Category: Weather

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon celebrates 25 years of powering how people live, work and play

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon celebrates 25 years of powering how people live, work and play

    NEW YORK, NY – For 25 years, Verizon has been leading with technology and innovation for our customers and helped shape the way Americans connect every day. What started as a bold vision in 2000 has grown into a company with the most wireless retail connections in the industry and a network of technological breakthroughs that empowers millions of people to live, work and play in new, connected ways. Today, Verizon is marking our 25th anniversary by celebrating our past and looking to the future: building smarter networks, supporting communities and equipping the next generation.

    “For 25 years, our purpose has been rooted in our name: Veritas, delivering the truth and reliability that our customers trust, and Horizon, always looking forward,” said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon. “This is why we’ve built the nation’s most reliable 5G network. But it’s the people behind it — our V Team — who give us our heart. As we celebrate our past, our focus is firmly on the future: extending our leadership with intelligent solutions to connect every home and business to the possibilities of tomorrow.”

    25 years of firsts

    Verizon’s story is one of constant innovation. From pay phones to flip phones to smartphones, to rolling out 4G LTE nationwide, to being one of the first major carriers to launch fiber to the home with Fios, to pioneering the first 5G mobile network, Verizon has kept America and its customers at the forefront of technology. Along the way, our “Can you hear me now?” campaign has become a cultural touchstone, reminding consumers that reliability matters.

    A commitment to communities

    Verizon’s legacy is more than technology. In moments of crisis, like 9/11 and Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy and countless other natural disasters, Verizon teams work around the clock to keep families and first responders connected when they need it most. Our disaster resiliency work has since expanded to work with communities at risk of natural disasters year-round to empower them to be prepared for and able to recover from these disasters with greater confidence and connectivity.

    Building on Verizon’s support of communities, our commitment to closing the digital divide has brought digital skills training to nearly 9 million students through Verizon Innovative Learning. And, we know that staying connected isn’t just about access — it’s about supporting the well-being of the communities we serve by encouraging healthy relationships with technology. Through free resources that help parents guide their children’s tech use, and partnerships with digital wellness organizations, Verizon is working to ensure that everyone can navigate the digital world safely and confidently.

    Investing in America’s small businesses

    Verizon’s Small Business Digital Ready program offers a free online platform — designed in partnership with small business owners, for small business owners — featuring 50+ free courses such as AI automation, social media marketing, financial planning, as well as peer networking, community events and one-on-one coaching. To date, the program has supported more than 500,000 businesses.

    In addition, Verizon is opening doors for small businesses with our new Small Business Supplier Accelerator program — a commitment to spend $5 billion with small business suppliers over the next five years to help small businesses grow and thrive by working with Verizon and other large corporations.

    The Next 25: An AI-powered, customer-first future and expanding America’s most-reliable 5G network

    As part of this vision, Verizon’s pending acquisition of Frontier Communications represents a landmark expansion of our fiber footprint, poised to bring premium fiber connectivity to millions of new households. For the enterprise, Verizon AI Connect puts us at the forefront of powering the emerging AI economy, combining our industry-leading intelligent network with our expansive data center assets to deliver AI workloads at scale.

    At the same time, Verizon is redefining the customer experience with a suite of AI-powered enhancements. Key features include a “Customer Champion” team, where a dedicated expert leverages Google’s Gemini AI models to resolve complex issues from start to finish. This is complemented by new 24/7 live chat support and a redesigned My Verizon app that uses AI to provide proactive solutions.

    This is the latest chapter in a 25-year story of innovation with Verizon setting a new standard of how to connect customers at home and on the go.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Dabrusin to make a funding announcement for five energy projects in Alberta and the Northwest Territories

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Yellowknife, Northwest Territories – June 30, 2025 – Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will make a funding announcement to support five clean energy projects in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

    Following the announcement, Minister Dabrusin will hold a media availability.

    Event: Announcement and media availability 
    Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2025
    Time: 2:30 p.m. (MT)
    Location: Denendeh Manor—Parking lot
    4504 49th Avenue
    Yellowknife, Northwest Territories 
    and via Zoom

    Note to media: Free adjacent street parking is available for media attending in person. Media representatives are asked to register by contacting Environment and Climate Change Canada Media Relations at media@ec.gc.ca. Once registered, reporters will receive the details to join the announcement and media availability.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Closure of mines and lignite-fired power stations in Western Macedonia: a great cause of suffering for the people – E-001603/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU Green Deal and its underlying legislative framework, in particular the ‘Fit for 55 Package’ were adopted by the co-legislators.

    As part of the Green Deal, the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) mobilises ca. EUR 55 billion to support the most affected regions from the energy transition from 2021 to 2027. Western Macedonia is one of the regions receiving support under the JTM.

    Moreover, the Social Climate Fund will provide funding of up to EUR 86,7 billion from 2026 to 2032. The support measures and investments aim to address the social impact of the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport within the scope of the Emission Trading System, for example by increasing energy efficiency and decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, specifically targeting and benefiting vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users.

    To tackle high energy prices and support those suffering from them, the Commission adopted the Affordable Energy Action Plan on 26 February 2025[1].

    The measures set out in the plan aim at fostering energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment, accelerating permitting, grid deployment, boosting storage and electrification and reducing systems costs, helping to bring down energy costs and support both industry and households.

    • [1] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/affordable-energy_en.
    Last updated: 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the security of energy supply in the EU – A10-0121/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

    on the security of energy supply in the EU

    (2025/2055(INI))

    The European Parliament,

     having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 194 thereof,

     having regard to Council Directive 2009/119/EC of 14 September 2009 imposing an obligation on Member States to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products[1] (Oil Stocks Directive),

     having regard to the Commission communication of 28 May 2014 entitled ‘European Energy Security Strategy’ (COM(2014)0330),

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2017 concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010[2],

     having regard to Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU[3],

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the internal market for electricity[4],

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/941 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on risk-preparedness in the electricity sector and repealing Directive 2005/89/EC[5],

     having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ (COM(2019)0640),

     having regard to the Commission communication of 8 July 2020 entitled ‘Powering a climate-neutral economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration’ (COM(2020)0299),

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1153 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the Connecting Europe Facility and repealing Regulations (EU) 1316/2013 and (EU) No 283/2014[6],

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’)[7],

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2022/869 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2022 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, amending Regulations (EC) No 715/2009, (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2019/943 and Directives 2009/73/EC and (EU) 2019/944, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 347/2013[8],

     having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 18 May 2022 entitled ‘EU external energy engagement in a changing world’ (JOIN(2022)0023),

     having regard to the Commission communication of 18 May 2022 entitled ‘REPowerEU Plan’ (COM(2022)0230),

     having regard to the Commission communication of 18 October 2022 entitled ‘Digitalising the energy system – EU action plan’ (COM(2022)0552),

     having regard to the final assessment report on the EU-NATO Task Force on the resilience of critical infrastructure, published in June 2023,

     having regard to Directive (EU) 2023/1791 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on energy efficiency and amending Regulation (EU) 2023/955 (recast)[9] (Energy Efficiency Directive),

     having regard to the Euratom Supply Agency Annual Report 2023,

     having regard to Directive (EU) 2023/2413 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and Directive 98/70/EC as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652 (the Renewable Energy Directive)[10],

     having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/1788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on common rules for the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen, amending Directive (EU) 2023/1791 and repealing Directive 2009/73/EC (recast)[11],

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 on the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen, amending Regulations (EU) No 1227/2011, (EU) 2017/1938, (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2022/869 and Decision (EU) 2017/684 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 715/2009 (recast)[12],

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/942[13],

     having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/1711 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 amending Directives (EU) 2018/2001 and (EU) 2019/944 as regards improving the Union’s electricity market design[14],

     having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1747 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2019/943 as regards improving the Union’s electricity market design (Electricity Market Design (EMD) Regulation)[15],

     having regard to its resolution of 14 November 2024 on EU actions against the Russian shadow fleets and ensuring a full enforcement of sanctions against Russia[16],

     having regard to the report by Sauli Niinistö entitled ‘Safer Together – Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness’ (Niinistö report), published on 30 October 2024,

     having regard to European Court of Auditors Special Report 09/2024 entitled ‘Security of the supply of gas in the EU’[17],

     having regard to the Commission communication of 29 January 2025 entitled ‘A Competitiveness Compass for the EU’ (COM(2025)0030),

     having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 21 February 2025 entitled ‘EU Action Plan on Cable Security’ (JOIN(2025)0009),

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

     having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 26 March 2025 on the European Preparedness Union Strategy (JOIN(2025)0130),

     having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

     having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A10-0121/2025),

    A. whereas energy security is a key building block of a resilient, sustainable and competitive economy; whereas reliable and affordable energy supplies are essential for economic growth, industrial productivity and societal well-being;

    B. whereas in the context of a general security crisis and the need for preparedness against defence challenges, securing energy supply constitutes a priority;

    C. whereas despite the potential for developing domestic clean and renewable energy sources, the EU imports more than 60 % of its energy, including 90 % of its gas and 97 % of its oil[18], leaving it vulnerable to potential energy supply disruptions;

    D. whereas the EU has the potential to develop renewable resources, and since the publication of the Commission’s last Energy Security Strategy in 2014, the production of home-grown renewable energy has grown substantially – wind power by 98 %, solar photovoltaic by 314 %, solar thermal by 22 % and ocean energy by 244 %; whereas, over the same period, the EU’s domestic fossil fuel production has declined, with coal production falling by 53 %, oil by 31 % and gas by 73 %;

    E. whereas with a renewable energy-dominated grid, Europe will need to secure over 100 GW of new clean firm power capacity by 2035 to ensure reliability, energy security and lower costs[19];

    F. whereas the gap between energy production and EU demand negatively affects the EU’s trade balance, with energy imports amounting to EUR 427 billion in 2024 – down from a peak of EUR 602 billion in 2022 – for coal, oil and gas[20];

    G. whereas EU nuclear production has declined by 24 % since 2014[21]; whereas a number of Member States are demonstrating their commitment to expanding nuclear energy as a pillar of their energy strategies and advancing their nuclear power projects;

    H. whereas the diversification of energy sources contributes to the EU’s open strategic autonomy, energy security and resilience against external supply disruptions;

    I. whereas applying renewable and clean domestic energy production, energy efficiency and energy saving measures across the entire value chain decreases reliance on external energy sources and enhances the security of energy supply; whereas EU energy efficiency policies have yielded structural results, with energy demand peaking in 2006 and declining by 20 % in 2023[22], highlighting energy efficiency as the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions, enhance competitiveness, make energy consumption more affordable and improve energy security;

    J. whereas Member States differ in terms of natural and geographical characteristics, energy supply, security, sources and policies;

    K. whereas the Russian Federation has for decades weaponised its supplies of oil, coal, nuclear power and gas to the EU in order to create division among Member States and, since the summer of 2021, to fuel inflation and weaken Europe’s resolve to support Ukraine in its just fight for freedom; whereas Russia’s war against Ukraine started in 2014; whereas Russia has been carrying out an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine since 24 February 2022; whereas Member States agreed in the Versailles Declaration[23] to reassess how to ensure the security of their energy supplies and to phase out their dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports ‘as soon as possible’ by, among other means, speeding up the development of renewables and the production of their key components and accelerating the reduction of overall EU reliance on fossil fuels, taking into account national circumstances and Member States’ energy mix choices; whereas the REPowerEU plan put forward a set of actions to stop importing Russian fossil fuels by 2027 at the latest;

    L. whereas while most Russian oil and coal imports have been sanctioned, Russian gas and nuclear imports have regrettably remained outside of the EU’s sanctions regime amid concerns over security of supply;

    M. whereas the share of Russian pipeline gas, both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline, in the EU’s total energy imports significantly decreased from 45 % in 2021 to approximately 19 % in 2024; whereas EU imports of Russian fossil fuels in the third year of the invasion have surpassed the EU financial aid sent to Ukraine in the same period (EUR 18.7 billion in 2024)[24]; whereas since the beginning of the war, Russia has earned a total of EUR 206 billion in revenue from fossil fuel exports to the EU; whereas global fossil fuel exports constitute the single largest source of revenue for Russia, amounting to EUR 250 billion per year[25] – equivalent to 160 % of the Russian military budget for this year[26];

    N. whereas among the 100 reactors operating in the EU, 18 are located in five EU countries and are of Russian or Soviet-design, each with varying levels of built-in reliance on Rosatom, which poses a particular risk to European energy security; whereas in 2024, Russia met around 23 % of the EU’s total demand for uranium conversion services and 24 % for uranium enrichment services;

    O. whereas Russia has been circumventing sanctions through its shadow fleet, which transports oil to willing buyers under false flags or without flags and which poses serious environmental risks; whereas Member States have yet to implement the effective measures adopted by the Council in the 15th sanctions package against sanctions evasion through the shadow fleet;

    P. whereas in its November 2024 resolution, Parliament called for the EU and its Member States to ban all imports of Russian energy, including LNG and nuclear, to require that ships exporting LNG from Russia be banned from entering EU ports and to refrain from concluding any new agreements with Rosatom or its subsidiaries;

    Q. whereas the absence of an updated robust EU energy security strategy is adversely affecting businesses, industries and households; whereas, among other contributing factors, this has led to a sharp rise in energy poverty with nearly one in ten households (10.6 %) unable to adequately heat their homes in 2023[27], an increase from 6.9 % in 2021[28];

    R. whereas attacks against critical energy infrastructure can lead to a loss of power affecting several Member States simultaneously and substantial economic damage, undermine public security and have implications for the EU’s defence capabilities; whereas Europe’s energy sector has been inundated with cyberattacks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; whereas the Baltic Sea’s critical energy infrastructure is under regular attack from Russia; whereas the growing number of perimeter harassment incidents against offshore energy infrastructure poses a serious concern;

    S. whereas NATO’s role in energy security was first defined at the 2008 Bucharest Summit and has since been strengthened; whereas NATO is strengthening the security of critical infrastructure to prevent sabotage, including through the recently launched Baltic Sentry initiative; whereas NATO is supporting national authorities in enhancing their resilience against energy supply disruptions that could affect national and collective defence;

    T. whereas the integration of the Baltic states’ electricity systems into the continental European network in February 2025 was a critical step towards enhancing their energy security, as it eliminated reliance on the Russian-controlled grid, thereby reducing geopolitical vulnerabilities and strengthening the resilience of the Baltic region;

    A new vision for energy security in a changing global landscape

    1. Recalls that the European Environment Agency defines energy security as ‘the availability of energy at all times in various forms, in sufficient quantities, and at reasonable and/or affordable prices’; considers that a comprehensive approach to energy security should take into account the physical infrastructure dimension, the availability, reliability, stability and affordability of supplies and their sustainability, and should place emphasis on the geopolitical and climate dimensions;

    2. Stresses that energy security is a cross-sectoral issue that underpins the functioning of all critical sectors, making it indispensable for economic stability, public safety and national resilience; underlines that integrating energy security considerations into relevant policies and their underlying impact assessments is crucial for enhancing the coherence, consistency and overall effectiveness of EU policymaking;

    3. Emphasises that the current geopolitical situation and continued perilous energy supply dependencies underscore the need to revise the understanding of energy security and recognises that the resilience of energy systems, understood as the ability to anticipate, withstand, adapt to, and quickly recover from possible disruptions, is now a strategic imperative;

    4. Stresses that as the energy system continues to decarbonise, the share of renewables increases and electrification advances, a well-functioning and integrated energy market, energy efficiency, the integration of flexibility sources (electricity and heat storage, hydrogen, comprehensively developed and resilient infrastructure, demand response, etc.), and sufficient dispatchable capacity will be crucial to successfully manage the intermittency of renewable energy sources and unlock the full potential of the energy transition;

