Category: Weather

MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev: Over the past month, the area of wildfires in Russia has decreased by 2.5 times

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting on the issue of passing the flood-hazardous period and fire-hazardous season. It was attended by the heads of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Federal Forestry Agency, the Federal Water Resources Agency, the Federal Hydrometeorological Service and other relevant departments, as well as heads of regions.

Dmitry Patrushev reported that the spring flood this year passed without significant damage to populated areas and economic facilities. The Deputy Prime Minister noted the coordinated work of federal agencies and regions and emphasized that the Government allocated 6.5 billion rubles to organize preventive measures. The funds were also used to strengthen the coastlines, clear river beds and under-bridge spaces. A timely hydrometeorological flood forecast also made it possible to take the necessary preventive measures.

Despite the favorable situation with the passage of the spring flood period, a number of water bodies in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East still have a fairly high water level. In this regard, Rosvodresursy, together with the regions, will continue to constantly monitor the hydrological situation, and if necessary, the operation of reservoirs will be adjusted. Dmitry Patrushev also instructed that issues of rapidly developing floods, typical for the territories of the Far Eastern, North Caucasian and Southern Federal Districts, be regularly considered during meetings of the headquarters of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the regions.

“The situation with wildfires has been difficult since the beginning of the season, but is currently generally stabilizing. About 20 billion rubles have been allocated for the implementation of measures to protect forests from fires in 2025, which is significantly more than a year earlier. Thanks to the systemic measures taken at the level of the Government, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other responsible agencies, the timely transfer of forces and, of course, the heroic efforts of firefighters, the total area of fires has decreased by 2.5 times in the last month alone. And now the figure for the country is less than 300 thousand hectares, although a month ago it exceeded 800 thousand,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that against the backdrop of a warm winter and early spring, the first fires were recorded in April, which is much earlier than in previous years. In total, the fire has already passed through almost 4 million hectares. The most difficult situation remains in the Zabaikalsky Krai, which accounts for almost 80% of the area of active forest fires throughout the Russian Federation. Since April, a federal emergency regime has been in effect in the region.

Dmitry Patrushev emphasized that the federal authorities had taken maximum measures to qualitatively influence the situation. In preparation for the fire season, the Government allocated 1.8 billion rubles to the Zabaikalsky Krai, including an additional 800 million to increase forces and resources. In addition, a new forest fire center has been operating in the region since the beginning of 2025. All available aircraft were additionally sent to Zabaikalsky Krai, including a Cyclone aircraft for artificially inducing precipitation, and specialists from other regions and most of the federal reserve of Avialesookhrana were also transferred.

“The peak of the fire season has not yet passed. Therefore, the risks remain. Constant monitoring is necessary, first of all, in the regions of the Far East and Siberia, where dry weather and thunderstorm activity are observed. It is necessary to organize the work in such a way as to ensure prompt detection of fires and timely deployment of the necessary forces and means. The goal is to extinguish at least 80% of fires in the first day. In this case, this is the key to efficiency,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

Following the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed federal agencies to continue providing all necessary assistance to the regions. He also drew the attention of the heads of the subjects to the need to monitor the development of the fire situation and strengthen monitoring aimed at promptly detecting fires and eliminating them within the first 24 hours. The Zabaikalsky Krai and Buryatia need to mobilize resources as much as possible to quickly localize and eliminate the current fires.

Dmitry Patrushev stressed the importance of monitoring the situation in hard-to-reach areas to identify fires before they become large-scale. The Deputy Prime Minister drew special attention to the effectiveness of the current measures of the special headquarters for the prevention of natural fires at the level of the Central Federal District.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Crucial health and wellbeing role of access to green and open spaces recognised

Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

A new report published today (25 June) highlights the positive impacts of open green and blue spaces on the health and wellbeing of Aberdonians and visitors.

The 2024 Open Space Audit is used to assist in protecting and enhancing green spaces through the planning process and by supporting blue and green infrastructure policies.

Aberdeen City Councillor Miranda Radley, Communities, Housing and Public Protection committee said: “Aberdeen’s open spaces are essential for our health and wellbeing.

“Aberdeen’s Open Space Audit provides key information on the types, quality and accessibility of open and green spaces in the city that are critical to directing greenspace policies, management of spaces, and the interventions of partners, the community and other organisations.”

The audit covers various types of open spaces, including parks, gardens, playing fields, woodlands, play areas, allotments, and civic spaces. These spaces are managed by various stakeholders, including Aberdeen City Council, community groups, volunteers, businesses and partners.

By providing information on information on the types, quality and accessibility of publicly accessible open green spaces, the audit plays a key role in directing the policies and management and the interventions of communities and other Council partners in shaping those spaces for the benefit of users.

Together, these help to deliver the outcomes set out in the Net Zero Aberdeen Natural Environment Strategy, Aberdeen Adapts, Council Climate Change Plan, Aberdeen Local Outcome Improvement Plan 2016-2026, and the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.

Open spaces improve quality of life by giving citizens opportunities to connect with nature and people, tackle the global climate-nature crisis, promote nature recovery, and make positive environmental changes.

Key findings include:
•    82% of respondents said they would like to see more greenspaces managed in a more natural way for the benefit of wildlife and nature
•    79% of respondents were satisfied with the overall quality of open spaces, with parks and woodlands receiving the highest satisfaction
•    Survey respondents highlighted the critical role that green spaces play in promoting overall health and well-being, with physical exercise or health reasons, to be in nature and to socialise given as the top three reasons why people use open spaces
•    Open space quality indicators showed that accessibility and attractive and appealing place categories scored the highest

The audit also provides insights into access to open space, with approximately 63% of households within 1,500m of a major open space, 45% within 400m of a natural greenspace over 2 hectares and 75% within 710m of a public park or garden.
Additionally, the report assesses the quality of open spaces, through accessibility, attractive and appealing place, health, community value and biodiversity quality indicators.

The findings, Audit Mapping, and Audit Data Dashboard are publicly available for use by everyone with an interest in helping to drive positive environmental changes, identify projects and secure funding for environmental improvements at site, community, and city-wide levels.

The Audit is a snapshot in time and how spaces are used and their quality can change over time. However periodic updates to the Audit mapping will be made.
The Audit findings, mapping and Data Dashboard can be viewed on the Open Space webpage Aberdeen Open Space Audit 2024

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How high-latitude peat and forest fires could shape the future of Earth’s climate

Source: The Conversation – France – By Apostolos Voulgarakis, AXA Chair in Wildfires and Climate Director, Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment & Climate Change, Technical University of Crete

Understanding how wildfires influence our planet’s climate is a daunting challenge. Although fire occurs nearly everywhere on Earth and has always been present, it is still one of the least understood components of the Earth system. Recently, unprecedented fire activity has been observed in boreal (northern) and Arctic regions, which has drawn the scientific community’s attention to areas whose role in the future of our planet remains a mystery. Climate change likely has a major role in this alarming trend. However, high-latitude wildfires are not just a symptom of climate change; they are an accelerating force that could shape the future of our climate in ways that we are currently incapable of predicting.

A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

The rising threat of northern fires

As global temperatures rise, wildfires are advancing further north and reaching into the Arctic. Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Scandinavia and even Greenland, all in northern high-latitude regions, have recently experienced some of the most intense and prolonged wildfire seasons on record. With climate change occurring more rapidly in these areas, the future of northern fires appears even grimmer.

Apart from typical forest fires that consume surface vegetation, many high-latitude fires burn through peat, the dense, carbon-rich layers of partially decayed organic material. Despite covering only 3% of the terrestrial surface, peatlands are one of the world’s most important carbon storage environments, containing around 25% of the carbon existing in the Earth’s soils.

Climate warming, which is even faster at high northern latitudes due to polar amplification – the phenomenon of greater climate change near the poles compared to the rest of the hemisphere or globe – is increasing the vulnerability of these ecosystems to fire, with potentially severe implications for the global climate. When peatlands ignite, they release massive amounts of “fossil carbon” that have been locked away for centuries or even millennia. The largest and most persistent fires on Earth, peat fires can smoulder for extended periods, are difficult to extinguish and can continue burning underground throughout the winter, only to reignite on the surface in spring. They have recently been described as “zombie” fires.

Warmer and drier conditions driven by climate change, apart from making boreal forests more flammable, are expected to intensify and increase the frequency of peat fires, potentially transforming peatlands from carbon sinks into net sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Such a shift could trigger a feedback loop, meaning that a warming climate will cause more carbon emissions, which in turn will accelerate climate change.

Air pollution and weather patterns

Wildfires release large quantities of smoke particles (aerosols) into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to both local and widespread air quality degradation. These particles are harmful to human health and can cause serious respiratory and cardiovascular problems, while prolonged exposure may lead to smoke-induced stress, hospitalizations and increased mortality. Wildfires can also cause mental health strains associated with evacuations, loss of homes, livelihoods and lives.

À lire aussi :
Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, not just your lungs

Beyond their long-term effects on climate, wildfire emissions can also influence weather patterns in more short-term ways via their impacts on atmospheric pollution levels. Smoke particles interact with sunlight and cloud formation processes, subsequently affecting temperatures, wind patterns and rainfall.

For example, our recent study on the large-scale atmospheric impacts of the 2023 Canadian wildfires, which we presented at the European Geosciences Union general assembly this spring, demonstrated that wildfire aerosols led to a surface air temperature decrease that expanded to the entire northern hemisphere. The cooling was particularly pronounced over Canada (up to -5.5°C in August), where the emissions were located, but was also significant over remote areas such as Eastern Europe and even Siberia (up to around -2.5°C in July). The average hemispheric temperature anomaly we calculated (close to -1°C) highlights the potential for large regional emissions from wildfires to perturb weather conditions for weeks across a whole hemisphere, with profound implications for forecasting. Unreliable weather forecasts can disrupt daily activities and pose risks to public safety, especially during extreme events such as heatwaves or storms. They also have serious consequences for industries such as farming, fishing and transport, where planning depends heavily on accurate, timely predictions.

Peat fires and the climate puzzle

While incorporating peatland fire feedbacks into Earth System Models (ESMs) is essential for accurate climate projections, most existing models lack a representation of peat fires. Understanding the smouldering behaviour of organic soils when they burn, their ignition probability, and how these processes can be represented at a global scale is of utmost importance. Recent research efforts are focusing on bridging this knowledge gap. For example, at the Technical University of Crete, we are collaborating with the Hazelab research group at Imperial College London and the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society to perform field research and cutting-edge experiments) on peat smouldering, with the aim of shedding light on the complex mechanisms of peat fires.

Integrating these lab results into ESMs will enable game-changing fire emission modelling, which holds potential for groundbreaking outcomes when it comes to our skill level for predicting the future of the Earth’s climate. By quantifying how the present-day atmosphere is influenced by fire emissions from boreal forests and peatlands, we can enhance the quality of projections of global temperature rise. This integration will also sharpen forecasts of regional climate impacts driven by fire-related aerosols, such as changes in rainfall patterns or accelerated Arctic ice melt.

Tackling the challenge of northern fires

Undoubtedly, we have entered an era of more frequent megafires – wildfires of extreme size, intensity, duration or impacts – with catastrophic consequences. Recent megafire events at boreal and Arctic regions unveil the dramatic change in wildfire patterns in northern high latitudes, which is a matter that demands urgent attention and action.

As the planet continues to warm, high-latitude fires are expected to help shape the future of our planet. Massive wildfire events, such as those in Canada in 2023, not only burned millions of hectares but also forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Unprecedented amounts of smoke blanketed parts of North America in hazardous air, prompting school closures and health warnings, and obliging citizens to remain indoors for days. Events like this reflect a growing trend. They underscore why advancing research to better understand and predict the dynamics of northern peat and forest fires, and to mitigate their climate impacts, is not only a scientific imperative but also a moral responsibility.

Created in 2007 to help accelerate and share scientific knowledge on key societal issues, the Axa Research Fund has supported nearly 700 projects around the world conducted by researchers in 38 countries. To learn more, visit the website of the Axa Research Fund or follow @AXAResearchFund on X.

Dimitra Tarasi has received funding from the AXA Chair in Wildfires and Climate, the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society and the A.G. Leventis Foundation Educational Grants.

Apostolos Voulgarakis ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. How high-latitude peat and forest fires could shape the future of Earth’s climate – https://theconversation.com/how-high-latitude-peat-and-forest-fires-could-shape-the-future-of-earths-climate-258721

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How high-latitude peat and forest fires could shape the future of Earth’s climate

Source: The Conversation – France – By Apostolos Voulgarakis, AXA Chair in Wildfires and Climate Director, Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment & Climate Change, Technical University of Crete

Understanding how wildfires influence our planet’s climate is a daunting challenge. Although fire occurs nearly everywhere on Earth and has always been present, it is still one of the least understood components of the Earth system. Recently, unprecedented fire activity has been observed in boreal (northern) and Arctic regions, which has drawn the scientific community’s attention to areas whose role in the future of our planet remains a mystery. Climate change likely has a major role in this alarming trend. However, high-latitude wildfires are not just a symptom of climate change; they are an accelerating force that could shape the future of our climate in ways that we are currently incapable of predicting.

A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

The rising threat of northern fires

As global temperatures rise, wildfires are advancing further north and reaching into the Arctic. Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Scandinavia and even Greenland, all in northern high-latitude regions, have recently experienced some of the most intense and prolonged wildfire seasons on record. With climate change occurring more rapidly in these areas, the future of northern fires appears even grimmer.

Apart from typical forest fires that consume surface vegetation, many high-latitude fires burn through peat, the dense, carbon-rich layers of partially decayed organic material. Despite covering only 3% of the terrestrial surface, peatlands are one of the world’s most important carbon storage environments, containing around 25% of the carbon existing in the Earth’s soils.

