Category: 3. Business

We have just launched electric cargo bikes in Antwerp, operating from our existing delivery station in Blue Gate. The launch adds to our existing zero-tailpipe emission e-cargo bike delivery network in Brussels’ Pentagon area. The new fleet of e-cargo bikes will directly replace part of the traditional van trips in Antwerp’s city centre and reduce traffic congestion. The bikes will be complemented by electric vehicle deliveries to handle bigger or heavier parcels when necessary.

“As we continue to decarbonise our operations, our close collaboration with local partners in Antwerp strengthens our cargo bike delivery capabilities in the city center,” said Eva Faict, Country Manager for Amazon in Belgium & The Netherlands. “This aligns with our goal for more sustainable deliveries in Belgium, resulting in fewer emissions, less noise, and reduced traffic congestion, while providing fast and convenient deliveries for our customers.”

Expanding more sustainable transportation in Belgium

Antwerp joins a growing network of European cities, including Berlin, Lyon, and Manchester, where we have successfully introduced e-cargo bike deliveries. As the second Belgian city where Amazon packages are delivered with e-cargo bikes, Antwerp’s new service will leverage a fleet of electric cargo bikes for agile, zero-tailpipe emission deliveries in dense urban areas, with electric delivery vans for high-volume routes.

This integrated approach ensures efficient and environmentally responsible service for our customers throughout the city.

Alleviating traffic congestion and developing safe bicycle logistics

Departing directly from our existing delivery station in Antwerp—ranked as the 4th most bike-friendly city globally according to the Copenhagenize Index of Bicycle-Friendly cities—packages will be loaded onto e-cargo bikes for the final leg of their journey into the city center. This mode of transportation not only ensures more efficient deliveries in dense urban environments but also helps reduce traffic congestion and parking challenges. By leveraging Antwerp’s unique network of cycling paths, we’re working to alleviate urban congestion through innovative delivery methods while remaining equally committed to ensuring the safety of our delivery associates.

Safety stands at the forefront of our delivery operations. Working closely with our delivery partners across our operations network, we ensure all delivery associates receive comprehensive training and proper safety equipment, including helmets, while maintaining strict safety standards for all e-cargo bikes. We require our partners to follow rigorous safety protocols, demonstrating our dual commitment to more sustainable delivery solutions while protecting those who make these deliveries possible.

Decarbonising Amazon’s operations

The introduction of e-cargo bikes deliveries in Antwerp is part of our broader strategy to decarbonise our operations.

We continues to innovate in last-mile delivery, with more than 60 micromobility hubs now operational in over 45 European cities, enabling millions of zero-exhaust emission deliveries. The introduction of e-cargo bikes in Antwerp strengthens this expanding network, demonstrating our dedication to making deliveries more sustainable and efficient for communities everywhere.

While transforming urban deliveries is an important part of our sustainability strategy in Belgium, our dedication to environmental protection extends beyond city centers to the preservation of natural habitats. As part of our broader commitment to The Climate Pledge, in March 2024, we have announced our investment of €1.1 million in the newly created National Park Brabantse Wouden through the Right Now Climate Fund, with the goal of helping to preserve its UNESCO-listed ancient woodlands and allowing more people to enjoy the benefits of being in nature. The new National Park is intended to strengthen the resilience of Belgian woods against climate change, and to benefit the local community.

Since then, together with the National Park, we have collaborated on initiatives supporting the local community and environment, including a Smart Solutions innovation competition, citizen science monitoring and more sustainable farming practices.

Tata Steel Nederland (TSN) will acquire the Vattenfall power plants in the IJmond region. A definitive agreement has been signed today by both parties. As part of the transaction, all employees of the Vattenfall power plants in the IJmond region will become employees of TSN. Ownership of the plants will transfer to TSN on January 1, 2026. Financial details are not disclosed. 

Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Nederland: “Power plants of Vattenfall and its predecessors have been a logical combination with our steel production process for almost a century. The plants are unique because, unlike any other power plant in the Netherlands, they are fuelled by our residual gases, in this case from our steel production process. With the current contract expiring at the end of 2025, this is the moment to change ownership: By owning the power plants, Tata Steel Nederland will be able to manage the complex, step-wise transition from its existing steelmaking process to a low carbon, green steel operation. Therefore, this transfer of ownership is a significant and tangible step in Tata Steel Nederland’s transition to green steel.” 
 
Alexander van Ofwegen, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area’s Customers & Solutions and Heat of Vattenfall: “Vattenfall supports Tata Steel’s ambition to transition to more sustainable steel production. In this transition, these gas power plants in Velsen are still needed. This agreement is therefore a win-win situation. For the employees of the plants as the work will continue under similar employment conditions and a win for Tata Steel in gaining more control over the entire chain in the transition to low carbon steel making.”

Vattenfall power plants in IJmond region 

The Vattenfall power plants in the IJmond region consist of three units. The power plants 24 and 25 in Velsen-Noord generate electricity predominantly from the residual gases from the steel production process. This electricity is used by TSN in its operational processes. The third unit is IJmond 01, a combined heat and power plant on the Tata Steel site in IJmuiden. This unit is fuelled by the residual gases from the steel production process and it produces electricity and steam. This electricity and steam are also used in the steel plant’s operational processes. The three units employ approximately 116 employees.

Advice of works councils, approval regulatory authorities

The works councils of both Vattenfall and TSN have issued their advice to the transaction. Regulatory authorities, among which the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), have approved the change of ownership of the power plants. Ownership of the plants will transfer to TSN on January 1, 2026. 

About 30 schools in Australia have been fully or partially closed after a warning over asbestos risks in children’s sand.

A recall notice for the coloured products, which were found to contain traces of tremolite asbestos, was issued by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Wednesday.

The regulator said there was a “low” risk that the asbestos could become airborne or fine enough for inhalation, but it “may still pose a risk”.

On Friday, at least 15 schools and seven preschools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) – where Canberra is situated – were fully closed, with six others partially closed as a precaution. There are also reports of a school closure in Queensland.

The ACCC said tremolite asbestos, a naturally occurring asbestos, had been detected in some samples after laboratory testing.

But it added that respiratory asbestos had not been detected in any of the samples and the release of respiratory asbestos fibres from the sand was “unlikely” unless it was “processed by mechanical means” such as crushing or pulverising.

Asbestos, a prohibited substance in Australia, becomes dangerous when fibres are breathed in. They can damage the lungs and cause diseases including cancer.

The sand products, which are imported from China and sold throughout Australia between 2020 and 2025, are sold by several stationery supply chains, including one of the country’s most popular retailers, Officeworks.

The products set out in the recall notice are labelled as Kadink Sand (1.3kg), Educational Colours – Rainbow Sand (1.3kg) and Creatistics – Coloured Sand (1kg).

New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment also issued a voluntary recall for EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg) and Creatistics – Coloured Sand (1kg products) as a “precautionary action” following the testing in Australia.

In addition, Officeworks has recalled Kadink six-piece decorative sand, KD Plain Sand (1.3kg) and KD Magic Sand (2kg) in natural and purple.

Yvette Berry, the ACT’s education minister, said on social media that the products were “used at some of our public schools for sensory play, and arts and crafts”.

“I understand that this news might be upsetting for families,” she added. “Closing schools will allow testing and remediation to occur as soon as possible”.

A spokesperson for the state of Victoria confirmed no state schools will close there over the warning, saying they’d been advised “the health risk from the use of these products is low”.

“As such, there is no indication of a need to close schools or early childhood services at this time,” they added.

The spokesperson said officials were working “swiftly” to identify schools and early childhood services that may be using the recalled products, and will then support them to follow the remediation advice from relevant authorities.

