Global Climate News

The Government of Canada announced Budget 2025’s Build Communities Strong Fund investments and highlighted a previously announced $27.9-million investment in the Lively‑Walden Wastewater System in Sudbury. - **Main announcement:** The Budget 2025 **Build Communities Strong Fund** will **invest $51 billion over 10 years**, followed by **$3 billion per year ongoing**, with streams including a **$17.2 billion provincial/territorial stream (10 years)**, a **$6 billion direct delivery stream**, and a **$27.8 billion community stream**; the release also reiterates the **$27.9-million** Lively‑Walden Wastewater System project that is expected to **enable 3,300 new homes** in the City of Greater Sudbury. - **Background and conditions:** The provincial/territorial stream requires **cost-matching by provinces and territories** and includes **$5 billion over three years** for a new **Health Infrastructure Fund**; project funding is **subject to signing a contribution agreement** and federal funding is conditional on **consultation with Indigenous Peoples**.

The Government of Canada released Budget 2025: Canada Strong, highlighted by MP Corey Hogan in Calgary, announcing the Build Communities Strong Fund and enabling $1 trillion in investments over five years. - **Main announcement:** Budget 2025 will **enable $1 trillion in investments over the next five years** and creates the **Build Communities Strong Fund** which will **invest $51 billion over 10 years, followed by $3 billion per year ongoing**; the Fund includes a **Provincial and Territorial stream ($17.2 billion over 10 years)**, a **Health Infrastructure Fund ($5 billion over 3 years)**, a **Direct Delivery stream ($6 billion)**, and a **Community stream ($27.8 billion)**. Implementation details: provinces/territories must **cost match** federal investments and reduce development charges; the Health Infrastructure Fund is dedicated to upgrading hospitals, emergency rooms, and urgent care centres. - **Background and additional details:** The federal government previously announced **$8.2 million** through the **Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program** for the MDCAH (a **net-zero** arts facility in Calgary); Budget 2025 also includes an initial **$60 billion in savings over five years** and aims to catalyse **$500 billion** of new investment over the next five years. Complementary initiatives named: **Major Projects Office**, **Build Canada Homes**, and **Defence Investment Agency**.

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has extended a US$ 36.4-million contract financing facility to Egypt’s SAMCO-National Construction Company (SAMCO) to finance the design and construction of the Akii Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira, Uganda. - **Main announcement:** Afreximbank granted a **US$ 36.4-million** facility under its **EPC programme** (signed on **29 October** in Cairo) to support SAMCO in the **design, construction, development and acquisition of essential components** for the Akii Bua Olympic Stadium; funds are intended to execute the stadium project in Lira, Uganda, which is expected to host some matches of the **2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)** co-hosted by **Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania**. - **Background and details:** The facility was signed by **Mrs. Kanayo Awani** (Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank) and **Engineer Sameh Soliman** (Chairman, SAMCO); the financing is part of Afreximbank’s strategy to support **African EPC companies** to bid for and deliver large-scale, government-backed infrastructure projects across Africa and to enable hosting of **CAF- and FIFA-approved** sports events.

OMV and Masdar have signed a binding agreement to establish a joint venture to finance, construct and operate a 140 MW green hydrogen electrolyzer plant in Bruck an der Leitha, Austria. - **Main action:** The joint venture will **finance, construct and operate** the 140 MW green hydrogen electrolyzer; Masdar (the UAE-based partner) will be a **49% minority shareholder** and OMV the majority. Construction **began in September** and the plant is expected to be **operational in 2027**. The facility is described as one of **Europe’s largest** (fifth-largest electrolyzer plant in Europe). - **Background & specifics:** The project is intended to support **decarbonizing OMV’s Schwechat refinery**; the agreement is a **binding JV** for financing, construction and operation. No financial values or contract amounts were disclosed in the article.

