UN-Water has announced the 43rd UN-Water Meeting scheduled for 24–25 March 2026 to coordinate the UN’s approach to water and sanitation issues.

• Event details and organiser: UN-Water (listed via the International Water Management Institute IWMI) will hold the meeting on 24 March 2026 – 25 March 2026, 09:00–17:00 (Europe/Rome).

  • Date: 24 March 2026 – 25 March 2026
  • Time: 09:00 am – 5:00 pm (Europe/Rome)
  • Agenda/Subject: Coordinate the UN’s approach to water and sanitation issues.

• Logistics and background: The event is published on IWMI’s events page and cross-listed on SDG.iisd.org; calendar links are provided (ICS, Google Calendar, iCalendar/webcal, Office 365, Outlook Live). Location is indicated by timezone (Europe/Rome); no specific physical venue or pricing/funding details are provided.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) will host the 2026 South African International Water Week (SAIWW) in Johannesburg.

• Event details: Host: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Event: South African International Water Week (SAIWW); Dates: March 16–18, 2026; Times: 9:00 am–5:00 pm (Africa/Johannesburg); Location: The Houghton Hotel, Lloys Ellis Avenue, Johannesburg, 2198, South Africa. The event aims to bring together cross-sector participants to confront water security challenges and convert them into investment opportunities.
• Agenda & logistics:
  • Agenda/Subject: focus on water security, investment opportunities, and cross-sector collaboration.
  • Registration & resources: event page and calendar links available (IWMI event page, ICS/iCalendar, Google Calendar, Office 365/Outlook links).

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is hosting a briefing on readily-available solutions to reduce energy costs for homes and small businesses.

• Event details: The briefing is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT at Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168 (Gold Room) in Washington, D.C., with a livecast at www.eesi.org/livecast; attendance is free and organizers ask attendees to RSVP to expedite check-in. Speakers are to be announced.
• Content and context: The session will review energy-efficiency measures (heating/cooling upgrades, insulation, appliances), highlight federal programs including LIHEAP and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and cites that U.S. electricity prices rose ~40% since 2020 and ENERGY STAR appliances can save ~$450 annually per household.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) have announced a public briefing titled “Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy.”

• Main announcement: EESI and FAS will host a briefing on emerging wildfire solutions and federal policy strategies to scale them, featuring Senators John Curtis and Alex Padilla and experts from Megafire Action, Alliance for Wildfire Resilience, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, and Earth Fire Alliance; the event includes a live webcast and a reception to follow.
• Background and event details: The briefing highlights evidence-backed approaches (smart zoning, upgraded building codes, fuels management, early detection) in response to longer and more intense wildfire seasons and the estimated economic toll of $424 billion annually.
  • Date & time: Tuesday, March 3, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
  • Location: Russell Senate Office Building (SR-385), 2 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC
  • Agenda/subject: Wildfire preparedness, response, recovery policies, innovations, and federal policy mechanisms to implement tactics at scale

ITIF is offering a spring 2026 seminar course for congressional and federal staff covering emerging technology policy topics from March 2–30, 2026 in Washington, DC.

• Course details: Five-class seminar running Monday, March 2 to Monday, March 30, 2026 in Washington, DC; open to congressional and federal staff only; participants who attend at least four out of five classes receive a certificate; course and certificate are free of charge.
• Session and implementation specifics: Sessions cover Floating Connection: Broadband and Space-based Technologies (speakers Joe Kane, Ellis Scherer), Quantum ecosystems (Hodan Omaar), AI and life sciences (Sandra Barbosu), Children’s online safety (Alex Ambrose, Ash Johnson), and Powering Data Centers Without Breaking the Grid (Robin Gaster); ITIF worked with Perkins Coie LLP on compliance with House and Senate ethics guidelines.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) will host a briefing presenting findings from the 2026 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook.

