Nepal is set to receive US$45 million under a World Bank programme rewarding it for protecting its forests, but the communities on the frontlines of that effort could miss out, stakeholders say. That could potentially turn this inaugural payment from the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) into an expensive experiment with minimal benefits for local communities, they warn. “At the heart of the issue is the involvement of too many government institutions such as the Ministry of Finance, the Forest Development Fund, the Ministry of Forest and Environment, the provincial governments, and potentially the divisional forest offices,” said lawyer Dilraj Khanal, who specialises in natural resources. Because the money doesn’t go directly from the World Bank’s FCPF to the communities involved in forest protection, it risks being bogged down and slashed at every stage of the different government ministries and departments it has to pass through. The initial payment of US$45 million is part of the total US$1.3 billion global fund for the 2.4 million tonnes of carbon stored in the forests of the 13 districts that make up the Terai Arc landscape, the lowland area of Nepal that’s home to the iconic Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris). That sum equates to the avoided emissions from protecting forests between 2018 and 2024, calculated at a rate of US$5 per metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent under the REDD+ programme to save forests, restore biodiversity, and promote sustainable economic growth. For Nepal to get paid, it has to show proof that it’s actually reducing emissions. This proof comes in the form of an evaluation called the Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) report. Nepal has already submitted this report, which is currently being verified by a third party, according to David Sislen, World Bank regional country director for the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In an email to Mongabay on 18 December, Sislen said that once the verification is complete, the funds will be channeled through the Forest Development Fund (FDF), Nepal’s designated receiving entity for forest carbon trade, as outlined in the project’s legal agreement. But Khanal said the fact that the money has to go through the FDF “itself complicates the process.” Mongabay recently reported that the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation has 6.4 billion rupees (US$47 million) in its accounts set aside for the FDF, which has an extensive mandate ranging from running afforestation programmes to facilitating research and addressing human-wildlife conflict. The 5-year-old fund has failed to spend a single rupee, due to lack of operational guidelines, which are still being drawn up. Different versions of the document are being circulated among stakeholders for feedback. But the project’s benefit-sharing plan, seen by Mongabay, offers some clues about the process. According to the plan, seen by Mongabay, the World Bank’s FCPF will deposit payments into the country’s federal treasury. The Ministry of Finance will then transfer the money to the FDF as per its expenditure plan for the relevant fiscal year. The FDF will then transfer the money to the accounts of the identified beneficiaries, including government agencies such as national parks, community-based forest management groups, private forest owners, and even forest-dependent communities not belonging to any forest group. “At the surface level, the fund disbursement plan sounds smooth. But it’s anything but as it requires a lot of coordination between different agencies — a task Nepal’s bureaucrats haven’t been traditionally good at,” Khanal said. First, he said, there’s confusion as to how much of the fund will reach the beneficiaries. According to the plan, the finance ministry will take off 20 per cent for “administrative costs.” The FDF will shave off 10 per cent of what it gets, also in administrative fees. This means that only 72 per cent of the funds will be available to the beneficiaries. The Forest Regulation, the project’s benefit-sharing plan, and a version of the Forest Development Fund operational guidelines seen by Mongabay suggest the national REDD+ agencies and the provincial forest offices are likely to play a crucial role in the selection and implementation of programmes. It remains unclear whether these entities will also take a certain percentage of the fund to cover operational costs. “When we carried out some rough estimates, we came up with numbers that were really insignificant at the community level to carry out meaningful conservation and restoration work,” said forest expert Subash Chandra Devkota. In addition to this, the beneficiaries need to come up with programmes that meet the objectives of the fund and present proposals to the relevant officials to access the fund. This creates obstacles for communities that don’t have the capacity to prepare such documents, a forest ministry official told Mongabay, requesting anonymity as they weren’t authorised to talk to the media. Similarly, as the fund is to be spent in accordance with the government’s fiscal expenditure plan, programmes would have to be conducted in compliance with procurement laws. “The general norm is that programmes included in the fiscal plan need to be carried out through a bidding process,” said Birkha Bahadur Shahi, senior vice chair of the Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal. This means that local forest officials could hire private companies for work such as afforestation and restoration just because they submit lower bids compared to community groups, he added. To mitigate that challenge, the government must prioritise local user groups over private companies when it comes to awarding contracts, said Dhaniram Sharma, head of the finance ministry’s International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division. But as doing so would be at the discretion of the relevant provincial forest department, some communities that aren’t in the forest office’s good books may stand to lose out, the ministry official told Mongabay. When Mongabay specifically asked the World Bank’s Nepal office by email about potential measures to ensure the money reaches the local people involved in saving the forests, along with other questions about the programme, it didn’t answer. With all these challenges, the communities that played crucial roles in protecting the forests since 2018 could potentially miss out on the benefits of the carbon trade agreement, Khanal said. “If that happens, all this would prove to be an expensive learning experiment with little impact,” he said. Like this content? Join our growing community. Your support helps to strengthen independent journalism, which is critically needed to guide business and policy development for positive impact. Unlock unlimited access to our content and members-only perks. Find out more and join us. → Find out more and join us. →

