stories that portrayed fundamentalists as ignorant rural bigots. In one such example, a prominent journalist, H. L. Mencken, wrote in a Baltimore Sun column that the Scopes trial “serves notice on the country that Neanderthal man is organizing in these forlorn backwaters of the land.”
The media ridicule encouraged many scholars and journalists to conclude that creationism and fundamentalism would soon disappear from American culture. But that prediction did not come to pass.
Instead, fundamentalists, including WCFA leader Riley, seemed all the more determined to redouble their efforts at the grassroots level.
But as Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan made obvious, it was not easy to square a literal reading of the Bible – including the six-day creation outlined in Genesis – with a scientific belief in an old Earth. What fundamentalists needed was a science that supported the idea of a young Earth.
In their 1961 book, “The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications, fundamentalists John Whitcomb, a theologian, and Henry Morris, a hydraulic engineer, provided just such a scientific explanation. Making use, without attribution, of the writings of Seventh-day Adventist geologist George McCready Price, Whitcomb and Morris made the case that Noah’s global flood lasted one year and created the geological strata and mountain ranges that made the Earth seem ancient.
“The Genesis Flood” and its version of flood geology remains ubiquitous among fundamentalists and other conservative Protestants.
Today, opinion polls reveal that roughly one-quarter of all Americans are adherents of this newer strand of creationism, which rejects both mainstream geology as well as mainstream biology.
This popular embrace of young Earth creationism also explains the success of Answers in Genesis – AiG – which is the world’s largest creationist organization, with a website that attracts millions of visitors every year.
AiG’s tourist sites – the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky – have attracted millions of visitors since their opening in 2007 and 2016. Additional AiG sites are planned for Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Presented as a replica of Noah’s Ark, the Ark Encounter is a gigantic structure – 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, 51 feet high. It includes representations of animal cages as well as plush living quarters for the eight human beings who, according to Genesis chapters 6-8, survived the global flood. Hundreds of placards in the Ark make the case for a young Earth and a global flood that created the geological strata and formations we see today.
Ark Encounter has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars from state and local governments.
Besides AiG tourist sites, there is also an ever-expanding network of fundamentalist schools and homeschools that present young Earth creationism as true science. These schools use textbooks from publishers such as Abeka Books, Accelerated Christian Education and Bob Jones University Press.
The Scopes trial involved what could and could not be taught in public schools regarding creation and evolution. Today, this discussion also involves private schools, given that there are now at least 15 states that have universal private school choice programs, in which families can use taxpayer-funded education money to pay for private schooling and homeschooling.
In 1921, William Bell Riley admonished his opponents that they should “cease from shoveling in dirt on living men,” for the fundamentalists “refuse to be buried.” A century later, the funeral for fundamentalism and creationism seems a long way off.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion – https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-americans-reject-evolution-a-century-after-the-scopes-monkey-trial-spotlighted-the-clash-between-science-and-religion-258163
MIL OSI –
At Tuesday’s regular briefing at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric relayed warnings from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA), citing urgent concerns across the country.
“Across Sudan, we continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of the ongoing fighting, which is escalating displacement and driving needs even higher,” Mr. Dujarric said.
Conflict driving displacement
Clashes between rival militaries – Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – continue to uproot civilians, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan states. Fighting in El Fasher alone has displaced more than 400,000 people since April, according to OCHA.
In June, nearly 8,000 displaced people from North Darfur arrived in Ad-Dabba, putting pressure on overstretched resources and limited access to healthcare, shelter, clean water and food.
In North Kordofan, over 16,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Bara between 26 and 29 June alone, while another 16,000 to flee Babanusa in West Kordofan on 27 June, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Flood warnings
Separately, OCHA warned of increased flood risks as Sudan enters its rainy season, which runs through October. Forecasts point to above-average rainfall, heightening the threat of both riverine and flash floods – especially in areas already facing limited infrastructure and access.
“Any flooding could disrupt road access, hamper aid delivery, and heighten the threat of disease outbreaks during the ongoing lean season,” Mr. Dujarric said, noting that an ongoing cholera outbreak could worsen with the floods.