    5. Highlights that energy security cannot work without adequacy; notes that ‘the scarcity issues tend to shift from the peripheral areas of Europe in 2025 to the central parts of the continent by 2033’[29]; believes that capacity remuneration mechanisms play a structural role in securing dispatchable backup capacity to ensure adequacy during peak times or periods of supply shortages and in helping to incentivise the necessary investments in generating capacity that market signals, relying solely on infrequent scarcity price hours, may fail to justify; underlines the need to ensure that the mechanisms are open to different types of resources (such as demand side, energy savings, aggregation, storage units and cross-border resources) capable of providing the necessary services, such as flexibility, do not create undue market distortions or limit cross-zonal trade, and reflect compatibility with a future decarbonised electricity system, including through coherence with defined emission limits as set out in Article 22 of the EMD Regulation; recalls that remuneration for capacity mechanisms only covers their availability; stresses the urgent need to simplify and streamline their approval processes, as requested by the EMD revision, while giving due consideration to the specific problems of the electricity market in the respective Member States in the Commission’s approval process; notes the Commission report on the assessment of possibilities of streamlining and simplifying the process of applying a capacity mechanism[30] and the ongoing works on the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework with concrete proposals to accelerate the approval process; notes that while the balancing market provides essential short-term services, it is not yet investment-friendly and calls therefore on the Commission to develop incentives to build the flexible assets that balancing markets urgently need;

    6. Stresses that decarbonisation should take into account the specificities of Member States and their regions, including Europe’s outermost territories and Just Transition Fund regions and their level of access to different types of clean energy sources, the needs of their industries and the vulnerability of their citizens in order to ensure a just transition that maintains energy security by creating synergies between climate ambitions, geographical and natural conditions, and social and economic realities;

    7. Notes the need for a broader approach to non-fossil flexibility and energy storage that incorporates molecules and heat; highlights the potential of district heating systems that can use thermal storage to reduce the temperature of the loop and incorporate waste heat, solar, geothermal and other renewable sources, where appropriate, using natural gas and biomass in a transition period; draws attention to the important role that the optimal use of high-efficiency cogeneration, in line with the Energy Efficiency Directive, can play in contributing to balancing the electricity grid and to the competitiveness of some industrial sectors, especially those that do not have alternative ways of producing affordable heat in their industrial processes; stresses the need to modernise and expand district heating grids to this end;

    8. Emphasises that technological neutrality plays a key role in enhancing the security of energy supply while avoiding lock-in effects and fostering sustainability, economic efficiency and a just transition; recalls the need to invest in a diverse portfolio of clean technologies that allow regions to adopt technologies best suited to their needs in a cost-effective way, making energy more affordable and accessible;

    9. Notes that the Draghi report[31] highlights that a reduction in dependency on fossil fuel imports would enhance EU competitiveness and the affordability and security of supply; notes that natural gas is currently a component of the EU’s energy security, with demand of 320 bcm in 2024, and notes the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts indicating a moderate demand of 260 bcm annually by 2035[32], while a REpowerEU scenario projected a possible demand reduction of 184 bcm by 2030, implying an approximate 50 % slash in natural gas demand in less than five years, compared to demand of 356 bcm in 2022; recalls Draghi’s proposal to establish a comprehensive strategy for natural gas, managing its role during the transition and securing its supply, that should guide infrastructure choices, international partnerships and legislation; notes, with concern, that inconsistent policies on natural gas have weakened the trading position of EU companies, leaving them exposed to global spot market prices and potentially creating a gap between what the EU has contractually secured and what will be imported over time;

    10. Stresses that the development of nuclear energy remains a national prerogative in the framework of EU law; notes that for the Member States that choose to have nuclear power in their energy mix, it can have an important role to play in an integrated energy system with increasing penetration of renewables; notes that a number of Member States see a need to support the development and deployment of both existing and a new generation of nuclear technologies, as well as the entire nuclear fuel cycle, that will contribute to building a competitive technological supply chain in the EU so as to ensure open strategic autonomy; stresses the importance of assessing the full cost of the entire nuclear energy life cycle, including construction, operation, security, environmental and health impacts, waste management and decommissioning; notes the existing and ongoing reliance on foreign providers, with approximately 97 % of the EU’s natural uranium supply in 2022 coming from oversea sources[33] and stresses the need to diversify  uranium and nuclear fuel supply sources and to follow the Euratom Supply Agency’s recommendation in developing reliable supply chains to meet the growing demand for nuclear and new nuclear technologies; notes, in this regard, the European Investment Bank’s recent decision to renew its support for strengthening European uranium enrichment capacities; underlines that small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) have the potential to enhance energy security by providing low-carbon power; notes, however, that the technology is not yet fully developed; welcomes the announced assessment of the possibility of streamlining licensing practices for new nuclear energy technologies such as SMRs;

    11. Recognises that renewable energy constitutes an enabler of energy autonomy and long-term security of supply; stresses that renewables are essential in delivering energy security as they already constitute the main source of home-grown energy for the EU; highlights the importance of maximising the use of existing renewable capacities, particularly by tackling the issue of curtailment, as grid congestion in the EU curtailed over 12 TWh of renewable electricity in 2023, resulting in an additional 4.2 million tons of CO₂ emissions[34]; notes that renewables have already helped to reduce EU dependence on Russian gas as they accounted for 25 % of the energy and 45 % of the electricity consumed in the EU in 2023; reaffirms the importance of sustained EU support for the development and deployment of established renewable technologies, such as solar, wind power, geothermal and heat pumps; reiterates the necessity of policy and investment support for less developed or emerging sectors in order to accelerate the deployment of renewable technologies that are the most relevant given their national and local circumstances, such as innovative geothermal technologies, biomethane, solar thermal, marine energy, tidal energy, osmotic energy and concentrated solar power; expresses concern that, without targeted support policies, some innovative technologies may fail to reach commercialisation in a timely manner, and therefore calls on the Member States to support their research, demonstration, market adoption and scale-up; calls on the Commission to present an investment plan for these renewable technologies;

    12. Notes, in particular, the potential of geothermal energy, estimated to reach 510 GW by 2035 at a capacity factor of 80-90 %; highlights the vast untapped resources in certain EU regions and calls on the Commission to deliver on Parliament’s call to support the development of geothermal energy, including through the establishment of risk mitigation instruments;

    13. Asks the IEA to conduct an analysis to assess the possibilities for using EU natural gas resources; notes that domestic EU natural gas production dropped by more than a third between 2020 and 2023 and that this decline is expected to continue with no significant near-term increase in the production of green gases, including biogas and biomethane, in the EU; notes that Draghi’s report highlights that while progressively decarbonising and moving to hydrogen and green gases in line with RED III and REPowerEU as a transitional measure, domestic natural gas production – where deemed justified by individual Member States – could also play a role in contributing to security of supply and avoiding exposure to negative geopolitical developments;

    14. Highlights that diversification is vital to mitigate the risk of supplier dominance in a changing geopolitical context; believes the EU needs to strengthen international partnerships with reliable suppliers of energy, raw materials and clean-tech components in all regions of the world, and, in particular, with European Economic Area countries;

    15. Underlines that enhancing energy security requires a holistic approach, notably through improving energy efficiency in key end-use energy sectors, such as buildings and industry, promoting energy savings, boosting investment in research and development, and ensuring meaningful citizen participation, all of which are essential to achieving a resilient, sustainable and inclusive energy system;

    16. Calls on the Commission to be mindful of future military capability and mobility needs in the development of the EU’s energy system; notes, with concern, that the EU is highly import-dependent for crude oil and petroleum products; calls on the Commission to prepare a comprehensive strategy on liquid fuels in order to ensure their readily available access for the military in a crisis situation, and to reduce dependencies on vulnerable import chains and unreliable producers, particularly thorough the development of advanced synthetic fuels (such as sustainable aviation fuels and e-fuels) in Europe;

    17. Draws attention to the Niinistö report’s recommendation on the need for further work on priority dual-use transport corridors for civilian and defence-related logistical needs, and on the expansion of fuel supply chains for the armed forces along these corridors, as well as stockpiling and strategic reserves of energy, that could be particularly useful for the regions with insufficiently developed pipeline infrastructure and fuel storage; calls, in this respect, on the Commission to review the Oil Stocks Directive in the light of recent geopolitical shifts and the military readiness needs in order to strengthen energy security and resilience against emerging military risks;

    18. Acknowledges the rapidly accelerating energy demand driven by the digital sector, particularly the substantial energy requirements of data centres and artificial intelligence systems; stresses that this trend highlights the urgent need for robust energy efficiency policies and underscores the importance of the EU proactively pursuing sustainable, forward-looking solutions to meet this growing demand while safeguarding the resilience of its energy system;

    A resilient energy infrastructure

    19. Notes that infrastructure bottlenecks impede the benefits of sector integration and aggravate the threats to energy security; underlines the importance of investing in new energy networks, including cross-border interconnectors and offshore grids, and optimising existing infrastructure to increase capacity using grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) while reducing new infrastructure needs, in order to enable the integration of renewables and other new generation facilities, close price gaps, improve the overall system efficiency and foster solidarity among the Member States in the event of an energy crisis; emphasises the need for technically sound infrastructure planning that takes into account geographical and natural characteristics while ensuring long-term viability and avoiding the creation of stranded assets;

    20. Calls on the Commission to urgently assess areas where interconnectors are insufficient so as to achieve the current 15 % interconnection target as set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/1999[35]; stresses the importance of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) in facilitating the efficient and secure flow of electricity across Member States and regions, thereby strengthening cross-border integration and energy solidarity within the EU; acknowledges the role of the Connecting Europe Facility for Energy (CEF-E) in completing the above investments and reiterates its call for its funding to be significantly increased when proposing the next multiannual financial framework;

    21. Calls on the Member States to accelerate permitting procedures for electricity installations and networks; notes that excessively long permitting procedures could create legal uncertainty, undermining resource adequacy by delaying the implementation of critical projects – whether for repowering or revamping existing generation sites, or for developing transmission, distribution, or storage infrastructure; welcomes the positive progress made regarding provisions adopted in the latest revision of the Renewable Energy Directive and the Emergency Regulation on Permitting[36] to accelerate, streamline and simplify permit-granting procedures;

    22. Recalls that climate change continues to worsen, placing increasing stress on the energy system due to extreme weather events, such as heat waves, that lead to thermal power plant shutdowns, droughts that reduce generation output, and severe storms, floods and fires that damage electricity grids and gas pipelines; stresses that the impact of climate change on generation assets, networks and consumption patterns should be better integrated into the modelling and preparedness of energy infrastructure; emphasises the need for resilient energy system planning, incorporating climate-adaptive strategies such as advanced cooling technologies, grid flexibility, decentralised renewable generation and strengthened infrastructure protections; highlights the importance of integrating a climate-proofing plan, grounded in an initial risk-based assessment, into energy projects from the earliest stages of development;

    23. Calls on the Commission to build on Directive (EU) 2022/2557[37] on the resilience of critical entities by facilitating its full and harmonised implementation through the provision of best practices, guidance materials and methodologies, and cross-border training activities and exercises to support Member States, competent authorities and critical energy entities;

    24. Emphasises the need to invest in the protection and resilience of energy infrastructure against human-caused threats, such as military, hybrid and cyber attacks; expresses concern about recent sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea and calls for stronger EU-level action to protect the EU’s critical energy infrastructure, including cross-border connections with non-EU countries, such as subsea pipelines and cables, offshore wind farms and interconnections, designed to support the most impacted Member States, and to complement national measures; welcomes, in this regard, the joint communication on the EU Action Plan on Cable Security;

    25. Notes that the decentralisation of the energy system, that both strengthens resilience and facilitates the energy transition, and increased diversity of sources and autonomy, reduce reliance on centralised power plants, minimise outage risks, enhance grid stability, and enable quicker recovery from disruptions; emphasises at the same time that the increased number of remote and dispersed sources of energy, energy storage and new connections require enhanced measures to ensure robust infrastructure protection;

    26. Calls on the Commission to draw on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, particularly the critical role of electricity interconnection, microgrids, distributed solar power, wind power and battery storage in ensuring greater resilience of the electricity grid against military attacks, including cyberattacks, drones and missiles; commends Ukraine’s sustained efforts to maintain the functionality and safety of its energy system in the face of Russia’s war of aggression, and underscores that supporting Ukraine also entails helping to safeguard the soundness of its national electrical grid;

    27. Notes, with concern, that small distributed energy resources (DERs) connected to the internet, such as inverters, are not covered by appropriate conformity assessment procedures under cybersecurity legislation, such as the Cyber Resilience Act[38], and since they can be remotely controlled and their software updated by the manufacturer, which, in many cases, are non-trusted vendors, they could give these non-trusted vendors control over EU electricity grids; urges the Commission to establish mandatory risk assessments for DERs based on the country of origin, ensuring that devices controlled from jurisdictions with potential security concerns are subject to strict oversight and localisation requirements; calls for enhanced resilience in European supply chains by promoting EU-based manufacturing of DERs and fostering alliances with trusted international partners; highlights the need for an adequate number of professionals specialised in cybersecurity and close coordination among Member States to address these vulnerabilities;

    28. Calls on energy companies that manage critical infrastructure to work closely with the EU Agency for Cybersecurity and equip themselves with the most advanced cybersecurity tools; considers that cooperation with NATO in the field of cybersecurity should be strengthened in order to counter hybrid threats to Europe’s energy security;

    29. Notes that the Member States need to do their utmost to increase their resilience, which encompasses the ability to prevent, protect against, respond to, resist, mitigate, absorb, accommodate and recover from incidents, taking into full account the interdependence of the EU energy market and the potential domino effect that infrastructure failures in one country may have across the Union; underlines, in particular, the need to strengthen the recovery aspect, which could be achieved through an efficient European repair and response mechanism and national and regional operational plans, which could serve as an important element of the EU’s deterrence strategy; notes the importance of EU solidarity in responding to potential infrastructure incidents, ensuring coordinated action and mutual support among Member States;

    30. Recalls that energy infrastructure constitutes a particularly sensitive sector in need of protection against foreign interests; urges the Member States and the Commission to address security risks associated with foreign investment in and acquisitions of energy infrastructure; expresses concern about a series of potentially sensitive foreign investments, particularly in grids; welcomes, in this regard, the ongoing revision of the Foreign Investment Screening Regulation[39] as a timely step towards adopting a stringent strategic approach to the development and oversight of European energy infrastructure;

    31. Stresses that energy security should include the supply of key clean technologies, components and critical raw materials and notes the need for their diversified sourcing; calls for increased support for the EU’s grid manufacturing industry as a strategic pillar of the energy transition, with particular emphasis on ensuring a fair and competitive regulatory environment for European manufacturers, while exploring the potential for local content requirements to strengthen energy security, supply chain resilience and industrial competitiveness; calls for an update of the Public Procurement Framework to simplify and reduce the administrative burden for grid operators to access the needed grid technologies;

    32. Emphasises the importance of integrating circularity principles into the design of critical infrastructure and equipment, and calls for increased support for their implementation, with the goal of reducing the EU’s dependence on imports of foreign raw materials and enhancing resource efficiency;

    Phase out of Russian energy supplies

    33. Highlights that the challenges posed by a lack of solidarity in the EU and by some Member States prioritising particular interests have made the whole continent aware of the dangers of dependence on an unreliable energy supplier weaponising energy exports; underlines that the lessons learned from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine need to be at the core of future EU actions, particularly highlighting the critical importance of a united European response in order to eliminate perilous dependencies in energy supplies;

    34. Underlines that the EU has made advances in reducing its energy dependence thanks largely to the REPowerEU plan and the 16 sanctions packages, leading to a decline in imports of Russian gas (pipeline and LNG) from 45 % of total EU gas imports in 2021 to 19 % as of 2024;

    35. Expresses deep concern that the EU still maintains its reliance on Russian gas and, moreover, has recently seen an increase, with imports rising by 18 % in 2024 and continuing to grow in 2025[40]; notes that in 2024 alone, Member States purchased an estimated EUR 7 billion worth of Russian LNG, and since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has imported EUR 200 billion worth of Russian oil and gas – totally[41] fuelling Russia’s war machine;