Climate warming, which is even faster at high northern latitudes due to polar amplification – the phenomenon of greater climate change near the poles compared to the rest of the hemisphere or globe – is increasing the vulnerability of these ecosystems to fire, with potentially severe implications for the global climate. When peatlands ignite, they release massive amounts of “fossil carbon” that have been locked away for centuries or even millennia. The largest and most persistent fires on Earth, peat fires can smoulder for extended periods, are difficult to extinguish and can continue burning underground throughout the winter, only to reignite on the surface in spring. They have recently been described as “zombie” fires.

Warmer and drier conditions driven by climate change, apart from making boreal forests more flammable, are expected to intensify and increase the frequency of peat fires, potentially transforming peatlands from carbon sinks into net sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Such a shift could trigger a feedback loop, meaning that a warming climate will cause more carbon emissions, which in turn will accelerate climate change.

Air pollution and weather patterns

Wildfires release large quantities of smoke particles (aerosols) into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to both local and widespread air quality degradation. These particles are harmful to human health and can cause serious respiratory and cardiovascular problems, while prolonged exposure may lead to smoke-induced stress, hospitalizations and increased mortality. Wildfires can also cause mental health strains associated with evacuations, loss of homes, livelihoods and lives.

À lire aussi :
Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, not just your lungs

Beyond their long-term effects on climate, wildfire emissions can also influence weather patterns in more short-term ways via their impacts on atmospheric pollution levels. Smoke particles interact with sunlight and cloud formation processes, subsequently affecting temperatures, wind patterns and rainfall.

For example, our recent study on the large-scale atmospheric impacts of the 2023 Canadian wildfires, which we presented at the European Geosciences Union general assembly this spring, demonstrated that wildfire aerosols led to a surface air temperature decrease that expanded to the entire northern hemisphere. The cooling was particularly pronounced over Canada (up to -5.5°C in August), where the emissions were located, but was also significant over remote areas such as Eastern Europe and even Siberia (up to around -2.5°C in July). The average hemispheric temperature anomaly we calculated (close to -1°C) highlights the potential for large regional emissions from wildfires to perturb weather conditions for weeks across a whole hemisphere, with profound implications for forecasting. Unreliable weather forecasts can disrupt daily activities and pose risks to public safety, especially during extreme events such as heatwaves or storms. They also have serious consequences for industries such as farming, fishing and transport, where planning depends heavily on accurate, timely predictions.

Peat fires and the climate puzzle

While incorporating peatland fire feedbacks into Earth System Models (ESMs) is essential for accurate climate projections, most existing models lack a representation of peat fires. Understanding the smouldering behaviour of organic soils when they burn, their ignition probability, and how these processes can be represented at a global scale is of utmost importance. Recent research efforts are focusing on bridging this knowledge gap. For example, at the Technical University of Crete, we are collaborating with the Hazelab research group at Imperial College London and the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society to perform field research and cutting-edge experiments) on peat smouldering, with the aim of shedding light on the complex mechanisms of peat fires.

Integrating these lab results into ESMs will enable game-changing fire emission modelling, which holds potential for groundbreaking outcomes when it comes to our skill level for predicting the future of the Earth’s climate. By quantifying how the present-day atmosphere is influenced by fire emissions from boreal forests and peatlands, we can enhance the quality of projections of global temperature rise. This integration will also sharpen forecasts of regional climate impacts driven by fire-related aerosols, such as changes in rainfall patterns or accelerated Arctic ice melt.

Tackling the challenge of northern fires

Undoubtedly, we have entered an era of more frequent megafires – wildfires of extreme size, intensity, duration or impacts – with catastrophic consequences. Recent megafire events at boreal and Arctic regions unveil the dramatic change in wildfire patterns in northern high latitudes, which is a matter that demands urgent attention and action.

As the planet continues to warm, high-latitude fires are expected to help shape the future of our planet. Massive wildfire events, such as those in Canada in 2023, not only burned millions of hectares but also forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Unprecedented amounts of smoke blanketed parts of North America in hazardous air, prompting school closures and health warnings, and obliging citizens to remain indoors for days. Events like this reflect a growing trend. They underscore why advancing research to better understand and predict the dynamics of northern peat and forest fires, and to mitigate their climate impacts, is not only a scientific imperative but also a moral responsibility.

Created in 2007 to help accelerate and share scientific knowledge on key societal issues, the Axa Research Fund has supported nearly 700 projects around the world conducted by researchers in 38 countries. To learn more, visit the website of the Axa Research Fund or follow @AXAResearchFund on X.

Dimitra Tarasi has received funding from the AXA Chair in Wildfires and Climate, the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society and the A.G. Leventis Foundation Educational Grants.

Apostolos Voulgarakis ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. How high-latitude peat and forest fires could shape the future of Earth’s climate – https://theconversation.com/how-high-latitude-peat-and-forest-fires-could-shape-the-future-of-earths-climate-258721

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Powering African Economies: African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 to Host Program Track on Power, Infrastructure Sectors

African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies – taking place September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town – will feature a Power Africa Track as part of its main conference program. The track, dedicated to addressing emerging opportunities across the continent’s power and infrastructure sectors, will examine the state of play of Africa’s power market. Government representatives, private sector investors, independent power producers and public utilities will come together to discuss Africa’s future power systems – laying the foundation for new deals to be signed.

While many developed nations prioritize renewable energy developments, African nations continue to face significant energy access challenges. Approximately 43% of the continent’s population lives without access to electricity, with rural and remote communities struggling to gain access to national grid networks. At the same time, Africa is also the continent most-effected by climate change impacts globally. This highlights a need – and emerging opportunity – for a coordinated approach by both the private and public sectors to develop infrastructure that meets the demands of both urbanized and rural communities. The AEW: Invest in African Energies Powering Africa Track offers a platform to discuss strategies for expanding energy access across the continent. Sessions will explore the role public-private collaboration plays, how market liberalization can bolster investments and the impact of integrated power pools. Panel discussions include: Energy Leaders Dialogue: Strengthening Public & Private Collaborations for Increased Energy Access; Empowering Africa’s Energy Future: Market Liberalization and Private Sector Leadership; Scaling Renewable Innovation: Bridging the Energy Access Gap with Off-Grid and Smart Technologies; and Connecting Africa: Advancing Regional Trade Through Integrated Power Pools.

Many countries in Africa are pursuing investment to support sustainable energy developments, seeking to both strengthen and expand power systems. Challenges related to inadequate generating capacity, transmission disruptions and maintenance have plagued many countries, resulting in unreliable power supply that hinders economic growth. South Africa, for example, Africa’s largest economy, struggles with intermittent power, largely due to an ageing coal fleet. To address this, the country is leveraging policy such as the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer program and Integrated Resource Plan to incentivize private sector investment in alternative energy sources. To date, the country has introduced 6.4 GW of renewable energy capacity to the grid through 122 independent power producers. AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 sessions on Balancing Investment Strategies and the Integration of Renewable into the Energy Mix and The Role of African Energy in a World Where Climate is No Longer the First Priority will explore the role of renewable energy in Africa’s power systems and how Africa’s priorities have shifted to power expansion.

Beyond renewables, Africa is well-positioned to leverage its natural gas and uranium resources to diversify its energy mix and strengthen power capacity. Wit over 620 trillion cubic feet of proven gas resources, the continent is turning to gas-based power to enhance access and support industrialization. Major projects include Angola’s 750 MW Soyo combined cycle power plant; Senegal’s 300 MW Cap des Biches power plant; Algeria’s 660 MW dual-fired Hassi Messaoud Gas Turbine plant, among others. In the nuclear sector, several African countries are pursuing power projects in collaboration with international partners. Projects are being planned in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, and more, all of which will complement the continent’s sole operating nuclear facility: South Africa’s Koeberg plant. Sessions on gas-to-power and nuclear at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 will explore the emerging role these resources will play in Africa’s power sector. Sessions include Gas-to-Power: Meeting Africa’s Growing Domestic Energy Demand Now; Overcoming Infrastructure and Regulatory Hurdles to Nuclear Deployment; Energy Efficiency: The Cornerstone of Africa’s Sustainable Growth; and Powering Africa’s Industrial Revolution.

“With over 600 million people living without access to electricity, there has never been a more imperative time to advance the development of integrated power systems in Africa. While the continent’s population continues to grow, securing power supply becomes critical. By investing in African resources, strengthening infrastructure and introducing off-grid power solutions, Africa will be able to both alleviate energy poverty while driving long-term, sustainable growth,” states Sergio Pugliese, President for the African Energy Chamber, Angola.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

MIL OSI Africa –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plans for UK to become sustainable finance capital of the world
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

Plans for UK to become sustainable finance capital of the world

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband outlines plans to support banks and large companies in developing climate transition plans.
Government welcomes views on supporting banks and large companies to set out their climate transition plans

Energy Secretary announces plans will “help unlock billions in clean energy investment” and grow the economy

delivers on commitment to make the UK the “sustainable finance capital of the world” as part of the Plan for Change

To help “unlock billions in clean energy investment”, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has today outlined plans to support banks and large companies in developing climate transition plans when addressing the Climate and Innovation Forum as part of London Climate Action Week (25 June).

The UK is consistently ranked first in the world for sustainable finance, and 70% of FTSE 100 companies have already voluntarily developed many of the key elements of a transition plan. Widespread transition planning will help provide long-term certainty and clarity to help scale the sustainable finance industry as part of our modern industrial policy.

The government’s clean energy superpower mission is already delivering economic growth, with net zero sectors growing 3 times faster than the overall economy last year, according to CBI Economics. Since July, over £40 billion of private investment has also been announced into the UK’s clean energy industries – creating good jobs for working people and driving long-term growth.

As part of the government’s Plan for Change, the government wants to help stimulate billions of pounds a year of private investment to deliver the government’s clean energy superpower mission and make the UK the “sustainable finance capital of the world”.

To support this growth, the government will take forward recommendations from last year’s Transition Finance Market Review to consult on transition plan requirements in order to catalyse the growing transition finance market. The design of any future transition plan requirements will be aligned with the Prime Minister’s commitment to reduce regulatory compliance costs by 25%.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

This government is determined to make the UK the sustainable finance capital of the world as we seize the huge economic opportunities provided by clean energy.

Through our clean energy superpower mission and industrial strategy, we can win this global race and accelerate investment into these sectors – growing the economy, turbocharging the transition to net zero and delivering on our Plan for Change.

Our plans will transform our leading financial services sector into a global hub for green investment.

Minister for Competition and Markets Justin Madders said:

We want to work with businesses to develop a “common sense” sustainable reporting framework that is transparent, clear and proportionate for those investing in the UK.

These measures will enhance competition in the sustainability assurance sector, helping to deliver on our Plan for Change and kickstart economic growth.

Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma KCMG, Chair of the UK Transition Finance Council said:

A clear message from the Transition Finance Market Review was that high quality disclosure and information are vital for investors and a pre-condition to a flourishing sustainable and transition finance market.

I therefore very much welcome the government taking forward recommendations from the Review to consult on corporate transition plan requirements.

The UK can become the pre-eminent global financial centre for raising transition finance, but this is a time-limited opportunity, and that is why it will be vital to move quickly from consultation to implementation.

The government is publishing 3 consultations on:

how to take forward the government’s commitment on transition planning to support the market to invest in sectors that will deliver the clean energy superpower mission

new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards to provide clear, comparable information for investors on sustainability related financial risks and opportunities to enable them to make informed investment decisions

the development of a voluntary registration regime for the providers of assurance of sustainability reporting, supporting growth in this important sector

Transition planning means businesses set out a roadmap that outlines how they intend to adapt and transform their operations, strategies, and business models to align with their climate goals.

This is a vital part of the government’s commitment to secure Britain’s position as the sustainable finance capital of the world and will help businesses and investors seize the opportunities from the clean energy transition.

A recent survey of financial institutions conducted by South Pole found that 84% of UK-based financial institutions find companies with transition plans more attractive to invest in.

Supporting British industry and creating good, skilled jobs up and up down the country is core to the government’s industrial strategy and plan to grow the economy, ensuring businesses can take advantage of the transition to new low carbon technologies as they reduce their emissions. This will allow UK industry to remain competitive globally and support the millions of manufacturing jobs in regions across the UK – as well as future-proofing existing sectors, and increasing economic resilience to climate impacts.

Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive at SSE plc said:

SSE has long been a firm supporter of credible, transparent transition planning. As an early adopter of climate transition plans, we’ve seen first-hand how they can build investor confidence and accelerate progress toward net zero.

We welcome the UK Government’s ambition to become the sustainable finance capital of the world and fully support the work of the Transition Plan Taskforce and the Transition Finance Market Review.

As the UK’s clean energy champion, we want to see the UK remain the best place in the world to attract transition finance and deliver the investment needed for a just and ambitious energy transition.

Rachel Solomon Williams, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, said:

The Aldersgate Group welcomes today’s announcement as a significant step forward in creating a first-in-class green regulatory framework.

Using the feedback from these consultations to develop clear financial guardrails will help strengthen the transparency, interoperability, and credibility of climate-related financial disclosures. This is essential to support the measures in the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, unlocking private sector investment in the UK’s low carbon economy.

We are particularly pleased to see the consultation on how best to take forward the government’s commitment on transition planning. Climate transition plans are a vital tool to help real economy companies integrate climate into strategic and operational decision-making, while also enabling financial institutions to align capital allocation, stewardship, and risk management with the transition to net zero.

James Alexander, CEO of UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), said:

We welcome the government’s commitment to bringing forward the consultation on climate transition plans for banks and large companies. These are essential for enhancing growth and global competitiveness as the UK and other countries decarbonise.

Further dialogue between the government and industry on the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards is also very encouraging. We look forward to ministers taking forward these commitments, which will help future-proof our economy over the coming years.

Heather McKay, Programme Lead, UK Sustainable and Resilient Finance at E3G, said:

The delivery of the government’s growth mission relies on ensuring Britain is a world-class destination for green and transition finance.

The clean economy is our ticket to a high-growth future, and credible transition plans – as part of a future-fit regulatory regime – are fundamental to unlocking the investment required to seize this opportunity.