Nearly 500,000 people were affected by floods last year. With the likelihood of a repeat or worse this season, Mr. Dujarric said humanitarian agencies are ready to respond “where access and resources allow,” but warned that critical funding gaps are hampering preparedness.
UN relief visits Sudan
Mr. Dujarric also highlighted the importance of recent discussions between Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and senior SAF and RSF officials.
Mr. Fletcher appealed for a humanitarian pause to allow lifesaving aid to reach people in El Fasher, which has been besieged by the RSF and cut off from assistance since last April.
“Our humanitarian colleagues underscore that we will continue our engagements with the aim of facilitating the swift and safe delivery of aid to all those who need it,” Mr. Dujarric said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved projects worth more than $300 million that will protect forests in Papua New Guinea, promote sustainable fisheries in Saint Lucia, and help grow Africa’s Great Green Wall.
The initiatives, designed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), were greenlighted at the 42nd meeting of the GCF Board, held in the Papua New Guinea capital from June 30 to July 3. It represents the highest-value batch of such approvals to date.
“Through sustainable forestry management, fisheries transformation and land restoration, these FAO-designed projects will make a significant difference to the lives and livelihood of these vulnerable communities, especially in the current global context of overlapping and complex crises due to climate extremes and other shocks,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “FAO appreciates the unwavering trust that the GCF and Member Countries place in FAO’s professional capacity to provide the required technical expertise to strengthen resilience and safeguard the livelihoods of the most vulnerable,” he added. “The FAO-GCF partnership continues to be critical for the climate investments in agrifood systems required to deliver science-based concrete solutions to countries and communities where they are needed most, leaving no one behind.”
All three approvals were outcomes of successful FAO-led GCF readiness projects, as well as other long-standing technical collaborations, which unlocked the resources countries needed to pursue more ambitious climate projects.
Papua New Guinea
FAO has supported the country to design a high-impact climate project, within the framework of GCF’s pilot programme for results-based payments, that will direct investments worth $63.4 million into Papua New Guinea’s sustainable forest management activities.
This substantial GCF investment recognizes the Government’s achievements in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) during the 2014-2016 period – comparable to taking over 3 million cars off the road for a year.
Funding for the project falls under the initiative known as REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), and will support the Government’s efforts to conserve forests and implement the National REDD+ Strategy 2017–2027.
Papua New Guinea has been an advocate for the REDD+ global process since its very inception in 2008. The country has kept forest conservation and reducing emissions from the forest sector high on the national and global agenda including through support from FAO and the UN-REDD programme.
The investments seek to promote a virtuous cycle of emission reductions by promoting agroforestry, sustainable fuelwood and charcoal production, community pole and timber plantations, the restoration of natural forest, and more.
The project will place special emphasis on the social dimension, prompting benefit sharing, encouraging stakeholder engagement, and strengthening both local and national capacities.
Papua New Guinea’s tropical rainforests – of which three-quarters are primary forests – cover 78 percent of the country’s land, making it a global biodiversity hotspot. The forests are home to 191 species of mammals, and 750 species of bird. They also serve as vital carbon sinks, storing large amounts of carbon in above-ground biomass and soil.
Saint Lucia
The FISH-ADAPT project in Saint Lucia, with an investment of $16.7 million, has been designed to reduce the risks that climate change poses to the fishing and aquaculture sectors in this Small Island Developing State located in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
The project aims to transform Saint Lucia’s fisheries sector by making fishing safer and more productive despite a changing climate. It will foster a circular economy to help reduce waste, enhance resource efficiency, and promote livelihood diversification for more resilient communities. Fish value chains and markets will be strengthened; coastal fish grounds and aquaculture systems will become more climate resilient; and fishers will have more diversified incomes.
The initiative will put in place agrifood solutions that build sustainability and resilience to improve efficiency, safety and productivity in the fisheries sector. These include empowering fishers and aquaculture farmers by enhancing access to weather data, upgrading landing sites and promoting sustainable offshore fishing.
Saint Lucia’s geographic position and socio-economic dependence on the fisheries sector make it especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Fisherfolk who rely on the sea for their livelihoods are finding it increasingly difficult to adapt to a changing climate and declining fish stocks. Increased air temperature and changing rainfall patterns have also been affecting inland aquaculture.
