It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, October 23, 2022
Sudan protester shot dead as coup anniversary looms
An anti-government protester has been shot dead by security forces in Sudan, reportedly the first since August
The New Arab Staff & Agencies 23 October, 2022 118 demonstrators have been killed over the past year by security forces in Sudan
[Getty/archive]
Security forces shot dead a protester in Sudan's capital on Sunday, medics said, two days ahead of the first anniversary of a military coup that derailed the country's transition to civilian rule.
The latest death - the first of a protester since August 31 - brings to 118 the number of demonstrators killed over the past year, according to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors.
The demonstrator was killed "by a bullet fired by the security forces," the committee said. Tuesday marks one year since the October 25 coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a year marked by near-weekly anti-coup rallies and a crackdown on protests by the authorities.
The coup upended a transition to civilian rule that was launched after the 2019 ouster of strongman Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the northeast African country for three decades.
In July, Burhan pledged in a televised address to step aside and make way for Sudanese factions to agree on a civilian government.
However, civilian leaders dismissed his move as a "ruse".
Pro-democracy protesters have since held fast to their rallying cry of "no negotiation, no partnership" with the military, and have pledged a show of force for Tuesday's anniversary.
On Friday, thousands of people took to city streets across Sudan to demand a return to civilian rule in one of the world's poorest countries as it sinks even further into political and economic crisis.
Despite international mediators trying to get the army and civilian factions to negotiate, no end seems in sight to the impasse.
The economic situation is only getting worse, with three-digit inflation and a third of the country's 45 million people suffering from food shortages.
A charter airline hired to remove people seeking refuge in the UK to Rwanda has pulled out of the scheme after pressure from campaigners.
A plane operated by Privilege Style first attempted to fly asylum seekers to the east African country in June but was grounded by an 11th hour ruling by the European court of human rights.
The Mallorca-based carrier had become known as the UK government’s “airline of last resort” for its willingness to conduct deportation flights that other airlines refused.
But after an email campaign by torture survivors and refugee organisations, Privilege Style has said it will no longer operate flights to Rwanda.
The development will leave the UK government in a fix. Two other charter airlines that previously conducted deportation flights, Titan Airways and AirTanker, have already ruled themselves out of the scheme.
In a letter to the charity Freedom from Torture, which has led the campaign under the hashtag #StopTheFlights, Privilege Style said it “hereby wishes to communicate the following: that it will not operate flights to Rwanda in the future. That it has never flown to Rwanda since the one flight scheduled for June 2022 (which is the reason for this controversy) was suspended.”
The UK signed a £120m deal with the Rwandan government in April to outsource the UK’s asylum system as it sought to find a solution to a growing number of refugees entering the UK via small boats in the Channel.
The deal meant people who had arrived in the UK by irregular means, such as by small boat, could be forced on to charter planes and flown to the east African country.
It was criticised by human rights organisations because of Rwanda’s record as an authoritarian state that repeatedly imprisons, tortures and murders alleged political opponents.
Privilege Style’s statement followed an escalation in public protests against it by campaigners. Last week, activists from Freedom from Torture presented the firm with “worst airline of the year” award at the carrier’s headquarters in Palma in front of the media.
According to the carrier, its VIP customers include several Spanish companies and top Spanish football clubs. Campaigners targeted Privilege Style outside the Real Madrid v Barcelona match last week in Madrid, holding banners reading: “Don’t fly with Privilege Style while they profit from refugees’ pain.”
No flights have taken off yet to Rwanda because of legal challenges in the high court.
On 14 June, a Privilege Style Boeing 767 was due to take seven asylum seekers to Kigali from a military airport at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. The day before it had taken tourists from Tenerife, Spain, to Düsseldorf.
But the flight, which cost the UK taxpayer about £500,000, was cancelled at the last minute following a decision by the European court.
Liz Truss, the outgoing prime minister, had pledged to continue the scheme. Candidates considering running to be prime minister – including Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson – are expected to support the deportations.
Last month, a detailed review by the charity Medical Justice found many asylum seekers threatened with removal to Rwanda may have been tortured or trafficked into the UK.
Kolbassia Haoussou, a torture survivor and a director at Freedom from Torture, said: “This is a victory for people power – for thousands who took action and for the torture survivors who stood up against the UK government’s cruel ‘cash for humans’ Rwanda scheme.
“When I fled torture and persecution in central Africa, the UK gave me sanctuary and a chance to rebuild my life. It breaks my heart to see the government turning their back on people like me in their hour of need, and that private companies are profiting from their suffering.