    36. Welcomes the publication of a roadmap for phasing out Russian energy imports, which must pave the way for their definitive end as soon as possible;

    37. Welcomes the stepwise prohibition of Russian gas imports proposed by the Commission; stresses the need to introduce an EU-wide ban on all Russian natural gas imports by 2027 at the latest, and on new contracts and existing spot contracts by the end of 2025; insists that the Member States, including those currently benefiting from targeted derogations for Russian oil imports, should ultimately phase out these imports by 2027 at the latest; welcomes the upcoming legislative proposals in this regard and calls on the Commission to explore the use of all available transitional instruments that could lead to the end of Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, such as the introduction of a regular quota system for Russian gas imports into the EU and the introduction of a ceiling price for Russian LNG, following an assessment of market and price impacts; calls on the Commission to provide EU companies with effective and legally sound toolkits to facilitate their efforts to get out of long-term contracts with Russian suppliers without incurring penalties;

    38. Calls on the Member States to include gas deliveries to the EU from the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 terminals in the scope of EU sanctions and the respective sanctioning of the singular fleet of ice-class LNG carriers linked to the Yamal LNG project; notes that sanctioning LNG carriers would be highly effective, as there is a limited number of ice-class LNG carriers in the world; stresses that the above actions would require adequate assessments of the legal and economic impacts on the European companies concerned and to ensure their ability to exit contracts;

    39. Commends the inclusion of the nuclear supply chain in the roadmap; notes, with concern, that Russian nuclear fuel remains present in the EU market, including through indirect supply chains, and that in 2023, 23.5 % of the uranium consumed in the EU came from Russia and 30.1 % of the uranium used in the EU’s nuclear fleet was enriched by Russia; notes that while domestic providers are ramping up capacity in their European facilities to meet increased demand, as utilities proactively move away from Russian supply, clear policy decisions are urgently required at EU and national level to address the above vulnerabilities in the nuclear supply chain; calls therefore for support for projects within the Union that contribute to greater autonomy and security of nuclear fuel supply;

    40. Expresses concern that official data does not provide a complete picture of Russian energy imports and their final destination, as relabelled Russian oil and gas continue to enter the EU market; notes with regret that this, in some cases, occurs with the acquiescence of the state actors involved;

    41. Agrees that an adequate assessment of the amount of Russian energy imports is a prerequisite for phasing out this dependence; regrets the continued whitewashing of Russian energy imports and stresses the need for greater transparency in the EU energy market; calls on the Member States to publish data on the origin of imported, exported and consumed Russian gas, and urges the application of all measures against the whitewashing of Russian energy imports; notes that relevant reporting obligations laid down under Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 on methane emissions reduction in the energy sector can contribute to achieving this goal;

    42. Welcomes the upcoming proposals for transparency, monitoring and traceability mechanisms, as the effective implementation of sanctions depends on compatible control mechanisms in all Member States; underscores the urgent need to develop a legal mechanism to ensure the transparency and traceability of natural gas originating in Russia and exported to the EU as liquefied natural gas and by pipeline, and eventually to cover oil imports; stresses that this mechanism should be extended to energy imports from other destinations in the future; considers that the mechanism would require cooperation between various services, including EU competition services, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and national customs authorities; asks the Member States to consider strengthening the criminal investigation powers of national customs authorities to ensure the effectiveness of the above mechanism and introducing sufficient deterrent measures and fines, such as adequate financial penalties for sanctions evasion;

    43. Stresses the need to adopt a legal framework for diversification, requiring each Member State to prepare, in a coordinated manner and through the appropriate competent authorities, an exit plan for Russian energy sources and to support and oversee the preparation and implementation of specialised exit plans at the level of undertakings active in their respective energy sectors; considers that these plans should include domestic production and demand reduction dimensions;

    44. Strongly condemns the calls for a return to Russian energy imports as part of the peace settlement in Ukraine; firmly rejects the idea of the possible certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and insists on the complete decommissioning of Nord Stream pipelines; warns against the EU falling back into dependency on an unreliable supplier and calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop safeguards against this, such as a countersignature by the Commission on any potential contracts with Russia or the mandatory use of the AggregateEU platform for this type of purchase;

    45. Recalls that energy is a fundamental necessity; emphasises that the phase out of Russian energy imports must be a collective effort, ensuring that no Member State, company or household is left behind; emphasises that Member States are not equally positioned to phase out Russian energy imports in the same manner, and therefore urges strong solidarity among them, alongside appropriate support measures from the Commission to ensure a fair and coordinated transition;

    46. Notes that, in the near-term, there is the need to replace phased out Russian energy imports with reliable non-EU sources and urges the Commission therefore to propose measures that ensure their sufficient substitution from trusted partners; stresses, however, that Russian energy supplies should not be replaced by new dependencies in supplies, and therefore that, in the long term, energy imports should be progressively reduced through effective measures to support decarbonisation, electrification and energy efficiency and savings in the sectors where it is possible and cost-efficient, as well as through the development of domestic energy production in line with the REPowerEU plan;

    47. Emphasises that energy dependence on Russia also should not be replaced by new dependencies on individual suppliers of energy technologies, components or critical raw materials;

    Revision of security of supply framework

    48. Welcomes the upcoming revision of the Security of Supply architecture including the Gas Security of Supply Regulation and the Electricity Risk Preparedness Regulation, and other relevant legislation; considers that the new EU security of supply architecture should reflect such fundamental shifts as increasing cross-sectoral integration of the energy system, the new geopolitical landscape, the profound changes in supply routes, the impact of climate change, as well as changes in the maturity of energy technologies reflected in shifts of levelised costs of energy and the opportunities this presents for the energy transition;

    49. Highlights that energy efficiency plays a critical role in enhancing the security of energy supply by reducing overall energy demand, lowering dependency on energy imports and increasing system resilience; considers that the new security of supply framework should be broadened to reflect a new way of looking at the security of energy supply, based not only on energy sources, but also on the energy efficiency first principle, energy savings, cost efficiency, as well as the ability to produce different types of energy domestically; notes that, in the near-term, the Union should concentrate on effective and solid weaning of Russian energy imports without loopholes, including through securing alternatives supplies from reliable partners and better use of existing infrastructure, while in parallel continuing to develop domestic alternatives to imported energy products, where possible; stresses, nevertheless, the imperative to develop a future-proof security of supply architecture that systematically reduces dependence on external actors, notably by advancing energy efficiency, promoting energy savings, enhancing circularity and ensuring the sustained growth of home-grown clean energy production and well-protected decentralised energy infrastructure;

    50. Emphasises the need to prioritise the resilience of energy infrastructure, drawing on the lessons learned from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the targeted attacks on its energy systems and the benefits of decentralised energy systems; considers that new energy assets should be ‘resilient by design’, including to possible military threats and extreme weather events;

    51. Stresses the need for greater cooperation among all actors on the resilience of energy infrastructure to both climate impacts and human-caused threats; insists that the protection of this infrastructure requires greater involvement of governments, including through public-private partnerships; welcomes, in this regard, the Niinistö report recommendation to engage with the private sector in institutionalising de-risking efforts, cross-sector stress tests and proactive security measures; asks the Commission to ensure that such cooperation is reflected in plans covering incident management and recovery, and is subject to regular exercises; notes that the Union’s preparedness strategy includes actions to strengthen public-private partnerships and calls on the Commission to further develop relevant specific measures for the energy sector in the review of the security of supply architecture;

    52. Notes the need to accommodate in the security of supply architecture the integration of renewable and low-carbon gases, such as biomethane and hydrogen; recalls that the Hydrogen Strategy already recognised the role that renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production can play in providing flexibility and storage in an integrated energy system with a high share of renewables; calls on the Commission to recognise the complementarities between hydrogen and electricity in the future Electrification Action Plan, in line with energy sector integration, and to set clear conditions for the ramp-up of hydrogen to contribute to the energy transition, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors;

    53. Stresses the need to include affordability risks in national risk assessments; calls for transparency on the implementation of national risk-preparedness measures to increase trust between the Member States; notes the advantages of greater coherence on protected consumer categories (consistent categories and gradation of disconnection priority for grid users) to allow coordinated consumer load-shedding plans to be defined, including plans to support vulnerable households affected by, or at risk of, energy poverty during an energy crisis;

    54. Highlights the need for a unified, resilient and strategically coordinated energy policy; emphasises that as the EU energy markets become more integrated, energy security is increasingly becoming a shared responsibility of the Member States, thus requiring solidarity and coordination in order to prevent unilateral actions that could undermine the security of the entire EU; warns that a unilateral decision by a single actor to enter into a harmful energy agreement with a non-EU country could expose the whole EU to renewed energy crises, price volatility and geopolitical pressure;

    55. Notes the need for stronger coordination between the Member States on the decommissioning of ageing generation units with cross-border impact, as well as on withdrawal from the system of generation capacity in order to ensure that alternative installations have been completed and are in operation, as this affects the availability and affordability of energy in neighbouring countries;

    56. Underlines that data-driven technologies should positively impact energy security management; recognises the importance of comprehensive energy information and data in identifying and responding to evolving energy security threats and in infrastructure planning, and calls for improved coordination in the collection of such information and data;

    57. Calls on the Commission to include in the security of supply proposal technical provisions for the standardisation and interoperability of critical components of the EU’s energy system, particularly electrical transformers, to ensure that a lack of standardisation does not hinder European solidarity;

    58. Welcomes the establishment by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) of a new Task Force on the Security of Critical Infrastructure, aimed at analysing and proposing recommendations on the topic of security of critical infrastructure; stresses the importance of incorporating lessons learned from Ukraine’s experience, including the valuable expertise of the dedicated unit within the Ukrainian Transmission System Operator (TSO) tasked with identifying and mitigating threats to critical infrastructure; calls on the Commission to collaborate closely with ENTSO-E in delivering a comprehensive and systemic assessment of threats to the EU electricity grid, to be completed by 2026;

    °

    ° °

    59. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Floods in Aragon and the need to boost EU funding for climate change adaptation – E-002440/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002440/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Rosa Serrano Sierra (S&D)

    The heavy rainfall last weekend caused severe flooding in a number of Zaragoza and Teruel municipalities, notably Campo de Borja, Campo de Belchite and Bajo Martín.

    The storms caused injuries and serious damage to homes, infrastructure, and agricultural and livestock farms. There were major disruptions to water and electricity supplies, landslides, collapsed bridges and blocked roads.

    The new European Climate Adaptation Plan (ECAP), postponed to 2026, will play a vital role in helping European regions prepare for extreme climate events in the short and long term. It will also lay the groundwork for the planning for infrastructure, energy, water, food and land use in cities and rural areas.

    Given that the Commission will present its proposal for the multiannual financial framework (MFF) in July, we would ask the following:

    • 1.To what extent will climate adaptation be taken into account in the next MFF?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to strengthen the current funds (Civil Protection Mechanism, Solidarity Fund, Emergency Aid Reserve) to tackle the climate emergency or will it establish a new funding instrument?
    • 3.When will ECAP be presented and what specific measures are planned?

    Submitted: 17.6.2025

    Last updated: 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – Meeting of 3 July 2025, Brussels – Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia

    Source: European Parliament

    The next South Asia Delegation (DSAS) meeting will take place on Thursday, 3 July 2025, 9.30-11.00 in Brussels. This meeting will be a dedicated to an exchange of views on latest developments in the Maldives with the participation of:

    • Mr Charles WHITELEY, Head of Division, Asia and Pacific (POL.ASIAPAC.6), European External Action Service (EEAS)
    • H.E. Ms Ali GEELA, Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head of Mission to the European Union
    • H.E. Ms. Aminath SHAUNA, former Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology of the Maldive
    • Mr Mickail NASEEM, Member of the Majlis, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)

    The meeting will be held in camera.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Copilot Vision on mobile now available

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Copilot Vision on mobile now available

    Welcome to Microsoft’s Copilot Release Notes. Here we’ll provide regular updates on what’s happening with Copilot, from new features to firmware updates and more. Copilot Vision on mobile now available for free in the US Copilot Vision is now available to try for free in the US on iOS and Android devices. Vision will also be rolling out to all users worldwide in the coming weeks. With Copilot Vision, you can use

    Welcome to Microsoft’s Copilot Release Notes. Here we’ll provide regular updates on what’s happening with Copilot, from new features to firmware updates and more.

    Copilot Vision on mobile now available for free in the US

    Copilot Vision is now available to try for free in the US on iOS and Android devices. Vision will also be rolling out to all users worldwide in the coming weeks. With Copilot Vision, you can use your phone’s camera to show Copilot what you’re seeing—and get real-time help, guidance, or conversation, just like you would with a friend. 

    Whether you’re: 

    • Exploring a new city 
    • Rearranging your living room decor 
    • Navigating a confusing airport terminal 
    • Trying to identify a strange object 
    • Or just asking, “Does this setup look right?” 

    Please note that you must be signed in to Copilot with a Microsoft account (MSA) to use the Vision features on your Copilot mobile app.  

    Copilot Vision on Windows is here 

    We’re also excited to share that Copilot Vision on Windows is now available in the US and coming to more non-European countries by mid-July. When enabled, Copilot can see what you see on your screen and offer helpful, voice-guided support—whether you’re working across apps, browsing the web, or navigating a tricky task. 

    Need help finding an app? Want tips while editing a photo? Trying to understand a form or complete a task in a new tool? Copilot Vision can follow along, offer insights, and even highlight exactly where to click with Highlights, all while you stay in control. 

    Copilot Vision is fully opt-in and only activates when you choose to turn it on. You can start or stop sharing at any time with a single click.  

    Learn more in the official blog post.

    Deep Research now in the Copilot app on Windows 

    Copilot Pro users can now access Deep Research directly from the Copilot app on Windows, the mobile app, and on Copilot.com. This powerful feature helps you tackle complex, multi-step research tasks by finding, analyzing, and synthesizing information from across the web, potentially saving you hours of work in the process. 

    Copilot Actions expands to more countries 

    Copilot Actions, our new feature that lets Copilot complete web tasks on your behalf (like booking hotels, placing shopping orders, or making dinner reservations), is now available to Copilot Pro users in the US, along with the following additional countries: 

    • Australia  
    • Canada  
    • Great Britain  
    • India  
    • New Zealand  
    • South Africa  

    Copilot Actions is available on Copilot.com on Windows and Mac. To get started, Pro users can open the dropdown menu in the Copilot composer and select Actions. Visit Copilot.com/Labs to learn more. 

    Cryptocurrency Finance Cards are now live 

    We’ve expanded our Copilot Cards collection with a new category: Cryptocurrency. These interactive cards are now fully rolled out across Copilot.com and bring real-time insights to your crypto-related questions. Here’s what’s new: 

    • Interactive Charts: Real-time 24-hour data, just like our current finance cards. 
    • Detailed Dashboards: View performance summaries, related news, and other trending cryptocurrencies. 
    • Expanded Support: Now covers over 100 of the most popular global cryptocurrencies. 
    • Local Currency Support: Ask for prices in your local currency such as “Bitcoin in CAD” or “Solana in INR.” 

    This update builds on the cards we recently introduced for Sports, Videos, Weather, and Stocks, giving you quick, visual answers across a growing range of topics. Crypto cards are available on web, with mobile and Windows support rolling out in the coming weeks. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: New taxes on premium flyers and private jets: Greenpeace comment

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – Barbados, France, Kenya, Spain, Benin, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Antigua & Barbuda supported by the European Commission, have announced they will form a ‘solidarity coalition on premium flyers’ to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development. Campaigners reacted to the announcement, which was made on the first day of the UN Financing for Development conference in Sevilla (FFD4).[1]

    Rebecca Newsom, Global Political Lead of Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign said: “Flying is the most elite and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step towards ensuring that the binge users of this undertaxed sector are made to pay their fair share. With the cost of climate impacts surging in countries least responsible for the crisis, bold, cooperative action that makes polluters pay is not just fair – it’s essential.”