President John Dramani Mahama cut the sod for the construction of a Solar Park at Agortor in the Dawa Industrial Enclave, announcing Ghana's intent to lead an industrial renaissance powered by the project. - **Project scope and timeline:** The Solar Park is being developed by **Solar for Industries Limited (SFI)**, a **subsidiary of LMI Holdings Limited**, in two initial phases totaling **200 MWp** (Phase 1: **100MWp**; Phase 2: additional **100MWp**). The first 100MWp is expected to be completed **by December 2026**, with the additional 100MWp added **9 months later**; the project is planned to expand to **1,000 MWp by 2032**. Industries in the Dawa Industrial Enclave drawing power from the project will receive a **10% discount** (announced by Kojo Aduhene, CEO of Quarm Investments). - **Partners, implementation details and event info:** Implementation partners named include the **International Finance Corporation (IFC)** of the World Bank, **Enclave Power Company**, **John Murphy Construction (JMC)**, **China International Water and Electric Corp (CIWE)** and **SgurrEnergy**; the project aligns with national programmes **Blue Water Guards**, **Tree for Life Reforestation Programme**, and **Clean Ghana Campaign**. - Date: **November 7, 2025** - Location: **Agortor, Dawa Industrial Enclave, Greater Accra Region, Ghana** - Event: Sod-cutting ceremony to commence construction and announce project timelines and partnerships.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has announced stronger-than-expected 1H FY2025 financial results and raised full-year order intake and revenue guidance following robust performance, particularly in Energy Systems (GTCC) and Defense & Space. - **Main announcement:** MHI increased its **FY2025 order intake forecast to ¥6,100.0 billion** (revised from previous ¥5,250.0 billion) and **revised revenue guidance to ¥4,800.0 billion** (up ¥50.0 billion versus prior forecast) after reporting **1H order intake of ¥3,314.7 billion** and **1H revenue of ¥2,113.7 billion** for the half year ended September 30, 2025; the company **maintained its business profit guidance of ¥390.0 billion** and reiterated a **full-year dividend forecast of 24 yen per share**. - **Background and details:** **GTCC (Gas Turbine Combined Cycle)** drove a ¥674.5 billion YoY increase in Energy order intake, including **contracts for 23 large frame gas turbine units** (majority from customers in North America and Asia); segment-level impacts include one-time charges in Steam Power and retroactive adjustments related to the planned sale of **Mitsubishi Logisnext (ML)** shares. The release includes revised segment forecasts (Energy order intake revised to **¥3,200.0 billion**, Energy revenue to **¥2,000.0 billion**) and provides links to detailed financial results and presentation materials.

The UK Government announced that Mayors outside London will be given greater influence over the government's £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme. - **Main action:** Mayors outside London will be able to prioritise an indicative **£7 billion** of spending across six regions within the **£39 billion, 10-year (2026–2036) Social and Affordable Homes Programme**, with bidding opening in **February 2026**; the programme aims to deliver **around 300,000 affordable homes** with **at least 60% as Social Rent (c.180,000 social rent homes)** and includes indicative regional allocations (e.g., **Greater Manchester £1.8 billion**, **West Midlands £1.7 billion**, **North East £1.1 billion**, **West Yorkshire £1.0 billion**, **Liverpool City Region £700 million**, **South Yorkshire £700 million**). - **Delivery and background details:** The government is removing barriers for councils to build at scale (including a new portfolio route and allowing councils to combine **Right to Buy receipts with grant funding from 2026–27**); additional funding actions include a **£150 million** brownfield package to unlock over **4,000 new homes** (awarded to mayoral strategic authorities), a **£950 million Local Authority Housing Fund** settlement to improve temporary accommodation, the prior **£600 million** Brownfield Housing Fund (which unlocked 22,000 home starts), and targeted grants such as **£5.5 million** awarded to 29 councils via the Council Housebuilding Support Fund (part of a £14 million Council Housebuilding Skills and Capacity Programme 2025–26).