The release of this highly anticipated consultation package is a welcome step towards turning this vision into reality.

Claudine Blamey, Chief Sustainability Officer at Aviva, said:

We welcome this consultation as an important next step in understanding how transition planning is rolled out across the UK economy, helping businesses understand the steps needed to transition, supporting a greener, more prosperous future.

Andrew Ninian, Director for Stewardship, Risk and Tax at the Investment Association, said:

We want the UK to remain at the forefront of sustainable finance. Ensuring that reporting standards are focused on the issues that impact the financial performance of companies is vital to achieve this.

Transition planning should enable investors to understand how climate risks and opportunities affect a company’s value and how they are adapting their business strategy to reduce their climate impact, in order to provide a sustainable future and grow the UK economy.

International comparability is also key, and with companies already preparing for reporting in line with ISSB, endorsing the standards will allow investors in UK companies to fully understand their long-term sustainability risks and simplify reporting expectations in the UK and globally.

Ian Bhullar, Director, Sustainability Policy, UK Finance said:

The financial services industry backs proportionate, internationally aligned sustainability reporting. Many firms have already published transition plans and use their customers’ plans to make low-carbon financing decisions.

Better reporting by a range of companies will provide information that lenders and investors can use to increase green finance flows. UK Finance welcomes these consultations and will work with government to ensure they support growth in the UK economy.

Faith Ward, Chief RI Officer, Brunel Pension Partnership said:

I hugely welcome the HMG announcements today. Having been deeply involved in supporting the International Sustainability Standards Board and Transition Plan Taskforce, I am delighted to see the UK take this vital step to regain its leadership role as global centre for green finance.

Investors want to allocate capital to growing businesses that are taking action to address climate and sustainability risks – and that are looking to business opportunities so that they deliver financially over the long term. They need globally consistent reporting on climate and sustainability actions, alongside critical insights into corporate plans for the transition.

Bruno Gardner, Head of Climate Change and Nature, Phoenix Group said:

As a long-term investor, policy developments that provide greater certainty around the net zero transition enhance the UK’s role as the leading centre of sustainable finance.

Transition plans are critical to helping investors like Phoenix Group manage the risks of climate change and direct capital towards companies that are best equipped to navigate the transition to net zero, ensuring the best outcomes for our customers.

We welcome all three consultations and the government’s engagement with the private sector, which is a significant step towards giving investors greater policy certainty and enabling us to being net-zero by 2050.

Notes to editors

DESNZ analysis of Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) data showed that global investment into low carbon sectors amounted to £1.6 trillion in 2024, with total investment in UK low carbon sectors representing 1.8% of GDP, the second highest share within the G7.

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Published 25 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 26, 2025
‘Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan’ — Remembering Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s Resounding Call: Vice-President Pays Tribute on The Leader’s Balidan Diwas

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (2)

lign=”center”>Article 370 Bled Jammu & Kashmir; Along With Draconian 35A, It Deprived People of Basic Human Rights – VP
NEP 2020 Reaffirms India’s Belief in Education as Self-Awakening, Not Just Skill-Building, Highlights VP
Our Universities Are Not Meant To Just Hand Out Degrees. They Have To Be Crucibles of Innovation And Sanctuaries of Ideas, Says VP
Education Brings About Equality, Education Decimates Inequities. Education Gives Life to Democracy, Stresses VP
Universities Must Allow Space for Disagreement, Debate, Dialogue and Discussion; Abhivyakti, Vaad Vivaad, Anant Vaad Are Inalienable Facets of Our Democracy, Urges VP
Establish Institutions of Uncompromising Excellence in AI, Climate Tech, Quantum Science — Then Bharat Will Lead, Others Will Follow, Underlines VP
Vice-President Addresses the Inaugural Session of the 99th Annual Meet and National Conference of Vice Chancellors (2024–2025) In Uttar Pradesh

The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today paid homage to Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, saying, “It’s a great day in the history of our nation. One of the finest sons of our soil, it is his balidan diwas today — Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. He gave the slogan — एक विधान, एक निशान और एक प्रधान ही होगा देश में दो नहीं होंगे. He said so during the campaign in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1952.”

https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937053832418410692

Shri Dhankhar further added, “We suffered from Article 370 for too long. It bled us and the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 and the draconian Article 35A deprived people of their basic human rights and fundamental rights. We had a visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a Home Minister in the shoes of Sardar Patel, Amit Shah. Article 370 does not exist now in our Constitution. It was abrogated on 5th August 2019, and the legal challenge to the Supreme Court failed on 11 December 2023. I therefore cannot be at a more befitting place than this to pay tribute to one of the finest sons of our soil. My tributes to him.”

Addressing the inaugural session of the 99th Annual Meet and National Conference of Vice Chancellors (2024–2025), organised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), at Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, Shri Dhankhar said, highlighting the National Education Policy, “I must share with you something which happened after more than 3 decades, that has really changed the landscape of our education. I am making reference to the ‘National Education Policy’ 2020. As Governor, State of West Bengal, I was associated with it. Some major inputs — in the hands of thousands — were taken into consideration for the evolution of this policy.”

https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937060609058800015

“The policy resonates with our civilizational spirit, essence, and ethos. It is a bold reaffirmation of India’s timeless belief that education is the awakening of the self — not just for education of skills.”

“I have firmly believed — education is a great equalizer. Education brings about equality as no other mechanism does. Education decimates inequities. As a matter of fact, education gives life to democracy.”

Congratulating the Government of Uttar Pradesh, he stated, “My congratulations to the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The Chief Minister has done a great initiative. IT was given ‘Industry Status’. That has a huge consequence for positive development. Another aspect for which UP is getting increasingly recognized is at the school education level. The transparency and accountability in administration is becoming a hallmark.”

https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937054543826784674

Applauding India’s national progress, the Vice-President said, “India has emerged as a land of opportunity, of entrepreneurship, of startups, of innovation, of unicorns. In every parameter where growth and development can be gauged, we are rising.”

On the role of universities, the Vice-President emphasized, “Our universities are not meant to just hand out degrees. The degrees must carry great weightage. Universities must be sanctuaries of ideas and ideation, crucibles of innovation. These places have to catalyse big change.”

https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937059527398224310

“That responsibility lies on the Vice-Chancellors in particular and the academia in general. I appeal to you, there must be space for disagreement, debate, dialogue and discussion. That is how the mind cells are activated. Abhivyakti, Vaad Vivaad, Anant Vaad — these are inalienable facets of our civilisation, of our democracy.”

Highlighting India’s potential to lead in knowledge domains, he said, “When you look around the world, you’ll understand its significance. The state of education defines not only the state of academics, but the state of the nation. We cannot remain perpetual students of Western innovation when our demographic dividend position says, as the world’s knowledge epicenter.”

“And when we look back in our ancient history, we are reminded of our rich past. It is time Bharat must build world-class institutions, not just to teach, but to pioneer. These are not mere disciplines. These are levers of assurance of our sovereignty in all times to come.”

https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937061917761376261

Calling for equitable expansion of higher education, the Vice-President observed, “A lot of our institutions have remained brown-field. Let us fall in line with the global groove — let’s go green. Greenfield institutions alone bring about equitable distribution. There is clusterization in metros and Tier 1 cities. Many regions remain untouched.”

“Let’s go in for greenfield institutions in such areas. Vice Chancellors are not only the watchdogs, but impregnable bulwarks against commodification and commercialisation of education. One of our fundamental objectives is to ensure affordability, reach, and accessibility of quality education for ordinary people.”

Concluding his address with a call to establish leadership in emerging domains, the Vice-President asserted, “Establish institutions of uncompromising excellence in emerging domains — artificial intelligence, climate change, climate technology, quantum science, digital ethics — then Bharat will lead, others will follow. That’s a challenge.”

“Education is not just merely for public good. It is our most strategic national asset. It is integrally connected not only with our development journey in infrastructure or otherwise, it assures national security also.”

“Friends, I am before academicians and therefore I will reveal my thought process a little more critically for your analysis. Impossible choices define our character and strength. We must not take the easy route. Impossible choices define that we really have a great inheritance. Taking the easy path is getting into mediocrity, and then into irrelevance and insignificance.”

“Universities are crucibles to generate such choices. They prepare minds. They prepare people to be intrepid — to go in for impossible choices.”

Shri Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister for IT and Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan, Founder President, Amity Education and Research Group; Prof. Vinay Kumar Pathak, President, AIU; and Dr. (Mrs.) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, AIU, and other dignitaries were also present.

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Legal routes for climate justice in Africa

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

By Oluwabusayo Wuraola, Anglia Ruskin University

Climate change lawsuits have become a new way for countries to assert their rights against actions that degrade the environment. But African countries have yet to fully exploit this route.

In the Netherlands, the court found that greenhouse gas emissions breached the rights to life and private and family life that are protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.

In Germany, the court found that the government had breached the Climate Protection Act by not setting out a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after 2030. This meant that future generations would unfairly bear the burden of trying to limit climate change.

Africa is the continent that’s most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. At the same time, it has contributed least in the world to greenhouse gas emissions.

However, African countries have not taken up many climate court cases, mainly because they lack resources. They are also hampered by weak climate laws, limited expertise to gather and present evidence in court, and their economic reliance on extractive industries which they may not want to sue in court.

One of the few African climate lawsuits was brought by the South African environmental justice group EarthLife Africa Johannesburg. It took the country’s environment ministry to court to cancel the government’s approval of new coal-fired power plants. The Pretoria high court held that the approval was unlawful because it had failed to consider how new coal-fired power stations would make climate change worse.

Another case was filed in 2020 by civil society groups that sued the governments of Uganda and Tanzania over the East African Crude Oil Pipeline for breaching human rights and damaging the environment. The East African Court of Justice dismissed the case after the activists missed the deadline to file documents. The groups have appealed against the dismissal, but this highlights some of the difficulties in bringing international climate litigation.

In May 2025, the Pan African Lawyers’ Union asked the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for an advisory opinion (still to be issued) on the obligations of African states to protect human rights in a time of climate crisis. This case was brought in collaboration with the Africa Climate Platform, the Environmental Lawyers Collective for Africa, Natural Justice, resilient40, and other environmental justice organisations.

I am an environmental justice researcher who examines how ecocentrism (valuing the entire interests of ecosystems over human interests or individual companies interests) can be taken forward in African legal systems.

I argue that Africa should use three key international legal routes to amplify its voice in litigating against climate change.

1. The International Court of Justice

In December 2024, the International Court of Justice agreed for the first time to provide an advisory opinion on what states are obliged to do to fight climate change and set out the legal consequences for states that do not meet these obligations.

In late 2024, the court accepted inputs from countries that had already been affected by climate change. These included members of the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States and the African Union, and South Africa, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia and Senegal. The court will hand down the opinion in late 2025.

Even though International Court of Justice advisory opinions are not legally binding, these proceedings were a milestone. They provided African countries with a good platform to raise their demands about the obligations of countries to protect the climate system in this time of global warming.

2. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

In June 2023, the African Union submitted a written statement in support of the request made by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. The island states had asked the tribunal to set out how governments were obliged by the international marine treaty to prevent, reduce and control marine pollution caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

This was the first time the tribunal had formally considered the impacts of climate change on the marine environment. The African Union relied on important international environmental legal principles in its statement. These include the duty to avoid polluting the atmosphere and to prevent harm that takes place across borders.

These principles have been used by different countries in lawsuits previously. These cases form the legal basis for many climate lawsuits today.

The tribunal’s advisory opinions are not legally binding, but they also contribute to the development of international law, and again, could be useful for Africa to assert a strong, unified legal voice in the global fight for climate justice.

3. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

This 1992 convention has been ratified by many African states. It is a central international legal framework that guides global action on climate change. It has been the foundation for many international agreements on how governments will prevent climate change.

African countries will need to include international climate change agreements into their laws and policies. Not all African countries have climate change laws. Countries with climate change laws include Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa. More must follow.

Africa lacks the resources to prevent the worst effects of climate change and recover from the damage caused by global warming.

African countries must now take climate lawsuits forward to demand accountability, shape climate policies and safeguard the future.

By embracing regional mechanisms like the African court, using international legal instruments, and developing national climate laws, Africa can assert a strong, unified legal voice in the global fight for climate justice.

Oluwabusayo Wuraola, Lecturer in Law, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Schools champion climate education in drive to towards Net Zero

Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

Members of the Education and Children’s Services Committee were today (Tuesday 24 June) updated on the significant strides made by Aberdeen schools in educating young people about Climate Change, Biodiversity and the city’s Net Zero ambitions during the 2024-25 school session.

The report, which detailed a wide range of impactful events and initiatives delivered across schools, as well as the continued efforts of the Youth Climate Change Group, was approved by committee with the exception of recommendation 2.3. The full report can be viewed here.

Councillor Martin Greig, convener, of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “Our schools are playing a vital role in preparing young people to meet the challenges of the climate emergency. Through innovative learning and strong partnerships, we are empowering the next generation to lead the way towards a more sustainable and equitable future for Aberdeen and beyond.”

Councillor Jessica Mennie, vice-convener of the Education and Children Services Committee, said: “The enthusiasm and creativity shown by our young people in tackling climate change is truly inspiring. By embedding sustainability into everyday learning and supporting youth-lead initiatives, we are not only educating but also encouraging future leaders to help shape a greener Aberdeen.”

Aberdeen’s schools continue to embrace the Learning for Sustainability (LfS) agenda, integrating sustainable development, biodiversity, climate change, outdoor learning, and global citizenship into the Curriculum for Excellence.

These themes are explored through interdisciplinary learning, project-based learning, science, social studies, and outdoor education, empowering young people to take meaningful action for a better future. Aberdeen now has 11 schools that are recognised as Eco Schools and awarded Green Flag status by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

St Joseph’s RC School won the Scottish Fair Trade ‘In the Bag’ award in recognition of its 10-year commitment to fair and ethical trade, including being the first school in Scotland to commit to supporting and working with communities in India.

