Daily Digest for

Rosatom’s Fuel Division manufactured and accepted the unique OS-5 fuel assembly that uses a metallic sodium liquid-metal sublayer under steel cladding for nitride uranium-plutonium (SNUP) fuel. OS-5 is part of the SNUP efficiency program for the BREST-OD-300 Generation IV fast reactor (Project “Proryv”); Rosatom has run SNUP tests in BN-600 since 2014.

The UK government announced the largest UK nuclear programme in 50 years, committing £14bn to Sizewell C, £2.5bn to SMRs (with Rolls Royce SMR as preferred bidder), £2.5bn to fusion, and £300m for HALEU, while reporting £50bn private clean energy investment. The UK reaffirmed full support for the IAEA (including funding for Atoms4Food), flagged non-proliferation concerns about Iran, and referenced AUKUS (entered into force in January) and the UK-Australia Geelong Treaty (signed in July).

The New Zealand government, led by Associate Transport Minister James Meager and industry via the Interim Aviation Council, released an Aviation Action Plan with 25 actions to grow and future-proof the aviation sector. It includes making RNZAF Base Ohakea permanently available as an alternative wide-body runway, establishing a permanent Aviation Council, and NZ$30 million in Regional Infrastructure Fund loans to support regional routes.

The WTO’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force after instruments of acceptance from Brazil, Kenya, Viet Nam and Tonga pushed acceptances past the two-thirds threshold. Seventeen members pledged over USD 18 million to the new WTO Fish Fund, while global marine fishing subsidies are estimated at USD 35 billion per year, about USD 22 billion of which are considered harmful.

The European Commission published a study offering 21 case studies and recommended measures to help EU Member States prepare for ETS2, which becomes fully operational in 2027. ETS2 aims to cut covered emissions by 42% by 2030 and the Social Climate Fund will channel over €87 billion to support vulnerable households and micro-enterprises.

The UK Department for Transport intends to invest £448 million in R&D for the UKSHORE programme between 2026 and 2030 to accelerate commercialisation and demonstration of clean maritime technologies. The programme, delivered with Innovate UK, will launch ZEVI2 in 2026 and CMDC7 (2026–2030) plus further CMDC rounds (2027–2029), build on prior £240m funding and >200 projects, and continue the Clean Maritime Research Hub until at least 2028.

The UK Space Agency awarded £1.5 million through its Unlocking Space for Business programme to six projects using satellite data and AI to address climate, transport decarbonisation and accessibility. Funded projects include Ether Capital, Foresight Group, Furrer+Frey, Howden, MakeSense Technology and Rebalance Earth, many working in partnership with industry players such as AAC Clyde Space, Morphing.ai and Airbus Defence & Space.