До конца 2025 года продлён особый порядок реализации в России зарегистрированных зарубежных лекарственных средств. Постановление об этом подписано. Речь идёт о возможности продажи зарубежных препаратов не только в российской, но и в иностранной упаковке с этикеткой на русском языке. Это позволяет избежать дефицита медикаментов и перебоев с поставками в аптеки, поликлиники и больницы. Решение о продаже лекарств в иностранной упаковке принимает специальная межведомственная комиссия. В её состав входят представители Минздрава, Росздравнадзора, Минпромторга, Минфина, Федеральной антимонопольной службы, Федеральной таможенной службы. Ранее Правительство продлило упрощённые процедуры государственной регистрации отдельных лекарственных препаратов и наиболее востребованных медицинских изделий до конца 2027 года. Документ будет опубликован.

Распоряжение от 27 декабря 2024 года №4100-р Документ PDF 326Kb Распоряжение от 27 декабря 2024 года №4100-р Более 736 млн рублей будет направлено из резервного фонда Правительства на улучшение материально-технического оснащения Кисловодской городской больницы. Распоряжение об этом подписано. Средства пойдут на создание койко-мест в отделении реанимации и интенсивной терапии. Кроме того, с помощью федерального финансирования будет закуплено необходимое медицинское оборудование. Принятое решение позволит повысить доступность и качество медицинской помощи.

Documents Solvent-based adhesive tape removal HTML Details This publication was distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024. Solvent-based adhesive tape removal is listed as a Category B process in the Fingermark Visualisation Manual (FVM). This is because it could be useful where adhesive surfaces cannot be easily separated using Category A methods (such as, pulling and prising). It is known that some solvents can soften the adhesive if used carefully, but it is not fully understood if the process is detrimental to subsequent fingermark recovery. To investigate this Dstl carried out a planted fingermark study to assess the impact of 4 solvents: Un-du® Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Compliant HFE 7100 Heptane Ethanol Updates to this page Published 31 December 2024 Sign up for emails or print this page Get emails about this page Print this page Documents Solvent-based adhesive tape removal HTML Details This publication was distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024. Solvent-based adhesive tape removal is listed as a Category B process in the Fingermark Visualisation Manual (FVM). This is because it could be useful where adhesive surfaces cannot be easily separated using Category A methods (such as, pulling and prising). It is known that some solvents can soften the adhesive if used carefully, but it is not fully understood if the process is detrimental to subsequent fingermark recovery. To investigate this Dstl carried out a planted fingermark study to assess the impact of 4 solvents: Un-du® Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Compliant HFE 7100 Heptane Ethanol A summary of Dstl’s research into the effect of solvent-based removal of adhesive tape on subsequent fingermark visualisation processes. HTML This publication was distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024. Solvent-based adhesive tape removal is listed as a Category B process in the Fingermark Visualisation Manual (FVM). This is because it could be useful where adhesive surfaces cannot be easily separated using Category A methods (such as, pulling and prising). It is known that some solvents can soften the adhesive if used carefully, but it is not fully understood if the process is detrimental to subsequent fingermark recovery. To investigate this Dstl carried out a planted fingermark study to assess the impact of 4 solvents:

Documents Finding a replacement for HFE 7100 HTML Details Since our last update (originally distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024, but published online at a later date), the fingermark visualisation research at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) continues to prioritise finding a suitable replacement for HFE 7100 in Indandione applications. Work continues on both the flammable and non-flammable solvent options; exploring international formulations and alternative application methods. Updates to this page Published 31 December 2024 Sign up for emails or print this page Get emails about this page Print this page Documents Finding a replacement for HFE 7100 HTML Details Since our last update (originally distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024, but published online at a later date), the fingermark visualisation research at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) continues to prioritise finding a suitable replacement for HFE 7100 in Indandione applications. Work continues on both the flammable and non-flammable solvent options; exploring international formulations and alternative application methods. Fingermark visualisation research at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) continues to prioritise finding a suitable replacement for HFE 7100. HTML Since our last update (originally distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024, but published online at a later date), the fingermark visualisation research at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) continues to prioritise finding a suitable replacement for HFE 7100 in Indandione applications. Work continues on both the flammable and non-flammable solvent options; exploring international formulations and alternative application methods.