“Privilege Style’s decision to no longer fly torture survivors to Rwanda sends a message to the aviation industry: if you try and cash in on the pain of refugees, you will be held to account.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We remain committed to our world-leading Migration Partnership with Rwanda, which will see those who come to the UK through dangerous, illegal and unnecessary routes relocated to Rwanda to rebuild their lives there.
“Rwanda is a safe and secure country with a strong track record of supporting asylum seekers and we will continue to robustly defend the partnership in the courts. We do not comment on operational matters.”
GEMOLOGY
AUSTRALIA
Rains reveal 834-carat sapphire the size of 'small child's fist' in Queensland Gemfields
Matt Betteridge was on an evening walk when his eye caught a "glimmer sticking out of the dirt".
Key points:
Matt Betteridge found an 834-carat sapphire while specking in the central Queensland Gemfields
Gem hunters often look for stones after rain because it washes away some of the topsoil
The Gemmological Association of Australia said keeping the stone in one piece could make it more valuable
He quickly learnt it was not a random rock but a sparkling sapphire the size of a "small child's fist".
"The rain unearthed it that little bit … I thought it was going to be an average-sized stone until I couldn't pull it out," Mr Betteridge said.
"It seemed very heavy, popped out a nice ball, like a small child's fist, but very heavy like a lump of lead."
Mr Betteridge found the stone about 100 metres from the mining claim he lives on at the Reward fossicking land near Rubyvale in Queensland's Gemfields.
The region is one of the largest sapphire-bearing areas in the world.
Mr Betteridge found it late last month while out specking, the practice of walking around scanning the ground for stones.
After getting it valued, he realised it was an 834-carat sapphire, which he described as "very, very rare".
Footage of Mr Betteridge finding the sapphire, and repeating the term "holy dooley" in surprise, had by Saturday amassed more than 260,000 views on TikTok .
Matt and Amber Betteridge moved their family from the Burdekin to the Gemfields last year.
Gem hunters believe they have a better chance specking after rain because it washes away some topsoil.
The Central Highlands and Coalfields region has been inundated in recent days, with widespread rain and flash flooding hitting some communities.
Mr Betteridge was pleasantly surprised by the find. (Supplied: Matt Betteridge)
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said it recorded 194 millimetres of rain in Sapphire from October 16 to October 21.
Rubyvale recorded 182mm during the same period.
BOM said Rubyvale and Sapphire broke 13-year records for the amount of rainfall they received in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday.
Mr Betteridge said that, while Reward was only accessible by 4WD, people were still out searching for sapphires after the rain.
"All the speckers are out covering ground, even in-between the showers," he said. Stone to be retained
Mr Betteridge sent the stone to a local gem cutter for an approximate valuation.
It is estimated to be worth $12,500.
While it contained some crystal that could be cut into jewellery, Mr Betteridge was keeping the stone in one piece to display its full size.
Matt Betteridge mines precious gems on his claim in the Gemfields with his wife and son.
(ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
The Gemmological Association of Australia's Helen Levonis, a jewellery valuer, said collectors often avoided cutting into large stones to produce smaller sapphires.
She said receiving anything more than a five-carat gemstone, "which is only a gram", was very rare in sapphires.
"When you get something … like an 830-carat sapphire, that's phenomenal," Ms Levonis said.
She said it would be a "shame" to cut it up.
"It could have far more value as the crystal than it will as cut-up pieces of sapphire," Ms Levonis said.
Ms Levonis said people were increasingly interested in conserving specimens like Mr Betteridge's stone.
"These sapphires grew hundreds of thousands of years ago," she said.
"There are no more coming … and we need to respect that when you see something that's 800 carat." 'Try your luck'
Mr Betteridge said the stone would be kept as a family heirloom and would be displayed during the region's annual Festival of Gems.
Mr Betteridge previously found this parti sapphire while specking.
(Supplied: Betteridge Sapphires)
He also encouraged others interested in gem-hunting to visit the Gemfields.
"It was found on general fossicking grounds … everyone can have a go," Mr Betteridge said.
"Grab a fossicking ticket and camping permit and try your luck."
Queensland Gemfields communities in limbo 10 months on from mining moratorium
Amber and Matt Betteridge quit their jobs and packed up their lives to mine, cut and sell precious stones in central Queensland's Gemfields.
They set up a business on a small piece of land in 2021 and went about hand mining sapphires with a pick and shovel.
But six weeks later, the state government announced a 12-month ban on new small-scale mining claims as part of the draft Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan (QRIDP) – meaning the Betteridge's could not explore further afield.
"I left a quite high-level job to come out here and do this for a living and then the rug was pulled out from under our feet with that," Ms Betteridge said.
Mr Betteridge mines precious gems on his claim in The Gemfields.
(ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
What is the mining moratorium?
The November 2021 suspension was part of a Queensland Government proposal to remove mining claims from the Mineral Resources Act (1989) to introduce "a more effective" regulatory system for small-scale mining.
While the moratorium continues, no new mining claim applications are being processed but existing claims are still operating.
For The Gemfields, one of the largest sapphire-bearing areas in the world, an ongoing ban could have devastating impacts on the economy, culture and history of their towns, according to the Rubyvale Progress Association.
The Gemfields is one of the largest sapphire bearing areas in the world.
(ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
The state government has given no guarantee the ban will lift in November, and miners who rely on the industry said they still feel in the dark about their future.
"It's been a difficult time because we don't actually know how long we can live in this lifestyle for and we gave everything up to come out here and do it," Ms Betteridge said.
While the relaxing atmosphere of the Gemfields has been a welcome change from their busy north Queensland lifestyle, the Betteridge family is frustrated their plans to expand have been halted.
"Nothing can happen now," Mr Betteridge said.
Mr and Mrs Betteridge moved their family from the Burdekin to The Gemfields in 2021.(ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
A Queensland Government spokesman said it had "consulted extensively" since the moratorium was introduced but a decision on whether it will continue "has not yet been made".
"While the government continues to refine options for small-scale mining reform, the moratorium will remain in place," it said.
If a decision is made to change legislation, it said options "may" be presented on paper in 2023 for public consultation.
Murray Ungerer says the 12-month mining moratorium has "thrown fear into the community". (ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
An uncertain community
Hand miner Murray Ungerer pegged his first claim in the region in 1986.
"[The temporary ban] has thrown a bit of fear into the community, we don't know where it's going with this," he said.
Last year, the Queensland Sapphire Miners Association said many thought the moratorium was introduced to crack down on people living on claims without mining them.
"At the moment we've got a major housing crisis, and a rental crisis, so to come in and say, 'Everyone go' – that's just not going to happen," Mr Ungerer said.
A Department of Resources spokesman said it had looked at more than 200 written submissions and met with several small-scale mining associations since the moratorium was introduced.
Mr Ungerer pegged his first mining claim in 1986. (ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
It has committed $200,000 to a planning study with the Central Highlands Regional Council.
"The department is currently finalising its next steps and will provide further advice to the small-scale mining sector, and the communities that host them, in the coming months," he said.
Rubyvale Progress Association vice president Mitchell Brown said he understood changes needed to be made to ensure miners were fulfilling the obligations of their resource authority.
"There's nothing wrong with putting in some things in our framework to help enhance what we're doing, not diminish it," he said.
"They probably are realising now that they may have completely underestimated how much we value this lifestyle and protecting small scale mining."
Mr Brown wrote a submission to the state government on behalf of the Rubyvale Progress Association.(ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
'Living mining culture'
Mr Ungerer said a decision to remove small scale mining claims from the Act would have dire consequences.
"If we do that, a mining lease, that still puts us in the same as oil and gas and petroleum and everything else," Mr Ungerer said.
"That would be absolutely cost prohibitive to any of these people and people would just leave in droves because they just couldn't afford to be here any longer.
"They need to come up with some sort of a tenure arrangement where it allows us security as to where we live, and to keep on mining."
Mr Ungerer hand mines precious gemstones in Queensland's Central Highlands.
(ABC Capricornia: Erin Semmler)
Mr Brown is hopeful the outcome will consider all the communities' concerns.
"We're working very hard to make sure that our voices get heard to protect our way of life here, it's so important," he said.
"In Australia we have historic mining towns and the tourism associated with that – this is living mining culture right now and if it's done right we can continue that for hundreds of years."
AUSTRALIA CSIRO accused of failing to disclose GISERA gas industry links in fracking information
Research division GISERA receives one third of its funding from gas companies, including Santos and Origin Energy.
The CSIRO is being accused of failing to disclose that fracking information sheets for Indigenous communities were written by one of its research division's partially funded by gas companies. Key points:
An inquiry recommended "independent" information about fracking be distributed to affected Indigenous communities
Although stamped with a CSIRO logo, the information sheets were authored by a section of the science agency partially funded by gas companies
Language used in the information sheets about climate change has been edited following concerns about its accuracy
Information included a statement that methane "may play a role" in climate change, which independent Senator David Pocock said was "straight out of the fossil fuel industry misinformation guide".
That information was included in a series of documents with the peak science agency’s logo on top, and translated by the Northern Territory government’s Aboriginal Interpreter Service into audio files in traditional languages.
However, a search of data embedded in the online versions of the information sheets showed they were drafted by a section of the CSIRO, called the Gas Industry Social and Environment Alliance (GISERA).