• Event details: Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability: Policy and Market Trends from the 2026 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook on Thursday, February 26, 2026, 3:30 - 5:00 PM EST; in-person at Rayburn House Office Building, Rayburn Gold Room (2168), 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515; Livecast available at www.eesi.org/livecast. The event is free and open to the public; attendees are asked to RSVP to expedite check-in.
• Content and participants: The Factbook offers year-over-year data on the U.S. energy transformation and examines trends in data centers and artificial intelligence, plus permitting/siting and federal appropriations affecting deployment of modern energy solutions. Speaker listed: Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE).

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) will host a Rapid Readout titled “Frozen Infrastructure: Winter Storm Impacts on Communities and the Power Grid.”

• Event: Rapid Readout on energy resilience and recovery after Winter Storm Fern. Date/Time: Friday, February 20, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM EST. Format/Access: Online only, livecast at www.eesi.org/livecast. Cost: free. RSVP: please RSVP to expedite check-in.

  • Location/access sub-bullets: Livecast URL: https://www.eesi.org/livecast; Add to calendar/ICS: https://www.eesi.org/files/022026winter_ics.ics; RSVP/event page: https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/022026winter#rsvp

• Scope & background: Examines Fern’s impacts on power grids and potential resilient solutions, referencing Winter Storm Uri (Texas, Feb 2021). Affected areas cited: Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and broader East Coast/South. Speaker: to be announced. Resources/links: event page, subscribe and privacy policy links provided.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), supported by the EU-funded Five Great Forests of Mesoamerica project, has announced interventions to sustain and restore Belize’s Maya Forest Corridor.

• Main actions: WCS and partners implement Assisted Natural Regeneration, territorial protection, fire management, community monitoring, and targeted active restoration — resulting in >13,000 hectares with improved ecological conditions, 20 hectares of active planting, >15,000 hectares protected from wildfires, >370 SMART patrols covering nearly 19,000 km, and 3 hectares of riparian forest restored in the Community Baboon Sanctuary. The project also supports 13 households with regenerative agriculture, a community nursery at Bermudian Landing, and a living agricultural laboratory serving 100 students at Belize Rural High School.
• Background and monitoring details: WCS cites a 33% decline (2000–2015) in areas of lower human influence across the Maya Forest, >27,000 hectares of forest cover loss in Belize in 2024 (primarily fires and land clearing), increased VIIRS-detected hotspots in 2023–2024, 8 fire incidents documented in the most recent dry season (3 affecting corridor areas), and the use of drone/aerial monitoring in 2025 for early fire detection and response. These are presented as project results and monitoring data, not speculative projections.

Regal Springs Indonesia highlights its use of recognized certifications and transparent farming/processing practices to ensure tilapia safety and quality.

• Main announcement/action: Regal Springs Indonesia states its tilapia production follows international standards, specifically ASC, BAP, and GMP, and that the entire production process is audited by independent third parties to verify food safety and quality. The article provides a consumer guide to verify safety via physical characteristics, origin transparency, and certifications.
• Background and details: The article outlines specific, verifiable quality and safety indicators: firm and elastic flesh, bright/clean meat, mild aroma, proper handling and cold storage, and farm-level controls including water quality, feed standards, and fish density. No monetary values or timelines are given.

The UK government has launched a 10-year Education Estates Strategy to deliver a decade of national renewal for schools and colleges, announced by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson on Weds 11 Feb.

• Main announcement: The strategy is a 10-year plan to transform the education estate, backed by a further £1 billion for the education estate, and underpinned by more than £3.7 billion to create 60,000 SEND places. It includes a £700 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to address leaking roofs, broken heating and flood protection, a £300 million Connect the Classroom fund to tackle the digital divide, and is supported by £38 billion in overall capital investment from 2025-26 to 2029-30.
• Background and implementation details: The government expects every secondary school to, in time, have an inclusion base; it will provide new guidance on converting existing space into SEND-support areas (e.g., repurposing spare classrooms). The Retrofit programme aims to extend building life by 15–40 years; the announcement builds on £200m in specialist teacher training and the introduction of ‘inclusion’ as a new Ofsted judgement. The press text notes these measures could have prevented some of the over 40 school closures reported last year due to building issues.

The Defence Secretary John Healey announced that the UK will double its troop presence in Norway and scale up joint Arctic operations.

