Daily Digest for

President Lula sanctioned PL 2628/2022 (ECA Digital) and will send an MP on 18 September 2025 to accelerate entry into force and transform the ANPD into an independent agency with 200 specialist posts and a 6-month compliance window. The government also launched the Redata datacenter policy to attract up to R$ 2 trillion, with tax exemptions, sustainability rules (100% renewable energy, carbon-zero), 2% R&D requirements and a 10% domestic capacity reserve.

The New Zealand Government has passed the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill to restrict conversions of productive farmland (LUC 1–6) to exotic forestry, allowing up to 25% of productive land to be forested, two annual ballots for up to 15,000 ha on LUC 6, transitional protections for investments before Dec 2024, and a review in 2028. The Bill, announced by Ministers Todd McClay and Simon Watts, comes into force in October 2025 and aims to protect food production while maintaining ETS confidence.

The Italian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (H2IT) published the “Mappatura dei Progetti Idrogeno PNRR”, mapping over 100 hydrogen initiatives across Italy including Hydrogen Valleys, refueling stations, and IPCEI projects. The map highlights projects in Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia, and Campania and notes participation from energy and technology companies and local authorities.

MCJ joined Aalo’s $100 million Series B led by Valor Equity Partners to fund Aalo’s factory-manufactured 50 MW extra-modular nuclear plants (five 10 MW reactors) targeting data centers. Aalo was selected for the DOE President’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program aiming for at least three test reactors by July 4, 2026, and benefits from May 2025 executive orders (18-month NRC reviews, designation of AI data centers as ‘critical defense facilities’).

President Vladimir Putin chaired a videoconference of Government members to discuss a comprehensive infrastructure development plan through 2036, with Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin delivering a report. Ministers reported education figures including 1.1 million new college students, 619,000 state-funded university places, 14,058 admissions to AI-related programmes (2.5x increase), and industrial investment of 8.5 billion rubles in vocational education.