Gas companies are ramping up exploratory drilling in the Beetaloo Basin, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)
Inquiry recommended 'independent' fracking information
While the GISERA website discloses its funding sources, the information sheets make no reference to the alliance.
Senator Pocock told the ABC he would raise the issue in senate estimates.
"The CSIRO is basically pimping themselves out to the gas industry," he said.
Senator Pocock said the issue was part of a wider debate the country needed to consider.
"Should we be allowing fossil fuel companies to use the extraordinary profits that they're making … to fund sponsorships, to use that money to influence politics?
"And, in this instance, to influence our peak science body, which we should be able to have full trust in the work that they're doing."
The fact sheets were developed as part of the Northern Territory government's commitment to adopt all 135 recommendations of an independent inquiry into fracking in 2018.
One of those recommendations stated that "an independent, third-party" develops "trusted and accurate information" for Indigenous communities, whose land lies over gas deposits.
David Pocock has accused the CSIRO of "pimping themselves out to the gas industry".(ABC: Australian Story/Matt Roberts )
CSIRO stands by independence of documents
The CSIRO confirmed the documents were prepared by GISERA but said the research division had "strict governance arrangements to ensure the independence and integrity" of all its work.
Senator Pocock said he was concerned about language used in one of the documents, relating to a sentence which, until earlier this month, stated that methane "may play a role" in climate change.
"To see that language on a CSIRO letterhead is really disappointing and troubling,” Pocock said.
“[I’m] very concerned, if this is the kind of independent third-party information that First Nations communities are receiving, we've got to seriously look into this and rethink how this is being done.”
The Beetaloo Basin sits near cattle country and Indigenous land.
(ABC News: Hamish Harty) Methane comment an 'error' not picked up in review
In a response to questions, the CSIRO said the sentence about methane was "an error not picked up in the review process" and was rectified on October 11 this year. CSIRO fracking research 'doesn't pass the pub test'
"It should have stated that methane is a greenhouse gas and plays a role in climate change," a spokesperson said.
The CSIRO also said the audio files were not translated word-for-word from the information sheets.
Instead, the information sheets were first adapted into a "plain English" version, before being translated into First Nations languages.
In relation to the document in question, the CSIRO said the "plain English" version stated: "Methane gas is a greenhouse gas. Like carbon dioxide. It can make the earth too warm. This is what they call climate change."
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association — which represents the gas industry — told the ABC it was not involved in the scripting or production of the information sheets.
The Northern Territory government told the ABC that, since 2021, information about fracking has been delivered through the CSIRO's Darwin Branch and not through Brisbane-based GISERA.
'Renting out the CSIRO brand'
The details about GISERA's involvement in the information sheets comes as companies ramp-up exploratory drilling in the Beetaloo Basin, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin.
Marion Scrymgour, the Labor Member for Lingiari — a federal seat that covers the Beetaloo Basin — said information given to Indigenous communities should not have any links back to the fracking sector.
Marion Scrymgour says the gas industry shouldn't influence fracking information provided to Indigenous people.
(ABC News: Xavier Martin)
"I do not support the gas industry influencing information that will help traditional owners and Native Title holders make informed decisions about their country," Ms Scrymgour told the ABC.
She said she was notified of the information sheet "error" earlier this month.
"This did concern me, and I raised this with the Minister for Science Ed Husic. It was great to see this quickly rectified," Ms Scrymgour said.
Earlier this month, Mr Husic voiced his own concerns about gas companies trying to use the CSIRO to support their claims of reducing their impacts on the climate.
"I do wonder why we need to have gas firms renting out the brand — [for] CSIRO to do decarbonisation work — that I'm sure they could get a lot of others to do." Posted 4h ago4 hours ago, updated 2h ago
AUSTRALIA (APPLIES TO CANADA TOO) Census reveals migrants tend to be more highly educated. So why do they find it harder to land jobs?
Amin Niazai was a leading forest ecology and climate change scientist from Afghanistan but in Australia, he is forced to work as an intern. (Supplied)
Few people have a CV as impressive as Amin Niazai.
Key points:New census data reveals that migrants have an average higher level of education than people born in Australia Many migrants struggle to find work or are employed well below their education levels Skilled professional migrant training courses are not widely available in Australia
The 35-year-old Afghan-born Melburnian is a forest ecology and climate change scientist with a master's degree and a PhD from Kyoto University in Japan.
He led climate change adaptation and natural resource management in Afghanistan and headed projects for international groups including the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, the US Department of Agriculture and AusAid.
He is fluent in four languages.
But in Australia, Dr Niazai has struggled to find work in his field.