The Youth Climate Change Group remains a vital platform for pupil voice and leadership and the committee thanked pupils for their significant efforts in promoting and actioning environmental work in school and citywide.

Committee members agreed that this important area of focused activity should continue and instructed the Chief Officer for Education and Lifelong Learning to support the Youth Climate Change Group to collate and share a yearly summary of the most impactful projects in their schools, through means to be determined by the group, to inspire other young people across the city.

The committee agreed that representatives from the Youth Climate Change Group should be invited to present the Climate Change report to committee in subsequent years.

In partnership with the City Development and Regeneration Service, the Education Service will launch the ABZ Pipeline – a new initiative designed to create curriculum-linked pathways into the renewable sector. This programme will connect learners with employers, offering real-world experiences and helping pupils align their career planning with Aberdeen’s green economy.

Aberdeen for a Fairer World (AFW) continues to play a key role in supporting schools with climate-related activities. Their work includes developing projects with local authorities, ETZ, and employers, identifying skills and employment opportunities, and assessing the impact of in-school activities.

A comprehensive record of school participation during Climate Week North East 2025 will be published in the summer term.

Beyond the classroom, pupils are engaging in film screenings, workshops, barista events, and Fair Trade initiatives – demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and community action. These efforts also contribute to wider achievement and support National Qualifications.

These initiatives also align with the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) Stretch Outcome 13, which aims to reduce Aberdeen’s carbon emissions by at least 61% by 2026. As the city works towards Net Zero by 2045, the continued focus on climate education and youth engagement is essential to building a resilient, sustainable future.

The committee instructed the Chief Officer of Education and Lifelong Learning to provide a progress update within one calendar year.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: How’s the UK attempt to reach net zero going? There’s good news and bad news

Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Barrett, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy, Deputy Director of the Priestly Centre for Climate Futures, Theme Lead for the UKRI Energy Demand Research Centre, University of Leeds

BOY ANTHONY/Shutterstock

Each year, the Climate Change Committee – the UK’s independent advisory body tasked with monitoring the country’s movement toward its legally binding climate goals – gives a report on the government’s progress over the last year.

The Climate Change Committee’s new 2025 progress report is a mix of good and bad news about whether the UK is on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets. These include a 68% reduction by 2030 and an 81% reduction by 2035, relative to 1990 levels.

Meeting these targets requires long lead times. It takes years to develop and deploy low-carbon technologies, change social practices and align industrial and economic policy with net zero ambitions. The Climate Change Committee’s analysis goes beyond simply measuring emissions — it also evaluates whether the right policies are in place across sectors such as transport, buildings, energy and industry.

So how is the UK doing? Between 1990 and 2024, the UK halved its greenhouse gas emissions, primarily by decarbonising the power sector, improving energy efficiency and shifts in the UK’s industrial base. This equates to an average annual reduction of 0.7%.

Since the committee was established in 2008, the rate of reduction has more than doubled. In the last decade, since the Paris agreement was signed in 2015, the UK has decarbonised at around 3.4% per year. To meet the 2030 and 2035 targets, the pace of reduction has to continue at this level, but from a wider set of sectors.

However, the analysis in the CCC report suggests that even this may not be fast enough. A major scientific review recently warned the world has just three years left in its global carbon budget if we are to stay within the 1.5°C temperature limit agreed in the Paris agreement.

A mixed picture

We are both involved with the committee and its work. Piers Forster, a climate scientist, has served on the committee since 2018 and is currently its chair. John Barrett provides key data on imported emissions and regularly provides analysis into the committee’s work.

On the positive side, the UK continues to expand renewable energy capacity, which not only cuts emissions but lowers energy bills and improves energy security. Emissions from the energy supply sector decreased 17% last year.

A fifth of new vehicles sold are now electric. For the first time, evidence shows that electric cars are causing transport emissions to decline, even as people are travelling more. Tree planting rates also increased by 56% last year, mainly in Scotland.

However, this report highlights serious gaps. With only five years left until 2030, the Climate Change Committee estimates that 39% of the required emissions reductions are not adequately backed by government policy.

Growing demand in high-carbon sectors like aviation is offsetting gains made in electricity generation. Aviation emissions are now scarily largely than those from electricity generation and rising fast.

Time is running out and climate action is urgently required.
banu sevim/Shutterstock

Although nearly 100,000 heat pumps were installed last year, emissions from buildings are still rising. In road transport, while electric vehicle adoption is growing, there’s been little shift towards shared public transport options such as buses and trains. In industry, policies around resource efficiency and consumption remain underdeveloped.

Critically, the Climate Change Committee notes that electricity currently accounts for just 18% of the UK’s total energy demand, and suggests that 80% of required emissions reductions must come from sectors beyond energy supply. The rates of decarbonisation need to more than double in these other sectors.

Yet, policy to reduce overall energy demand remains weak. This is a broader agenda than reducing household energy bills but a more fundamental appreciation of how the UK’s energy demand can be shaped in the future.

The UK cannot rely on technology alone. The climate transition can benefit from changes in how we live, move, consume and produce. Making such changes would make us less dependent on fossil fuel imports, put more money in our pockets from efficiency savings and make us healthier by improving air quality, increase exercise levels through more active travel such as walking and cycling and make our homes more comfortable in both hot and cold conditions.

A truly credible response to the climate crisis demands a whole-system approach. That means aligning climate goals with economic and social policy, and recognising the broader benefits — from improved health to reduced inequality — that come with reducing energy demand.

The window to act is closing. The UK has made progress, but without more ambitious and integrated action, it risks falling short when it matters most.

According to the Climate Change Committee report, the UK can deliver both its legislated targets and its internationally-committed emission reduction targets if it takes decisive policy action. And with the right political will that’s possible in a cost-effective way that improves the lives of its citizens.

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

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

John Barrett receives funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Piers Forster receives funding from UK and European research councils. He is interim chair of the Climate Change Committee

– ref. How’s the UK attempt to reach net zero going? There’s good news and bad news – https://theconversation.com/hows-the-uk-attempt-to-reach-net-zero-going-theres-good-news-and-bad-news-259580

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ6: Improve the accessibility of West Kowloon Cultural District

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Yiu Pak-leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (June 25):

Question:

There are views that the road ancillary facilities and experience of walking to the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) are not satisfactory at present, and during festivals, holidays and large-scale activities, congestion often occurs on the roads in the vicinity. On improving the accessibility of the WKCD, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as it has been reported that the southern landing facility of the WKCD is expected to come into operation in the fourth quarter of this year, of the specific timetable; of the specific measures in place to expedite the development of waterborne transport there, and whether it has studied developing the area into one of the distribution points for marine tours;

(2) as some members of the public and tourists have reflected that the current experience of walking from the Xiqu Centre along Austin Road West to the area around the M+ is not satisfactory, whether the authorities will consider prioritising the creation of a pleasant harbourfront promenade from the Xiqu Centre to the WKCD to facilitate access of members of the public and tourists to the area; and

(3) as there are views that the existing road design of Museum Drive outside the Hong Kong Palace Museum is unsatisfactory and prone to causing traffic congestion, and the authorities are conducting a road network study in the vicinity of Museum Drive, including a study on the construction of additional slip road exits to the West Kowloon Expressway, of the details of the study and whether the relevant works can commence as soon as possible?

Reply:

President,

The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD or the District) is an important strategic cultural infrastructure investment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The WKCD is not only a popular choice for local residents to participate in cultural activities, but also one of the must-visit cultural and creative attractions welcomed by tourists.

The Government and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) have always attached great importance to the accessibility of West Kowloon. Currently, there are many public transport services and routes to the WKCD, including the MTR, seven franchised bus routes, five green minibus (GMB) routes as well as Water Taxis.

When large-scale activities such as fireworks displays are held at the WKCD or in its vicinity, the WKCDA will closely liaise with the Police and Transport Department (TD). The Police will implement temporary traffic management measures, including road closures, as needed within the WKCD and its vicinity whereas the TD will co-ordinate with public transport services providers to increase their services. Visitors can walk to the two MTR stations (i.e. Kowloon Station and Austin Station) or nearby places to access public transports when roads in the vicinity are still closed after the activities. During major festivals in the past two years, the said arrangements have been working smoothly.

Having consulted the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the WKCDA, my reply to the question raised by the Hon Yiu Pak-leung is set out below:

(1) The Southern Landing Facility (SLF) located opposite to M+ is expected to complete and open in quarter four of this year (2025). By then, the existing berthing point of Water Taxi at the New Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter will be relocated to this new landing facility. The WKCDA is also liaisng with the TD in actively exploring the introduction of a new ferry route between the WKCD and Central, so as to fully utilise the new landing facility for further improving waterborne transport to and from the WKCD.

The SLF is a public landing facility. The WKCDA is currently formulating the future arrangements for the use of the SLF, including reservation arrangements for berthing public vessels other than Water Taxi, and will maintain close communication with the tourism industry and relevant Government departments to explore ways to maximise the utilisation of the SLF.

(2) The WKCD is situated on a 40-hectare site next to the High Speed Rail Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, the MTR Tuen Ma Line Austin Station as well as the Tung Chung Line Kowloon Station. Citizens and visitors can choose to use the nearest MTR station according to the different arts and cultural facilities in the District they want to visit.

Taking M+ as an example, visitors can use the MTR Kowloon Station and walk about 10 minutes via Elements Shopping Mall and the Art Square Bridge to reach it. As for the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), visitors can go for Exit E of the MTR Kowloon Station, walk via Nga Cheung Road and the pedestrian footbridge of the former toll plaza of the Western Harbour Crossing to enter the WKCD West Gate, and then walk along the District’s roads to reach the HKPM in 15 minutes. Visitors going to the Xiqu Centre can use the Austin Road Pedestrian Linkage System at Exit E of the MTR Austin Station to reach the destination within 5 minutes on foot.

The development of the WKCD has always adopted the “City Park” design concept. The planning fundamental of the WKCD is pedestrian-oriented with emphasis on its connectivity, encouraging visitors to walk to and from different arts and cultural facilities within the District. For instance, from M+ to the HKPM, visitors can walk for about 10 minutes through the Art Park or along the WKCD Promenade, both of which are places where citizens and tourists love to linger. As for going from Xiqu Centre to M+, since there are still works in progress in the relevant waterfront and Austin Road West section, we recommend citizens to take about 15 to 20 minutes to walk via Austin Station, High Speed Rail Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, Elements, and the Artist Square Bridge at this stage.

If visitors choose to travel between the WKCD and the High Speed Rail Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and MTR Austin Station by public transport, they can take the GMB Route CX1, or take the Kowloon Motor Bus Route W4 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

(3) The Government and the WKCDA have been exploring various options for improving the road network of the WKCD, including the addition of an exit from Museum Drive to the West Kowloon Highway to improve vehicular accessibility of the northern part of the WKCD. The Government will continue to study with the WKCDA in this regard to meet the development needs of the WKCD.

Thank you, President.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 25, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: RAF F-35A marks a significant step in delivering a more lethal Integrated Force and joining NATO Nuclear Mission25 Jun 2025

Source: United Kingdom – Royal Air Force

The RAF will be equipped with twelve new F-35A fifth-generation aircraft, as part of the Security Defence Review. The procurement of F-35A marks a significant step in delivering a more lethal “Integrated Force”, to maintain operational relevance, which deters, fights, and wins.

The F-35A aircraft will be available to fly NATO’s nuclear mission in a crisis, deepening the UK’s contribution to NATO’s nuclear burden-sharing arrangements, and deter those who would do the UK and our Allies harm. It reintroduces a nuclear role for the RAF for the first time since the UK retired its sovereign air-launched nuclear weapons following the end of the Cold War.

This complements the UK’s own operationally independent nuclear deterrent, strengthens NATO’s nuclear deterrence, and underlines the UK’s unshakeable commitment to NATO and the principle of collective defence under Article V.

As part of the second phase procurement plans of 27 aircraft, we will purchase a combination of twelve F-35A and fifteen F-35B variants, with options on further purchases examined in the Defence Investment Plan. The UK has a declared headmark of 138 aircraft through the life of the F-35 programme.

Day-to-day, the F-35As will be used in a training role on 207 Squadron, the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). As the F-35A carries more fuel than the F-35B variant, it can stay airborne for longer, extending the available training time in each sortie for student pilots. As F-35As also require fewer maintenance hours, there will be increased aircraft availability on the OCU. These factors combined will improve pilot training and reduce the amount of time for pilots to reach the front-line squadrons.

The F-35A will complement the existing F-35B, offering a family of strike aircraft that significantly reduces life-cycle costs, meets operational requirements, and improves F-35 Force Generation for Carrier Strike operations.

Designed to operate from conventional runways, the F-35A offers increased range, increased payloads, and increased agility. The new fast jets will be based at RAF Marham and support the stand-up of a third front line F-35 Lightning Squadron.

The F-35A is the common variant in Europe making it a force multiplier for NATO. This will strengthen allied deterrence and interoperability, supporting the Alliance for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

“The threat we now face is more serious and less predictable than at any time since the Cold War. We face war in Europe, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks, and daily cyber attacks at home. Equipping the RAF with F-35A aircraft demonstrates our unshakeable commitment to our ‘NATO First’ principle, acting as a potent deterrent to those who would do the UK and our Allies harm.”
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton

“For routine day-to-day operations, we have deliberately chosen to home the F-35A on the Operational Conversion Unit, as it can provide greater flying time per sortie and requires less maintenance hours. Consequently, it will reduce the time taken to train new pilots and improve F-35 Force Generation to support Carrier Strike operations around the world.”
Director Capability and Programmes, Air Vice-Marshal Beck

Typhoon will remain a fundamental part of the UK’s Combat Air mix. The synergy between Typhoon and F-35 Lightning forms a powerful, interoperable force, offering a blend of air-to-air dominance, stealth, and versatile air-to-ground capabilities. We will create an RAF with new generation jets including GCAP, F35A, F35B and Typhoon, supported by autonomous wingmen, to defend Britain’s skies and strike anywhere in the world.