• Main action: The UK will double British troops deployed to Norway from 1,000 to 2,000 personnel over three years; the Defence Secretary confirmed the UK Armed Forces will play a part in NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission with detailed military planning at NATO underway. The announcement was made during a visit to Camp Viking in northern Norway on Wednesday 11 February.
• Background and additional details: Exercise Lion Protector is scheduled for September 2026, with air, land, and naval forces deploying across the High North (including Iceland, the Danish Straits and Norway) to protect critical national infrastructure; 1,500 Royal Marine Commandos will deploy to Norway for Exercise Cold Response in March. The Lunna House Agreement (signed December) will see the UK and Norway jointly operate a fleet of submarine-hunting Type 26 warships, expand joint Arctic training, and pre-position British military equipment in Norway. The government has committed defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027.

The EU and India have concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement after almost two decades of talks.

• Main announcement: The EU and India will implement a comprehensive free trade agreement that covers a market of about two billion people, almost a third of world trade, and is expected to generate “billions of euros in tariff savings”; tariffs on most textiles, clothing, leather, chemicals, rubber and plastics, base metals, and precious stones and jewellery “will be completely eliminated over the next five to seven years.”
• Background and implementation details: Delhi Pollution Control Board monitoring shows biochemical oxygen demand in key Yamuna stretches “stay well above the permitted limits”; major pollution sources are untreated wastewater and industrial effluents from upstream urban and industrial centres (including clusters in Haryana and the NCR). The EU’s CBAM will continue to apply to steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers, but textiles, leather and many chemicals fall outside CBAM’s scope, and water pollution/toxic waste remain unpriced under the agreement. Evidence in the article cites pollution problems in the Ganges (Kanpur), Jojari (Jodhpur), Noyyal and Palar (Tamil Nadu), and Tapi (Surat).

The EU-India Free Trade Agreement is presented by Italian Ambassador Antonio Bartoli as a strategic instrument linking economic integration, connectivity and security.

• Main announcement/action: The Ambassador highlights the EU-India FTA as more than tariff cuts, framing it as a strategic shift that will open market access (industrial machinery, automotive components, chemicals, pharmaceuticals) and change customs duties (e.g., wine duties from 150% to 20%, removal of duties on olive oil and pasta); Italy aims to leverage ports, industry and digital infrastructure to act as an Indo-Mediterranean bridge and increase bilateral trade targets.
• Background and concrete details: The interview references the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 and outlines concrete measures: creation of a corridor for accelerated and fully digitalized port customs procedures, completion of a high-capacity underwater digital cable between Italy and India, intensified naval presence and planned dialogues on maritime security.
  • Event: Conference hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani; Date: March 17; Location: Trieste; Agenda/subject: mobilizing the private sector in favor of IMEC, participation expected from businesses and stakeholders from India and countries along the corridor.

The Department of National Defence will hold a virtual technical briefing ahead of an important announcement related to Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.

• Event details: Virtual technical briefing on Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, organized by the Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces, to provide information and answer questions under embargo. When: February 11, 2026. Time: 9 a.m. EST. How to attend: media must register by contacting mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca; participation details provided upon registration.
• Background and contact information: Media advisory released February 10, 2026 from Ottawa, Ontario. Primary media contact is Media Relations, Department of National Defence; Phone: 613-904-3333; Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca. The briefing is explicitly under embargo until the accompanying announcement.

The Transport Secretary announced a plan to create Great British Railways (GBR) — a publicly-led, integrated body to run UK railways — backed by legislation including the Public Ownership Bill and the Railways Bill.

• Main announcement/action: GBR will be the “directing mind” of the railway with a single integrated business plan, a statutory duty to promote passenger and freight interests, an independent GBR board, ORR oversight and enforcement, simplified access rules, a single profit & loss approach, and strengthened local/regional partnerships; government consultation on GBR’s licence is planned later this year and the Railways Bill/branding have already been launched.
• Background and concrete details: £12 billion per year is currently spent by taxpayers on the railways (about £400 per household); the government allocated £45 billion in a historic commitment for Northern Powerhouse Rail (within 18 months), has introduced a rail fares freeze, laid legislation to lower train-driving age from 20 to 18, reported adding 76,000 extra seats per week, highlighted the introduction of 30 bi-mode GBRf locomotives, and set an ambition to increase freight by 75% by 2050. Pay-As-You-Go rollout: 20 further South East stations later this year and 90 stations across the West Midlands and Manchester are planned.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved the personal composition of the Interagency Commission on policy of military-technical cooperation and export control.