New census data released this month revealed that on average, migrants like Dr Niazai have a higher level of education than people born in Australia, but many are employed well below their education levels or struggle to find work at all.
The census results released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed more Australians than ever were continuing their studies with more than 11 million holding vocational or tertiary qualifications. That's a 20 per cent increase since 2016.
While 56 per cent of people born in Australia had post-school qualifications, this number jumped to 63 per cent for those born overseas and 82 per cent for Australians born in India and Bangladesh.
Educated migrants face a 'frustrating' search for work
In Afghanistan, Dr Niazai's dream was to stop the degradation and desertification of Afghan forests and transform landscapes ravaged by years of drought to replenish food resources and livelihoods of local communities.
But that dream was destroyed in October last year when the Taliban takeover forced him to flee to Australia. Mr Niazai's dream was to transform Afghan landscapes ravaged by years of drought to replenish food resources and livelihoods.(Supplied: Muzafar Ali)
His family has settled well, the children have started school and they have made a lot of friends in the local community.
But after seven months of searching for work, Dr Niazai is about to start a three-month internship with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Dr Niazai said he was excited by this opportunity, but it was a big step down in his career.
"It's kind of frustrating for a person like me when you were working in top management positions with many years of important research and work that has been published in one of the top-quality journals in the world," Dr Niazai said.
"But still, I think it's a great opportunity. It can help me get some rewarding experience, build networking and professional connections and learn about workplace customs, workplace culture.
"I think this opportunity will help me to reignite my professional career." Barriers skilled migrants face
Eddy Ng, a professor of organisational behaviour, led a study that interviewed skilled migrants on their experience in Australia for James Cook University.
He identified some key barriers that made finding a job difficult.
First, there was a general distrust of overseas qualifications.
"Despite vetting and the government saying this qualification is equivalent," Professor Ng said employers were more likely to consider candidates who had studied at universities they were familiar with.
Secondly, "word of mouth is important", so without a network of "social capital", it was hard to find opportunities, Professor Ng said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also shifted employment opportunities, creating a greater need within service and hospitality industries rather than skilled jobs.
Most employees will also favour applicants that have similar interests to their own, often without even knowing it.
"When you volunteer information that is not required [such as hobbies and interests] it may actually put you out of the contest by virtue of perceived lack of fit, even though you may have the qualifications," Professor Ng told the ABC.
He said electronic screening systems that only extract information pertinent to the job can give migrants a much better opportunity to demonstrate their skills.
Training and education about the job search process and cultural nuances —such as handshakes or eye contact that can give vastly different impressions from one culture to another — are also crucial.
"Knowing how to engage in a job search process, knowing what to put on your resume, even how we search for jobs, all those things matter," Professor Ng said.
He said migrants that arrive at a younger age have advantages in this area. They have time to be "socialised" to Australian ways and often gain at least one local qualification.
Younger migrants often gain at least one Australian qualification.
(Reuters: Jason Reed) Volunteer work can help bridge the gap
Professor Ng said opportunities to gain that Australian experience, such as volunteering or joining local community groups, can make a big difference.
While looking for work, Dr Niazai did just that.
Volunteering with a group called Wyntree at Wyndham, he helped create a "tiny forest" — densely-packed native bushland the size of a tennis court.
Built in urban areas, tiny forests work as carbon sinks, helping to combat climate change and increase greenery.
Despite restarting his career well below his skill level, Dr Niazai was very positive about his future in Australia and hopes he can help to "integrate science into our projects, policies and strategies".
But he also dreams of one day being able to help people struggling with drought and poverty in Afghanistan.
"I still dream that one day we will go back when we have peace and stability and we will rebuild the country," he said.
Drought has ravaged much of Afghanistan, leaving millions starving and living in poverty.(AFP: Hoshang Hashimi)
While Mr Niazai said the resettlement process in Australia was good, there was a lack of specialised employment transition assistance.
"There are agencies here that can mentor you but not for people that are a little bit higher level," he said.
He said there are programs that help with CV preparation and interviews but there was nothing to help migrants connect with potential employers. Managing expectations
Settlement support agency AMES Australia do run such a program, but, with limited funding, numbers of participants are also limited.
The Skilled Professional Migrant Program is a short course, which includes mentoring, coaching, career counselling and networking, explained AMES chief executive Catherine Scarth.
Ms Scarth said the AMES Australia programs have been successful for many migrants.(ABC News: Erwin Renaldi)
The four-week course pairs people with a mentor from their chosen profession.
They also partner with corporate organisations that conduct role-playing for interviews, look over CVs and help jobseekers understand what Australian employees are looking for.