Specification	F-35A Lightning II	F-35B Lightning II
Length	51.4 ft / 15.7 m	51.2 ft / 15.5 m
Speed	Mach 1.6	Mach 1.6
Wingspan	35 ft / 10.7 m	35 ft / 10.7 m
Wing Area	460 ft² / 42.7 m²	460 ft² / 42.7 m²
Combat Radius (Internal Fuel)	>590 n.mi / 1,093 km	>450 n.mi / 833 km
Range (Internal Fuel)	>1,200 n.mi / 2,200 km	>900 n.mi / 1,667 km
Internal Fuel Capacity	18,250 lb / 8,278 kg	13,100 lb / 5,942 kg
Max G-Rating	9.0	7.0
Weapons Payload	18,000 lb / 8,160 kg	15,000 lb / 6,800 kg
Propulsion	F135-PW-100	F135-PW-600
Thrust (Max / Mil)	40,000 lb / 25,000 lb	38,000 lb / 26,000 lb (40,500 ib vertical)

*Maximum Power (Max) = With Afterburn

Military Power (Mil) = Without Afterburn

To view the official government announcement, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-purchase-f-35as-and-join-nato-nuclear-mission-as-government-steps-up-national-security-and-delivers-defence-dividend

All imagery is current RAF F-35B variant.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Emergency response drill a succes

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Civil Service Bureau today conducted a tabletop exercise, testing the mobilisation efficiency of all government departments to further familiarise them with the operation of the mobilisation protocol and enhance the Government’s emergency response capabilities.

The exercise simulated a scenario in which a super typhoon was approaching Hong Kong and its associated torrential rain might result in serious flooding in some low-lying areas.

As a consequence, it was necessary for the Government to promptly mobilise a significant number of staff across departments to form a quick response unit accordingly to provide timely support.

In accordance with the requirement of the “government-wide mobilisation” level, all bureaus and departments, as well as the Independent Commission Against Corruption, have to arrange around 10,000 personnel on standby through an interdepartmental communication mechanism established for the “government-wide mobilisation” level.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung, who was briefed on the communications among the different departments during the exercise, noted that the exercise was generally smooth, fully demonstrating the departments’ progressive enhancements in alertness and responsiveness under the “government-wide mobilisation” level.

The interdepartmental communication mechanism can also continue to support the operation of the mobilisation protocol in a highly efficient manner, Mrs Yeung said, adding that the exercise’s successful completion is an affirmation of the mature operation of the mobilisation protocol, and showcases the flexibility, efficiency and solidarity of the civil service.

In September 2023, the Government activated the mobilisation protocol twice, mobilising more than 600 government staff from 16 bureaus and department to take part in the operations that assisted in the recovery work in the wake of Super Typhoon Saola and the torrential rain.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Cold front hits Eastern Cape
Source: South Africa News Agency

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
A cold front is expected to make landfall on Wednesday in the Eastern Cape, according to South African Weather Service (SAWS).

“Ahead of the frontal system, strong to gale force winds are expected over the interior of the Eastern Cape on Wednesday and Thursday, 26 June 2025,” SAWS said.

As the cold front passes through the Eastern Cape on Thursday, the surface high pressure system will extend its ridge behind it, resulting in cold to very cold conditions in places across the province from Thursday to Friday.

“Snowfalls of between 1 to 5 cm accumulation can be expected over the northern high-lying areas on Thursday. Very rough seas, with wave heights reaching 6m, and strong to gale force winds can also be expected in places along the Eastern Cape coast on Thursday into Friday,” the weather service said.

The SAWS has issued the following impact-based warnings:
- A yellow level 2 warning (high likelihood of minor impacts) for damaging winds resulting in localised damage to settlements (formal and informal) and localised runaway fires in places over Chris Hani District Municipality (DM), Joe Gqabi DM, Sarah Baartman DM, Raymond Mhlaba LM and Amahlathi LM on Wednesday, 25 June, and over the coastal areas between Plettenberg Bay and East London Thursday, 26 June.
- A yellow level 2 warning for damaging wind and waves resulting in difficulty in navigation of small vessels with a risk of taking in water and capsizing in the locality between Plettenberg Bay and East London.
- A yellow level 1 warning for disruptive snow resulting in traffic disruptions due to icy roads, and isolated cases of loss of vulnerable livestock and crops over Senqu and Elundini Local Municipalities.
- An intense cold front will be passing through the Eastern Cape on Thursday. The public and small stock farmers are advised that snow, cold to very cold and windy conditions as well as very rough seas can be expected in places over the province. – SAnews.gov.za
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MIL OSI Africa –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Development Asia: Reaching the Right Households: Reforming Social Aid in Sri Lanka

Source: Asia Development Bank

Concerns with eligibility criteria

Some of these relate to the inclusion of households not facing economic hardship and the exclusion of families living in poverty. There’s a need to refine the current criteria to better identify households experiencing temporary financial difficulties, even if they own certain assets.

Challenges in data verification

Another area for improvement in Aswesuma is the difficulty officials face in verifying household information related to eligibility. For example, errors may occur during data collection if households withhold accurate information about their poverty status to qualify for benefits or are unable to recall details correctly. These inaccuracies can reduce the program’s effectiveness by excluding people who genuinely need help and undermining efforts to create a more objective social protection system.

Improving follow-up and monitoring

Better data collection methods during follow-ups with Aswesuma recipients would help improve the criteria. This would allow the program to monitor households’ economic conditions and track improvements resulting from cash transfers. The main goal of these transfers is to help participants move out of poverty by improving their living situations. Therefore, follow-up assessments should document any changes and measurable outcomes related to food insecurity or poverty levels. These outcomes should go beyond the current Aswesuma indicators to better reflect improvements in well-being.

Addressing chronic and transient poverty

Ongoing updates to Aswesuma should also improve its ability to target people experiencing both chronic and transient poverty. Chronic poverty refers to long-term deprivation, often passed down through generations, while transient poverty involves short-term income or spending losses, even when long-term resources are sufficient to stay above the poverty line (Duclos et al., 2078). The current deprivation score mainly focuses on chronic poverty, emphasizing household assets and housing conditions (13 of the 22 indicators are based on multidimensional measurements).

Gaps in coverage and food insecurity

While addressing chronic poverty is important, it’s also necessary to consider temporary poverty. A large portion of the population (households ineligible for Aswesuma but who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months) remains underserved. Of the 20% of the population that faced food insecurity, nearly 40% are not eligible for Aswesuma.

Expanding the framework for vulnerability

Given the current economic climate, with rising costs and income losses, measures of temporary poverty could help identify both long-term and short-term hardship, regardless of assets or housing. Including data on household members’ recent employment experiences, especially job loss, could offer a more complete picture of who needs support. The amount of cash transferred is unlikely to directly improve indicators related to household assets or other long-term poverty markers, as those require larger investments in education, health, and infrastructure (Lipton and Ravallion, 1995).

Climate vulnerability and regional differences

Climate vulnerability also adds complexity to household conditions. Although it’s difficult to measure, including it would help the program reach more at-risk groups in Sri Lanka.

The current set of indicators can also be improved by accounting for both visible and hidden factors that influence household selection. The relevance of indicators varies by region and demographics. For example, vehicle use and electricity consumption depend on the availability of alternatives, which differ across the country. Rural households may lack access to transportation or electricity not because of poverty, but because those services aren’t available. Regional adjustments in how deprivation is measured could lead to more accurate assessments of poverty in both rural and urban areas.

Asset ownership and agricultural work

Asset indicators like ownership of agricultural machinery or land are influenced by both observable and hidden factors, including the decision to work in agriculture. This suggests a need for additional support programs, such as insurance for agricultural workers. In some areas, deprivation in agriculture-related indicators may actually reflect higher well-being, depending on location and market access.

Labor market impacts and conditional transfers

Finally, the program’s impact on labor market outcomes should be considered. The study predicts a drop in labor force participation for both men and women under various scenarios. This aligns with economic theory, which suggests that higher non-labor income reduces the need for paid work (Garganta et al., 2017). However, building resilience through employment is key to long-term poverty reduction. In some cases, transfers tied to employment have shown fewer negative, or even positive, effects on labor participation (Berlinski et al., 2024). While cash transfers are helpful for addressing food insecurity, exploring conditional transfers that encourage work and self-reliance is important for helping people move out of poverty.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Development Asia: Reaching the Right Households: Reforming Social Aid in Sri Lanka

Source: Asia Development Bank

Concerns with eligibility criteria

Some of these relate to the inclusion of households not facing economic hardship and the exclusion of families living in poverty. There’s a need to refine the current criteria to better identify households experiencing temporary financial difficulties, even if they own certain assets.

Challenges in data verification

Another area for improvement in Aswesuma is the difficulty officials face in verifying household information related to eligibility. For example, errors may occur during data collection if households withhold accurate information about their poverty status to qualify for benefits or are unable to recall details correctly. These inaccuracies can reduce the program’s effectiveness by excluding people who genuinely need help and undermining efforts to create a more objective social protection system.

Improving follow-up and monitoring

Better data collection methods during follow-ups with Aswesuma recipients would help improve the criteria. This would allow the program to monitor households’ economic conditions and track improvements resulting from cash transfers. The main goal of these transfers is to help participants move out of poverty by improving their living situations. Therefore, follow-up assessments should document any changes and measurable outcomes related to food insecurity or poverty levels. These outcomes should go beyond the current Aswesuma indicators to better reflect improvements in well-being.

Addressing chronic and transient poverty

Ongoing updates to Aswesuma should also improve its ability to target people experiencing both chronic and transient poverty. Chronic poverty refers to long-term deprivation, often passed down through generations, while transient poverty involves short-term income or spending losses, even when long-term resources are sufficient to stay above the poverty line (Duclos et al., 2078). The current deprivation score mainly focuses on chronic poverty, emphasizing household assets and housing conditions (13 of the 22 indicators are based on multidimensional measurements).

Gaps in coverage and food insecurity

While addressing chronic poverty is important, it’s also necessary to consider temporary poverty. A large portion of the population (households ineligible for Aswesuma but who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months) remains underserved. Of the 20% of the population that faced food insecurity, nearly 40% are not eligible for Aswesuma.

Expanding the framework for vulnerability

Given the current economic climate, with rising costs and income losses, measures of temporary poverty could help identify both long-term and short-term hardship, regardless of assets or housing. Including data on household members’ recent employment experiences, especially job loss, could offer a more complete picture of who needs support. The amount of cash transferred is unlikely to directly improve indicators related to household assets or other long-term poverty markers, as those require larger investments in education, health, and infrastructure (Lipton and Ravallion, 1995).

Climate vulnerability and regional differences

Climate vulnerability also adds complexity to household conditions. Although it’s difficult to measure, including it would help the program reach more at-risk groups in Sri Lanka.

The current set of indicators can also be improved by accounting for both visible and hidden factors that influence household selection. The relevance of indicators varies by region and demographics. For example, vehicle use and electricity consumption depend on the availability of alternatives, which differ across the country. Rural households may lack access to transportation or electricity not because of poverty, but because those services aren’t available. Regional adjustments in how deprivation is measured could lead to more accurate assessments of poverty in both rural and urban areas.

Asset ownership and agricultural work

Asset indicators like ownership of agricultural machinery or land are influenced by both observable and hidden factors, including the decision to work in agriculture. This suggests a need for additional support programs, such as insurance for agricultural workers. In some areas, deprivation in agriculture-related indicators may actually reflect higher well-being, depending on location and market access.

Labor market impacts and conditional transfers

Finally, the program’s impact on labor market outcomes should be considered. The study predicts a drop in labor force participation for both men and women under various scenarios. This aligns with economic theory, which suggests that higher non-labor income reduces the need for paid work (Garganta et al., 2017). However, building resilience through employment is key to long-term poverty reduction. In some cases, transfers tied to employment have shown fewer negative, or even positive, effects on labor participation (Berlinski et al., 2024). While cash transfers are helpful for addressing food insecurity, exploring conditional transfers that encourage work and self-reliance is important for helping people move out of poverty.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Where’s the Capital for Climate?

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Where’s the Capital for Climate?

From $300 billion in annual climate commitments to support emerging economies to greater regulation of carbon credit trading, COP29 marked a crucial step forward for climate finance. However, the climate finance gap remains vast and trillions more are needed to drive rapid climate action.

How can private and public sector involvement be amplified to unlock capital at scale?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNo9hQ9EJu0

MIL OSI Video –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Press Conference: Energy Transition Index 2025 – From Climate Commitment to Economic Opportunity

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Press Conference: Energy Transition Index 2025 – From Climate Commitment to Economic Opportunity

Now in its 15th year, the Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2025 report tracks global progress towards a more secure, equitable and sustainable energy system. Join us for insights into the top performers of the Energy Transition Index 2025 and strategies to advance energy transitions that drive economic opportunity amid rising global uncertainty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXCdP2KdNic

MIL OSI Video –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Bats get fat to survive hard times. But climate change is threatening their survival strategy

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nicholas Wu, Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology, Murdoch University

Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock

Bats are often cast as the unseen night-time stewards of nature, flitting through the dark to control pest insects, pollinate plants and disperse seeds. But behind their silent contributions lies a remarkable and underappreciated survival strategy: seasonal fattening.

Much like bears and squirrels, bats around the world bulk up to get through hard times – even in places where you might not expect it.

In a paper published today in Ecology Letters, we analysed data from bat studies around the world to understand how bats use body fat to survive seasonal challenges, whether it’s a freezing winter or a dry spell.

The surprising conclusion? Seasonal fattening is a global phenomenon in bats, not just limited to those in cold climates.

Even bats in the tropics, where it’s warm all year, store fat in anticipation of dry seasons when food becomes scarce. That’s a survival strategy that’s been largely overlooked. But it may be faltering as the climate changes, putting entire food webs at risk.