The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced new UK clean energy investments, infrastructure upgrades, and international partnerships at the United Nations COP30 summit. - **Main announcement/action:** The Prime Minister committed the UK to **doubling down on the fight against climate change**, describing the UK as pursuing the **largest investment of clean energy in British history** and the **biggest nuclear building program in a generation**; announced a **£1 billion turbine contract** (previously announced) for a **wind farm blade factory in Hull**, upgrades to the **Port of East Anglia** to pre-assemble those blades for **offshore wind in the North Sea**, **new deals in Belfast** to support two major offshore wind farms in the Irish Sea, and a major **battery site in Manchester**. He cited **over £50 billion of investment** into UK clean energy industries announced since last year and **800,000 jobs expected by the end of the decade**. - **Background and partnerships/details:** The UK reaffirmed its **Nationally Determined Contribution** aligned with the **Paris Agreement**, referenced launching the **Global Clean Power Alliance** with **President Lula** to help developing countries secure investment, and pledged continued **international climate finance** and support to **Jamaica and Caribbean** nations (also referenced Hurricane Melissa). The speech highlighted a market opportunity: **providing goods and services for global net-zero transition could be worth £1 trillion by 2030**.

The UK is leading development of ESA's first Scout mission, HydroGNSS, with SSTL designing, building and operating two ~65 kg satellites for launch in November 2025 on a SpaceX rocket; the mission is funded by the UK Space Agency (£26 million) and ESA. - **Main announcement/action:** HydroGNSS is the first ESA Scout mission **led by the UK** and built by **Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)**; it comprises **two ~65 kg satellites**, uses **GNSS-Reflectometry**, is scheduled to **launch November 2025 on SpaceX**, has a **planned operational life of 3 years** (extendable to 5–6 years), and targets sensitivity of **0.7–3.8 dB per 10%** change with **spatial resolution 2–7 km** to measure soil moisture, permafrost, inundation, biomass, wind speed and sea ice extent. - **Background and partners/details:** The mission is funded via **£26 million from the UK Space Agency** and ESA’s Scout programme with early-stage support from the **Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation**; UK and European partners include **Sapienza, Tor Vergata, IFAC-CNR (Italy), FMI (Finland), ICE/IEEC (Spain), NOC (UK), University of Nottingham**. A separate Scout mission, **CubeMAP**, is led scientifically by the UK with an industrial contract to **GomSpace** to build a constellation of **three 12-litre cubesats** carrying thermal infrared spectrometers and a visible NIR hyperspectral solar-disk imager.