"It gets fantastic results, something like 80 per cent of people find work after the program," Ms Scarf said, adding that ideally such courses should be made available to all arriving skilled migrants through government programs.
But Ms Scarth said it was also important to manage expectations.
"When people first arrive they probably have a kind of over-optimistic view about getting a job at the same level that they left home at very quickly," she said.
"So it's also just helping people to understand and think about what pathways there might be to get into those professions again, not necessarily thinking that the only way is to start at where they left off."
For refugees, who often flee their homes overnight with few if any possessions, there are other layers of complexity, Ms Scarth said, including barriers around qualification recognition and language levels.
In such cases, it can be helpful to find jobs in related fields, such as medical professionals finding jobs in aged care.
"At least in that case, they can see a pathway to getting back into the medical profession, rather than working in a factory or driving a taxi or whatever it might be."
Ms Scarth said it was also important for employers to recognise the benefits diversity can bring to their businesses.
"If you want to build up your export market, or you're wanting to start to do business with other countries, then clearly you're going to not only have an incredibly skilled and dedicated resilient worker, but you're potentially getting a whole series of additional skills around language and cultural understanding," she said.
"If we employ people who all think the same, then we're only going to look at the problem in the same way."
GREEN ENERGY
Where things stand one year after China promised to stop building coal-powered projects overseas
Beijing’s push for renewable energy in other developing countries requires changes in its investment and financing models.
A worker conducts the quality-check of a solar module product at a factory of a monocrystalline silicon solar equipment manufacturer in Xian of China's Shaanxi province in December 2019. | Reuters
On September 21 last year, China’s president, Xi Jinping, told the United Nations General Assembly via video link that China would increase support for green and low-carbon energy in developing countries, and not build any new coal-fired power projects overseas.
The move reflected a wider backing away from coal among traditional and emerging aid donors. Two of Asia’s main exporters of coal power projects, Korea and Japan, had made similar statements in June 2021. The month after Xi’s announcement, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development members said they would no longer offer export credit support for coal power plants unless plans to abate emissions were in place.
China has been a major builder of coal power plants around the world, often providing both the finance and the technology. Its decision is having and will have a profound effect, both at home and in expanding the low-carbon development and energy transition paths of developing nations. Policy announcements and signs
Since the announcement, China’s government bodies, financial institutions and power plant builders have been working at the policy, finance and project level to increase support to renewable energy projects in its overseas energy investments.
At the policy level, in March this year the National Development and Reform Commission and three other government bodies published a joint document on promoting green development in Belt and Road nations.
It called for “a full stop to new coal power projects overseas, and cautious progress on those already under construction”, as well as the green and low-carbon development of overseas coal power projects which have already been built, which in practice means retrofitting plants to improve efficiency and reduce pollution. These were the first concrete instructions from Chinese officialdom on how to handle projects at different stages of implementation since the initial announcement.
Between September 2021 and April 2022, 15 overseas coal power projects that were in the pre-financial closure and pre-construction stages were shelved or cancelled. These were projects that had nonetheless received Chinese financial backing or EPC – engineering, procurement and construction – support.
Question marks still hang over projects where financial closure has already occurred but construction has not yet started, and “captive” power plants being built specifically to power industrial zones. In these cases, compensation for breaches of contract could be due if a Chinese party unilaterally withdraws, making cancellation more complicated.
On 6 January 2022, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Ministry of Commerce published guidelines on environmental protection in overseas investments. These focus on managing environmental risks across the lifespan of projects in Belt and Road nations, and encouraging firms to apply standards produced by international organisations and multilateral bodies, or Chinese standards where tougher.
The rapid tempo of policy announcements shows that there is unanimity across government on decarbonising China’s overseas projects. While producing high-level policy and specific guides for project-level operations at home, China was also active diplomatically, working with developing nations to build platforms and mechanisms for international green and low-carbon cooperation.
In November 2021, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation issued a joint declaration on tackling climate change. The following month, a China-ASEAN forum on high-quality Belt and Road development was held. In May 2022, a joint statement was issued at a high-level meeting on climate change of the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
In October 2021, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and domestic and overseas partners founded the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition, with 10 topics identified for research. Important outputs include a green development guideline for the BRI, which created a classification and screening system for projects based on their potential environmental impacts.
The second phase of the development of this guideline includes a handbook for companies and financial institutions, and a green development guide for construction of highways and railways. These promote green management of projects on the Belt and Road by helping stakeholders identify, evaluate, manage and improve the environmental impacts of Belt and Road Initiative projects; and by providing processes and tools for management and self-assessment of projects.
The Exim Bank of China, the China Development Bank and the China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) are the main state-owned financial institutions funding overseas projects, and as such have been quick to respond to the change in government policy.
