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BlackBerry Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Results

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Exceeds quarterly revenue guidance for both IoT and Cybersecurity divisionsIoT achieves 18% year over year revenue growth in the quarterDelivers sequential improvement in key Cybersecurity ARR and DBNRR metricsExceeds guidance for adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP earnings per shareMakes significant progress in operational separation of IoT and Cybersecurity businesses

WATERLOO, ON, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today reported financial results for the three months ended May 31, 2024 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).

“BlackBerry’s strategy is delivering results. The Company is making significant progress towards operational independence for our IoT and Cybersecurity businesses, as well as towards profitability. We exceeded our outlook range for both adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP EPS this quarter and achieved a third consecutive sequential improvement in free cash usage. BlackBerry remains on track to be both profitable on a non-GAAP basis and generating positive cashflow in the fourth quarter,” said John J. Giamatteo, CEO, BlackBerry. “Both our IoT and Cybersecurity businesses beat revenue expectations.  QNX recorded solid royalty revenue while our Cybersecurity division delivered a second consecutive quarter of ARR growth, as well as further enhancing dollar-based net retention.”

First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights

Total company revenue was $144 million.Total company non-GAAP and GAAP gross margin was 67%.IoT revenue grew 18% year-over-year and exceeded previously-provided guidance at $53 million; IoT gross margin was 81%.Cybersecurity exceeded previously-provided guidance at $85 million; Cybersecurity gross margin was 59%.Cybersecurity ARR increased by 2% sequentially to $285 million; DBNRR increased sequentially for third consecutive quarter to 87%.Licensing and Other revenue was $6 million.Non-GAAP operating loss was $12 million and GAAP operating loss was $39 million.Non-GAAP basic loss per share beat the previously-provided guidance at $0.03 and GAAP basic loss per share was $0.07.Adjusted EBITDA was negative $7 million.Total cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments was $283 million; Operating cash usage was sequentially flat at $15 million, while free cash usage decreased sequentially for the third consecutive quarter to $16 million.

Business Highlights & Strategic Announcements

ETAS and BlackBerry QNX® forge partnership to jointly sell and market software solutions to provide the safe and secure foundation for the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV).BlackBerry announces collaboration with AMD to advance foundational precision and control for robotics industry by enabling new levels of low latency and jitter, and repeatable determinism.BlackBerry launches CylanceMDR™, an expert driven and AI-powered Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solution, including an innovative “On-Demand” solution.BlackBerry introduces Cylance Assistant, a generative AI cybersecurity advisor that will help organizations speed up decision-making and stop more threats faster with fewer resources.BlackBerry® UEM places in upper-right quadrant as a 2024 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for Unified Endpoint Management tools for second year running.Independent test lab, The Tolly Group, identifies BlackBerry CylanceENDPOINT™ as detecting up to 25 percent more threats and with up to eight times less system impact than competitors.BlackBerry nominates Lori O’Neill, an experienced corporate director and financial expert, for election to its Board of Directors.

Outlook

BlackBerry is providing the following guidance for the second quarter (ending August 31, 2024) and the full fiscal year 2025 (ending February 28, 2025).

Q2 FY25

Full fiscal year FY25

Total BlackBerry revenue:

$136 – $144 million

$586 – $616 million

IoT revenue:

$50 – $54 million  

$220 – $235 million

Cybersecurity revenue:

$82 – $86 million

$350 – $365 million

Licensing & Other revenue:

Approximately $4 million  

Approximately $16 million

Adjusted EBITDA:  

($5) – ($15) million

Breakeven – +$10 million 

Non-GAAP basic EPS:

($0.02) – ($0.04)  

($0.03) – ($0.07)

 

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The tables at the end of this press release include a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP financial ratios used by the company to comparable U.S. GAAP measures and an explanation of why the company uses them. The Company does not provide a reconciliation of expected Adjusted EBITDA and expected Non-GAAP basic EPS for the second quarter and full fiscal year 2025 to the most directly comparable expected GAAP measures because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty, among other things, restructuring charges and impairment charges and, accordingly, a reconciliation is not available without unreasonable effort. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could have a material impact on GAAP reported results for the guidance period. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the tables at the end of this press release. 