In New South Wales, where there have also been no school closures, a safety alert was sent to all public schools to “immediately and safely remove these sand products if they have them”.

“The health, safety, and wellbeing of students, staff, and the school community is the department’s highest priority,” they added.

Linklaters has advised the managers on the successful issuance by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) of US$300m 11.25% senior unsecured notes due 2030. The notes were issued under Rule 144A and Regulation S and are listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST).

This transaction marks Lao PDR’s return to the international capital markets and engagement with global investors since its last issuance in 2019. The proceeds from the offering will be used to refinance existing government indebtedness and for general governmental purposes.

The Linklaters team was led by partner and Head of Southeast Asia Capital Markets Amit Singh, with support from counsel Xunming Lim and managing associate Alwyn Loy.

Linklaters’ Head of Southeast Asia Capital Markets Amit Singh commented:

“We are delighted to have supported this significant transaction for Lao PDR. Furthermore, this deal underlines Linklaters’ strengths in advising on complex cross-border sovereign issuances across Southeast Asia.”

With one of the largest teams focussed on Southeast Asia, Linklaters has worked on numerous high-profile and landmark transactions and has an established reputation in the global and Asian capital markets.

• EBRD provides new unfunded portfolio risk-sharing facility to ProCredit Bank Ukraine
• Facility to enable up to €200 million in new lending to private businesses, including veteran-led enterprises
• Loans will also drive business resilience, with EU support for competitiveness upgrades

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is strengthening its support for Ukraine’s businesses and banking sector by providing a new portfolio risk-sharing facility to ProCredit Bank Ukraine (PCBU).

The EBRD’s unfunded facility will partially cover PCBU’s credit risk on new lending, enhancing its capacity to provide much-needed funding to Ukrainian businesses. Backed by the EBRD’s guarantee, PCBU will extend €200 million in new loans to Ukrainian private businesses operating in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, trade, transportation and logistics.

This is the largest portfolio risk-sharing facility that the EBRD has provided to PCBU since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, building on the successful utilisation of six previous instruments.

Overall, the EBRD has enabled close to €3.29 billion of finance for Ukrainian borrowers through 40 similar facilities with 12 partner financial institutions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The new facility – similar to previous instruments – will enhance the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Ukraine. Twenty per cent of the subloans covered by the EBRD guarantee will be provided to MSMEs for long-term investments in EU-compliant and green technologies, improving the competitiveness of these firms on domestic and foreign markets.

Eligible sub-borrowers will also receive EU-funded technical assistance and investment incentives such as grants on completion of their investment projects under the bloc’s EU4Business initiative. Higher levels of incentive will be provided for businesses and households most affected by the war (such as those experiencing asset destruction, loss or relocation), as well as for sub-borrowers, facilitating the reintegration into the workforce of war veterans, people living with disabilities, internally displaced persons and/or those located in territories most acutely affected by the war.

The EBRD has already allocated €75.4 million of EU grant support to Ukrainian MSMEs under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, of which €5.8 million has been issued to projects through PCBU.

PCBU has also committed to supporting war veterans (both as employees and as clients). It will implement key recommendations set out in the Guidance Note to Support Ukrainian Financial Institutions in Becoming More Inclusive, Safer, and More Accessible Employers, which was developed by the EBRD and the National Bank of Ukraine.

The EBRD facilities will be backed by partial first-loss risk cover from the EU under its Ukraine Investment Framework.

PCBU is a wholly owned subsidiary of ProCredit Holding AG and one of Ukraine’s 20 largest banks in terms of assets. It is one of the market leaders in SME finance in Ukraine and a longstanding partner of the EBRD.

The EBRD is Ukraine’s largest institutional lender and has significantly increased its lending to the country in recent years, making more than €8.5 billion available since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Bank has also secured agreement from its shareholders for a capital increase of €4 billion in order to continue lending at this level during wartime, and will increase its lending further when the time comes for reconstruction.