Climate shapes fattening strategies

We found bats in colder regions predictably gain more weight before winter.

But in warmer regions with highly seasonal rainfall, such as tropical savannas or monsoonal forests, bats also fatten up. In tropical areas, it’s not cold that’s the enemy, but the dry season, when flowers wither, insects vanish and energy is hard to come by.

The extent of fattening is impressive. Some species increased their body weight by more than 50%, which is a huge burden for flying animals that already use a lot of energy to move around. This highlights the delicate balancing act bats perform between storing energy and staying nimble in the air.

Sex matters, especially in the cold

The results also support the “thrifty females, frisky males” hypothesis.

In colder climates, female bats used their fat reserves more sparingly than males – a likely adaptation to ensure they have enough energy left to raise young when spring returns. Since females typically emerge from hibernation to raise their young, conserving fat through winter can directly benefit their reproductive success.

Interestingly, this sex-based difference vanished in warmer climates, where fat use by males and females was more similar, likely because more food is available in warmer climates. It’s another clue that climate patterns intricately shape behaviour and physiology.

Climate change is shifting the rules

Beyond the biology, our study points to a more sobering trend. Bats in warm regions appear to be increasing their fat stores over time. This could be an early warning sign of how climate change is affecting their survival.

Climate change isn’t just about rising temperatures. It’s also making seasons more unpredictable.

Bats may be storing more energy in advance of dry seasons that are becoming longer or harder to predict. That’s risky, because it means more foraging, more exposure to predators and potentially greater mortality.

The implications can ripple outward. Bats help regulate insect populations, fertilise crops and maintain healthy ecosystems. If their survival strategies falter, entire food webs could feel the effects.

Fat bats, fragile futures

Our study changes how we think about bats. They are not just passive victims of environmental change but active strategists, finely tuned to seasonal rhythms. Yet their ability to adapt has limits, and those limits are being tested by a rapidly changing world.

By understanding how bats respond to climate, we gain insights into broader ecosystem resilience. We also gain a deeper appreciation for one of nature’s quiet heroes – fattening up, flying through the night and holding ecosystems together, one wingbeat at a time.

Nicholas Wu was the lead author of a funded Australian Research Council Linkage Grant awarded to Christopher Turbill at Western Sydney University.

– ref. Bats get fat to survive hard times. But climate change is threatening their survival strategy – https://theconversation.com/bats-get-fat-to-survive-hard-times-but-climate-change-is-threatening-their-survival-strategy-259560

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Delivers Floor Speech on Lowering Flood Insurance Rates with Hurricane Season Underway

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

[embedded content]

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor highlighting the need to end the Biden-era Risk Rating 2.0 policy and for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to remain affordable.
“We have a chance to bring down prices on flood insurance in the same way President Trump has brought down all these other prices—gas, eggs, milk, you name it,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“As hurricane season ramps up, the clock is ticking. Let’s act now,” concluded Dr. Cassidy.Background
In June, Cassidy led the charge in demanding the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) finally end the Biden-era policy, Risk Rating 2.0, which caused flood insurance premiums to skyrocket.
In May, Cassidy delivered another speech discussing the danger that Risk Rating 2.0 poses to low- and middle-income families’ ability to be enrolled in the program.
In April, Cassidy delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling for the continuation of FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, which helps fund pre-disaster mitigation and flood prevention projects in Louisiana and nationwide.
In March, Cassidy delivered a floor speech calling for a long-term extension of NFIP and introduced legislation to extend the program through December 31, 2026. Cassidy also met with the Jefferson Business Council where he discussed his efforts to keep flood insurance affordable and extend NFIP long-term.
In February, Cassidy introduced the Flood Insurance Affordability Tax Credit Act to give low- and middle-income households enrolled in NFIP a 33% refundable tax credit to combat rising flood insurance premiums. Cassidy also released a report last fall outlining the current state of NFIP and the issues that have led to skyrocketing premiums for millions of homeowners.
Last year, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on NFIP at the request of Cassidy. The hearing highlighted the urgent need for Congress to act and featured a Louisiana witness. Cassidy also participated in a roundtable hosted by GNO, Inc. and the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance to hear from community leaders and advocates on the issue.
Cassidy traveled St. Bernard Parish in 2023 to talk with residents about their flood insurance premiums, recording the second episode of his Bill on the Hill series.
Cassidy’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
Mr. President,
In every single state, there are Americans who rely on the National Flood Insurance Program to protect their home.
Congress has a responsibility to serve ALL Americans, regardless of age, income, or zip code.
Since Biden’s implementation of Risk Rating 2.0, seniors and low- and middle-income homeowners have been left behind.
Earlier this month, I led eight of my Republican colleagues in urging FEMA to end the Biden-era Risk Rating 2.0.
I want to work with him to fix the mess the Biden administration left us in.
Now, I want to share with my colleagues the same case we made in that letter for why we need to act now.
Every year on June 1st, the phrase “Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst” comes to mind.
For the people in my state, it becomes a way of life.
Another hurricane season is upon us.
With a higher Gulf temperature than usual, meteorologists predict 13 to 19 named storms, 6 to 10 hurricanes, and 3 to 5 major hurricanes hitting the U.S. before the year’s end.
Before long, Louisianans will, yet again, be stocking up on non-perishable food items and prescriptions, boarding up the windows, and checking on their neighbors.
They will also be bracing themselves financially.
Louisianans are still trying to get back on their feet after four years of financial distress under the Biden administration.
Now, add the costs for recovery from severe weather damage. Many families just can’t afford it.
That’s why we have NFIP—a program which has provided a safety net for millions in Louisiana and across the country for the last 50 years.
Because of NFIP, the retired couple in Livingston Parish who just paid off their mortgage sleeps better at night knowing they are covered the next time they flood.
The single working mother in Cameron Parish can rest assured knowing there is help available when it comes time to replace the siding and roof tiles, which have been torn loose by torrential winds.
But this program—and the peace of mind of those who rely on it—is being threatened.
Since FEMA, under the Biden Administration, implemented Risk Rating 2.0, premiums have skyrocketed—making desperately needed protection unaffordable for millions. Over 80% of NFIP policyholders in Louisiana saw a spike in their premiums after its implementation in 2021.
The protection that millions so desperately need has become unaffordable.
When I say unaffordable, I’m not talking about a one or two-hundred-dollar increase.
Even that would be too much for a lot of families.
I’m talking about a $1,916 increase for a homeowner in Waggaman, Louisiana.
I’m talking about a $4,500 increase for a homeowner in Gibson, Louisiana.
I’m talking about an $8,256 increase for a homeowner in Belle Chasse, Louisiana.
And there is no end in sight for these 300, 400, 500…one THOUSAND percent increases.
Has FEMA been transparent about these stunning spikes?
No.
In fact, never knowing why their premiums rose in the first place, Americans have no option but to drop their NFIP coverage altogether, leaving them totally vulnerable.
Has Congress been given the opportunity to provide meaningful comment in response?
No, we were stonewalled for years under President Biden. Now with President Trump in charge, I trust there will be more transparency into Risk Rating 2.0 than we’ve ever seen before.
The American people—and certainly Louisianans—made it clear when they elected President Trump that they are ready to end the confusion and high prices of the previous administration.
They were talking about the grocery store, at the gas pump, and yes, about insurance.
NFIP was at the heart of the cost-of-living crisis Americans struggled through under President Biden.
We have a chance to bring down prices on flood insurance in the same way President Trump has brought down all these other prices—gas, eggs, milk, you name it.
I want to work with President Trump and my colleagues to make life affordable again!
As hurricane season ramps up, the clock is ticking. Let’s act now!
With that, I yield.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Bats get fat to survive hard times. But climate change is threatening their survival strategy

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Wu, Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology, Murdoch University

Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock

Bats are often cast as the unseen night-time stewards of nature, flitting through the dark to control pest insects, pollinate plants and disperse seeds. But behind their silent contributions lies a remarkable and underappreciated survival strategy: seasonal fattening.

Much like bears and squirrels, bats around the world bulk up to get through hard times – even in places where you might not expect it.

In a paper published today in Ecology Letters, we analysed data from bat studies around the world to understand how bats use body fat to survive seasonal challenges, whether it’s a freezing winter or a dry spell.

The surprising conclusion? Seasonal fattening is a global phenomenon in bats, not just limited to those in cold climates.

Even bats in the tropics, where it’s warm all year, store fat in anticipation of dry seasons when food becomes scarce. That’s a survival strategy that’s been largely overlooked. But it may be faltering as the climate changes, putting entire food webs at risk.

Climate shapes fattening strategies

We found bats in colder regions predictably gain more weight before winter.

But in warmer regions with highly seasonal rainfall, such as tropical savannas or monsoonal forests, bats also fatten up. In tropical areas, it’s not cold that’s the enemy, but the dry season, when flowers wither, insects vanish and energy is hard to come by.

The extent of fattening is impressive. Some species increased their body weight by more than 50%, which is a huge burden for flying animals that already use a lot of energy to move around. This highlights the delicate balancing act bats perform between storing energy and staying nimble in the air.

Sex matters, especially in the cold

The results also support the “thrifty females, frisky males” hypothesis.

In colder climates, female bats used their fat reserves more sparingly than males – a likely adaptation to ensure they have enough energy left to raise young when spring returns. Since females typically emerge from hibernation to raise their young, conserving fat through winter can directly benefit their reproductive success.

Interestingly, this sex-based difference vanished in warmer climates, where fat use by males and females was more similar, likely because more food is available in warmer climates. It’s another clue that climate patterns intricately shape behaviour and physiology.

Climate change is shifting the rules

Beyond the biology, our study points to a more sobering trend. Bats in warm regions appear to be increasing their fat stores over time. This could be an early warning sign of how climate change is affecting their survival.

Climate change isn’t just about rising temperatures. It’s also making seasons more unpredictable.

Bats may be storing more energy in advance of dry seasons that are becoming longer or harder to predict. That’s risky, because it means more foraging, more exposure to predators and potentially greater mortality.

The implications can ripple outward. Bats help regulate insect populations, fertilise crops and maintain healthy ecosystems. If their survival strategies falter, entire food webs could feel the effects.

Fat bats, fragile futures

Our study changes how we think about bats. They are not just passive victims of environmental change but active strategists, finely tuned to seasonal rhythms. Yet their ability to adapt has limits, and those limits are being tested by a rapidly changing world.

By understanding how bats respond to climate, we gain insights into broader ecosystem resilience. We also gain a deeper appreciation for one of nature’s quiet heroes – fattening up, flying through the night and holding ecosystems together, one wingbeat at a time.

Nicholas Wu was the lead author of a funded Australian Research Council Linkage Grant awarded to Christopher Turbill at Western Sydney University.

– ref. Bats get fat to survive hard times. But climate change is threatening their survival strategy – https://theconversation.com/bats-get-fat-to-survive-hard-times-but-climate-change-is-threatening-their-survival-strategy-259560

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wellington Regional Council must stand up to short-sighted Coalition Government and continue with its plan to restore water quality for its people – CCW

Source: Choose Clean Water – Tom Kay

Greater Wellington Regional Council must stand up to the short-sighted Coalition Government in its vote tomorrow on whether to continue with its regional plan change to protect and restore water quality in the region, say freshwater campaign group Choose Clean Water.

Regional council papers show councillors will be considering three options for the region’s freshwater plan change at their meeting on Thursday 26 June: to pause the plan change until October, to pause the plan change until they can continue with ‘confidence’ about upcoming changes to national direction, or to withdraw the plan change entirely.

“Regional councils are being bullied by this short-sighted Coalition Government into stopping their years-long, vital work to save our waterways from further degradation and protect our drinking water sources. This Government is compromised by its close ties to polluting commercial interests and Wellington regional councillors must stand up to them for the health of their region’s environment and people,” says Choose Clean Water spokesperson Tom Kay

Kay says Wellington Regional Council’s uncertainty in moving ahead with their plan change is another sign of the Government trying to take power away from communities to make decisions about managing their rivers, streams, and harbours, and instead give it to polluting commercial interests.

“There is no reason to throw out this plan change. Councillors are risking starting this process all over again on the basis of yet-to-be-seen national policy and speculation about what may or may not eventuate. They should keep calm and carry on.”

The plan change forms part of a program to restore and protect fresh and coastal water health the Regional Council has been working on for the last 15 years, including with significant investment and support from communities and iwi. It would bring policies and rules for two major Wellington catchments into line with the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020, including the prioritisation of freshwater and community health in decision-making over commercial interests.

But with changes to weaken freshwater policy announced by the Government, councillors are now considering whether to continue or not, risking undermining years of progress and future potential for healthy water in the region, say campaigners.

“The council meeting papers say that if the plan change is withdrawn, water quality that is already degrading by some measures is likely to continue to degrade because the old plan provisions are less protective.”

“Communities have been waiting decades for these plan changes, particularly in places like Te Awarua-o-Porirua / Porirua harbour, which continues to suffer from issues like sediment buildup and pollution from heavy metals, pathogens, and nutrients, with impacts on fishing and food gathering, swimming, boating, and human health.”

“The plan also promotes planting of highly erosion-prone land, and adds provisions on stormwater and earthworks that would help reduce risks of flooding and erosion. We’ve seen what Cyclone Gabrielle did in regions that hadn’t prepared for the impacts of these natural hazards. Why would we delay these actions that will build resilience?”

“This Government came into power saying they were going to allow local communities to make decisions at a community level. But they lied. We saw it with Otago Regional Council being stopped when they tried to progress a freshwater plan change that was years in the making. Now we risk seeing it with Wellington.”

“Wellington Regional Council must push ahead as soon as possible.”

Wellington Regional Council will vote on whether to proceed with the plan tomorrow, 26 June.

The Government’s consultation document on freshwater policy is open for submissions until 27 July. The consultation document proposes to remove national bottom lines for pollution as well as to remove or rewrite Te Mana o te Wai, the decision making framework in current national policy that prioritises the public interest in healthy water bodies.