Conference Call and Webcast
A conference call and live webcast will be held today beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET, which can be accessed using the following link (here) or through the Company’s investor webpage (BlackBerry.com/Investors) or by dialing toll free +1 (877) 883-0383 and entering Elite Entry Number 6322676.

A replay of the conference call will be available at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET today, using the same webcast link (here) or by dialing Canada toll free +1 (855) 669-9658 or US toll free +1 (877) 344-7529 and entering Replay Access Code 5225167.

About BlackBerry
BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company’s software powers over 235M vehicles. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry’s vision is clear – to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.
For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.  

Investor Contact:
BlackBerry Investor Relations
+1 (519) 888-7465
investorrelations@blackberry.com 

Media Contact:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@blackberry.com 

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding BlackBerry’s plans, strategies and objectives including its expectations with respect to increasing and enhancing its product and service offerings. 

The words “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “intend”, “believe”, “target”, “plan” and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by BlackBerry in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that BlackBerry believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to, BlackBerry’s expectations regarding its business, strategy, opportunities and prospects, the launch of new products and services, general economic conditions, competition, BlackBerry’s expectations regarding its financial performance, and BlackBerry’s expectations regarding the planned separation of its businesses.  Many factors could cause BlackBerry’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks related to the following factors:  BlackBerry’s ability to maintain or expand its customer base for its software and services offerings to grow revenue or achieve sustained profitability; BlackBerry’s sales cycles and the time and expense of its sales efforts; the intense competition faced by BlackBerry; BlackBerry’s ability to enhance, develop, introduce or monetize products and services for the enterprise market in a timely manner with competitive pricing, features and performance; the occurrence or perception of a breach of BlackBerry’s network cybersecurity measures, or an inappropriate disclosure of confidential or personal information; potential impacts of BlackBerry’s proposed business unit separation and cost reduction initiatives; BlackBerry’s continuing ability to attract new personnel, retain existing key personnel and manage its staffing effectively; risks arising from a failure or perceived failure of BlackBerry’s solutions to detect or prevent security vulnerabilities; BlackBerry’s dependence on its relationships with resellers and channel partners; litigation against BlackBerry; adverse macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions; network disruptions or other business interruptions; BlackBerry’s ability to foster an ecosystem of third-party application developers; BlackBerry’s products and services being dependent upon interoperability with rapidly changing systems provided by third parties; failure to protect BlackBerry’s intellectual property and to earn expected revenues from intellectual property rights; BlackBerry’s ability to obtain rights to use third-party software and its use of open source software; BlackBerry potentially being found to have infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; BlackBerry’s indebtedness, which could impact its operating flexibility and financial condition; the substantial asset risk faced by BlackBerry, including the potential for charges related to its long-lived assets and goodwill; tax provision changes, the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities; the use and management of user data and personal information; government regulations applicable to BlackBerry’s products and services, including products containing encryption capabilities; environmental, social and governance expectations and standards; the failure of BlackBerry’s suppliers, subcontractors, channel partners and representatives to use acceptable ethical business practices or comply with applicable laws; potential impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and other business initiatives; risks associated with foreign operations, including fluctuations in foreign currencies; environmental events; the fluctuation of BlackBerry’s quarterly revenue and operating results; and the volatility of the market price of BlackBerry’s common shares.

These risk factors and others relating to BlackBerry are discussed in greater detail in BlackBerry’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of BlackBerry’s MD&A (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedarplus.ca or www.sec.gov). All of these factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BlackBerry’s forward-looking statements. Any statements that are forward-looking statements are intended to enable BlackBerry’s shareholders to view the anticipated performance and prospects of BlackBerry from management’s perspective at the time such statements are made, and they are subject to the risks that are inherent in all forward-looking statements, as described above, as well as difficulties in forecasting BlackBerry’s financial results and performance for future periods, particularly over longer periods, given changes in technology and BlackBerry’s business strategy, evolving industry standards, intense competition and short product life cycles that characterize the industries in which BlackBerry operates. Any forward-looking statements are made only as of today and BlackBerry has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, except as required by law.