Considering these challenges, FISH-ADAPT will target approximately 75,000 beneficiaries – about 41 percent of the population – including marine fishers, sea-moss farmers, fish vendors and processors, and inland aquaculture farmers.
The Sahel
The Scaling-Up Resilience in Africa’s Great Green Wall (SURAGGWA), with an investment of $222 million, will support livelihoods of agropastoral and pastoral communities living in the Sahel’s semi-arid regions, who are extremely vulnerable to climate change.
The initiative is FAO’s first multi-country proposal and the largest funding request ever submitted on behalf of its Member Countries. It builds on the extensive work done by FAO on the Great Green Wall initiative, in particular the Action Against Desertification Programme.
The initiative will seek to scale up successful land restoration practices using a diversity of native species to increase livelihood resilience while also sequestering carbon. It will develop value chains for climate-resilient and low-emission non-timber forest products, supporting the livelihoods and food security of vulnerable communities.
Another key aspect of the project will be to strengthen national and regional Great Green Wall institutions to ensure the sustainability and coordination of interventions and monitoring of restoration results as well as mobilizing additional resources including through climate change adaptation and mitigation financing mechanisms.
The SURAGGWA Programme will advance the African Union’s ambitions to transform Sahelian landscapes by restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land and creating 10 million jobs. Working with smallholder farmers and pastoralist communities, it will also build resilience and contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration in restored lands across the eight participating countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal).
A quarter of the 100 million people who live in the Sahel rely on pastoralist livelihoods. Poverty, social tensions, and climate change put additional strain on herders and farmers who already compete for limited resources and land. Agriculture, livestock and forestry activities are the foundation of their economies and more than 70 per cent of rural communities depend directly on rainfed agriculture.
The FAO–GCF partnership
The new approvals raise FAO’s GCF portfolio to over $1.8 billion, with climate investments delivering sustainable agrifood system solutions to the countries and communities where they are needed most.
You can read more about FAO’s partnership with GCF here.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Source: United Nations secretary general
Prime Minister Sanchez,
Excellencies,
Dear friends,
Ten years after countries adopted the SDGs, development faces formidable headwinds: slowing global growth, the threat of a trade war, and repeated global shocks from climate and conflict.
But the most unsettling challenge facing developing countries is the debt crisis.
Borrowing is critical for development.
It provides a means for governments to invest boldly in a better future for their people.
It is especially critical at a time when all countries are required to undertake one-off generational investments to green their economies and build 21st century digital infrastructure.
But today, borrowing is not working for development.
Over two-thirds of low-income countries are either in debt distress or at high risk of it.
3.4 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on health or education.
The debt crisis is a silent crisis in two respects.
First, the crisis doesn’t impact the lives or economies of those in advanced economies.
The immediate effects of the crisis are contained and do not threaten the stability of global financial markets.
Second, among global policymakers, there is a striking reluctance to acknowledge the crisis for what it is, perhaps driven by the increasingly unlikely hope that the problem will solve itself if interest rates came down.
However, I’m pleased to report that, thanks to many of you, this is now starting to change.
Over the last several months, we’ve seen the launch of several bold initiatives – the African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative; the Expert Review on Debt, Climate and Nature; the Jubilee Commission; and the Secretary-General’s Expert Group on Debt – that are making crisis increasingly hard to ignore.
And through the Seville conference and its outcome document, and the ongoing work of the South African G20, this crisis is finally being seen and heard.
These efforts have laid bare the shortcomings of our debt architecture, and the harms they are causing in developing countries.
They also identify actions that can arrest the debt crisis and enable debt to fulfil a supportive role in countries’ development success.
Now that we are finally getting the attention of policymakers, we still face the challenge of compelling action.
Let me propose three things we, as a community, must do moving forward.
First, consolidate our message and asks.
We have a rich set of analyses and recommendations but must find ways of bringing these together.
This includes borrowing language and recommendations from the Seville outcome document and bringing it forward into the outcome documents of this year’s G20 and COP30.
Second, everyone must do their part.
For instance, Spain has shown outstanding leadership on promoting debt swaps and debt pauses.