    “The obvious next step is to hold oil and gas corporations to account. As fossil fuel barons rake in obscene profits, and people are battered with increasingly violent floods, storms and wildfires, it’s no surprise that 8 out of 10 people support making them pay. Members of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force and rich countries around the world should act upon this enormous public mandate: commit to higher taxes on fossil fuel profits and extraction by COP30, while ensuring that those being hit hardest by the climate crisis around the world benefit most from the revenues.”  

    Greenpeace International maintains it is critical that the revenues raised from solidarity levies in Global North countries go towards the countries and communities most affected by the climate crisis, for example through helping to fill the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. 

    With demand for a climate damages tax on big polluters fast gaining momentum globally, Greenpeace urges all countries to join and implement the commitments of the new solidarity coalition on premium flyers by COP30. It also calls on all governments to adopt bold taxes and fines on greedy oil and gas corporations for the damages they have caused, without delay.[2][3][4][5][6] 

    ENDS

    Notes:

    [1] The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) takes place from June 30 to 3 July 2025 in Sevilla, Spain, with participation of Heads of State and Government, relevant ministers, and other special representatives. Official website

    [2] Popularity of climate damages taxes on fossil fuel consumption and production. A global survey, commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, found that 3 out of 4 people agree that wealthier airline passengers (i.e. those who fly more often, use business and first-class and or/private jets) should pay additional tax due to their outsized individual impact on climate change. The same survey found that taxing oil, gas and coal corporations for their climate damages is even more popular. 81% of people support this, while 86% support channeling the revenues from higher taxes on oil and gas corporations towards communities most impacted by the climate crisis.

    [3] A call to action. The Polluters Pay Pact is a global alliance of more than 160,000 people on the frontlines of climate disasters, concerned citizens, first responders like firefighters, humanitarian groups and political leaders. It demands that governments around the world make oil, coal and gas corporations pay their fair share for the damages they cause. 

    [4] 80% of the world’s population have never flown. A single transatlantic flight on a private jet can produce emissions equivalent to those generated by an average person over several years. Private jets are 10 times more carbon-intensive than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than trains

    [5] Recent Oxfam International research found that a polluter profits tax on 590 oil, gas and coal companies could raise up to US $400 billion in its first year. This compares to estimated loss and damage costs of $290-1045 trillion in the Global South annually by 2030. Further, Oxfam analysis found that the emissions of just 340 fossil fuel companies each year make up half of all global emissions – emissions of just one year are enough to cause 2.7 million heat-related deaths over the next century. 

    [6] Over 100 climate groups are backing a ‘Climate Damages Tax’ on fossil fuels extraction. This could be imposed by OECD countries, which if introduced at low initial rate of US$5 per tonne of CO2e increasing by US$5 per tonne each year could raise a total of US$ 900 billion by 2030 to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable with climate damages, and pay for damages caused by some of the worst extreme weather events last year. Greenpeace is calling on governments to introduce frequent flyer levies so that those who fly the most, pay the most, while preventing the expansion of the aviation industry. Private jets are an extravagant luxury which should be banned altogether.

    Contacts:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, +41-782530550, [email protected] 

    Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: New taxes on premium flyers and private jets: Greenpeace comment

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – Barbados, France, Kenya, Spain, Benin, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Antigua & Barbuda supported by the European Commission, have announced they will form a ‘solidarity coalition on premium flyers’ to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development. Campaigners reacted to the announcement, which was made on the first day of the UN Financing for Development conference in Sevilla (FFD4).[1]

    Rebecca Newsom, Global Political Lead of Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign said: “Flying is the most elite and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step towards ensuring that the binge users of this undertaxed sector are made to pay their fair share. With the cost of climate impacts surging in countries least responsible for the crisis, bold, cooperative action that makes polluters pay is not just fair – it’s essential.”

    “The obvious next step is to hold oil and gas corporations to account. As fossil fuel barons rake in obscene profits, and people are battered with increasingly violent floods, storms and wildfires, it’s no surprise that 8 out of 10 people support making them pay. Members of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force and rich countries around the world should act upon this enormous public mandate: commit to higher taxes on fossil fuel profits and extraction by COP30, while ensuring that those being hit hardest by the climate crisis around the world benefit most from the revenues.”  

    Greenpeace International maintains it is critical that the revenues raised from solidarity levies in Global North countries go towards the countries and communities most affected by the climate crisis, for example through helping to fill the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. 

    With demand for a climate damages tax on big polluters fast gaining momentum globally, Greenpeace urges all countries to join and implement the commitments of the new solidarity coalition on premium flyers by COP30. It also calls on all governments to adopt bold taxes and fines on greedy oil and gas corporations for the damages they have caused, without delay.[2][3][4][5][6] 

    ENDS

    Notes:

    [1] The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) takes place from June 30 to 3 July 2025 in Sevilla, Spain, with participation of Heads of State and Government, relevant ministers, and other special representatives. Official website

    [2] Popularity of climate damages taxes on fossil fuel consumption and production. A global survey, commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, found that 3 out of 4 people agree that wealthier airline passengers (i.e. those who fly more often, use business and first-class and or/private jets) should pay additional tax due to their outsized individual impact on climate change. The same survey found that taxing oil, gas and coal corporations for their climate damages is even more popular. 81% of people support this, while 86% support channeling the revenues from higher taxes on oil and gas corporations towards communities most impacted by the climate crisis.

    [3] A call to action. The Polluters Pay Pact is a global alliance of more than 160,000 people on the frontlines of climate disasters, concerned citizens, first responders like firefighters, humanitarian groups and political leaders. It demands that governments around the world make oil, coal and gas corporations pay their fair share for the damages they cause. 

    [4] 80% of the world’s population have never flown. A single transatlantic flight on a private jet can produce emissions equivalent to those generated by an average person over several years. Private jets are 10 times more carbon-intensive than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than trains

    [5] Recent Oxfam International research found that a polluter profits tax on 590 oil, gas and coal companies could raise up to US $400 billion in its first year. This compares to estimated loss and damage costs of $290-1045 trillion in the Global South annually by 2030. Further, Oxfam analysis found that the emissions of just 340 fossil fuel companies each year make up half of all global emissions – emissions of just one year are enough to cause 2.7 million heat-related deaths over the next century. 

    [6] Over 100 climate groups are backing a ‘Climate Damages Tax’ on fossil fuels extraction. This could be imposed by OECD countries, which if introduced at low initial rate of US$5 per tonne of CO2e increasing by US$5 per tonne each year could raise a total of US$ 900 billion by 2030 to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable with climate damages, and pay for damages caused by some of the worst extreme weather events last year. Greenpeace is calling on governments to introduce frequent flyer levies so that those who fly the most, pay the most, while preventing the expansion of the aviation industry. Private jets are an extravagant luxury which should be banned altogether.

    Contacts:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, +41-782530550, [email protected] 

    Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO

  • MIL-OSI USA: Regional Temperature and Precipitation Impacts and Outlooks

    Source: US National Oceanographic Data Center

    NOAA and its partners have released the latest Regional Temperature and Precipitation Impacts and Outlooks, which recap spring conditions and provide insight into what might be expected this summer.

    Spring Temperature Recap

    During meteorological spring (March–May) 2025, the continental U.S. average temperature was 54.1°F, 3.2°F above average, making it the second-warmest spring in the 131-year record. North Carolina recorded its second-warmest spring (3.7°F above average), while Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and Virginia each matched or exceeded their third-warmest spring on record.
    For the spring season (March–May), Alaska’s average temperature was 27.7°F, 3.7°F above average, ranking in the warmest third of the historical record.

    Spring Precipitation Recap

    During spring, the continental U.S. received an average of 8.90 inches of precipitation, 0.97 inch above the long-term average, ranking in the wettest third of the 131-year record. Much-above-average precipitation fell across parts of the southern Plains, South, Ohio Valley and Northeast, as well as in portions of the northern Plains and upper Great Lakes. In contrast, below-average precipitation was observed in parts of the Mountain West, central Plains and across the Florida Peninsula.

    Alaska tied its second-wettest spring on record, despite some parts of the West Coast and western Aleutians being drier than average.

    Summer Temperature Outlook

    The July–September  Temperature Outlook favors above-normal 
    temperatures throughout the lower 48 states with the highest forecast 
    confidence across the Great Basin and New England. The outlook only 
    slightly leans towards above-normal temperatures for much of the Great Plains 
    and Mississippi Valley. Above-normal temperatures are also favored for eastern 
    and southern Alaska. 

    Summer Precipitation Outlook

    The July–September Precipitation Outlook depicts elevated above-normal precipitation probabilities for the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Upper Ohio Valley. Below-normal precipitation is more likely across the Northern to Central Great Plains, Northern Rockies, and Pacific Northwest. Above-normal precipitation is favored for central and western Alaska.

    Impacts and Outlooks for Your Region

    Get more details for your region in the June 2025 Regional Temperature and Precipitation Impacts and Outlooks:

    Creating Quarterly Summaries 

    NOAA’s Regional Climate Services lead the production of these quarterly temperature and precipitation impacts and outlooks for various regions of the United States as well as parts of Canada along the border. This effort, which began in 2012, includes 13 unique regional products that are produced collaboratively with partner organizations.

    You can access all of the Temperature and Precipitation Impacts and Outlooks summaries as well as additional reports and assessments through the U.S. Drought Portal Reports web page at Drought.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Employers, contractors and employees should be aware of electrical safety at work during rainstorms

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.

         A spokesman for the LD said today (June 30) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (such as electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions’” and the “Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather” issued by the LD.

         Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by a rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent an electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:

    (i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;

    (ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm that it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;

    (iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;

    (iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and

    (v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.

         In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.

         The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).

         Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Security and trade at heart of Foreign Secretary visit to Ankara

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Security and trade at heart of Foreign Secretary visit to Ankara

    UK visit to Turkey to bolster defence and security ties

    • David Lammy will visit Ankara to underscore close trade and security links between UK and Turkey during first bilateral visit to the country.  
    • Foreign Secretary to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.  
    • Visit comes as negotiations begin over new free trade agreement to supercharge UK-Turkey trade and deliver growth through the Plan for Change.

    The UK’s deep security and trade links with Turkey are set to be further strengthened as the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, visits Ankara today [Monday 30 June].  

    In his first bilateral visit to the country, the Foreign Secretary will seek to advance UK-Turkish efforts on shared priorities, including joint work on regional security and the deepening of UK-Turkey trade and defence ties. 

    While in Ankara, the Foreign Secretary will meet Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss stability in the Middle East and efforts to secure a just, lasting peace in Ukraine following Russia’s illegal invasion. As close NATO allies, the UK and Turkey are working together to push for diplomatic solutions and an end to ongoing violence which threatens regional and global security.   

    As set out in the recent National Security Strategy, security and defence collaboration with Turkey is imperative to UK security interests. This includes joint work on the prospective export of Eurofighter Typhoons to Turkey, and the government is clear that welcoming Turkey as a Typhoon operator will build on the bonds of friendship developed over many decades between key NATO Allies.  

    Our cooperation with Turkey also delivers our security objectives of tackling global challenges such as terrorism, serious organised crime and irregular migration.

    The strengthening of the UK-Turkey trading relationship will also be a key priority for the Foreign Secretary, with his visit coming as the UK and Turkey begin negotiations over a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) designed to unlock more opportunities for British and Turkish businesses.   

    UK-Turkey trade was worth almost £28 billion in 2024 and directly supports tens of thousands of UK jobs – furthering strengthening this relationship is a priority for the Foreign Secretary and will help to stimulate UK economic growth, a key part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.  

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:  

    In an increasingly volatile world, the UK and Turkey remain the closest of friends and partners as we work together to find peaceful solutions to conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.  

    Ours is a relationship which delivers directly for Turkish and British citizens at home – trade between our nations is responsible for thousands of jobs, while our security and defence links help keep our people safe.  

    During his visit, the Foreign Secretary will see a range of Turkish produced armoured vehicles built using UK-made safety equipment and engines at the Nurol Makina factory.   

    Later, at Ankara Airport, he will meet with Country President Simon Ward from aerospace company, Airbus, to mark a recent deal between Airbus and Turkish cargo airline MNG Airlines for commercial aircraft containing British-made Rolls Royce engines, worth hundreds of millions to the UK and Turkish economies.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Hits $108K Amid Europe Heatwave — RI Mining Release AI-Powered Green Cloud Mining to Earn BTC & DOGE by Mining XRP

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Gloucester, England, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Bitcoin surges to a historic $108,000 during Europe’s unprecedented heatwave, the demand for sustainable, eco-friendly cryptocurrency mining has reached a critical peak. RI Mining proudly introduces its AI-powered green cloud mining platform, designed to meet the growing need for environmentally conscious crypto mining solutions.

    Climate Urgency Meets Next-Gen Crypto Mining

    Europe’s record-breaking heatwave has intensified the global call for greener energy solutions across industries. Cryptocurrency mining, often criticized for its environmental impact, is rapidly evolving. RI Mining platform combines advanced artificial intelligence with 100% renewable energy sources, delivering a cloud mining experience that maximizes efficiency while minimizing environmental footprint.

    Robert Chen, RI Mining’s Strategic Vice President, said:
    “The future of wealth is rooted in sustainability. By harnessing green energy and intelligent technology, we empower everyone to participate in a cleaner, smarter form of crypto mining.”

    Why RI Mining Stands Out in Cloud Mining

    RIMining seamlessly integrates innovation and environmental stewardship by offering:

    • AI-Optimized Mining Operations: Dynamic resource allocation enhances efficiency and profitability.
    • 100% Renewable Energy Usage: Mining operations powered exclusively by solar, wind, geothermal, and green hydrogen energy.
    • Multi-currency support: the platform supports more than 10 cryptocurrency settlements: including DOGE, BTC, ETH, SOL, BCH, XRP, USDC, LTC, USDT-TRC20 and USDT-ERC20, etc.
    • Transparent, Flexible Contracts: Clear terms, predictable ROI, and zero hidden fees.
    • User-Friendly Platform: Designed for both novices and experts, featuring real-time monitoring and dedicated support.

    Green Energy Strategy: RI Mining Core Commitment

    From its inception, RI Mining has prioritized 100% renewable energy as the foundation of its operations. Each mining facility operates independently, backed by green power purchase agreements with regional energy providers. The platform utilizes a diversified mix of solar, wind, geothermal, and green hydrogen power.

    Advanced energy storage systems ensure stable and continuous mining, overcoming renewable energy intermittency and maximizing environmental benefits. This strategic approach exemplifies RI Mining’s commitment to leading the crypto mining industry towards carbon neutrality and sustainable innovation.

    Flexible Bitcoin Mining Packages

    RIMining offers flexible contracts with competitive cloud mining ROI:

    Package Investment Total Profit
    [Newbie Plan] BTC  $100 $100 + $8
    [Basic Hashrate Contract]BTC $600 $600 + $47.16
    [Basic Hashrate Contract]DOGE $2,800 $2,800 + $592.2
    [Intermediate Hashrate Contract]BTC $4,800 $4,800 + $1471.68
    [Advanced Hashrate Contract]BTC $53,000 $53,000 + $42214.5

    *Estimated returns based on current network conditions and green energy efficiencies; actual returns may vary.

    Click here to explore the $100 XRP mining contract.    ✅More potential future benefits

    How to Start Mining with RI Mining

    1. Register: Quickly create an account at https://www.RImining.com.

    Only an email account required(Register & Get $15)

    1. Choose a Contract: Select a mining package that fits your budget and goals.

    Select your XRP or other crypto asset

    1. Start Mining: Access the dashboard to track your earnings daily, supported by 24/7 customer service.

    Conclusion: Green Crypto Revolution

    Bitcoin’s historic climb amid Europe’s intense heatwave underscores the urgent need for environmentally conscious innovation. RI Mining sincerely invites investors to join hands in embracing a new era of crypto mining that balances sustainability and technological advancement, collectively driving the flourishing green crypto industry, popularizing green mining principles, democratizing crypto mining, and enabling more people to participate in this environmental revolution.