Exim Bank has successfully issued 3 billion yuan (US$425 million) in green bonds earmarked for clean energy investment, which will fund the construction and operation of renewable energy projects such as hydropower and wind power. The China Development Bank has signed memoranda of understanding on funding climate action with both the Green Climate Fund and the United Nations Development Programme.
Sinosure, meanwhile, has sped up its processes for approving renewable energy projects and set up a team to analyse risk control and insurance models for renewable projects in developing countries. Building a green export credit system for clean energy is becoming part of the agenda at these “policy financial institutions” – state-owned financial institutions charged with policy implementation.
Meanwhile, in the commercial banking realm, the Bank of China and the Postal Saving Bank of China have said they will not fund new coal mining or coal power projects overseas. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has said it will “produce a roadmap and timetable for a gradual withdrawal from financing coal”. Reforming investment
Our research at the Green BRI Center in the International Institute of Green Finance, Beijing, has found that power plant construction firms owned by central government have already pulled out of projects where binding commitments have not yet taken effect, and are actively looking at how to expand their renewable energy portfolio.
The proportion of fossil fuel projects in China’s Belt and Road energy sector projects started to fall in 2016 and bottomed out in 2020, when 58% of investment went to renewables (hydropower, solar, wind and bioenergy), the first time renewables surpassed fossil fuels. And apart from the 15 Chinese-built or funded coal power projects that were cancelled between September 2021 and April 2022, the country made no overseas coal power investments in 2021 or the first half of 2022.
As for renewables projects, hydropower accounted for the bulk of China’s investment in the Belt and Road in 2021–2022, at 56% of the renewables’ share, followed by solar and then wind.
To promote global energy transitions and low-carbon development, China should build on this foundation and expand cooperation with developing nations on renewables capacity building and grid construction, and so gradually increase the proportion of renewables projects in its overall investment.
Credit: via China Dialogue.
China has a complete renewable energy industrial chain, with strong R&D, manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance capabilities. It should make use of this leadership in the renewables sector by providing technical support and capacity building for developing nations, and also by promoting the sharing of information on green development and the use of green tech in such nations.
China’s low-carbon approach to overseas energy investments requires its financial institutions to be flexible, open and innovative, leaving behind homologous, closed and rigid investment models. Specifically, they can no longer rely on EPC+F (engineering, procurement and construction plus financing) contracts underwritten by sovereign guarantees from the host nation. These have for many years been the dominant model for large coal power and hydropower projects.
In the renewable sector, by contrast, independent power producers and more flexible project financing are the norm. China’s financial institutions should work with third parties, strengthen cooperation with international development funders and commercial financial institutions in order to level their learning curve for overseas renewable energy financing.
Cooperation with third parties allows: financial power to combine with project management experience; exploration of hybrid financing, non-recourse loans and structured financing; improvements to environmental and social management of the project throughout its lifespan; and more private capital. This will allow full potential of renewables in developing nations to be realised.
China should coordinate its overseas renewable investments, including: major renewable generation facilities and the associated grid and other infrastructure; knowledge transfer and capacity building under the South–South cooperation mechanisms; distributed projects; and other types of development aid.
China’s renewable energy investments should cover both the “software” (knowledge transfers) and “hardware” (equipment and infrastructure), big projects and small projects, equity investments and construction contracting, as well as the combination of export credits and development aid. Only this will truly help developing nations achieve the necessary power sector transitions.
Health Canada issued the recall Tuesday for 15 different products that were sold between January 2020 and October 2022 (see the full list here). Parent company Unilever reported that more than 1.5 million units of the affected products were sold across the country.
In a statement on its website, Unilever Canada said potentially elevated levels of the chemical benzene were detected in the affected products, which are packaged in aerosol cans.
Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen and exposure to the chemical by inhalation, orally or through the skin can result in cancers such as leukemia, blood cancer of the bone marrow, and blood disorders, according to Health Canada.
The federal department noted that "daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences" based on exposure modelling and the cancer risk assessments from the Environmental Protection Agency.
As of Oct. 7 this year, Unilever had not received any reports of incidents or injuries related to the affected products, Health Canada said.
Unilever said an internal investigation identified the aerosol can propellant as the source of the elevated levels of benzene and it has worked with its propellant suppliers to address the issue.
"Unilever Canada is recalling these products out of an abundance of caution," it said.
Health Canada said consumers "should immediately stop using the recalled product and dispose of it in accordance with the instructions for disposal on the packaging." They can contact the company for reimbursement, it said.
Analysis.
The new administration’s proposal brings intersectionality to the promise of equal opportunity, going beyond most equal rights schemes in the world.