Note: Tom Kay participated in the Environment Court hearings process for the operative Natural Resources Plan and participated in the current Plan Change 1 process (including providing evidence) while in previous roles at Forest & Bird.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Make polluters pay to bring down bills, Greens say

Source: Green Party of England and Wales

25 June 2025/ 24 June 2025 by Green Party

Responding to the Climate Change Committee’s latest report, co-leader Carla Denyer MP said:

“Last year fossil fuel giants Shell and BP made a total of £26 billion in profit – while ordinary people struggle every day to pay their energy bills, and the climate crisis takes its toll on communities across the UK.

“The Climate Change Committee’s latest report shows some movement in the right direction towards trying to keep us all safe, but the truth is we’re not moving nearly fast enough. Stalling progress means we all have higher bills in cold and leaky homes, while wildfires, extreme heat and flooding put lives and livelihoods at risk. The best time for action was years ago – the next best time is now.

“We need urgent action to bring down the cost of electricity more widely, to reduce household bills and keep us all safe from the growing threat from the climate crisis. Instead of handing fossil fuel giants a licence to keep profiting from climate destruction, or wasting money on slow and expensive nuclear projects, now is the time for a national push to roll out energy efficiency, heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage for our homes.

“Crucially, it’s time for the government to stop throwing money at the fossil fuel industry and instead make big polluters like Shell and BP pay up. Currently the government subsidises the fossil fuel industry to the tune of a staggering £17.5 billion per year – it’s time to pull the plug and put that money into lowering bills instead.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China activates emergency response to flooding in Chongqing, Guizhou

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

BEIJING, June 24 — China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Tuesday launched a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou Province as the two southwestern regions brace for a new round of rainfall.

A team has been dispatched to Guizhou to assist with flood prevention and relief efforts in the province’s Rongjiang and Congjiang counties, according to the headquarters.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for flood control, with Level I being the most severe.

Due to recent rainfall, the upper reaches of the Liujiang River in Guizhou have experienced flooding, necessitating flood-prevention work in Rongjiang and Congjiang, the headquarters said.

According to meteorological forecasts, further heavy rainfall will affect the eastern regions of southwest China. Some parts of Chongqing and Guizhou are expected to experience moderate-to-heavy rains or torrential downpours, leading to heightened risks of river floods, mountain torrents and other geological disasters.

Local authorities have been urged to step up their inspections and implement risk-mitigation measures in key areas, strengthen rainfall and flood monitoring work, and ensure timely evacuation of residents from high-risk areas, according to the headquarters.

MIL OSI China News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Farm-to-forest Ban passes first reading
Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has taken a major step towards protecting food production by ending the large-scale conversion of productive farmland into pine plantations, with the first reading of the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme—Forestry Conversion) Amendment Bill receiving unanimous support in Parliament last night.

“This Bill is about protecting our most valuable land that grows food for export and sustains rural communities,” Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay says.

“For too long, ETS incentives have driven the wrong outcomes for our rural sector.”

“Once farms are planted in trees as a result of carbon credits we lose the ability to produce the high-quality safe food that consumers demand – and we lose rural jobs, export earnings, and the families that go with them. Today we are putting a stop to the harm that this has done to rural New Zealand.”

The Bill will:
- Prevent exotic forests from entering the ETS on LUC 1–5 land (New Zealand’s most productive soil);
- Limit new ETS registrations on LUC 6 land to 15,000 hectares per year, allocated by ballot;
- Allow up to 25 per cent of a farm to go into the ETS, preserving landowner choice while ending full-farm conversions;
- Protect eligible Māori-owned land, and provide time-limited exemptions for pre-announced investments.
The Bill includes temporary exemptions where an investor can provide evidence of a qualifying forestry investment between 1 January 2021 and 4 December 2024. For instance, the purchase of land and ordering of trees prior to 4 December 2024 would be an example of proof of a qualifying investment, whilst each of these actions alone would not.

“The last Government sat back while 300,000 hectares of farmland were sold off for carbon credits. That short-sighted policy puts ideology ahead of long-term food security. We’re reversing that damage.”

The new settings will take effect from 4 December 2024, with the law coming fully into force in October 2025.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces $26.5M for Local Transportation Projects

Source: US State of Georgia

ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) Board of Directors today announced the approval of a record $26.5 million in Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) loans and grants that will help fund 13 transportation infrastructure projects across the state. This round of GTIB awards is possible thanks to a $46 million budget enhancement allocated in the AFY 2025 state budget. These investments also mark two additional records for the bank that include the largest combined rural award, totaling $13.3 million, and the largest amount of loans, totaling $15.5 million.

“Thanks to conservative budgeting and strategic funding of our priorities, Georgia is not only the No. 1 state for business we’re also the best state for reliable infrastructure,” said Governor Brian Kemp, Chairman of the SRTA Board. “With this year’s historic rural investment, we’re preserving our competitive edge and reaffirming our commitment to creating opportunity in all parts of our state, especially rural Georgia. I want to thank the General Assembly and the SRTA team for making these awards possible and I look forward to the generational impact they will have on our communities.”

The Mount Vernon Roadway Connectivity project, one of the major rural investments included in this round of awards, will receive a $1.4 million GTIB grant for improvements and repairs to several local roads damaged by Hurricane Helene. Funds will also go toward the paving of a dirt road. This GTIB grant enables critical roadwork to advance more quickly, enhancing safety for this rural community.

The largest GTIB investment for this round is a $4.9 million loan to the Cumberland CID for the Cumberland Sweep Segment C buildout – a 3+ mile path around the core of the Cumberland District. The project will enhance transportation for more than 80,000 office workers, residents and visitors in the Improvement District by constructing the first portion of the Cumberland Sweep, a 0.4-mile shared-use path that connects to the existing pedestrian bridge over I-285 and includes traffic signal upgrades at Galleria Drive and Galleria Parkway.

Another significant loan of $2.4 million along with a $1 million grant was awarded to Barrow County for a new roundabout at State Route 53 (SR 53) at Mulberry Road. This portion of SR 53 connects the cities of Winder, Hoschton, and Braselton, with a combined population of over 40,000. The project will reduce vehicle collisions and improve freight movement. This GTIB investment also accelerates project delivery by three years, resulting in lower overall project costs.

“SRTA is honored and excited to continue investing in Georgia’s transportation network, this year by infusing more state funds than ever into local projects,” said Jannine Miller, Executive Director of the State Road and Tollway Authority. “Rural communities made up 38% of GTIB applications this year, indicating transportation is important in every corner of our state. With the support of Governor Kemp and the General Assembly, GTIB is helping local governments accelerate project delivery and lower long-term costs for Georgia taxpayers.”

Since its inception in 2010, GTIB has awarded $242 million in transformative grants and loans, investing in projects with a combined project value exceeding $1.2 billion, demonstrating the impact of the state’s investment and outstanding partnerships with local governments and community improvement districts over the past 15 years.

From the very first award granted, GTIB has provided strategic state investments in critical transportation projects that enhance mobility in local communities throughout Georgia. Applications are evaluated on a competitive basis, and criteria include transportation, engineering, economic value, matching funds, and project specifics like project phase and feasibility.

Loan applications are also evaluated for creditworthiness and overall project merits. An advisory committee comprised of representatives from state agencies and statewide associations evaluate SRTA staff recommendations and make final recommendations to the SRTA Board. Funds distributed by GTIB are used to support capital improvements.

SRTA began accepting GTIB applications mid-November 2024 and closed the application window on January 14, 2025. Fiscal Year 2025 awardees, project descriptions, and funding amounts are as follows:

Athens-Clarke County
Roadway Reconfiguration

This project will improve the intersection of Hawthorne and Oglethorpe Avenue by realigning it, reconfiguring lanes and adding multimodal options. The improvements will improve safety at the intersection and enhance the City’s sidewalk and bike network.

GTIB Grant Award: $1,700,000

Barrow County
State Route 53 at Mulberry Roundabout

This project will construct a single lane roundabout at the intersection of State Route 53 and Mulberry Road and realign the intersection. The new intersection is expected to improve road safety and freight movement. GTIB investments accelerate this project by three years.

GTIB Loan Award: $2,468,241

GTIB Grant Award: $1,000,000

Cherokee County
Airport Road Spur and Technology Ridge Parkway Project

This project is the second phase of the Technology Ridge Parkway Project to receive funding from GTIB. This phase of the project will construct a new, two-lane roadway connecting the airport to the existing I-575 interchange. The new spur road will allow the County to move forward with plans to extend the runway to 6,000 feet, allowing aircraft to carry more fuel and make longer trips. The project also includes a segment of Technology Ridge Parkway Phase III which provides access to 86 acres owned by the Cherokee Office of Economic Development and adds a roundabout at the intersection of Wes Welker and Airport Drive.

GTIB Loan Award: $2,000,000

City of LaGrange
Project Eagle

This project will construct a new two-lane road, Callaway South Parkway, from the intersection of Pegasus Parkway ending in a roundabout. This improvement provides access to undeveloped parcels in the Callaway South Industrial Park, enabling even greater private investment in the area. Funding for the project will come from GTIB, the City of LaGrange, Troup County, and the Calloway Foundation.

GTIB Grant Award: $1,000,000

City of Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon Roadway Connectivity

This project will pave Carver Street, which is currently a dirt road, and make drainage improvements and repairs on Broad Street, South Railroad Avenue, North Washington Street, and McKinnon Street. The dirt road paving will improve road safety and provide the opportunity to attract industry while the drainage improvements and road repairs will address significant damage caused by Hurricane Helene re-opening roads currently closed to traffic. This City of Mount Vernon is approximately four (4) square miles and home to 1,800 residents.

GTIB Grant Award: $1,406,242

City of Mount Zion
2025 Street Repairs

This project will repave several roads for approximately five miles and realign the intersection of Beaver Pond Road and Bowdon Junction Road to improve safety. This intersection is near the West Georgia Regional Airport which supports economic development providing air transportation to companies including SMI Inc., Honda Lock, and Southwire. The GTIB investment will accelerate the project by four (4) years reducing project costs.

GTIB Loan Award: $487,500

GTIB Grant Award: $162,500

City of Twin City
Paving Improvements

This project will resurface 16 roads for a distance of approximately seven miles. The GTIB investment accelerates the project by several years reducing project costs. Located in Emanual County, City of Twin City is approximately four (4) sq miles and is home to 1,700 residents and George L. Smith, II State Park.

GTIB Grant Award: $700,000

Colquitt County
Resurfacing Improvements

This project will resurface ten roads for a distance of 11 miles in South Georgia’s Colquitt County. Full depth reclamation and replacement of existing culverts will occur where necessary. GTIB investment accelerates project delivery by three (3) years.

GTIB Loan Award: $2,567,430

GTIB Grant Award: $2,000,000

Cumberland CID
Cumberland Sweep Segment C – Galleria Parkway Improvements

This project will build the first section of the Cumberland Sweep project including a shared use path along Galleria Drive from Akers Mill Road to the existing bike/pedestrian bridge over I-285, a distance of just under half-a-mile. Pedestrian lighting will be included along the path and the traffic signal at Galleria Drive and Galleria Parkway will be upgraded. The project improves multimodal travel in one of Atlanta’s biggest activity centers and is funded in partnership with the Cumberland CID, an organization of over 190 commercial property owners fund key infrastructure projects throughout the Improvement District.

GTIB Loan Award: $4,858,435

Dodge County
Dodge County Road Improvement Program

This project will pave Bill Mullis Road from Roddy Highway to SR 87 (3.7 miles), perform full-depth reclamation on Milan Eastman Road from SR 117 to SR 280 (8.2 miles) to repair damage from increased freight traffic and resurface Zion Hill Church from Antioch Church Rd to Coody Road (4.5 miles). By combining these three segments into one project and obtaining GTIB funds, the project will reduce unit costs and accelerate the project timeline by approximately ten years providing substantial project savings.

GTIB Loan Award: $2,429,108

GTIB Grant Award: $2,000,000

Dougherty County
Road and Bridge Infrastructure Improvements

This project will provide design funds to widen and increase the weight capacity of two bridges on Gravel Hill Road to better accommodate truck and agricultural equipment traffic as well as pave and widen four (4) dirt roads which are heavily affected by adverse weather.

GTIB Loan Award: $667,758

GTIB Grant Award: $580,659

Stewart County
Moores Store Road Box Culvert Replacement

This project will replace a double cell box culvert on Moores Store Road at Bussey Creek, resurface the area and improve roadway shoulders and slopes by the creek. These improvements will allow both lanes of the bridge to re-open to traffic and will help minimize damage from future large rain events.

GTIB Grant Award: $250,000

Town of Iron City
Dunham and Broad

This project is consistent with the Seminole County and Cities Comprehensive Plan and will jumpstart downtown revitalization efforts by repaving streets in downtown Iron City – Broad Street from Church Street to Williams Street and Dunham Street. Located in Seminole County, the Town of Iron City is farming community of approximately one (1) sq mile and home to 300 residents.

GTIB Grant Award: $260,325

For more information about the GTIB program, visit www.srta.ga.gov/gtib.

About the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA)

SRTA is a state-level authority created to operate tolled transportation facilities within Georgia and act as the transportation financing arm for the state. SRTA manages the collection of tolls on Georgia’s Express Lanes System through the use of Peach Pass. Since 2010, the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) – a grant and low-interest loan program administered by SRTA – has provided funding for eligible local transportation projects across the state. In 2017, SRTA combined with the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) to jointly provide the services of both state authorities. The GRTA board continues to oversee developments of regional impact, air quality reporting and regional transportation plan approval.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Unprecedented fires fueled by climate change threaten iconic World Heritage forests

Source: United Nations

In an update to the joint UNESCO-WRI-IUCN report “World Heritage forests: carbon sinks under pressure”, new data reveals that fires have accounted for approximately 75% of tree cover loss in World Heritage sites. Steadily increasing tree cover loss due to fires, fueled by climate change, has led to record high emissions, and threatens the robust carbon sinks of forests in World Heritage sites.