• Decree No. 109/2026 dated 10 February 2026 approves the Commission’s membership; revokes Presidential Decree No. 10/2025 (2 January 2025); enters into force on publication. The Commission is chaired by Yevhen Ostrianskyi, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
• Membership includes senior officials: Deputy Minister of Defense Yurii Mironenko (Deputy Chair), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleksandr Mishchenko (Deputy Chair), Pavlo Palisa (Deputy Head of the Office of the President), representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Service for Export Control, State Customs Service, SBU, Foreign Intelligence Service, State Space Agency, Ukrainian Defence Industry (JSC); the secretary is Andriy Tyvonchuk.

UNEP FI has published a policy brief, “Greening the Chinese banking system: A policy and regulatory landscape analysis”, examining nearly 50 policy instruments that have supported China’s green finance development.

• Main announcement: The brief documents how China’s national green finance ambition, regulatory framework and enabling environment have evolved since the early 2000s, identifying nearly 50 policy instruments and highlighting a multi-layered system of taxonomies, disclosure rules, prudential measures and monetary tools (e.g., Carbon Emissions Reduction Facility) that have facilitated green finance growth.
• Background and details: The brief reports cumulative green and social bond issuance of RMB 4tn (USD 555.5bn) by end-2024 (a 12-fold increase since 2016, ~32% CAGR), notes the 2025 Green Finance Endorsed Project Catalogue and new double materiality disclosure guidance from the Ministry of Finance and the three stock exchanges, and links China’s targets to increase wind and solar capacity sixfold above 2020 levels and reduce GHGs 7–10% from peak by 2035.

Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu has visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko; Moldova and Ukraine signed three bilateral agreements.

• Main announcement: Moldova and Ukraine signed three bilateral agreements in Kyiv during Munteanu’s first official visit; discussions and commitments focused on energy, infrastructure, railway transport, and European integration.
• Additional details: The two prime ministers made joint statements on deepening bilateral cooperation, regional security, and concrete projects in economic, energy and infrastructure sectors; President Zelenskyy thanked Moldova for its support and emphasized a shared path toward the European Union.

The Environment Agency announced arrests after illegal waste was dumped on private land near the M25 junction with the M11, with Essex Police executing the seizure and arrests.

• Main action: On 6 February Essex Police, acting on behalf of the Environment Agency, arrested two men (a 55-year-old from Horley, Surrey, and a 25-year-old from Mullaghbawn, County Armagh), seized a lorry (which had sunk into thick mud), and recovered two mobile phones and a laptop; both men were released on conditions (no contact with each other, no transport of waste, no presence in vehicles involved in waste management) and bailed to return to Harlow police station on 26 February.
• Background/details: The Environment Agency began investigating the site last February and said these arrests are the latest in a series of coordinated actions by the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and police; since 2020 almost 200 people have been arrested, and in 2024/25 the Environment Agency stopped activity at 743 illegal waste sites. The article references other recent related arrests and an incident involving nearly 1,200 tonnes of dumped waste at Kirby Cane near Norwich.

Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss capitalizing on close Moldova–Ukraine ties, mutual support for European integration, continued humanitarian aid, and Moldova’s readiness to contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction.

• Main announcement: The meeting confirmed Moldova’s firm support for Ukraine, including continued political, diplomatic and humanitarian support, with 11 humanitarian convoys sent so far and a recently approved new batch of assistance. The PM emphasized support for European integration and mutual cooperation.
• Details and context: Moldova confirmed readiness to assist in reconstruction via bilateral and regional initiatives covering transport, infrastructure, energy, cyber resilience and security, and to continue cooperation within the Odesa Triangle (Moldova–Ukraine–Romania) trilateral format.