    Media Contact

    RI Mining Media Team

    Official website: www.RImining.com

    Email:  info@RIMining.com

    Download App:Click to enter download

    Disclaimer:This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Cryptocurrency mining involves risks including potential capital loss. Investors should conduct thorough due diligence and consult financial advisors before engaging.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Hits $108K Amid Europe Heatwave — RI Mining Release AI-Powered Green Cloud Mining to Earn BTC & DOGE by Mining XRP

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Gloucester, England, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Bitcoin surges to a historic $108,000 during Europe’s unprecedented heatwave, the demand for sustainable, eco-friendly cryptocurrency mining has reached a critical peak. RI Mining proudly introduces its AI-powered green cloud mining platform, designed to meet the growing need for environmentally conscious crypto mining solutions.

    Climate Urgency Meets Next-Gen Crypto Mining

    Europe’s record-breaking heatwave has intensified the global call for greener energy solutions across industries. Cryptocurrency mining, often criticized for its environmental impact, is rapidly evolving. RI Mining platform combines advanced artificial intelligence with 100% renewable energy sources, delivering a cloud mining experience that maximizes efficiency while minimizing environmental footprint.

    Robert Chen, RI Mining’s Strategic Vice President, said:
    “The future of wealth is rooted in sustainability. By harnessing green energy and intelligent technology, we empower everyone to participate in a cleaner, smarter form of crypto mining.”

    Why RI Mining Stands Out in Cloud Mining

    RIMining seamlessly integrates innovation and environmental stewardship by offering:

    • AI-Optimized Mining Operations: Dynamic resource allocation enhances efficiency and profitability.
    • 100% Renewable Energy Usage: Mining operations powered exclusively by solar, wind, geothermal, and green hydrogen energy.
    • Multi-currency support: the platform supports more than 10 cryptocurrency settlements: including DOGE, BTC, ETH, SOL, BCH, XRP, USDC, LTC, USDT-TRC20 and USDT-ERC20, etc.
    • Transparent, Flexible Contracts: Clear terms, predictable ROI, and zero hidden fees.
    • User-Friendly Platform: Designed for both novices and experts, featuring real-time monitoring and dedicated support.

    Green Energy Strategy: RI Mining Core Commitment

    From its inception, RI Mining has prioritized 100% renewable energy as the foundation of its operations. Each mining facility operates independently, backed by green power purchase agreements with regional energy providers. The platform utilizes a diversified mix of solar, wind, geothermal, and green hydrogen power.

    Advanced energy storage systems ensure stable and continuous mining, overcoming renewable energy intermittency and maximizing environmental benefits. This strategic approach exemplifies RI Mining’s commitment to leading the crypto mining industry towards carbon neutrality and sustainable innovation.

    Flexible Bitcoin Mining Packages

    RIMining offers flexible contracts with competitive cloud mining ROI:

    Package Investment Total Profit
    [Newbie Plan] BTC  $100 $100 + $8
    [Basic Hashrate Contract]BTC $600 $600 + $47.16
    [Basic Hashrate Contract]DOGE $2,800 $2,800 + $592.2
    [Intermediate Hashrate Contract]BTC $4,800 $4,800 + $1471.68
    [Advanced Hashrate Contract]BTC $53,000 $53,000 + $42214.5

    *Estimated returns based on current network conditions and green energy efficiencies; actual returns may vary.

    Click here to explore the $100 XRP mining contract.    ✅More potential future benefits

    How to Start Mining with RI Mining

    1. Register: Quickly create an account at https://www.RImining.com.

    Only an email account required(Register & Get $15)

    1. Choose a Contract: Select a mining package that fits your budget and goals.

    Select your XRP or other crypto asset

    1. Start Mining: Access the dashboard to track your earnings daily, supported by 24/7 customer service.

    Conclusion: Green Crypto Revolution

    Bitcoin’s historic climb amid Europe’s intense heatwave underscores the urgent need for environmentally conscious innovation. RI Mining sincerely invites investors to join hands in embracing a new era of crypto mining that balances sustainability and technological advancement, collectively driving the flourishing green crypto industry, popularizing green mining principles, democratizing crypto mining, and enabling more people to participate in this environmental revolution.

    Media Contact

    RI Mining Media Team

    Official website: www.RImining.com

    Email:  info@RIMining.com

    Download App:Click to enter download

    Disclaimer:This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Cryptocurrency mining involves risks including potential capital loss. Investors should conduct thorough due diligence and consult financial advisors before engaging.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

    The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

    Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.

    As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.

    According to the EPA, it has saved consumers an average of US$15 billion a year on energy costs since its inception, a massive return on a program that costs taxpayers an estimated $32 million a year.

    How Energy Star works

    When you see an Energy Star label on a product, it means that product has met strict energy efficiency standards set by the EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, which tests how much energy appliances use. The federal agencies also consult with product manufacturers, utilities and others to figure out how best to improve products and determine how cost-effective changes might be.

    Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.

    Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.

    Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.

    Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items.
    AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

    People don’t always choose efficient products

    Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.

    One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.

    Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.

    The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.

    And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.

    Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.

    The program delivers real results

    Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.

    The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.

    In 2023 alone, over 190,000 new homes and apartments were certified, representing more than 12% of all new residential construction nationwide.

    Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.

    Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.

    Computers can sleep, too – not just cats. Both types conserve energy.
    Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why government leadership matters

    Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.

    Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.

    In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.

    A quiet success story in energy and climate

    Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.

    That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.

    At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.

    Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.

    ref. Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet – https://theconversation.com/energy-star-on-the-trump-administrations-target-list-has-a-long-history-of-helping-consumers-wallets-and-the-planet-258152

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

    The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

    Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.

    As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.

    According to the EPA, it has saved consumers an average of US$15 billion a year on energy costs since its inception, a massive return on a program that costs taxpayers an estimated $32 million a year.

    How Energy Star works

    When you see an Energy Star label on a product, it means that product has met strict energy efficiency standards set by the EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, which tests how much energy appliances use. The federal agencies also consult with product manufacturers, utilities and others to figure out how best to improve products and determine how cost-effective changes might be.

    Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.

    Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.

    Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.

    Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items.
    AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

    People don’t always choose efficient products

    Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.

    One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.

    Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.

    The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.

    And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.

    Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.

    The program delivers real results

    Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.

    The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.

    In 2023 alone, over 190,000 new homes and apartments were certified, representing more than 12% of all new residential construction nationwide.

    Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.

    Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.

    Computers can sleep, too – not just cats. Both types conserve energy.
    Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why government leadership matters

    Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.

    Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.

    In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.

    A quiet success story in energy and climate

    Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.

    That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.

    At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.

    Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.

    ref. Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet – https://theconversation.com/energy-star-on-the-trump-administrations-target-list-has-a-long-history-of-helping-consumers-wallets-and-the-planet-258152

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

    The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

    Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.

    As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.

    According to the EPA, it has saved consumers an average of US$15 billion a year on energy costs since its inception, a massive return on a program that costs taxpayers an estimated $32 million a year.

    How Energy Star works

    When you see an Energy Star label on a product, it means that product has met strict energy efficiency standards set by the EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, which tests how much energy appliances use. The federal agencies also consult with product manufacturers, utilities and others to figure out how best to improve products and determine how cost-effective changes might be.

    Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.

    Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.

    Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.

    Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items.
    AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

    People don’t always choose efficient products

    Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.

    One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.

    Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.

    The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.

    And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.

    Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.

    The program delivers real results

    Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.

    The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.

    In 2023 alone, over 190,000 new homes and apartments were certified, representing more than 12% of all new residential construction nationwide.

    Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.

    Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.

    Computers can sleep, too – not just cats. Both types conserve energy.
    Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why government leadership matters

    Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.

    Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.

    In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.

    A quiet success story in energy and climate

    Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.

    That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.

    At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.

    Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.

    ref. Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet – https://theconversation.com/energy-star-on-the-trump-administrations-target-list-has-a-long-history-of-helping-consumers-wallets-and-the-planet-258152

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Kenya’s peacebuilding efforts hold valuable lessons for the rest of the world, but gaps remain

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Leonor Oliveira Toscano, PhD Candidate in Political Science, University of Oslo

    Kenya has been praised as a “model for the world” when it comes to peacebuilding efforts to manage outbreaks of violence within its borders. The country has systematically put in place a peacebuilding architecture rooted in a history of local peace initiatives. These date back to the early 1990s.

    Over this period, the Wajir Peace and Development Committee emerged in the country’s north-eastern region. The committee successfully addressed decades of inter-clan violence in Wajir, an arid county bordering Somalia. It also inspired the emergence of numerous local peace committees across the country.

    These committees have been set up in some other African countries – like Ghana, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Burundi – and continue to contribute informally to local peacebuilding in these states.




    Read more:
    Training local leaders in mediation can reduce violence: positive results in Nigeria


    In Kenya, the committees became institutionalised after post-election violence in 2007-08 and a mediation process led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan. They now form part of the national peacebuilding architecture.

    Violence triggered by the contested 2007 presidential election outcome resulted in the killing of more than 1,000 people. The mediation process led to a power-sharing agreement signed by the presidential contenders Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga.

    The country’s peacebuilding architecture is now supported by several policies and frameworks. These include the constitution of 2010. The system that’s been built has the capacity to connect a wide variety of peacebuilding actors – both state and non-state, formal and informal – at all levels of society. This helps resolve conflict and build resilience.

    The Kenyan government initiated a review of the peacebuilding architecture in 2023. It involved a lengthy consultation process and high levels of participation among Kenyans. The National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management led the way, assisted by an independent panel of 13 peacebuilding experts.

    Released at the end of 2024, the review looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the architecture.

    It offers a vision for building a robust peacebuilding system, along with an actionable roadmap. One lesson is that Kenya can use the capacities and unique approaches of different peacebuilding actors. At the local level, peace committees showed that they made contributions to early warning systems and building confidence in communities.

    However, insufficient resources and a consistent focus on electoral violence prevent the system from addressing other drivers of conflict.

    The strengths

    Local peace committees, with membership typically drawn from ordinary citizens, religious groups or local civil society organisations, play a crucial role. They support dialogue around conflict issues. They promote trust and understanding, and can build a constructive environment for conflict resolution.

    Their information gathering feeds into the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Conflict Early Warning and Response System (CEWARN) to prevent election violence. Local peace committees have contributed to negotiating local disputes. They have also helped de-polarise ethnic identities and facilitated local peace agreements. One example was the Modogashe Declaration. It sets ground rules to solve conflict and local disputes over pasture, water access and cattle rustling.




    Read more:
    Kenya violence: 5 key drivers of the decades-long conflict in the north and what to do about them


    We are researchers in Norway on a project focusing on civilian agency, local peace and resilience building. Our own interviews with committee members in Nakuru – a county greatly affected by the violence in 2007-08 – found that peace committee members continued to work together and share conflict-sensitive information with local stakeholders. These include administration officers and religious leaders, and covered periods during and after the 2022 elections.

    Further, local peace committees can offer women valuable opportunities for participation in conflict management. This contributes to their protection, for example from sexual violence.

    The weaknesses

    Despite these successes, Kenya’s peacebuilding architecture faces pressing challenges.

    First, local peace committees aren’t perfect. They can be manipulated by politicians seeking to build local support. They can also compete with traditional actors such as elders in conflict resolution.

    Kenya’s institutionalisation of local peacebuilding strengthened information flow across all levels. But it also threatens to undermine local peacebuilding agency and autonomy. Formalising local peace committees can spur an unhealthy monetisation of peacebuilding, with some members joining for financial gain. This threatens to erode the voluntary character of peacebuilding as a common good and undermine genuine priorities for peace.




    Read more:
    How women in Kenya mobilised for peace after surviving violence


    Second, elite-level politics in Kenya creates the persistent risk of electoral violence. This diverts attention and resources away from other long-standing causes of conflict. The drivers of violence in Kenya are varied and region specific. They include disputes over access to land, and marginalisation of ethnic and religious communities. Climate change threatens to worsen competition and conflict between pastoralists and farming communities.

    Our analysis of event data from Armed Conflict Location & Event Data shows that communal violence is the deadliest form of political violence in Kenya. For their part, fatalities related to election violence have decreased. This underscores the urgent need to consistently invest in prevention and local peacebuilding beyond narrow electoral periods.

    Fatalities in Kenya by type of armed violence: 2010-2023

    Electoral competition can escalate violence between pastoralists and farmers, but it’s the persistence of communal conflicts that represents a serious threat. Communal violence particularly affects Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas in the Rift Valley, eastern and north-eastern regions.

    What next

    Our interviews with local peace committee members show that funding for their activities diminishes outside election years. This hampers their capacity to address conflict outside these periods.

    Yet research has shown that local peacebuilding can build social resilience against recurrent communal violence. Peacebuilding interventions grounded in local realities are also vital for countering insurgent violence. This is especially important as counterterrorism operations by state forces often trigger cycles of violence rather than resolving underlying issues.




    Read more:
    Drivers of electoral violence in Kenya: red flags to watch out for


    Our research finds that Kenyans place significant trust in local peacebuilders, such as community leaders, elders and women. The review of the country’s peacebuilding architecture proposes a 40% quota for women, youth and people with disabilities in local peace committees.

    However, quotas alone may not be sufficient to address the political and cultural challenges that entrench inequality.

    Ultimately, political elites need to transform Kenya’s “win at all costs” politics. This way, the country’s mediators and peacebuilders can address the deep social and economic grievances that underpin cycles of violence.

    Leonor Toscano’s doctoral research is supported by the grant from the European Research Council’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (852816; PI: Jana Krause). Leonor Toscano conducted interviews with LPC members in Kenya.

    Jana Krause received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant number 852816 (ResilienceBuilding).

    Marika Miner’s post-doctoral research is also supported by the grant from the European Research Council’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (852816; PI: Jana Krause).

    ref. Kenya’s peacebuilding efforts hold valuable lessons for the rest of the world, but gaps remain – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-peacebuilding-efforts-hold-valuable-lessons-for-the-rest-of-the-world-but-gaps-remain-257761

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What Danish climate migration drama, Families Like Ours, gets wrong about rising sea levels

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Florian Steig, DPhil Student, Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford

    In the Danish TV drama Families Like Ours, one melancholic line from high-school student Laura captures the emotional toll of climate displacement: “Soon we will vanish like bubbles in a creek.” This seven-part series imagines a near future in which Denmark is being evacuated due to rising sea levels – a government-mandated relocation of an entire population.

    The series challenges the fantasy that wealthy western countries are immune to the far-reaching effects of climate change. Rather than focusing on catastrophic storylines, Families Like Ours portrays the mundane, bureaucratic and affective aspects of relocating a population in anticipation of a creeping crisis: the scramble for visas, the fractures that appear between families, and the inequalities in social and economic capital that shape people’s chances for a new life.

    Yet, the idea that Denmark could soon get submerged is not grounded in science. More worryingly, the narrative of the unavoidable uninhabitability of entire nations and millions of international migrants flooding Europe is misleading, dangerous, and sidelines deeply political questions about adaptation to sea level rise that should be dealt with now.

    The trailer for Families Like Ours.

    Sea levels are rising by a few millimetres a year. That pace is accelerating. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that, by 2100, sea levels could rise by up to one metre on average. Beyond 2100, sea levels could rise by several metres, although these long-term scenarios are highly uncertain.

    Even in extreme scenarios, these developments would unfold over several decades and centuries. It’s unlikely that permanent submergence of large areas of land will make Denmark uninhabitable.

    Still, sea level rise poses a serious risk to the livelihoods of millions of people living in coastal zones. In the UK, many homes in Norfolk and Fairbourne, Wales, are already at risk from coastal erosion, for instance.