BlackBerry Limited

Incorporated under the Laws of Ontario

(United States dollars, in millions except share and per share amounts) (unaudited)

Consolidated Statements of Operations

Three Months Ended

May 31, 2024

February 29, 2024

May 31, 2023

Revenue

$                    144

$                     173

$                     373

Cost of sales

48

44

194

Gross margin

96

129

179

Gross margin %

66.7 %

74.6 %

48.0 %

Operating expenses

Research and development

42

40

54

Sales and marketing

38

41

45

General and administrative

40

53

54

Amortization

12

12

15

Impairment of goodwill

35

Impairment of long-lived assets

3

4

Debentures fair value adjustment

22

135

185

190

Operating loss

(39)

(56)

(11)

Investment income, net

5

4

3

Loss before income taxes

(34)

(52)

(8)

Provision for income taxes

8

4

3

Net loss

$                    (42)

$                     (56)

$                     (11)

Loss per share

Basic

$                 (0.07)

$                  (0.10)

$                  (0.02)

Diluted

$                 (0.07)

$                  (0.10)

$                  (0.02)

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding (000s)

Basic

589,821

587,523

582,812

Diluted

589,821

587,523

582,812

Total common shares outstanding (000s)

590,171

589,233

583,237

 

BlackBerry Limited

Incorporated under the Laws of Ontario

(United States dollars, in millions) (unaudited)

Consolidated Balance Sheets

As at

May 31, 2024

February 29, 2024

Assets

Current

Cash and cash equivalents

$                           143

$                           175

Short-term investments

86

62

Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $5 and $6, respectively

148

199

Other receivables

21

21

Income taxes receivable

3

4

Other current assets

57

47

458

508

Restricted cash and cash equivalents

17

25

Long-term investments

37

36

Other long-term assets

59

57

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

27

32

Property, plant and equipment, net

19

21

Intangible assets, net

145

154

Goodwill

561

562

$                        1,323

$                        1,395

Liabilities

Current

Accounts payable

$                               6

$                             17

Accrued liabilities

112

117

Income taxes payable

29

28

Deferred revenue, current

174

194

321

356

Deferred revenue, non-current

32

28

Operating lease liabilities

33

38

Other long-term liabilities

1

3

Long-term notes

194

194

581

619

Shareholders’ equity

Capital stock and additional paid-in capital

2,957

2,948

Deficit

(2,200)

(2,158)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(15)

(14)

742

776

$                        1,323

$                        1,395

 

BlackBerry Limited

Incorporated under the Laws of Ontario

(United States dollars, in millions) (unaudited)

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Three Months Ended

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Cash flows from operating activities

Net loss

$                            (42)

$                            (11)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

Amortization

13

16

Stock-based compensation

8

9

Impairment of long-lived assets

3

Intellectual property disposed of by sale

147

Debentures fair value adjustment

22

Operating leases

(2)

(1)

Other

(3)

Net changes in working capital items

Accounts receivable, net of allowance

51

3

Other receivables

4

Income taxes receivable

1

Other assets

(13)

(62)

Accounts payable

(11)

(3)

Accrued liabilities

(5)

(14)

Income taxes payable

1

1

Deferred revenue

(16)

(12)

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

(15)

99

Cash flows from investing activities

Acquisition of long-term investments

(1)

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

(1)

(2)

Acquisition of intangible assets

(1)

(8)

Acquisition of short-term investments

(49)

(66)

Proceeds on sale or maturity of short-term investments

25

39

Net cash used in investing activities

(26)

(38)

Cash flows from financing activities

Issuance of common shares

1

2

Net cash provided by financing activities

1

2

Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents during the period

(40)

63

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents, beginning of period

200

322

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents, end of period

$                            160

$                            385

As at

May 31, 2024

February 29, 2024

Cash and cash equivalents

$                            143

$                            175

Restricted cash and cash equivalents

17

25

Short-term investments

86

62

Long-term investments

37

36

$                            283

$                            298

 

Reconciliations of the Company’s Segment Results to the Consolidated Results

The following tables show information by operating segment for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023. The Company reports segment information in accordance with U.S. GAAP Accounting Standards Codification Section 280 based on the “management” approach. The management approach designates the internal reporting used by the CODM for making decisions and assessing performance of the Company’s reportable operating segments:

For the Three Months Ended

(in millions) (unaudited)

Cybersecurity

IoT

Licensing and Other

Segment Totals

May 31,

May 31,

May 31,

May 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

2024

2023

2024

2023

Segment revenue

$          85

$          93

$          53

$          45

$            6

$        235

$        144

$        373

Segment cost of sales

35

37

10

9

2

147

47

193

Segment gross margin

$          50

$          56

$          43

$          36

$            4

$          88

$          97

$        180

Segment gross margin %

59 %

60 %

81 %

80 %

67 %

37 %

67 %

48 %

The following table reconciles the Company’s segment results for the three months ended May 31, 2024 to consolidated U.S. GAAP results:

 

For the Three Months Ended May 31, 2024

(in millions) (unaudited)

Cybersecurity

IoT

Licensing and Other

Segment Totals

Reconciling Items

Consolidated U.S. GAAP

Revenue

$                85

$                53

$                  6

$               144

$                 —

$               144

Cost of sales

35

10

2

47

1

48

Gross margin (1)

$                50

$                43

$                  4

$                 97

$                  (1)

$                 96

Operating expenses

135

135

Investment income, net

5

5

Loss before income taxes

$               (34)

______________________________

(1) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of selected U.S. GAAP-based measures to adjusted measures for the three months and year ended May 31, 2024.

 

The following table reconciles the Company’s segment results for the three months ended May 31, 2023 to consolidated U.S. GAAP results:

For the Three Months Ended May 31, 2023

(in millions) (unaudited)

Cybersecurity

IoT

Licensing and Other

Segment Totals

Reconciling Items

Consolidated U.S. GAAP

Revenue

$                93

$                45

$              235

$               373

$                 —

$               373

Cost of sales

37

9

147

193

1

194

Gross margin (1)

$                56

$                36

$                88

$               180

$                  (1)

$               179

Operating expenses

190

190

Investment income, net

3

3

Loss before income taxes

$                  (8)

______________________________

(1) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of selected U.S. GAAP-based measures to adjusted measures for the three months and year ended May 31, 2023.

 

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures with the Nearest Comparable U.S. GAAP Measures

In the Company’s internal reports, management evaluates the performance of the Company’s business on a non-GAAP basis by excluding the impact of certain items below from the Company’s U.S. GAAP financial results. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios provide management, as well as readers of the Company’s financial statements, with a consistent basis for comparison across accounting periods and are useful in helping management and readers understand the Company’s operating results and underlying operational trends.

Readers are cautioned that adjusted gross margin, adjusted gross margin percentage, adjusted operating expense, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, adjusted research and development expense, adjusted sales and marketing expense, adjusted general and administrative expense, adjusted amortization expense, adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted operating income (loss) margin percentage, adjusted EBITDA margin percentage and free cash flow (usage) and similar measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in the context of the U.S. GAAP results.

Reconciliation of non-GAAP based measures with most directly comparable U.S. GAAP based measures for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023

A reconciliation of the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted financial measures is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Gross margin

$                         96

$                       179

Stock compensation expense

1

1

Adjusted gross margin

$                         97

$                       180

Gross margin %

66.7 %

48.0 %

Stock compensation expense

0.7 %

0.3 %

Adjusted gross margin %

67.4 %

48.3 %

 

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP operating expense for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted operating expense is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Operating expense

$                           135

$                           190

Restructuring charges

8

5

Stock compensation expense

7

8

Debentures fair value adjustment

22

Acquired intangibles amortization

8

10

LLA impairment charge

3

Adjusted operating expense

$                           109

$                           145

 

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net loss and U.S. GAAP basic loss per share for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted basic earnings (loss) per share is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions, except per share amounts)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Basic loss

per share

Basic earnings (loss)

per share

Net loss

$          (42)

$(0.07)

$          (11)

$(0.02)

Restructuring charges

8

5

Stock compensation expense

8

9

Debentures fair value adjustment

22

Acquired intangibles amortization

8

10

LLA impairment charge

3

Adjusted net income (loss)

$          (15)

$(0.03)

$            35

$0.06

 

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP research and development, sales and marketing, general and administrative, and amortization expense for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted research and development, sales and marketing, general and administrative, and amortization expense is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Research and development

$                             42

$                             54

Stock compensation expense

2

2

Adjusted research and development expense

$                             40

$                             52

Sales and marketing

$                             38

$                             45

Stock compensation expense

2

1

Adjusted sales and marketing expense

$                             36

$                             44

General and administrative

$                             40

$                             54

Restructuring charges

8

5

Stock compensation expense

3

5

Adjusted general and administrative expense

$                             29

$                             44

Amortization

$                             12

$                             15

Acquired intangibles amortization

8

10

Adjusted amortization expense

$                               4

$                               5

 

Adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted operating income (loss) margin percentage and adjusted EBITDA margin percentage for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 are reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Operating loss

$                           (39)

$                           (11)

Non-GAAP adjustments to operating loss

Restructuring charges

8

5

Stock compensation expense

8

9

Debentures fair value adjustment

22

Acquired intangibles amortization

8

10

LLA impairment charge

3

Total non-GAAP adjustments to operating loss

$                             27

46

Adjusted operating income (loss)

(12)

35

Amortization

13

16

Acquired intangibles amortization

(8)

(10)

Adjusted EBITDA

$                             (7)

$                             41

Revenue

$                           144

$                           373

Adjusted operating income (loss) margin % (1)

(8 %)

9 %

Adjusted EBITDA margin % (2)

(5 %)

11 %

______________________________

(1) Adjusted operating income (loss) margin % is calculated by dividing adjusted operating income (loss) by revenue.

(2) Adjusted EBITDA margin % is calculated by dividing adjusted EBITDA by revenue.

 

The Company uses free cash flow (usage) when assessing its sources of liquidity, capital resources, and quality of earnings. The Company believes that free cash flow (usage) is helpful in understanding the Company’s capital requirements and provides an additional means to reflect the cash flow trends in the Company’s business.

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net cash used in operating activities for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to free cash flow (usage) is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

$                           (15)

$                             99

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

(1)

(2)

Free cash flow (usage)

$                           (16)

$                             97

 

Key Metrics

The Company regularly monitors a number of financial and operating metrics, including the following key metrics, in order to measure the Company’s current performance and estimated future performance. Readers are cautioned that annual recurring revenue (“ARR”), dollar-based net retention rate (“DBNRR”), and recurring revenue percentage do not have any standardized meaning and are unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

Cybersecurity Annual Recurring Revenue

$                       285

Cybersecurity Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate

87 %

Recurring Software Product Revenue Percentage

     ~80 %

 

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SOURCE BlackBerry Limited

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/C O R R E C T I O N — Natural Resources Canada/

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In the news release, Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in British Columbia and Across Canada, issued 14-Nov-2024 by Natural Resources Canada over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the 18th paragraph has been added to the release. The complete, corrected release follows:

Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in British Columbia and Across Canada

COQUITLAM, BC, Nov. 14, 2024 /CNW/ – Working together to reduce risks from the changing climate will help keep Canadians safer and healthier. Acting now will help improve long-term resilience and reduce costs associated with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in Canada, including higher grocery prices, insurance premiums and local taxes to cover the costs of disaster recovery and damage.

Across the country, the impacts of climate change are becoming more severe and more frequent with extreme events like floods, wildfires and heatwaves on the rise. Gradual changes, like thawing permafrost in the north and rising sea levels in coastal regions, are also affecting the safety of our communities and quality of life. To protect our communities from the worst economic and environmental impacts of climate change, we must continue to prepare for the changes that are coming by investing in community resilience. This will not only support the safety of Canadians but also reinforce the ability of communities to recover from extreme weather events.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson announced over $7 million in funding for 12 projects in British Columbia or with a national reach under Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) and the Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program. These projects will aim to help regions and sectors in B.C. and across Canada adapt to a changing climate by developing, improving and delivering strategies, tools and resources that address climate change risks and adaptation gaps, and to support the implementation of climate change adaptation and resilience actions.

The funding announced today comes from a total investment of $39.5 million for 53 projects through the CCAP and the the CRCC Program to reduce climate change risks and build more resilient communities across the country in support of the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS). Details on additional projects supported by this investment will be announced in the near future.

The steps we take now will protect our communities, our livelihoods, our environment and our economy. We are actively investing in climate change adaptation to proactively support long-term, community-led resilience and adaptation projects. It is essential, now more than ever, that we come together to help communities stay strong in the face of the current and future impacts of climate change.