Fires are the primary cause of forest loss in World Heritage sites

Since 2001, approximately 4.5 million hectares of forest—more than the area of Switzerland—have been lost across World Heritage sites, with fires responsible for around 75% of that loss. The vast majority — approximately 80% — of all fire-related tree cover loss occurred in high-latitude forests, primarily across North America and Siberia. Forests in Australia account for an additional 15% of the loss, while all other regions contributed approximately 5%.

Solid lines show annual tree cover loss in World Heritage sites by cause, while dotted lines indicate long-term trends.
Source: WRI Land & Carbon Lab

While the number of World Heritage sites affected by fires annually has slightly declined in recent years — averaging around half of all forested sites per year — the severity of these events is escalating. Since 2020, fire-related tree cover loss has averaged approximately 240,000 hectares per year — more than twice the annual average recorded in the early 2000s.

In contrast, non-fire-related tree cover loss has remained relatively stable, averaging around 45,000 hectares per year. This loss is primarily attributed to anthropogenic land-use pressures, such as illegal logging, wood harvesting, and agricultural encroachment related to livestock grazing and crop production, mainly in sites included in the List of World Heritage in Danger. Increases in non-fire-related forest loss were observed in 2016-2017 and 2020, linked to the impacts of hurricanes and storms in the Caribbean and Asia, and intensified agricultural expansion resulting from limited ability to monitor illegal activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. However, forest loss from non-fire causes has since gradually returned to pre-pandemic levels.

“The data is clear: climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is here, now, and it is threatening the irreplaceable natural heritage of our world.”

Climate change is intensifying fires in World Heritage sites

The steady increase in fire-related tree cover loss highlights the growing influence of climate change on fire regimes in World Heritage sites. While fire plays a natural role in many ecosystems —particularly in temperate and boreal forests in higher latitudes— rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and changing weather patterns are creating conditions that fuel more intense fires. When forests burn, they release vast amounts of carbon stored in trees and soils into the atmosphere, primarily as carbon dioxide (CO₂). These emissions further exacerbate climate change and increase the likelihood of further fires in a self-reinforcing “fire-climate feedback loop.”

Source: WRI Global Forest Watch

Forest fires in World Heritage sites have resulted in an average of nearly 60 million tonnes CO2-equivalent (Mt CO2e) emissions per year, equivalent to Austria’s annual fossil fuel emissions[1]. Largely due to extreme fires, fire-related emissions in World Heritage forests have surged in recent years. In 2023, a record-breaking fire swept through over 300,000 hectares of forest in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park, releasing an estimated 190 Mt CO₂e—roughly equivalent to Argentina’s annual fossil fuel emissions. This more than doubled the previous record set in 2021 in Canada’s Pimachiowin Aki (86 Mt CO2e). Australia’s devastating 2019–2020 fires torched around 300,000 hectares in the Greater Blue Mountains Area, emitting over 45 Mt CO2e.

Tree cover loss due to fires (brown) in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park after the 2023 fires (left), Pimachiowin Aki after the 2021-2022 fires (middle) and Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains Area after the 2019-2020 fires (right)
Source: WRI Global Forest Watch

In the tropics—where fires have historically been rare—fire activity has surged, driven by intense outbreaks in sites such as Bolivia’s Noel Kempff Mercado National Park in the Amazon Basin, and Brazil’s Pantanal Conservation Area. Since 2020, fire has been responsible for approximately 35% of tree cover loss and associated emissions in World Heritage tropical forests—more than four times the annual average recorded in the early 2000s.

Source: WRI Land & Carbon Lab

“These intensifying fires are not just destroying tree cover and understory—they are unraveling ecological systems and pristine primary forests which underpin people’s livelihoods and provide several ecosystem services, such as climate regulation and human health maintenance.”

Carbon sinks and biodiversity in World Heritage sites are under increasing risk

Fires can have profound negative impacts on ecosystems, particularly by contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss. Covering more than 70 million hectares of forests—more than the area of Germany— World Heritage sites have traditionally played a crucial role in sequestering carbon. However, as fire intensity and frequency increases, this role is under threat. Fire-related emissions in World Heritage forests now account for about 40% of the carbon these forests absorb each year (80 vs. 200 Mt CO2/year), resulting in a net carbon sink of 120 Mt CO2e/year. High-latitude World Heritage forests have now collectively shifted from being carbon sinks to becoming net carbon sources, emitting around 5 Mt CO₂e/year. In contrast, lower latitude forests—mainly in the tropics—remain strong carbon sinks, absorbing roughly 130 Mt CO₂e/year. However, fires in tropical regions are especially damaging because their dense vegetation and high biomass cause them to release more carbon per unit of forest lost than fires in cooler regions. This makes tropical fires a growing threat to climate stability, accelerating the fire–climate feedback loop and pushing ecosystems closer to irreversible tipping points.

Beyond carbon, fires are also placing fragile ecosystems at serious risk. In ecosystems not adapted to fire—such as tropical rainforests and wetlands—fires can permanently alter habitats, disrupt species interactions, and erase biodiversity that has taken millennia to evolve. Australia’s 2019–2020 fires, for example, are estimated to have affected the habitats of at least 293 threatened animal species and 680 threatened plant species. In the Greater Blue Mountains Area alone, over 140 million animals were impacted, including approximately 15 million mammals, 17.7 million birds, and 110.4 million reptiles. Similarly, in the Pantanal Biosphere Reserve—which includes the Pantanal Conservation Area World Heritage site—an estimated 17 million vertebrates may have perished during the 2020 fires. These fires also drastically worsened air quality, exposing surrounding communities to hazardous levels of smoke and particulate pollution, which can lead to serious respiratory and cardiovascular health problems and straining healthcare systems.

© M & G Therin-Weise / Jaguar coming out of the forest, Pantanal Conservation Area, Brazil

“The transformation of carbon sinks into carbon sources signals not just an ecological crisis, but a critical tipping point in our climate system — one that threatens both the natural world and the communities that rely on it. Investing in robust fire prevention and response systems is essential to combat wildfires, especially in carbon-rich forests.”

Helping communities prepare and respond to fires

As fire continues to threaten both ecological integrity and human livelihoods, proactive fire response and preparedness are more critical than ever. Communities living in and around World Heritage sites are often the first affected by these events—facing loss of land, water resources, cultural heritage, and biodiversity that their lives and traditions depend on.

To support rapid and informed action, UNESCO has been leveraging real-time fire alert data through platforms like Global Forest Watch, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI). These tools enable early detection of fire outbreaks and offer actionable insights that help local authorities and conservation managers respond quickly and effectively.

Complementing this, Land & Carbon Lab – an applied geospatial research lab convened by WRI and the Bezos Earth Fund – provides critical data on carbon storage, emissions and sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems—enhancing global understanding of how fires and other human activities are imperiling carbon sinks and converting some forests to carbon sources. This data helps inform not only emergency response, but also long-term restoration and climate resilience strategies.

A notable example of these data in action is their integration into the World Heritage Online Map Platform (WHOMP), which has supported the deployment of the Rapid Response Facility (RRF)— a joint initiative from UNESCO and Fauna and Flora. These tools have helped guide emergency response efforts at critical sites, including Brazil’s Pantanal Conservation Area and Bolivia’s Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. In these areas, satellite monitoring and fire alerts have enabled early fire detection, faster mobilization of resources, and timely support for both ecosystems and local communities.

© Fundación para la Conservación del Bosque Chiquitano

“The grant from the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) was crucial in quickly mobilizing resources to keep the ranger corps, community brigade firefighters, and firefighting authorities active in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Without this swift support, the damage to the park’s forests and the species that depend on them could have been far more severe.”

© Panthera

“The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) made it possible to train brigades, improve communication, support government institutions and, above all, strengthen integrated firefighting actions between the various stakeholders involved.”

Beyond immediate response, these efforts also strengthen local capacity, foster community engagement, and promote sustainable land management practices. By combining cutting-edge technology, operational monitoring systems based on Earth observation data, and on-the-ground collaboration, UNESCO and its partners are helping vulnerable communities become more prepared and resilient in the face of escalating fire risks. Ultimately, these initiatives play a vital role in safeguarding the world’s natural heritage for future generations—preserving the ecological, cultural, and climate value of these irreplaceable landscapes.

UNESCO thanks the support of the Government of Norway to the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) and the Government of Flanders (Belgium) to the World Heritage Online Map Platform (WHOMP). WRI thanks the Bezos Earth Fund and Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI).

[1] All country emissions equivalencies are for CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in 2023, according to the Global Carbon Atlas produced by the Global Carbon Budget: https://globalcarbonatlas.org/emissions/carbon-emissions/

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: How to Apply for FEMA Assistance in Tennessee After Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes and Flooding

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: How to Apply for FEMA Assistance in Tennessee After Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes and Flooding

How to Apply for FEMA Assistance in Tennessee After Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes and Flooding

Tennessee homeowners and renters in nine counties who had uninsured damage or loss caused by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred April 2-24 may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance

The designated counties include Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Hardeman, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion and Wilson

FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, rental assistance, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs

There are several ways to apply for FEMA disaster assistance

Go to DisasterAssistance

gov, use the FEMA App for mobile devices or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

Lines are open from 6 a

m

to 10 p

m

CT seven days a week and specialists speak many languages

To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube

FEMA’s disaster assistance offers benefits that provide flexible funding directly to survivors

In addition, simplified processes and expanded eligibility allows Tennesseans access to a wider range of assistance and funds for serious needs

What You’ll Need When You ApplyA current phone number where you can be contacted

Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying

Your Social Security number

A general list of damage and losses

Banking information if you choose direct deposit

If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible

FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance

If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance

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nwaogu
Tue, 06/24/2025 – 14:23

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Josh Stein Leads National Effort to Protect Critical Food and Nutrition Program

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: Governor Josh Stein Leads National Effort to Protect Critical Food and Nutrition Program

Governor Josh Stein Leads National Effort to Protect Critical Food and Nutrition Program
lsaito
Tue, 06/24/2025 – 14:42

Raleigh, NC

Today Governor Josh Stein led a group of 23 Governors to urge Congressional leadership to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that puts food on the table for millions of people across the nation.

“SNAP has impacts far beyond the people who receive its benefits. It improves overall health, helps rural grocery stores stay open, and maintains our thriving agriculture industry,” said Governor Josh Stein. “As Governors, we urge Congress to reject any proposal that would put our people’s health and well-being at risk.”

“A shift of this scale in SNAP costs to states and counties, coupled with the proposed devastating cuts to Medicaid, pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of millions of North Carolinians,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “Food is foundational to our health. These proposals make it harder for people to access the food and health care they need, creating massive funding gaps that state and county budgets simply cannot absorb.”

The letter signed by 23 governors from across the country warns that current proposals in Congress threaten the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which addresses hunger, improves overall health, and helps people overcome poverty. SNAP provides critical food benefits for more than 42 million people in the United States. In North Carolina, more than 1.4 million people depend on SNAP, including children, seniors and working families.

Currently, the federal government pays 100 percent of the food benefit costs and 50 percent of the administrative costs of each state’s SNAP program. The latest congressional proposals would shift up to 25 percent of the food benefit costs onto states, meaning a new expense of millions — and in some states, billions — of dollars. This shift in costs to the states is unprecedented in SNAP’s 50-year history.

North Carolina could be forced to pay up to $700 million per year to keep SNAP running. In a challenging budget year, this expense could force state leaders to make cuts to education, health care, or emergency services in order to afford the new bill from Congress. The new proposal could also force North Carolina to end the SNAP program entirely, leaving North Carolinians unsure of where their family’s next meal will come from.

SNAP provides nine meals for every one meal a food bank can supply. With grocery prices still high, food banks are already stretched to the limit and cannot serve as a substitute for a robust federal nutrition program. A family of four receives up to $975 per month in food benefits, and every SNAP dollar spent brings up to $1.80 back into local economies.

According to the National Grocers Association, SNAP is responsible for thousands of jobs across grocery stores and supporting industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and municipal services, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in economic growth in North Carolina. Any cuts to federal support of SNAP will have direct consequences on states’ local economies.

Since SNAP is a federal program with set eligibility criteria, states have limited options to reduce SNAP enrollment. Because SNAP is a safety net program, states are one economic downturn or natural disaster away from seeing increased SNAP demand. Following the catastrophic damage left behind by Hurricane Helene, Disaster-SNAP or D-SNAP was a critical lifeline to families who lost everything in the storm, and SNAP had the highest number of applications (169,000) since Hurricane Florence in 2018.

Click here to read the Governors’ full letter to Congress.

Jun 24, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – The UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 14-23 July 2025, New York – 24-06-2025

Source: European Parliament

The purpose of this briefing is to provide support to the European Parliament delegation to the 13th session of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, taking place 14-23 July 2025 at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The briefing provides an overview of the progress made on the SDG implementation by the global community and the EU, as well as key issues at stake in the meeting. This document was provided by the Policy Department for Transformation, Innovation and Health at the request of the Committee on on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI).

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 25, 2025

Category: Weather

The rising threat of northern fires

Air pollution and weather patterns

Peat fires and the climate puzzle

Tackling the challenge of northern fires

The rising threat of northern fires

Air pollution and weather patterns

Peat fires and the climate puzzle

Tackling the challenge of northern fires

Plans for UK to become sustainable finance capital of the world

Notes to editors

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Updates to this page

1. The International Court of Justice

2. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

3. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

A mixed picture

Climate shapes fattening strategies

Sex matters, especially in the cold

Climate change is shifting the rules

Fat bats, fragile futures

Climate shapes fattening strategies

Sex matters, especially in the cold

Climate change is shifting the rules

Fat bats, fragile futures

Fires are the primary cause of forest loss in World Heritage sites

Climate change is intensifying fires in World Heritage sites

Carbon sinks and biodiversity in World Heritage sites are under increasing risk

Helping communities prepare and respond to fires