    These changes are subtle. They do not warrant the evacuation of an entire nation, but degrade coastal livelihoods over time. Houses in high-risk areas like these may become uninsurable, devalued or too risky to live in. This will force people to move.

    In addition, sea level rise makes coastal flooding more likely. In European high-income countries, including Denmark, rising waters already threaten coastal communities. Without adaptation, hundreds of thousands of homes in cities such as Copenhagen could be at risk.

    The danger of mass migration narratives

    However, depicting climate change as a driver of uncontrolled mass migration is misleading. Sea level rise will contribute to coastal migration, and state-led relocation is already a reality especially in Africa and Asia. But climate migration predominantly occurs within countries or regions. International migration from climate change impacts is the exception, not the norm.

    To capture these complexities, some researchers prefer the term “climate mobility”. Mobility can be forced or voluntary, permanent or temporary, even seasonal. Some communities and people resist relocation plans and stay put.

    Families Like Ours reinforces longstanding narratives that frame certain parts of the world as destined to become uninhabitable. Even UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a “mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale” due to sea level rise.

    As a researcher working on climate adaptation, I notice that sea level rise and climate migration are increasingly discussed at the global level. Discussions focus, for example, on the protection of affected populations and continued statehood of nations after their potential submergence. A new global alliance of cities and regions tackling sea level rise called the Ocean Rise & Coastal Resilience Coalition considers a “managed retreat” not only as inevitable but as a rational and desirable adaptation pathway for many cities and regions.

    Scientists have warned that creative storylines highlighting the “uninhabitability” of low-lying countries and regions, such as the Pacific, are not helpful. The mass migration narrative can be used by governments to justify extreme protectionist action and sideline urgent adaptation debates.

    States are not helpless in the face of sea level rise and submergence is not inevitable. As geographer Carol Farbotko and colleagues suggest, “habitability is mediated by human actions and is not a direct consequence of environmental change”. People often develop their own ways of living with rising waters, resisting narratives of submergence. State-led adaptation is possible, but depends on finance, which is unequally distributed.

    People’s migration decisions can seldomly be attributed to just climate impact. A community’s capacity to respond hinges on social, political, economic and demographic factors. Adaptation measures are costly. This raises deeply political questions over who gets to be protected, who is left behind, and how managed retreat can benefit the most affected people and places in a fair way. We need to overcome mass migration myths and start a serious and justice-focused debate about the future of our shorelines.


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

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


    Florian Steig receives funding from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes).

    ref. What Danish climate migration drama, Families Like Ours, gets wrong about rising sea levels – https://theconversation.com/what-danish-climate-migration-drama-families-like-ours-gets-wrong-about-rising-sea-levels-259234

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Development finance in a post-aid world: the case for country platforms

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Richard Calland, Emeritus Associate Professor in Public Law, UCT. Visiting Adjunct Professor, WITS School of Governance; Director, Africa Programme, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge

    With the Trump administration slashing US Agency for International Development budgets and European nations shifting overseas development aid budgets to bolster defence spending, the world has entered a “post-aid era”.

    But there is an opportunity to recast development finance as strategic investment: “country platforms”.

    Country platforms are government-led, nationally owned mechanisms that bring together a country’s climate priorities, investment needs and reform agenda, and align them with the interests of development partners, private investors and implementing agencies. They function as a strategic hub: convening actors, coordinating funding, and curating pipelines of projects for investment.

    Think of them as the opposite of donor-driven fragmentation. Instead of dozens of disconnected projects driven by external priorities, a country platform enables governments to set the agenda and direct finance to where it is needed most. That could be renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure, or nature-based solutions.

    Country platforms are a current fad. They were the talk of the town at the 2025 Spring meetings of multilateral development banks in Washington DC. Will they quickly fade as the next big new idea comes into view? Or can they escape the limitations and failings of the finance and development aid ecosystem?

    The Independent High Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, on which I serve, is striving to find new ways to ramp up finance – both public and private – in quality and quantity. I agree with those who argue that country platforms could be the innovation that unlocks the capital urgently needed to tackle climate overshoot and buttress economic development.

    The model is already being tested. More than ten countries have launched their platforms, and more are in the pipeline.

    For African countries, the opportunity could not be more timely. African governments are racing to deliver their Nationally Determined Contributions. These are the commitments they’ve made to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as part of climate change mitigation targets set out in the Paris Agreement. Implementing these plans is often being done under severe fiscal constraints.

    At the same time global capital is looking for investment opportunities. But it needs to be convinced that the rewards will outweigh the risks.

    Where it’s being tested

    In Africa, South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership has demonstrated both the potential and the complexity of a country platform. Egypt and Senegal also have country platforms at different stages of implementation. Kenya and Nigeria are exploring similar mechanisms. The African Union’s Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy calls for country platforms across the continent.

    New entrants can learn from countries that started first.

    But country platforms come in different shapes and sizes according to the context.

    Another promising example is emerging through Mission 300, an initiative of the World Bank and African Development Bank, working with partners like The Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All. It aims to connect 300 million people to clean electricity by 2030.

    Central to this initiative are Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units. These are essentially country platforms anchored in electrification. They reflect how a well-structured country platform can make an impact. Twelve African countries are already moving in this direction. All announced their Mission 300 compacts at the Africa Heads of State Summit in Tanzania.

    This growing cohort reflects a continental commitment to putting energy-driven country platforms at the heart of Africa’s development architecture.

    Why now – and why Africa?

    A well-functioning country platform can help in a number of ways.

    Firstly, it can give the political and economic leadership a clear goal. The platform can survive elections and show stability, certainty and transparency to the investment world.

    Secondly, national ownership and strategic alignment can reduce risk and build confidence. That would encourage investment.

    Thirdly, it builds trust among development partners and investors through clear priorities, transparency, and national ownership.

    Fourthly, it moves beyond isolated pilot projects to system-level transformation – meaning structural change. The transition in one sector, energy for example, creates new value chains that create more, better and safer jobs. Country platforms put African governments in charge of their own economic development, not as passive recipients of climate finance.

    The country sets its investment priorities and then the match-making with international climate finance can begin.

    Making it work: what’s needed

    Developing the data on which a country bases its investment and development plans, and blending those with the fiscal, climate and nature data, is complex. For this reason country platforms require investment in institutional capacity, cross-ministerial collaboration, and strong coordination between finance ministries, environment agencies and economic planners. And especially, in leadership capability.

    African countries must take charge of this capacity and capability acceleration.

    Second, development partners can respond by providing money as well as supporting African leadership, aligning with national strategies, and being willing to co-design mechanisms that meet both investor expectations and local realities.

    Capacity is especially crucial given the scale of Africa’s needs. According to the African Development Bank, Africa will require over US$200 billion annually by 2030 to meet its climate goals. Donor aid will provide only a fraction of this. It will require smart, coordinated investment and careful debt management. Country platforms provide the structure to govern the process.

    Seizing the opportunity

    Country platforms represent one of the most promising innovations in climate and development finance architecture. Properly designed and led, they offer African countries the opportunity to take ownership of their climate and development futures – on their own terms.

    Country platforms could be the “buckle” that finally enables the supply and demand sides of climate finance to come together. It will require commitment, strategic and technical capability, and, above all, smart leadership.

    Richard Calland works for the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He is also an Emeritus Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town and an Adjunct Visiting Professor at the University of Witwatersrand School of Governance. He serves on the Advisory Council of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Chairs of the Board of Sustainability Education and is a member of the Board of Chapter Zero Southern Africa.

    ref. Development finance in a post-aid world: the case for country platforms – https://theconversation.com/development-finance-in-a-post-aid-world-the-case-for-country-platforms-257994

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Global crises have hit education hard: 24 years of research offers a way forward for southern Africa

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Emmanuel Ojo, Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    Global crises have shaped our world over the past two decades, affecting education systems everywhere. Higher education researcher Emmanuel Ojo has studied the impact of these disruptions on educational opportunities, particularly in southern Africa.

    He looked at 5,511 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2024 to explore what the research suggests about making education systems more resilient. Here, he answers some questions about his review.


    What are the global crises that have undermined education?

    In my review I drew up a table documenting how multiple crises have disrupted education systems worldwide.

    The cycle began with the 2000-2002 dot-com bubble collapse, which reduced education funding and slowed technological integration. This was followed by the 2001 terrorist attacks, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak (2002-2004), Iraq War (2003-2011), Indian Ocean tsunami (2004), and Hurricane Katrina (2005). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2000, global food crisis (2007-2008), financial crisis (2007-2008), and European debt crisis (2010-2012) continued this pattern of disruption.

    More recently, the Ebola epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia-Ukraine war have destabilised education systems. Meanwhile, the ongoing climate crisis creates challenges, particularly in southern Africa where environmental vulnerability is high.

    Who suffers most, and in what ways?

    Education has consistently been among the hardest-hit sectors globally. According to Unesco, the COVID pandemic alone affected more than 1.6 billion students worldwide.

    But the impact is not distributed equally.

    My research shows crises have put vulnerable populations at a further disadvantage through school closures, funding diversions, infrastructure destruction and student displacement. Quality and access decline most sharply for marginalised communities. Costs rise and mobility is restricted. Food insecurity during crises reduces attendance among the poorest students.

    In southern Africa, the Covid-19 disruption highlighted existing divides. Privileged students continued learning online. Those in rural and informal settlements were completely cut off from education.

    Climate change compounds these inequalities. Unicef highlights that climate disasters have a disproportionate impact on schooling for millions in low-income countries, where adaptive infrastructure is limited.

    What’s at stake for southern Africa is the region’s development potential and social cohesion. The widening of educational divides threatens to create a generation with unequal opportunities and capabilities.

    What makes southern African education systems fragile?

    My review focused on the 16 countries of the Southern African Development Community, revealing what makes them vulnerable to crisis impacts.

    Southern Africa’s geographic exposure to climate disasters combines with pre-existing economic inequalities. The region’s digital divide became starkly visible during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some students were excluded from learning by limited connectivity and unreliable electricity.

    The region’s systems also rely on external funding. The Trump administration’s sudden foreign aid freeze was a shock to South Africa’s higher education sector. It has affected public health initiatives and university research programmes.

    Research representation itself is unequal. Within the region, South African researchers dominate and other nations make only limited contributions. This creates blind spots in understanding context-specific challenges and solutions.

    Each successive crisis deepens educational divides, making recovery increasingly difficult and costly. Weaker education systems make the region less able to respond to other development challenges, too.

    How can southern Africa build education systems to withstand crises?

    One striking finding from my review was the surge in educational research after the Covid-19 pandemic began – from 229 studies in 2019 to nearly double that in 2020, with continued rapid growth thereafter. This indicates growing recognition that education systems must be redesigned to withstand future disruptions, not merely recover from current ones.

    Research points to a number of ways to do this:

    • Strategic investment in educational infrastructure, particularly digital technologies, to ensure learning continuity.

    • Equipping educators with skills to adapt teaching methods during emergencies.

    • Innovative, context-appropriate teaching approaches that empower communities.

    • Integration of indigenous knowledge systems into curricula, enhancing relevance, adaptability and community ownership.

    • Interdisciplinary and cross-national research collaborations.

    • Protection of education budgets, recognising education’s role in crisis recovery and long-term stability.

    • Community engagement in education, ensuring interventions are culturally appropriate and widely accepted.

    In my view, African philanthropists have a duty to provide the independent financial base that education systems need to withstand external funding fluctuations.

    What’s the cost of doing nothing?

    The economic and social costs of failing to build resilient education systems are profound and long-lasting. Each educational disruption creates negative effects that extend far beyond the crisis period.

    When students miss critical learning periods, it reduces their chances in life. The World Bank estimates that learning losses from the Covid-19 pandemic alone could result in up to US$17 trillion in lost lifetime earnings for affected students globally.

    Social costs are equally severe. Educational disruptions increase dropout rates, child marriage, early pregnancy, and youth unemployment. These outcomes create broader societal challenges that require costly interventions across multiple sectors.

    Spending on educational resilience avoids those costs.

    The question isn’t whether southern African nations can afford to invest in educational resilience, but whether they can afford not to.

    The choices made today will determine whether education systems merely survive crises or make society better. Evidence-based policies and regional cooperation are essential for building education systems that can fulfil Southern Africa’s human potential.

    Emmanuel Ojo receives funding from National Research Foundation (NRF).

    ref. Global crises have hit education hard: 24 years of research offers a way forward for southern Africa – https://theconversation.com/global-crises-have-hit-education-hard-24-years-of-research-offers-a-way-forward-for-southern-africa-251833

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Sustainable economic growth in South Africa will come from renewables, not coal: what our model shows

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Andrew Phiri, Associate Professor of Economics, Nelson Mandela University

    Coal fired power stations produce 85% of South Africa’s electricity, making the country the biggest producer of harmful greenhouse-gas emissions in Africa. To move away from coal and meet its commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, South Africa needs to dramatically increase production of renewable energy. New research by economics associate professor Andrew Phiri looked at the relationship between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and GDP growth in South Africa to find out which energy source is most compatible with economic development.

    Non-renewables, renewables and economic growth: what’s there to know?

    We set out to discover whether renewable energy in South Africa, such as wind or solar power, supports sustainable economic growth. We also wanted to find out if renewables can replace non-renewable energy as a source and enabler of economic growth.

    Together with student Tsepiso Sesoai, I did research comparing the impact of renewable and non-renewable energy on economic growth in South Africa.

    South Africa currently faces a dual challenge when it comes to energy. It is heavily dependent on non-renewable energy (coal), which also worsens global warming and speeds up climate change. But it desperately needs to grow the economy at a faster rate, given very high unemployment, poverty and inequality.

    It’s therefore important to find out whether South Africa would be able to make a smooth transition from non-renewable energy to cleaner energy, and grow the economy at the same time.

    Past studies have looked into the role of energy in South Africa’s economic growth, but their methods have provided only limited information about whether South Africa can make a smooth transition from dirty to clean energy.




    Read more:
    African economic expansion need not threaten global carbon targets: study points out the path to green growth


    To get a deeper understanding, we conducted a modelling exercise. We used an analytical tool called “continuous complex wavelets” to see how renewable and non-renewable energy influences growth over time.

    Our model shows that an increased supply and higher consumption of non-renewable energy causes long-term economic growth over 10-15 year cycles. Renewables, at best, have short-term growth effects over six months to one year.

    After 2000, there was a very sharp increase of almost 25% in the use of renewable energy throughout the decade. According to our model, this sharp increase was enough to have an impact on economic growth over the short term but not over the long term.

    This is because South African energy regulators have not adopted strong enough measures for renewable energy to enable long-term growth. They have not funded the mass rollout of renewable energy, or connected renewables to the national grid. We found that renewables can only sustain growth over six to 12 month cycles whereas policymakers work towards longer cycles such as the 2030 and 2050 sustainable development goals.

    Economic growth and coal consumption: what did you find?

    In 2003, the government started taking climate change seriously with the release of the White Paper on Renewable Energy. The government started intentionally trying to increase the use of renewable energy while decreasing the use of dirty energy, such as coal. Before this, South Africa’s economic growth was heavily driven by coal consumption.

    Renewable energy saw its biggest surge after the 2010 launch of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. This opened competitive bidding for renewable energy providers to supply electricity to the grid.

    The transition to renewable energy had begun. But coal-fired power, while declining, remained the main source of electricity.

    In 2019 carbon taxes were formally introduced. This resulted in a further slowdown in consumption of non-renewable energy. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 coincided with severe power cuts. These two events combined caused a general slowdown in non-renewable and renewable energy use, and in economic growth.

    At this point, the drop in coal consumption was actively dragging down the economy. This in turn reduced society’s income, as measured by the gross national product. And because incomes were constrained, fewer private households purchased renewable energy systems. People didn’t spend on solar panels.

    What do your findings mean?