Documents HFE 7100 replacement research HTML Details This publication was distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024. 3M will stop the manufacture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by the end of 2025. This includes Novec™ 7100, also known as HFE 7100 (an engineered fluid containing a mixture of Methylnonafluorobutyl ether and 1-Methoxynonafluorobutane). The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) are also considering the restriction of PFAS. Updates to this page Published 31 December 2024 Sign up for emails or print this page Get emails about this page Print this page Documents HFE 7100 replacement research HTML Details This publication was distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024. 3M will stop the manufacture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by the end of 2025. This includes Novec™ 7100, also known as HFE 7100 (an engineered fluid containing a mixture of Methylnonafluorobutyl ether and 1-Methoxynonafluorobutane). The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) are also considering the restriction of PFAS. An overview of Dstl’s research to date into the replacement of HFE 7100 in fingermark visualisation processes. HTML This publication was distributed to Fingermark Enhancement Laboratories (FELs) in January 2024. 3M will stop the manufacture of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by the end of 2025. This includes Novec™ 7100, also known as HFE 7100 (an engineered fluid containing a mixture of Methylnonafluorobutyl ether and 1-Methoxynonafluorobutane). The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) are also considering the restriction of PFAS.

The Environment Agency has issued a yellow flood warning with heavy and persistent rain expected tonight (31 Dec) and into tomorrow (1 Jan) across the North of England, the Pennines and parts of the Midlands. Those travelling or celebrating the New Year are urged to stay away from swollen rivers, with significant river flooding impacts possible in parts of England until Thursday (2 Jan). Significant surface water flooding impacts are possible in parts of England tonight (31 Dec) and tomorrow (1 Jan) due to widespread heavy rain. The Environment Agency continues to monitor the forecast and impacts on river and surface water levels. Its message to the public remains to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation. Stefan Laeger, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Heavy and persistent rain tonight and into tomorrow means river levels are likely to be high across the North of England, Pennines and parts of the Midlands until the end of the week, with significant inland flooding possible until Thursday and minor impacts possible on Friday. “Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected. “We advise anyone travelling or out celebrating the New Year to be especially careful and urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through  flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car. “People should search ‘check my flood risk’, sign up for free flood warnings, and keep up to date with the latest situation at @EnvAgency on X.” Images of operational activity by the Environment Agency are available via the Midlands and Yorkshire & North East teams’ accounts on X. Significant inland flooding impacts are possible in parts of England on Tuesday and Wednesday, with people advised to stay away from swollen rivers. The Environment Agency has issued a yellow flood warning with heavy and persistent rain expected tonight (31 Dec) and into tomorrow (1 Jan) across the North of England, the Pennines and parts of the Midlands. Those travelling or celebrating the New Year are urged to stay away from swollen rivers, with significant river flooding impacts possible in parts of England until Thursday (2 Jan). Significant surface water flooding impacts are possible in parts of England tonight (31 Dec) and tomorrow (1 Jan) due to widespread heavy rain. The Environment Agency continues to monitor the forecast and impacts on river and surface water levels. Its message to the public remains to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation. “Heavy and persistent rain tonight and into tomorrow means river levels are likely to be high across the North of England, Pennines and parts of the Midlands until the end of the week, with significant inland flooding possible until Thursday and minor impacts possible on Friday. “Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected. “We advise anyone travelling or out celebrating the New Year to be especially careful and urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through  flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car. “People should search ‘check my flood risk’, sign up for free flood warnings, and keep up to date with the latest situation at @EnvAgency on X.” Images of operational activity by the Environment Agency are available via the Midlands and Yorkshire & North East teams’ accounts on X. The following links open in a new tab