• EBRD provides new unfunded portfolio risk-sharing facility to ProCredit Bank Ukraine
• Facility to enable up to €200 million in new lending to private businesses, including veteran-led enterprises
• Loans will also drive business resilience, with EU support for competitiveness upgrades

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is strengthening its support for Ukraine’s businesses and banking sector by providing a new portfolio risk-sharing facility to ProCredit Bank Ukraine (PCBU).

The EBRD’s unfunded facility will partially cover PCBU’s credit risk on new lending, enhancing its capacity to provide much-needed funding to Ukrainian businesses. Backed by the EBRD’s guarantee, PCBU will extend €200 million in new loans to Ukrainian private businesses operating in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, trade, transportation and logistics.

This is the largest portfolio risk-sharing facility that the EBRD has provided to PCBU since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, building on the successful utilisation of six previous instruments.

Overall, the EBRD has enabled close to €3.29 billion of finance for Ukrainian borrowers through 40 similar facilities with 12 partner financial institutions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The new facility – similar to previous instruments – will enhance the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Ukraine. Twenty per cent of the subloans covered by the EBRD guarantee will be provided to MSMEs for long-term investments in EU-compliant and green technologies, improving the competitiveness of these firms on domestic and foreign markets.

Eligible sub-borrowers will also receive EU-funded technical assistance and investment incentives such as grants on completion of their investment projects under the bloc’s EU4Business initiative. Higher levels of incentive will be provided for businesses and households most affected by the war (such as those experiencing asset destruction, loss or relocation), as well as for sub-borrowers, facilitating the reintegration into the workforce of war veterans, people living with disabilities, internally displaced persons and/or those located in territories most acutely affected by the war.

The EBRD has already allocated €75.4 million of EU grant support to Ukrainian MSMEs under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, of which €5.8 million has been issued to projects through PCBU.

PCBU has also committed to supporting war veterans (both as employees and as clients). It will implement key recommendations set out in the Guidance Note to Support Ukrainian Financial Institutions in Becoming More Inclusive, Safer, and More Accessible Employers, which was developed by the EBRD and the National Bank of Ukraine.

The EBRD facilities will be backed by partial first-loss risk cover from the EU under its Ukraine Investment Framework.

PCBU is a wholly owned subsidiary of ProCredit Holding AG and one of Ukraine’s 20 largest banks in terms of assets. It is one of the market leaders in SME finance in Ukraine and a longstanding partner of the EBRD.

The EBRD is Ukraine’s largest institutional lender and has significantly increased its lending to the country in recent years, making more than €8.5 billion available since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Bank has also secured agreement from its shareholders for a capital increase of €4 billion in order to continue lending at this level during wartime, and will increase its lending further when the time comes for reconstruction.

A new episode of the IEA podcast Everything Energy dives into the 2025 edition of the World Energy Outlook, the IEA’s flagship annual report that explores a range of possible energy futures and their implications for energy security, access and emissions. 

Now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, the episode features insights from the report’s lead authors: Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks Laura Cozzi and Chief Energy Economist Tim Gould. They discuss its key findings – including growing energy security risks across an unprecedented range of fuels and technologies, how the energy mix could evolve in the coming decades, the arrival of the Age of Electricity and how geographic centres of energy demand are shifting. More details on the scenarios in the World Energy Outlook 2025 can be found in this commentary.

The new version of the IEA’s Everything Energy podcast, launched earlier this year, offers fresh insights on wide a range of global energy issues through conversations with IEA experts.

Previous episodes of the podcast cover why global energy demand is surging, the vast potential of geothermal energy, the comeback of nuclear energy, how energy will shape the future of AI (and vice versa), what’s next for electric cars and trucks, key energy investment trends, the forces shaping oil markets, growing demand for air conditioning, efforts to expand access to clean cooking, where the world’s electricity comes from, petrochemicals, Southeast Asia’s growing energy importance, and Ukraine’s energy security this coming winter.