    Our research suggests that relying on non-renewable energy, like coal, won’t lead to long-term growth for South Africa. This is because non-renewables are not a reliable source of energy, as shown by loadshedding.

    Our research further suggests that renewable energy policies, subsidies and programmes made some positive short-term impacts on economic growth, measured as gross domestic product.

    Overall, our findings highlight that policymakers have treated renewables as a “nice-to-have” gesture for humanity, instead of a key driver of long-term economic growth.

    This has led to weak policies, poor regulation, and under-investment in renewable energy. These have held the sector back from making a bigger contribution to economic growth.




    Read more:
    Africa doesn’t have a choice between economic growth and protecting the environment: how they can go hand in hand


    For example, the government has not taken renewables seriously enough to include them in the power grid. This has largely limited the use of renewable energy to private homes and businesses. Coal-fired electricity from the country’s power utility, Eskom, is still cheaper for households than leaving the grid and purchasing their own renewable energy infrastructure (solar energy systems). The government has not funded the infrastructure needed to unlock South Africa’s vast renewable energy potential.

    The planet is at a critical state with global warming. The government should urgently set up policies and actions to overcome the barriers to using renewable energy. Only then will renewable energy have a permanent, positive influence on economic growth.

    South Africa has huge potential in renewables like solar, wind and biomass, thanks to its diverse geography. Yet, when people think about moving away from coal, they worry about job losses in the coal industry. But historically, energy transitions have never been instant. African countries that embraced the change early on reaped the benefits. They became more industrialised and prosperous.

    The South African government must act now if it wants to use renewable energy to drive future economic growth and stay ahead in the global shift to clean energy. Climate change affects us deeply. But it also presents a chance for Africa to leap ahead technologically.

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

    ref. Sustainable economic growth in South Africa will come from renewables, not coal: what our model shows – https://theconversation.com/sustainable-economic-growth-in-south-africa-will-come-from-renewables-not-coal-what-our-model-shows-239339

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to UK heatwave

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the UK heatwave.

    Prof Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science, University of Reading, said:

    “The UK is on the edge of a large dome of heat encompassing continental Europe which is briefly causing heatwave conditions to affect southern Britain as June turns to July. Ocean temperatures are also up to 2 degrees Celsius above average across the waters to the southwest of the UK and hotter still in the western Mediterranean. The ebb and flow of gigantic atmospheric waves have generated the stable, cloud-free conditions for heat to build up across Western Europe.  But rising greenhouse gas levels due to human activities are making it more difficult for Earth to lose excess heat to space and the warmer, thirstier atmosphere is more effective at drying soils, meaning heatwaves are intensifying, with moderate heat events now becoming extreme. The severity of summer heatwaves, but also extremes of dry as well as wet weather events, will continue to worsen until we rein in our greenhouse gas emissions and stabilise our warming climate.”

     

    Dr Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, University of Oxford, said:

    “Populations in urban areas like London are particularly susceptible to extreme heat as the concrete and asphalt absorb and re-emit the sun’s radiation, amplifying its impact on our bodies.  For this reason, outdoor workers are particularly at risk and should take regular breaks to hydrate in the shade.

    “Soaring temperatures will see a corresponding rise in demand for cooling systems like air conditioning, which can put a strain on our energy infrastructure. Air conditioning and other cooling systems become crucial to maintaining health, productivity and quality of life amidst rising temperatures. However, access to cooling is unfortunately rarely equal even in developed countries, and the UK’s most disadvantaged people will bear the brunt of this heatwave.”

    “Over-reliance on air conditioning creates a negative feedback loop: more fossil fuels are burnt to power more air-con units, which in turn worsens climate change and raises global temperatures. Use of fans, shade, green spaces and natural ventilation can all help to reduce air conditioning usage. When we have to rely on air-con, it is important to make sure the systems we are using are the most energy efficient.”

     

    Dr Laurence Wainwright, Departmental Lecturer at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, said:

    “While news coverage of hot weather usually includes images of sunbathing and ice creams, an often-overlooked consequence of heatwaves is their negative impact on our mental health and behaviour. Violent incidents increase, depression worsens and the effect of psychiatric medications on our body can be altered. For every 1°C increase in monthly average temperature, mental health-related deaths increase by around 2.2%. Spikes in relative humidity also result in a higher occurrence of suicide. Learning to adapt to the increasing frequency of heatwaves brought by climate change will mean taking account of all its impacts – including on our state of mind.”

     

    Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist, Royal Meteorological Society, said:

    “We are yet to have an attribution study, the heatwave earlier in June in the UK was 100 times more likely with Climate Change. In general we can say the heatwaves and hot spells in the summer are increasing in duration, how often they occur and intensity, how hot temperatures get to. We also think they are growing in area so more people are exposed every time they occur. 

    “Beyond heat killing people. They cause a rise in hospitalisations especially in the vulnerable groups to heat. In some parts of Europe it has been shown that exposure to extreme heat can raise the likelihood of preterm births and also lower birth weight babies with developmental delay. It can change how long people breastfeed for. In the long term instances of kidney disease also rise. 

    “We know it can cause a rise in psychosis and suicides. And an increase in small level crime. 

    “It puts pressure on power grids. Roads melts, railway tracks can overheat, there are signal failures. It puts pressure on the food supply chain and refrigerated lorries. It also can cause a reduction with dry conditions in crops and sunburn in apple and grapes. 

    “It can reduce appetites, it also can reduce productivity if proper work-rest schedules aren’t in place. 

    “Shopping patterns change. With less people going shopping or shopping for different products at different times. 

    “It impacts every part of our society. It will continue to increase unless we transition to net zero and how fast we do this also impacts how much worse these events will get. 

    “I think it is important that proper early warning systems that save lives are designed to be supported by other policy areas such as urban design and improving critical infrastructure. They should be integrated into our societal system better.” 

     

    Dr Friederike Otto, Associate Professor, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said:

    “We absolutely do not need to do an attribution study to know that this heatwave is hotter than it would have been without our continued burning of oil, coal and gas. Countless studies have shown that climate change is an absolute game-changer when it comes to heat in Europe, making heatwaves much more frequent, especially the hottest ones, and more intense. Heatwaves are called the silent killer, for a reason, every year thousands of people in Europe die due to extreme heat, particularly those that live in poorly insulated homes, on busy, polluted roads, and that have already health problems. But extreme heat also leads to agricultural losses, infrastructure failure and puts a big strain on plants and animals. To stop people from dying in ever larger numbers we need to stop burning fossil fuels, but we also need to adapt.”

     

    Dr Michael Byrne, Reader in Climate Science, University of St Andrews, said:

    “Heat domes – the cause of this week’s European heatwave – are nothing new. They have always happened and always will happen. Heat domes occur when high pressure weather systems, normally lasting a few days, get stuck in place for a week or more. When this atmospheric ‘blocking’ happens in summertime, heatwaves occur. But what is new are the temperatures heat domes deliver: Europe is more than 2 degrees Celsius warmer than in pre-industrial times, so when a heat dome occurs it drives a hotter heatwave.

    “Some research suggests heat domes will become more common as climate warms, with more frequent heatwaves as a result. There is large uncertainty regarding the future of heat domes, with no scientific consensus yet. But what is crystal clear is that climate change is loading the dice such that when a heat dome does occur, it brings hotter and more dangerous temperatures.”

     

    Dr Leslie Mabon, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Systems, The Open University, said:

    “The extreme high temperatures we are seeing in the UK are being exacerbated by the same phenomenon that is causing the heat dome across Europe. The ‘heat dome’ happens when an area of high pressure air stays over the same area for days or weeks, trapping hot air below it which then expands outwards like a dome.

    “In the UK, heat-related illnesses, greater risk for this with pre-existing conditions, and wildfires can all come about because of heatwaves. This is another reminder that climate change makes extremes like this more frequent or intense.”

     

     

    Declared interests

    Prof Richard Allan: No conflicting interests

    Dr Radhika KhoslaNo declarations

    Dr Laurence WainwrightNo declarations

    Dr Chloe Brimicombe: No declarations

    Dr Friederike Otto: No declarations

    Dr Michael Byrne: No declarations

    Dr Leslie Mabon: Leslie Mabon is an Ambassador for Scotland’s National Centre for Resilience. This is a voluntary position, committed to ensuring that government, industry and society are able to make decisions about resilience that are informed by the best available evidence.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint Statement on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    World news story

    UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint Statement on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change

    Joint Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change. Delivered at the 59th HRC in Geneva.

    Thank you Mr President.

    Austria, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, the Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, Panama, and the United Kingdom thank the Special Rapporteur for her report.

    Climate change and environmental degradation pose a risk to the lives and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the world, especially the most marginalised. This is compounded by the impacts of the fossil fuel life cycle.

    3.5 billion people now live in contexts highly vulnerable to climate change. Rapid and enduring action must be taken to safeguard the full enjoyment of human rights for individuals both now and in the future.

    As per the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement adopted at COP28, advancing the transition away from fossil fuels is crucial.

    It deserves mention in this session’s human rights and climate change resolution. 

    We will continue to demonstrate leadership, including through the Global Clean Power Alliance Initiative, and our ambitious and credible 2035 NDC targets. 

    Environmental defenders and Indigenous Peoples are vital stewards of nature. We support their meaningful participation and leadership in climate action.

    Special Rapporteur, what more can states do to build global consensus and advance the transition away from fossil fuels? 

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Diginex’s AI-Driven Enhancements Poised to Accelerate Customer Adoption and Drive Revenue Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diginex Limited (“Diginex” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DGNX), a leading provider of Sustainability RegTech solutions, today announced additional government funding support for its innovative AI-powered compliance solutions. Diginex’s AI-powered compliance solutions will continue to focus on helping companies comply with sustainability disclosure requirements set by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and now with the enhanced scope of AI-powered compliance solutions will additionally offer features including multi-variant drafts, risk reduction through automation, future-proofing against new regulations as well as enhanced scalability for users of the Company’s ESG SaaS reporting product, diginexESG. Diginex’s expanded AI features will streamline ESG reporting processes, thereby empowering businesses and financial institutions to meet regulatory requirements efficiently while driving transparency in corporate social responsibility and climate action, and will be jointly developed with a leading financial institution through a co-creation collaboration model promoting commercialisation and wider adoption.

    The upgraded AI functionality of Diginex’s AI-powered compliance solutions is expected to further accelerate customer adoption, and thereby, contribute to Diginex’s revenue growth in 2025 and beyond. Industry research from Verdantix forecasts that the global market spend on ESG reporting software will grow from over $1.3 billion in 2023 to over $5.6 billion in 2029, at a CAGR of 26%. Diginex is well-positioned to capture this opportunity, combining its award-winning platform with blockchain, machine learning, and data analytics to deliver unparalleled value to clients worldwide.

    This latest recognition from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”), which provides development stage funding support for innovative fintech projects, builds on the Company’s earlier selection in February 2025 by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of Hong Kong (“FSTB”) for the Green and Sustainable Fintech PoC program, as well as Diginex’s 2023 HKMA award in the “Sustainability or Climate-related Disclosure and Reporting” category.

    “We are honored to receive this further recognition from the HKMA, which underscores our commitment to revolutionizing ESG reporting through AI-driven innovation,” said Mark Blick, CEO of Diginex Limited. “Our enhanced diginexESG platform is designed to meet the growing global demand for sustainable finance solutions, and this acknowledgment from a leading regulatory authority validates our mission to democratize sustainability compliance.”

    This latest recognition follows Diginex’s recently disclosed signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on June 5, 2025, for Diginex’s strategic acquisition of Resulticks Global Companies Pte. Limited, a global leader in AI-driven customer engagement and data management solutions, for $2 billion. This acquisition aims to enhance Diginex’s AI and data management capabilities, enabling hyper-personalized, real-time sustainability solutions across compliance, supply chain intelligence, and risk analytics. Additionally, Diginex has recently entered into strategic alliances with firms like Forvis Mazars, Russell Bedford International, and Baker Tilly Singapore to expand the distribution of its diginexESG and diginexLUMEN platforms.

    About Diginex

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

    The award-winning diginexESG platform supports 17 global frameworks, including GRI (the “Global Reporting Initiative”), SASB (the “Sustainability Accounting Standards Board”), and TCFD (the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures”). Clients benefit from end-to-end support, ranging from materiality assessments and data management to stakeholder engagement, report generation and an ESG Ratings Support Service.

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

    https://www.diginex.com/.

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

    Diginex
    Investor Relations
    Email: ir@diginex.com 

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

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

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

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace activists cover Setas de Sevilla to call for climate action

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – BREAKING: Activists from Greenpeace Spain today covered the iconic Setas de Sevilla monument with a massive banner, displaying the message: “They are destroying the planet. And you are paying for it.” The action marked the first day of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development Conference (FfD4).

    Eva Saldaña, Executive Director of Greenpeace Spain and Portugal, said “Global activism is the essence of our democracy and climate justice. If we want to build a green and fair world, the people have to unite against the takeover by billionaires and polluters, and call for a redistribution of wealth and power in the multilateral arena and international financial institutions. Global justice must prevail over greed!”

    ENDS

    Yesterday’s release: Giant baby Musk float in march for tax justice at UN summit in Sevilla: ‘Make rich polluters pay’

    Members of the Greenpeace delegation in Seville are available for interviews in Spanish, English, German, and Swahili.

    Photos and Videos can be downloaded via Greenpeace Media Library and will be updated throughout the conference. 

    Contacts in Seville:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, Greenpeace International. +41-782530550, [email protected]  

    Begoña Rodríguez, Media Lead – Climate Responsibility Team, Greenpeace Spain & Portugal. +34 605248097, [email protected]

    Additional contacts: 

    Christine Gebeneter, EU Communication lead, Greenpeace CEE based in Austria, +43 664 8403807, [email protected] 

    Lee Kuen, Global Comms Lead – Fair Share campaign, Greenpeace International. +601112527489, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO

  • Wildfires burn in Turkey and France as early heatwave hits

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkey and France on Monday as an early heatwave hit the region.

    In Turkey, the wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said, forcing the evacuation of four villages and two neighbourhoods.

    Media footage showed teams using tractors with water trailers and helicopters carrying water, as smoke billowed over hills marked with charred trees.

    Turkey’s coastal regions have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires, as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists say is a result of human-induced climate change.

    In France, where temperatures are expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday, wildfires broke out on Sunday in the southwestern Aude department, where temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), burning 400 hectares and forcing the evacuation of a campsite and an abbey, authorities and local media said.

    The fires were under control but not yet extinguished, authorities said on Monday.

    Weather service Meteo France put a record 84 of the country’s 101 departments on an orange heatwave alert from Monday until midweek. About 200 schools will be at least partially shut over the next three days because of the heat, the Education Ministry said.

    HEATWAVE IMPACTS RHINE SHIPPING

    The heatwave has lowered water levels on Germany’s Rhine River, hampering shipping and raising freight costs for cargo owners, commodity traders said.

    The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals and oil products. Forecasters said temperatures as high as 40 C are possible in Cologne.

    In Seville, southern Spain, where global leaders were gathering for a United Nations conference, temperatures were expected to hit 42 C.

    Tourists were trying to deal with the heat. “Really hard currently,” Mehrzad Joussefi, from the Netherlands, said.

    Spain is on course for its hottest June on record, the national meteorological service AEMET said.

    Most of the country remains under alert for heat, with AEMET forecasting the peak of the heatwave on Monday.

    “Over the next few days, at least until Thursday, intense heat will continue in much of Spain,” said Ruben del Campo, a spokesperson for the weather agency.

    Italy’s Health Ministry issued heatwave red alerts for 21 cities, including Rome and Milan. Weather forecast website IlMeteo.it said temperatures on Monday would go as high as 41 C in Florence, 38 C in Bologna and 37 C in Perugia.

    The Lombardy region, part of Italy’s northern industrial heartland, is planning to ban open-air work in the hottest times of the day, heeding a request from trade unions, its president said on Monday.