The UN stands ready to advance member states’ call for the creation of a platform for borrowers to share experience, build capacity and coordinate approaches and strengthen borrower countries’ voices.
Third and finally, we must continue to expand our coalition.
This includes winning the support of the leading board members at the IFIs.
It also means mobilizing civil society, as envisaged by the Jubilee campaign.
With these three steps, I believe we can break the cycle of debt together, and usher in a new era of debt sustainability for all countries.
Thank you.
Source: European Investment Bank
Ten multilateral development banks (MDBs) active in the water sector have approved global investments totalling $19.6 billion (€17 billion) in 2024. According to the inaugural Joint Annual MDB Water Security Financing Report, launched on the sidelines of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, nearly three-quarters of these funds were earmarked for low-, lower-middle-, and upper-middle-income countries.
The report follows a joint commitment made in December 2024 at the One Water Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by the African Development Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank Group, Islamic Development Bank, New Development Bank, and World Bank Group. The MDBs pledged to significantly increase support for the water sector between 2025 and 2030 and to report jointly on their progress.
This first edition of the annual Water Security Financing Report provides an overview of MDB investments in the global water sector, establishing a baseline for tracking future financing. It highlights the collective efforts of the ten members of the MDB Water Sector Coordination Group (the aforementioned banks plus the Council of Europe Development Bank) to foster collaboration, share expertise, and drive innovative solutions. It also shows that the EIB accounted for more than a quarter of total MDB financing to the sector in 2024. This strong engagement is in line with the EIB’s forthcoming Water Resilience Programme, which aims to increase the Group’s lending in the sector by 50% to €15 billion between 2025 and 2027, potentially catalysing up to €40 billion in global water investments over three years.
“Creating sustainable water systems worldwide requires financing, but it also demands partnerships that bring together investment, technical assistance, and knowledge,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “That is why the MDBs have made water a shared priority. The first Water Security Financing Report reflects our collective responsibility – and our ambition to achieve more, together.”
Examples of EIB cooperation with other MDBs include a partnership with the African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, World Bank Group, and West African Development Bank to help protect Cotonou, Benin, from flooding by improving drainage infrastructure across 34 basins. In Mongolia, the EIB and the Asian Development Bank are working together to build wastewater treatment plants and improve rainwater drainage systems in several cities. The EIB has also enjoyed a 20-year collaboration with the Council of Europe Development Bank, co-financing the construction, expansion, and refurbishment of water and sewerage networks in all major municipalities across Cyprus.
Background
Half of the world’s population is estimated to live in areas facing water scarcity. Climate change is altering rainfall patterns and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, threatening both the quantity and quality of water resources and damaging vital infrastructure. At the same time, cooperation to optimise water resource management and development is lacking, and fragmentation hampers water security. According to a World Bank study, the annual funding gap to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation is estimated at $138 billion (a mid-range estimate) between 2017 and 2030. On average, countries would need to nearly triple their annual spending to close this gap. The challenge is even greater in Sub-Saharan Africa, where spending would need to increase by up to 17 times, and in low-income or conflict-affected countries, where investment may need to rise by as much as 42 times.
Source: United Nations secretary general
Excellencies,
Dear friends,
It is a privilege to join you today at this pivotal moment for the future of development finance.
Sadly, the world faces a sustainable development crisis.
Trade barriers are growing. Aid budgets are shrinking. Macroeconomic risks are mounting.
Debt burdens are dragging down growth. Climate shocks are hitting harder and more often.
Development finance is at a critical inflection point.
Official Development Assistance, long a cornerstone of international solidarity, declined by 7 per cent in real terms last year. And further cuts are already on the table.
But the real picture is even starker. Much of what is counted as ODA today is being redirected to cover domestic priorities, not long-term SDG investments.
At the same time, the SDG financing gap has ballooned to 4 trillion dollars a year.
Yet, amid this sobering reality lies an opportunity:
An opportunity to reimagine development finance for the world we live in now.
To move from a model built on assistance, to one driven by purpose and partnership. From international assistance, to strategic, sustainable investment.
In this new vision, public finance, national and international, remains essential. Especially in sectors where market incentives are weak but human needs are immense, like education, health, social protection.