BHP’s Rashpal Bhatti has again been named in this year’s edition of Lloyd’s List’s One Hundred People, an annual assessment of the most influential people in the global shipping industry. Rashpal, who recently took on the role of Group Procurement Officer after nine years as Vice President of Maritime and Supply Chain Excellence, was ranked 50th in the top 100 list. This is up from 69th last year, and the third consecutive year he has been named in the list, in addition to 2017. In an article highlighting Rashpal’s achievements, Lloyd’s List noted that he has bookmarked his tenure with the BHP Maritime team with multiple industry- and world-first decarbonisation initiatives, creating a strong leadership narrative for BHP Maritime across the industry and among our peers. One of the most recent in this list is BHP’s expression-of-interest for an ammonia value chain for the maritime industry, launched in 2023 to assess – for what we believe is the very first time in the world – the use of ammonia as a “low to zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions”[1] fuel for maritime. In line with BHP’s decarbonisation targets, goals and commitments, the intent is usage of low to zero GHG emission ammonia as a marine fuel within this decade, starting with an iron ore Green Corridor[2] for our well-established iron ore trade route between Western Australia and China. “We are confident that low to zero greenhouse gas emissions ammonia will play a very significant role in the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. We have no doubt that other charterers and organisations would look to ammonia as a strong step towards net zero.” Rashpal told the publication. As one of the world’s largest dry bulk charterers, BHP moved about 300 million tonnes of iron ore, coal and copper over some 1,500 voyages in FY2024. Decarbonisation is a key pillar of the Maritime team’s strategy, in line with BHP’s commitment to become a more sustainable and resilient business, with a long-term Scope 3 emissions target to achieve net zero by 2050 for the GHG emissions from all shipping of BHP products[3]. Earlier, in July 2024, together with our partners Pan Pacific Copper and Norsepower, we completed the retrofit installation of a rotor sail onboard the M/V Koryu, leveraging wind-assisted propulsion technology to reduce GHG emissions, when wind conditions are favourable, from maritime transportation between Chile and Japan. This followed the world’s first launch in 2022 of the first of what is now five dual-fuelled liquefied natural gas (LNG) Newcastlemax vessels within our time-chartered fleet and earlier, the first marine biofuel trial on an ocean-going vessel in Singapore in 2021. [1] Low to zero GHG emissions (for shipping) means capable of between 81 per cent to 100 per cent lower GHG emissions intensity (gCO2-e/joule) on a well-to-wake basis compared to conventional fossil fuels used in shipping. Well-to-wake means inclusive of the GHG emissions across the entire process of fuel production, delivery and use onboard vessels. [2] A Green Corridor is a specific shipping route where the economics, infrastructure, and logistics of low to zero GHG emissions shipping are more feasible and rapid deployment can be supported by targeted policy and industry action. [3] Subject to the widespread availability of carbon neutral solutions to meet our requirements, including low to zero GHG emission technologies, fuels, goods and services.

▷ 2025년부터 1월 1일부터 1년간 활동, 아시아 국가 중에서 유일하게 포함 환경부 소속 국립환경과학원(원장 금한승)은 경제협력개발기구(OECD) 화학물질 평가 신생과학(ESCA)* 자문기구의 의장단**으로 2025년 1월 1일부터 1년 간 활동한다고 밝혔다. * Emerging Science in Chemical Assessment : 대체시험법, 인공지능 등 첨단 과학기법을 환경정책에 효율적으로 활용할 수 있도록 화학물질 유해성평가, 시험지침 작업반 사업 검토 및 신규 사업 발굴 등의 역할을 하는 자문기구 ** 제2차 OECD 화학물질 평가 신생과학(ESCA) 자문기구회의(‘24.6월)에서 회원국 만장일치로 선출됨 경제협력개발기구는 화학물질평가 분야에서 인체 모사 조직, 인공지능, 체학(體學, 오믹스)* 등 첨단 과학적 성과를 정책에 활용하기 위해 2023년에 화학물질평가 신생과학(ESCA) 자문기구를 구성했다. 이 자문기구는 경제협력개발기구 국가시험지침사업조정자 및 유해성평가 작업반과 연계하여 대체시험법, 인공지능 등 첨단 과학 분야 사업계획서, 추진현황, 결과를 검토하고 전문가 자문을 제공한다. * 체학(오믹스) : 세포, 조직, 몸에 존재하는 유전체(게놈, 유전 정보의 집합체), 대사체(메타볼롬, 대사 물질의 집합체), 단백체(프로테옴, 단백질의 집합체) 등을 체(體, ome)라고 하고 두 개 이상의 체(體) 정보를 이용하여, 환경오염물질의 영향 등 세포, 개체, 생물체 집단에서 일어나는 변화를 연구하는 학문 분야 이 자문기구의 의장단은 이탈리아의 국립건강연구소(의장), 유럽연합 연합연구소, 미국 환경보호청, 독일 연방위해성평가연구소, 캐나다 오타와대 등으로 구성되어 있으며, 우리나라 국립환경과학원이 이번에 아시아 국가 중에서 유일하게 포함됐다. 한편, 환경부는 화학물질 분야 주무부처로서 경제협력개발기구 화학생명공학위원회와 그 위원회에 속한 다양한 작업반*에서 적극적으로 활동하고 있다. 또한, 환경부 소속기관인 국립환경과학원은 의장단으로서 화학물질 평가 신생과학(ESCA) 자문기구 회의와 관련하여 경제협력개발기구 회원국의 입장을 반영한 의제 선정, 일정 조정, 운영 등 회의 제반사항을 결정하는데 참여할 예정이다. * 국가시험지침사업 조정자, 유해성평가, 우수실험실규정, 노출평가, 제조나노물질 등 금한승 국립환경과학원장은 “대체시험법, 인공지능 등 첨단과학 기법의 한계점을 선제적으로 파악하고 이를 보완할 수 있는 연구를 지속적으로 추진하여 환경오염물질로부터 환경과 국민을 보호할 수 있는 기반을 강화하겠다”라고 밝혔다. 붙임 1. 경제협력개발기구 화학물질평가 신생과학 자문기구 및 의장단 개요. 2. 전문용어 설명. 끝.