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A group of climate vulnerable nations is pushing for a credit ratings overhaul, arguing ratings should reflect climate resilience measures, an advisor to the group told Reuters at a U.N. meeting. The U.N. meeting in New York is the second of four to set goals for a major finance conference in Spain next year, where heads of state will look to step up efforts to meet the world's climate and sustainability targets. At the forefront of the talks are 39 so-called Small Island Developing States (SIDS) - including Cuba, Haiti, Fiji and the Maldives - that are bearing the brunt of increasing tropical storms, flooding, erosion and rising sea levels. Proponents of the initiative say the current ratings system undermines their ability to raise funds because it focuses on the potential economic damage from their exposure to the effects of climate change. "For the first time, the credit rating issue is on the table and it's being negotiated," said Ritu Bharadwaj, director of climate resilience and finance at the International Institute for Environment and Development. Ratings given by the "Big Three" agencies - Moody's, S&P Global and Fitch - consider the risks and potential for economic harm from climate change. However, they do not typically factor in the social and economic benefits of investing in climate resilience, said a report by the institute. In response, a Fitch spokesman referred to several documents on the company's methodology while Moody's pointed to its latest credit risk assessments on Fiji, Barbados and Bermuda, where it acknowledged climate risk but also pointed to mitigation efforts. Neither commented on the criticism directly. S&P did not immediately respond. A credit rating is essential to attract money from the world's biggest pools of cash – pension funds and other institutional investors. But just 13 of the SIDS have a Big-Three credit rating, and most of those are classified as sub-investment grade or 'junk'. For others, the cost of obtaining one can be prohibitive. Many nations are expected to struggle to access the private finance seen vital to the total annual $1.3 trillion climate finance goal agreed at COP29 in Baku last month. "We are pushing to redefine the credit rating and look at the opportunities as well as the risks, so it gives a more balanced view on returns on investment," Bharadwaj said. The process of assigning credit ratings has come under scrutiny in recent years. The African Union plans to launch a new African ratings agency, arguing the Big Three do not fairly assess the risk of lending to the continent. Describing the current ratings process as "illogical, punitive, and backward looking", Gastone Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told Reuters he wanted to see a "more equitable" system that was "fit for purpose".
Addresses the Speed and Reach Limitations of Passive, Direct-attached Copper (DAC) Cables SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvell Technology, Inc . (NASDAQ: MRVL ), a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced the general availability of a 200G per lane optimized transimpedance amplifier (TIA) and laser driver chipset, enabling 800 Gbps and 1.6 Tbps linear-drive pluggable optics (LPO). Designed to address next-generation short-reach, scale-up compute fabric connectivity requirements, LPO modules enabled by the chipset overcome the reach limitations of passive, DAC cable interconnects. The LPO chipset expands the industry-leading interconnect portfolio from Marvell, which includes PAM4 optical DSPs , coherent DSPs , data center interconnects, Alaska® A active electrical cable (AEC) DSPs and Alaska P PCIe retimers , delivering an optimized optical solution for short-reach compute fabric connections, delivering an optimized optical solution for short-reach compute fabric connections. As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies advance, the demand for higher-bandwidth interconnects in data center networks is accelerating rapidly. This is particularly evident in compute fabric networks, which connect XPUs within and across racks. The next generation of XPU compute fabric networks will transition to data rates of 200 Gbps per lane, where passive DACs fall short of meeting speed and distance requirements. To address this, cloud data centers will transition to a new type of interconnect that meets their specific requirements. Marvell introduced Alaska A for customers looking to extend copper capabilities using AECs, while others can leverage specialized LPO modules featuring the Marvell TIA and driver chipset. Designed for short and predictable host channels, these LPO modules enable longer reach, higher bandwidth and improved performance compared to copper interconnects. "Marvell 1.6 Tbps LPO TIA and laser driver chipset is designed to address the growing demand for short-reach, high-bandwidth interconnect solutions, where passive copper cables are hitting a wall," said Xi Wang , vice president of product marketing for Optical Connectivity at Marvell. "As AI-driven data centers continue to scale, optimizing interconnect solutions across each layer of the network is becoming increasingly critical. The new LPO chipset complements and expands our industry-leading 1.6 Tbps connectivity portfolio, to address the growing spectrum of interconnects that cloud operators are seeking to optimize." "LPO has been a technology in search of the right solution. By optimizing chipsets for short, inside-the-rack connections, Marvell brings clarity and focus to LPO, delivering it in a more compelling and scalable manner," said Alan Weckel , co-founder of 650 Group. "Marvell's innovative approach to achieving performance gains helps drive better AI cluster TCO and highlights the industry's direction in optimizing networking links." The 1.6 Tbps LPO chipset, one of the latest additions to the Marvell interconnect portfolio, is optimized for specific use cases to help data centers maximize infrastructure utilization and performance while reducing overall cost and power per bit. This extensive portfolio spanning optical and copper interconnects includes Ara , the industry's first 3nm PAM4 interconnect platform; Aquila , the industry's first O-band-optimized coherent-lite DSP platform; Nova family of PAM4 DSPs featuring 200 Gbps electrical and optical interfaces; and Alaska A PAM4 DSP for active electrical cables. LPO Chipset Key Features TIA provides best-in-class linearity, power and BER for AI applications. Laser driver to improve module performance margin while reducing overall transceiver module design complexity, power consumption, and TCO. TIA and laser driver chipset provide adjustable equalization to compensate for channel loss. About Marvell To deliver the data infrastructure technology that connects the world, we're building solutions on the most powerful foundation: our partnerships with our customers. Trusted by the world's leading technology companies for over 25 years, we move, store, process and secure the world's data with semiconductor solutions designed for our customers' current needs and future ambitions. Through a process of deep collaboration and transparency, we're ultimately changing the way tomorrow's enterprise, cloud, automotive, and carrier architectures transform—for the better. Marvell and the M logo are trademarks of Marvell or its affiliates. Please visit www.marvell.com for a complete list of Marvell trademarks. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future events, results or achievements. Actual events, results or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated in this press release. Forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed by us from time to time with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and no person assumes any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, contact: Kim Markle [email protected] SOURCE MarvellTrae Young leads Hawks past Raptors 136-107; Toronto has season-high 31 turnovers
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