    Heat can affect health in various ways, and experts are most concerned about older people and babies, as well as outdoor labourers and people struggling economically.

    Globally, extreme heat kills up to 480,000 people annually, surpassing the combined toll from floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, and poses growing risks to infrastructure, the economy and healthcare systems, Swiss Re said earlier this month.

    Global surface temperatures last month averaged 1.4 C higher than in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period, when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said earlier this month.

    Scientists say the main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Last year was the planet’s hottest on record.

    (Reuters)

  • Wildfires burn in Turkey and France as early heatwave hits

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Firefighters battled wildfires in Turkey and France on Monday as an early heatwave hit the region.

    In Turkey, the wildfires raged for a second day in the western province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said, forcing the evacuation of four villages and two neighbourhoods.

    Media footage showed teams using tractors with water trailers and helicopters carrying water, as smoke billowed over hills marked with charred trees.

    Turkey’s coastal regions have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires, as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists say is a result of human-induced climate change.

    In France, where temperatures are expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday, wildfires broke out on Sunday in the southwestern Aude department, where temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), burning 400 hectares and forcing the evacuation of a campsite and an abbey, authorities and local media said.

    The fires were under control but not yet extinguished, authorities said on Monday.

    Weather service Meteo France put a record 84 of the country’s 101 departments on an orange heatwave alert from Monday until midweek. About 200 schools will be at least partially shut over the next three days because of the heat, the Education Ministry said.

    HEATWAVE IMPACTS RHINE SHIPPING

    The heatwave has lowered water levels on Germany’s Rhine River, hampering shipping and raising freight costs for cargo owners, commodity traders said.

    The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals and oil products. Forecasters said temperatures as high as 40 C are possible in Cologne.

    In Seville, southern Spain, where global leaders were gathering for a United Nations conference, temperatures were expected to hit 42 C.

    Tourists were trying to deal with the heat. “Really hard currently,” Mehrzad Joussefi, from the Netherlands, said.

    Spain is on course for its hottest June on record, the national meteorological service AEMET said.

    Most of the country remains under alert for heat, with AEMET forecasting the peak of the heatwave on Monday.

    “Over the next few days, at least until Thursday, intense heat will continue in much of Spain,” said Ruben del Campo, a spokesperson for the weather agency.

    Italy’s Health Ministry issued heatwave red alerts for 21 cities, including Rome and Milan. Weather forecast website IlMeteo.it said temperatures on Monday would go as high as 41 C in Florence, 38 C in Bologna and 37 C in Perugia.

    The Lombardy region, part of Italy’s northern industrial heartland, is planning to ban open-air work in the hottest times of the day, heeding a request from trade unions, its president said on Monday.

    Heat can affect health in various ways, and experts are most concerned about older people and babies, as well as outdoor labourers and people struggling economically.

    Globally, extreme heat kills up to 480,000 people annually, surpassing the combined toll from floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, and poses growing risks to infrastructure, the economy and healthcare systems, Swiss Re said earlier this month.

    Global surface temperatures last month averaged 1.4 C higher than in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period, when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said earlier this month.

    Scientists say the main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Last year was the planet’s hottest on record.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom signs balanced state budget that cuts taxes for vets, fully funds free school meals, builds more housing, & creates jobs

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 27, 2025

    FUNDED: Tax cut for military retirees

    FUNDED: Universal pre-kindergarten for all 

    FUNDED: Expanded before school, after school, & summer school

    FUNDED: Free school meals for all kids 

    FUNDED: Game-changing literacy & reading investments

    FUNDED: Building more housing, ASAP

    FUNDED: Lowering drug costs

    FUNDED: Expanding medication abortion access with CalRx

    FUNDED: Historic firefighting & public safety investments

    FUNDED: Protecting California’s iconic film industry

    Signing of landmark package to cut red tape, fast-track housing, and infrastructure forthcoming  

    SACRAMENTO – Amid Donald Trump’s economic assault on California, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed the 2025 state budget bill advanced in partnership with Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Speaker Robert Rivas. Together, the Governor and Legislature are enacting a responsible, balanced spending plan that safeguards California’s values while maintaining long-term fiscal health. This budget and forthcoming trailer bills include new, landmark policies that will accelerate housing production and boost affordability in communities across the state — addressing California’s most urgent challenges.

    As we confront Donald Trump’s economic sabotage, this budget agreement proves California won’t just hold the line — we’ll go even further. It’s balanced, it maintains substantial reserves, and it’s focused on supporting Californians — slashing red tape and catapulting housing and infrastructure development, preserving essential healthcare services, funds universal pre-K, and cuts taxes for veterans.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Pro Tem Mike McGuire says: “The State is delivering a responsible on-time budget in a challenging year focused on fiscal restraint and investing in the people and programs that make this State great. This budget prioritizes record funding for our kids and public schools, protects access to health care for millions of the most vulnerable, and will create more housing at a scale not seen in years. Thanks to this budget agreement, the state will help get more folks off the streets and into permanent shelter, and we’ll expand the ranks of CalFire, deploying hundreds of additional full-time CalFire firefighters, which will save lives and make us all more wildfire safe. And this agreement helps prepare our state for the ongoing chaos and massive uncertainty caused by the Trump administration. Thank you to our Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener, Speaker Rivas and Governor Newsom and their staffs for their hard work for the people of California.”

    Speaker Robert Rivas says: “This is an incredibly difficult time for Californians. Trump is undermining our economy with reckless tariffs, harsh cuts, and ICE agents terrorizing our communities. At a moment when so many are already struggling, he’s adding fear and instability. In contrast, Democrats have delivered a budget that protects California. It cuts red tape to build more housing faster — because housing is the foundation of affordability and opportunity. It preserves critical investments in health care, women’s health, education, and public safety. And it honors our commitment not to raise taxes on families, workers, or small businesses. In unprecedented times, under painful circumstances, Democrats are delivering for Californians.”

    Tax cuts for vets, smaller class sizes, free school meals

    The budget reflects a shared commitment to protect opportunity and improve affordability in California, in the face of targeted attacks by the Trump administration. The budget makes historic investments in public education — from universal transitional kindergarten and free school meals to expanded before and after-school programs, summer school, smaller class sizes, and strengthened career training and higher education. The budget demonstrates the state’s commitment to honoring veterans by creating tax cuts for military retirees, recognizing their service and supporting their financial security. 

    Lowering prescription drug costs, protecting reproductive care, and safety nets 

    The budget preserves key health care programs for Californians targeted by Republicans. It preserves vital safety net programs, including in-home supportive services and women’s reproductive health. As part of the budget, the Governor is also expected to sign legislation protecting access to health care, license and regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers for the first time, increasing transparency and accountability in the pharmacy supply chain. The legislation also expands CalRx’s authority to procure brand-name drugs and respond to politically motivated supply disruptions, helping shield access to critical medications like mifepristone.

    Lights, camera, JOBS

    The budget protects California’s position as the 4th largest economy in the world – supporting business and continued economic growth, including California’s iconic film industry. Next week, the Governor is expected to sign additional legislation as part of the expansion of the film and TV tax credit program — further catapulting the program’s impact to $750 million a year.

    Trump’s economic assault

    The balanced budget comes as California continues to confront significant fiscal pressures fueled by the Trump administration’s reckless economic and immigration policies. According to the California Department of Finance, Trump’s tariff regime is projected to cost the state an estimated $16 billion in lost General Fund revenue through the next fiscal year. And a new study released June 17 by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, in collaboration with UC Merced, found that Trump’s mass deportations could slash $275 billion from California’s economy, eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue, and severely disrupt key industries such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality. 

    In the face of these mounting challenges, the Governor issued a proclamation to access state reserves. This responsible and balanced budget protects Californians, creates more housing, preserves core programs, reinforces fiscal discipline, and invests in the state’s long-term economic strength.

    The Governor today announced signing the following bills:

    • AB 102 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • AB 118 by the Committee on Budget – Human services.
    • AB 121 by the Committee on Budget – Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill.
    • AB 123 by the Committee on Budget – Higher education budget trailer bill.
    • AB 134 by the Committee on Budget – Public Safety.
    • AB 136 by the Committee on Budget – Courts.
    • AB 143 by the Committee on Budget – Developmental services.
    • SB 101 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • SB 103 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Acts of 2022, 2023, and 2024.
    • SB 120 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Early childhood education and childcare.
    • SB 124 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Public resources trailer bill.
    • SB 127 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Climate change.
    • SB 128 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Transportation.
    • SB 132 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Taxation.
    • SB 141 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – California Cannabis Tax Fund: Department of Cannabis Control: Board of State and Community Corrections grants.
    • SB 142 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program.

    The Governor’s signature on the state budget is contingent on the enactment of either AB 131 or SB 131 on Monday, June 30th.

    Para leer este comunicado en español, haga clic aquí.

    Recent news

    News ✅ CUMPLIDO: Reducción de impuestos para jubilados militares ✅ CUMPLIDO: Pre-kinder universal para todos ✅ CUMPLIDO: Ampliación de programas antes y después de clases y cursos de verano ✅ CUMPLIDO: Alimentación escolar gratuita para todos los niños ✅ CUMPLIDO:…

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments: Neal Payton, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to the State Historical Resources Commission. Payton has been Senior Principal at Torti Gallas + Partners since 1996. He was Associate…

    News What you need to know: The federal Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful bill” would eliminate health coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians, cut at least $28.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding, and put food assistance at risk for the hundreds of thousands of…

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom signs balanced state budget that cuts taxes for vets, fully funds free school meals, builds more housing, & creates jobs

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 27, 2025

    FUNDED: Tax cut for military retirees

    FUNDED: Universal pre-kindergarten for all 

    FUNDED: Expanded before school, after school, & summer school

    FUNDED: Free school meals for all kids 

    FUNDED: Game-changing literacy & reading investments

    FUNDED: Building more housing, ASAP

    FUNDED: Lowering drug costs

    FUNDED: Expanding medication abortion access with CalRx

    FUNDED: Historic firefighting & public safety investments

    FUNDED: Protecting California’s iconic film industry

    Signing of landmark package to cut red tape, fast-track housing, and infrastructure forthcoming  

    SACRAMENTO – Amid Donald Trump’s economic assault on California, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed the 2025 state budget bill advanced in partnership with Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Speaker Robert Rivas. Together, the Governor and Legislature are enacting a responsible, balanced spending plan that safeguards California’s values while maintaining long-term fiscal health. This budget and forthcoming trailer bills include new, landmark policies that will accelerate housing production and boost affordability in communities across the state — addressing California’s most urgent challenges.

    As we confront Donald Trump’s economic sabotage, this budget agreement proves California won’t just hold the line — we’ll go even further. It’s balanced, it maintains substantial reserves, and it’s focused on supporting Californians — slashing red tape and catapulting housing and infrastructure development, preserving essential healthcare services, funds universal pre-K, and cuts taxes for veterans.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Pro Tem Mike McGuire says: “The State is delivering a responsible on-time budget in a challenging year focused on fiscal restraint and investing in the people and programs that make this State great. This budget prioritizes record funding for our kids and public schools, protects access to health care for millions of the most vulnerable, and will create more housing at a scale not seen in years. Thanks to this budget agreement, the state will help get more folks off the streets and into permanent shelter, and we’ll expand the ranks of CalFire, deploying hundreds of additional full-time CalFire firefighters, which will save lives and make us all more wildfire safe. And this agreement helps prepare our state for the ongoing chaos and massive uncertainty caused by the Trump administration. Thank you to our Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener, Speaker Rivas and Governor Newsom and their staffs for their hard work for the people of California.”

    Speaker Robert Rivas says: “This is an incredibly difficult time for Californians. Trump is undermining our economy with reckless tariffs, harsh cuts, and ICE agents terrorizing our communities. At a moment when so many are already struggling, he’s adding fear and instability. In contrast, Democrats have delivered a budget that protects California. It cuts red tape to build more housing faster — because housing is the foundation of affordability and opportunity. It preserves critical investments in health care, women’s health, education, and public safety. And it honors our commitment not to raise taxes on families, workers, or small businesses. In unprecedented times, under painful circumstances, Democrats are delivering for Californians.”

    Tax cuts for vets, smaller class sizes, free school meals

    The budget reflects a shared commitment to protect opportunity and improve affordability in California, in the face of targeted attacks by the Trump administration. The budget makes historic investments in public education — from universal transitional kindergarten and free school meals to expanded before and after-school programs, summer school, smaller class sizes, and strengthened career training and higher education. The budget demonstrates the state’s commitment to honoring veterans by creating tax cuts for military retirees, recognizing their service and supporting their financial security. 

    Lowering prescription drug costs, protecting reproductive care, and safety nets 

    The budget preserves key health care programs for Californians targeted by Republicans. It preserves vital safety net programs, including in-home supportive services and women’s reproductive health. As part of the budget, the Governor is also expected to sign legislation protecting access to health care, license and regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers for the first time, increasing transparency and accountability in the pharmacy supply chain. The legislation also expands CalRx’s authority to procure brand-name drugs and respond to politically motivated supply disruptions, helping shield access to critical medications like mifepristone.

    Lights, camera, JOBS

    The budget protects California’s position as the 4th largest economy in the world – supporting business and continued economic growth, including California’s iconic film industry. Next week, the Governor is expected to sign additional legislation as part of the expansion of the film and TV tax credit program — further catapulting the program’s impact to $750 million a year.

    Trump’s economic assault

    The balanced budget comes as California continues to confront significant fiscal pressures fueled by the Trump administration’s reckless economic and immigration policies. According to the California Department of Finance, Trump’s tariff regime is projected to cost the state an estimated $16 billion in lost General Fund revenue through the next fiscal year. And a new study released June 17 by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, in collaboration with UC Merced, found that Trump’s mass deportations could slash $275 billion from California’s economy, eliminate $23 billion in annual tax revenue, and severely disrupt key industries such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality. 

    In the face of these mounting challenges, the Governor issued a proclamation to access state reserves. This responsible and balanced budget protects Californians, creates more housing, preserves core programs, reinforces fiscal discipline, and invests in the state’s long-term economic strength.

    The Governor today announced signing the following bills:

    • AB 102 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • AB 118 by the Committee on Budget – Human services.
    • AB 121 by the Committee on Budget – Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill.
    • AB 123 by the Committee on Budget – Higher education budget trailer bill.
    • AB 134 by the Committee on Budget – Public Safety.
    • AB 136 by the Committee on Budget – Courts.
    • AB 143 by the Committee on Budget – Developmental services.
    • SB 101 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Act of 2025.
    • SB 103 by the Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Acts of 2022, 2023, and 2024.
    • SB 120 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Early childhood education and childcare.
    • SB 124 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Public resources trailer bill.
    • SB 127 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Climate change.
    • SB 128 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Transportation.
    • SB 132 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Taxation.
    • SB 141 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – California Cannabis Tax Fund: Department of Cannabis Control: Board of State and Community Corrections grants.
    • SB 142 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program.

    The Governor’s signature on the state budget is contingent on the enactment of either AB 131 or SB 131 on Monday, June 30th.

    Para leer este comunicado en español, haga clic aquí.

    Recent news

    News ✅ CUMPLIDO: Reducción de impuestos para jubilados militares ✅ CUMPLIDO: Pre-kinder universal para todos ✅ CUMPLIDO: Ampliación de programas antes y después de clases y cursos de verano ✅ CUMPLIDO: Alimentación escolar gratuita para todos los niños ✅ CUMPLIDO:…

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments: Neal Payton, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to the State Historical Resources Commission. Payton has been Senior Principal at Torti Gallas + Partners since 1996. He was Associate…

    News What you need to know: The federal Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful bill” would eliminate health coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians, cut at least $28.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding, and put food assistance at risk for the hundreds of thousands of…

    MIL OSI USA News