But public finance alone cannot carry the weight. It must be used to unlock and leverage private investment, at scale and with speed.
The question we need to answer is clear:
What will it take for private capital to flow where it is most needed?
The outcome document of the FFD4 conference, the “Sevilla Commitment”, puts forward a compelling action agenda that seeks to answer this question.
First, we need an enabling business environment, supported by strong institutions, policy coherence, and investment pipelines.
Second, we need better blended finance vehicles that deliver sustainable development impact and align with developing countries’ national priorities.
This requires standardizing blended finance with replicable and scalable structures, a ready pipeline of bankable projects, and more transparency in the development outcomes of transactions.
Third, we need financial innovation. Equity instruments. Auction mechanisms. Creative tools that allow public and private actors to share risk and reward more fairly.
Fourth, we must scale up aggregation platforms that expand catalytic capital and reduce transaction costs by pooling resources from international financial institutions.
Fifth, it is time to reassess prudential regulations that may unintentionally discourage long-term investments in developing countries.
We need to engage with regulators to ensure risk is not mispriced and regulation enables greater use of risk-sharing tools.
Let’s be clear: we must dramatically expand our sources of development capital, and we must do so urgently and intentionally.
This is why the United Nations calls on all actors across the investment ecosystem to join us in a long-term, collaborative effort to reshape development finance.
At the UN, we are taking concrete steps to strengthen partnerships to unlock capital for sustainable development.
Platforms such as the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance are bringing together private investors, foundations, policymakers, and leaders across the development finance spectrum. These leaders can shape sustainable finance frameworks, identify investment barriers, and pilot innovative solutions.
Working together we can coordinate action, amplify impact, and accelerate the global shift toward long-term, responsible development finance.
Private sector partners bring more than capital. They bring creativity, agility, and scale. They can power the transition to green energy, accelerate digital inclusion, and revolutionize service delivery.
Philanthropic partners are also uniquely positioned to take risks others cannot, test innovations, and address gaps that markets and governments may not reach.
They can back new models and ideas in early stage projects, or help unlock larger flows of investment by building proof points and trust.
Above all, our financing systems must work for those who have historically been excluded, and on a practical level that means that means removing structural barriers that keep capital out of the hands of women-led businesses, youth innovators, and underserved communities.
Excellencies,
This is not about making tweaks here and there. It is about rethinking the fundamentals.
The current financial system was not built for today’s world. Let alone tomorrow’s.
We need a system that allocates capital not only by profit, but by purpose, not only by returns, but by impact.
The next chapter of development finance is not yet written. But it must be a shared story written by all of us, and accountable to all people.
So, let’s seize this moment and step into this new era not as donors or beneficiaries, but as equal partners, and deliver on the promise of sustainable development.
On behalf of the United Nations, I thank you for your leadership, your ideas, and your resolve.
Thank you.
***
Source: European Parliament
The Commission is aware of this study[1], which shows that in the absence of complementary measures, the annual increase in heating costs for households in the lowest six deciles in Belgium could range from EUR 154 to EUR 261 or 0.8% to 0.6% of total expenditure, and from EUR 53 to EUR 158 or 0.6% to 0.5% for transport costs. These estimations are coherent with the Commission’s impact assessment[2] for the review of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive[3].
Europe’s reliance on imported fossil fuels causes energy price volatility and higher supply costs. The Commission and Member States are working towards the timely implementation of the new Emission Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2) in combination with complementary measures to decouple people’s energy bills from fossil fuel cost volatility.
The Social Climate Fund (SCF)[4] is designed to address the impact of ETS2 on vulnerable households. For those not eligible under the SCF, Member States also must target the national ETS2 revenues[5] at measures to anticipate and address its effects.
The Affordable Energy Action Plan[6] aims at lowering energy costs by improving energy efficiency and energy savings and by addressing other aspects of the energy market that influence energy prices.
The upcoming Citizens Energy Package[7] will focus on activating citizens to produce, sell and use their own energy and on tackling energy poverty.
As part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive[8], Member States are also developing targets, policies and measures and related financing for building renovations that reduce exposure to fossil fuels and alleviate energy poverty. A range of policies are also available for Member States to incentivise electrification and clean technologies.
