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The UK Department for Transport announced the winners of the third window of the Advanced Fuels Fund competition on 22 July 2025, awarding grants to projects developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plants across the UK.

• Funding awards range from £1 million to £10 million for projects using various technologies such as gasification, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, methanol-to-jet, ethanol-to-jet, and power-to-liquid to convert waste, CO2, and bioethanol into SAF.
• Projects are at different stages including commercial scale and demonstration plants, with expected operational dates ranging from 2025 to 2030, aiming to reduce lifecycle emissions by over 65% compared to fossil jet fuel.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has published its 2024 report on renewable power generation costs.

• Installed costs decreased by over 10% for most renewable technologies between 2023 and 2024, except offshore wind (stable) and bioenergy (increased by 16%). Levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) increased slightly for solar PV, onshore wind, offshore wind, and bioenergy, but declined for CSP, geothermal, and hydropower.
• Renewables accounted for 91% of new utility-scale capacity with lower costs than fossil fuels, avoiding USD 467 billion in fossil fuel costs in 2024; enabling technologies like battery storage and digitalisation are critical for integration, while challenges include finance access, permitting, supply chain, and geopolitical risks.

The UK Department for Transport has announced £63 million in funding for 17 UK companies to accelerate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.

• £63 million awarded to 17 companies, supporting around 1,400 jobs and advancing the UK’s position in the global SAF market.
• University of Sheffield’s Energy Innovation Centre received £1.5 million; OXCCU Tech and LanzaJet highlighted for demonstration and commercial-scale SAF plants, with OXCCU’s OX2 plant launching in 2026 and LanzaJet’s Project Speedbird in partnership with British Airways.

The European Commission has proposed the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034, aiming to significantly increase the EU budget to EUR 2,000 billion to address climate protection, defence, and economic challenges.

• Key proposals include: new own resources from ecological levies (ETS and CBAM), corporate taxation (BEFIT and OECD Pillar One), EUR 865 billion for national and regional partnership plans, EUR 300 billion for modernized Common Agricultural Policy, and a EUR 410 billion European Competitiveness Fund covering innovation, climate, health, and defence.
• Defence financing plans: EUR 7.3 billion for the European Defence Fund (2021-2027), EUR 131 billion from the Competitiveness Fund for defence and space, EUR 100 billion for Ukraine recovery, and a EUR 150 billion capital market bond borrowing under the “ReArm Europe” initiative, alongside plans for a rearmament bank supported by EU and foreign partners.

The Government of Canada, through Environment and Climate Change Canada, has announced a $300 million grant as part of a $375 million investment to launch NWT: Our Land for the Future, one of the world’s largest Indigenous-led land conservation projects.

• $300 million from Canada and $75 million from philanthropic partners will support Indigenous-led stewardship and conservation of up to 380,000 square kilometres (nearly 30% of Northwest Territories), including protection of over 2% of Canada’s land and freshwater.
• The initiative involves 21 Indigenous governments and organizations, the Government of Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and private donors, focusing on Indigenous Guardians, protected areas, climate action, and conservation-based economic development, with governance by the Our Land for the Future Trust Governance Committee.

The Government of Moldova has initiated negotiations for a 25 million euro loan from the French Development Agency to support the country’s green energy transition.

• The loan will be disbursed in a single installment and requires Moldova to undertake 16 specific actions, including legal amendments for vulnerable energy consumers and regulations for renewable electricity guarantees.
• Moldova aims to increase renewable energy share to 30% in electricity consumption and 27% in final energy consumption by 2030, with renewable electricity share expected to rise from 16.7% in 2024 to 27% within the year.

The UK Government has announced the abolition of Ofwat and the creation of a new single, powerful water regulator to oversee the entire water sector in England.

• £104 billion investment is underway to upgrade water infrastructure including pipes and sewage treatment works; the new regulator will consolidate functions from Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England, and Drinking Water Inspectorate to end regulatory complexity.
• The Government will fast track five recommendations from the Independent Water Commission and work with the Welsh Government to devolve economic water regulation to Wales; reforms include ringfencing customer bills for upgrades, reinvesting fines into local projects, and enforcing the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

Metinvest B.V. has secured an 11.5-year buyer credit facility of EUR23.6 million for its subsidiary Northern Iron Ore, covered by Finland’s export credit agency Finnvera, with Deutsche Bank as sole arranger and lender.

• The loan will finance equipment purchase from Metso Finland to thicken enrichment waste at Northern Iron Ore, located in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine.
• This is Metinvest’s first ECA-covered loan since the full-scale invasion, reflecting commitment to long-term investment, operational capacity preservation, workforce support, and environmental sustainability despite security challenges.