The priority of the new ministry would be the protection of the rights of women and the most vulnerable sections of the population.
In Colombia, a ministry that affirms the right to equality
written by Elena Marisol Brandolini
IL MANIFESTO Published on October 23, 2022
“To bring back equality to all people in Colombia, so that dignity becomes something they’re used to” – this was the goal set out on Tuesday by President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Márquez in their speech before Congress as they introduced the bill to establish the Ministry of Equality and Equity.
This is the first step by the Colombian government towards creating the new Ministry of Equality and Opportunity, to be approved by Congress, whose portfolio will be held by the vice president and whose task will be to guarantee the rights of traditionally excluded populations, adopting the criterion of intersectionality. It was a promise made on the campaign trail, which was brought before Parliament in the first 100 days of government, to consolidate the path towards Colombia as a “World Power of Life,” where “Vivir sabroso” (“Living joyfully”), in Márquez’s words, will mean that people can “live without fear.” And it reaffirms the “Total Peace” strategy launched by Petro to combat poverty and social marginalization, because the armed conflict that has gripped the country for decades has produced only misery and death.
The object of the new ministry will be to “adopt, coordinate and execute policies to promote the elimination of economic, political and social inequalities; foster the right to equality; and enforce the principle of non-discrimination.” Its scope will cover all the country’s most vulnerable population groups: women, the LGBTQI community, Afro-descendant and indigenous peoples, peasants, children, adolescents and the elderly, people in extreme poverty, victims of violence, people with disabilities, homeless people and migrants.
Guaranteeing women’s rights and the full protection of women will be the first task of the new ministry, Petro stressed. It aims at “full equality” of women and men, because inequality is the main problem and equality represents “the right path to take for Colombian society to overcome violence and lack of democracy.”
The main novelty of the ministry being set up in Colombia, compared to the developments in the abovementioned European countries, can be found in its transversal character: in the context of South America, the recognition of women’s multiple positions in hierarchies defined in terms of gender, ethnicity, and social condition makes it possible to envision equality policies that are not limited to one particular group, but aimed at all the various population groups that are being discriminated against in different ways. This is possible because in Colombia, as in Chile or in Iran, women have been, and are, at the forefront of the processes and movements bringing general transformation to society.
Elena Marisol Brandolini Originally published in Italian on October 21, 2022
Bolsonaro vs Lula: Brazil looks to its past to elect its future President
Brazil has to pick between two candidates surrounded by controversies as the next president. Former President Luiz Ignacio Lula and current President Bolsonaro are the two candidates in the race. Here's all you need to know.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose first tenure was marred by scandals, Covid and deforestation of the Amazon, is currently trailing behind leftwing candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the race for the top post. According to a poll survey, Lula enjoys 49 per cent of voter support compared to Bolsonaro's 44 per cent ahead of the October 30 runoff vote.
However, the more things change, the more they remain the same in Brazil. The country has to pick between two candidates surrounded by controversies. Former President Luiz Ignacio Lula and current President Bolsonaro are the two candidates in the fray. Brazilians have to look into their past to elect their future leaders.
Let's first look at Lula, a two-time President. Lula served eight years as President till 2011. His tenure saw high economic growth and reduced inequality. Lula introduced a left-wing agenda into policies and measures implemented during his term.
Lula, who did not have any formal education, reportedly had one of the highest approval ratings the country has ever seen.
However, corruption was rampant under the Lula regime. During his watch, a corruption scandal broke out in which politicians and businessmen were accused of laundering money in collusion with a state-owned oil company.
Subsequently, Lula was convicted and imprisoned on charges of money laundering and corruption, but he always said that he was not guilty. In a dramatic turn of events, just before this election, a court annulled his conviction, and he is back again running in yet another President's campaign.
Jair Bolsonaro is the exact opposite of Lula, a far-right conservative leader who admired former US President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro has sparked controversy with statements such as "We as Brazilians hate homosexuals". Despite the initial backing, Bolsonaro's popularity dropped due to the mishandling of Covid pandemic.
Bolsonaro remained a vaccine sceptic and refused to allow vaccines in his country. Brazil had one of the highest mortality rates during multiple Covid waves. Over six lakh people died of the infection in Brazil under Bolsonaro's rule.
In mid-2019, massive fires caused by deforestation scorched whole sections of the Amazon rainforest, provoking a chorus of global criticism of Bolsonaro's policies. Under his presidency, the destruction of Brazil's portion of the world's biggest rainforest has increased by 75 per cent compared to the previous decade. Bolsonaro has been heavily criticised for undermining the powers of supervisory authorities in the Amazon and for encouraging mining and agriculture in the protected areas.