The Canadian Coast Guard laid the keel for the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship CCGS Sermilik at Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax on November 6, 2025. - **Main announcement/action:** The **keel was laid** for the CCGS **Sermilik** at **Irving Shipbuilding Inc.** in Halifax; the vessel is an **ice-capable Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship** that will support **fisheries enforcement**, **scientific research**, **environmental response**, **navigation maintenance**, **search and rescue**, and **icebreaking** operations. - Date: **November 6, 2025**; Location: **Irving Shipbuilding, Halifax, Nova Scotia**; Agenda/subject: ceremonial keel-laying with commemorative coin placement and formal recognition of the construction milestone. - **Background and details:** The project is part of the **National Shipbuilding Strategy**; the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships program is estimated to contribute **$125M annually** to Canada’s GDP and create or maintain **close to 1,250 jobs annually** over the **2022–2030** period. The CCGS Sermilik is the **eighth** Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship built under the strategy, with six delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy and two currently under construction for the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Ministry of Finance announced the winners of the 23rd Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Golden Awards and will hold the awards ceremony on 28 November 2025 at the Taipei International Convention Center. - **Main announcement and winners**: The awards reviewed **23 teams** and conferred honors to **10 teams** (including Ever Rich Duty Free Co., Ltd.). Notable awarded projects include Ever Rich's **Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2 duty-free concession** (won the top private-team award and a public-welfare award), the **National Highway No.3 Qingshui Service Area renovation BOT** (Freeway Bureau with President Chain Store Corporation) which introduced an **"incentivized variable royalty"** mechanism, and the **Nangang biotech industry cluster BOT** (Taipei City Department of Economic Development with Sekang Development Co., Ltd.) that reserves space for an **incubation center with shared equipment** to link clinical trials to pilot production. - Date: **2025-11-28** (ROC year 114, 11/28) - Location: **Taipei International Convention Center, Room 101** - Agenda: award presentation by **Executive Yuan-level officials** to winning PPP teams - **Project details and background**: The Freeway Bureau emphasized construction staging and temporary facilities to minimize operational impact during the Qingshui Service Area rebuild; Ever Rich committed to **"service without interruption"** and implemented **nighttime construction** during expansion, and applied a **"no layoffs, no pay cuts"** policy during the pandemic. The Nangang BOT targets biotech ecosystem gaps by selecting land near **Academia Sinica, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the National Biotechnology Research Park**, using compensated allocation of public land and negotiated purchase of private land. The full winners list and reasons are provided in the attached winners PDF and on the Taiwan PPP Information System.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) provides guidance on activities that require a marine licence. - **Main announcement/action:** The MMO explains how to **check if you need a marine licence** (use the Marine Licensing Tool), identifies **seven categories of licensable activity** (construction, dredging, deposit, removal, incineration, scuttling, use of explosives), and describes the routes to apply: **standard marine licence**, **self-service marine licence** (low-risk, consistent activities), or seek an **exemption**; applicants should **assess each stage** of proposed works and re-check the tool if scope/location/methodology change. Fees are referenced (a **fixed fee for self-service** and a **variable fee for standard** licences) and standard licences can be applied for **online**. - **Background and other details:** The guidance clarifies **jurisdiction** under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MMO covers English waters and Northern Ireland offshore waters), lists **other consents** that may be required (e.g., **wildlife licences**, **Seabed Survey Licence (SSL)** and **Coastal Survey Licence (CSL)** from The Crown Estate, **Environment Agency** permits, **Natural England** consents for SSSIs), and provides contact emails for The Crown Estate (**consents@thecrownestate.co.uk**, **CoastalTeam@thecrownestate.co.uk**). Page published 2 October 2014 and **last updated 6 November 2025**.

The British Army has declared Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle. - **Main announcement:** Ajax has declared **Initial Operating Capability (IOC)** and can now **deploy a squadron on operations**; the Ajax family comprises **589 tracked vehicles across 6 variants**, built in **Merthyr Tydfil, Wales**, and supported by a **UK-wide supply chain of more than 230 companies and over 4,100 jobs**. Key platform stats: **Max speed 70 km/h**, **Main weapon: Cased telescope 40mm (CT40) cannon**, **20,000+ rounds fired** in testing and **42,000 km** driven in trials. - **Background and programme details:** The programme is a collaborative delivery between the **Army, DE&S and General Dynamics**, is part of a **£41 billion investment in British Army equipment and support over the next decade**, and has **export potential** with active discussions underway following **up to £18 billion of recent UK export deals** (including Type 26 frigates for Norway and Typhoon jets for Türkiye).

President John Dramani Mahama has commenced groundbreaking (sod-cutting) for reconstruction of the Wenchi‑Sawla‑Wa highway as part of the Big Push project. - **Main announcement/action:** The project covers **195 kilometres**, is **divided into seven lots** to allow concurrent execution, and is scheduled for **completion within two years**; it will reconstruct the Wenchi–Wa route (part of **National Route N12**) connecting **Wenchi to Wa** and serve as an **international route to Burkina Faso and Mali**, with oversight by the **Ghana Highway Authority** and the **Ministry of Roads and Highways** and requirements for **highest technical standards** and **environmental protection**. - **Background and details:** The sod-cutting also marks rehabilitation linked to the **Fufolsu–Sawla Road** (previously funded with an **African Development Bank** loan); the corridor currently handles an estimated **2,000–2,500 vehicles** carrying nearly **4,000 tons** of agricultural freight (grain, yams, cashews, livestock). The **Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza**, assured contractors of **no delays in payments**, and regional chief **Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso I** praised the initiative.