Quotes

“The impacts associated with climate change, including atmospheric rivers here in British Columbia, are being felt right now. That is why this federal government is acting now to help our communities and our economy prepare and protect themselves from the threat of climate change. Today’s announcement of 12 projects based in British Columbia under two funding programs supports the vital long-term, community-based work to keep people safe now and into the future.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change, and they know best what local challenges — and solutions — are affecting local neighbourhoods, transportation and businesses. The 12 projects under the CCAP and CRCC program will help build stronger, more livable communities, providing safety and security in the face of a changing climate. With smart investments, forward planning and active collaboration, we can support communities that are already feeling the impacts of climate change and help make them more sustainable and prosperous for generations to come.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“Climate change is impacting communities in British Columbia and across Canada. Now is the time to work together and build climate change responses that address current and future problems. By taking the necessary steps today to adapt and build resiliency, we can make more-informed decisions to prepare for and to respond and adapt to climate change impacts.”

Ron McKinnon
Member of Parliament for Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam

“Coastal flooding and rising seas are not exclusively localized issues. Coordinating between First Nations, municipalities and other authorities in the region can increase the effectiveness of coastal resilience actions and help to pool resources. Thanks to the support from the CRCC Program, our B.C. Southern Coastal Regional Climate Collaborative project will help coordinate approaches to address rising sea levels and coastal flooding and implement key regional actions to build the foundation for long-term coastal resilience outcomes across the Pacific North Shore and Sunshine Coast region.” 

Ewa Jackson
Managing Director, ICLEI Canada 

“Clean energy systems are the future — and this initiative is helping First Nations communities and local governments to push forward on micro-hydro, solar, wind and other renewables that strengthen B.C.’s power grid. Planning infrastructure to withstand severe weather and other impacts of climate change is now a key challenge in building a clean energy future, and we’re happy to help bring together local leaders and experts to meet that challenge.”

David Marshall
Chief Executive Officer, Fraser Basin Council

“Across British Columbia, small, rural and remote communities work every day with extremely limited resources to address the current and anticipated impacts of climate change, often off the side of their desk amidst many competing priorities. As a result of this funding, the CoNext Climate Preparedness Hub will provide direct support to local governments, First Nation governments and their partners to build understanding of the challenges and options for addressing climate impacts and translate this knowledge into action within their organizations and communities.”

Erica Crawford
CoNext Project Lead and Principal, HeronBridge Consulting

“Climate adaptation is a new but urgent challenge, and leading practices are just beginning to emerge. Our CRCC project funded direct conversations with Canadian practitioners to identify the challenges and opportunities they face today, and this learning will inform similar outreach in Oceania, Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia. We look forward to bringing this snapshot of global adaptation practice today back to Canada to help drive innovation and solutions to this shared threat.” 

Dr. Glynis Lough
Global Director of PEERS and Affiliate at the Aspen Global Change Institute

“The far-reaching impacts of recent wildfires — massive emissions and disrupted communities — demand urgent action. This contribution from Natural Resources Canada will foster collaboration across sectors, First Nations and impacted communities in ways that accelerate wildfire adaptation, create jobs, enhance ecosystem resilience and increase public safety.”

Robin Prest
Program Director, Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue

“Engineers and Geoscientists BC welcomes this investment that is intended to help protect Canadians from the risks of climate change. In collaboration with the Climate Risk Institute, we are proud to lead the development of a national climate resiliency training program for building sector professionals. Supported by Natural Resources Canada through the CCAP, the training program aims to empower engineers, and other professionals, with the skills and knowledge needed to design and retrofit buildings to help communities become more resilient to the risks associated with a changing climate.” 

Heidi Yang, P.Eng.
Chief Executive Officer, Engineers and Geoscientists BC

“The Regional District of Nanaimo is grateful for this generous grant, which we will use to develop an inclusive and collaborative coastal climate adaptation strategy in our region. This strategy will build on the critical work we are already undertaking to prepare for, and respond to, impacts we are seeing on our coast.”

Vanessa Craig
Chair, Regional District of Nanaimo

“In recent years, climate-related impacts have significantly disrupted supply chains. With this funding to develop a climate adaptation plan for the Port of Vancouver, we will work collaboratively with First Nations and stakeholders to identify key climate risks and priority actions needed to enhance port infrastructure and supply chain resiliency. This will help strengthen our position to facilitate Canada’s trade reliably, now and into the future.”

Jennifer Natland
Vice President, Properties and Environment, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

“Nature-based solutions, like restoring wetlands and adopting green infrastructure approaches, offer powerful ways for Canadian communities to adapt to climate change while unlocking significant social, economic and environmental co-benefits. Yet a lack of understanding of the monetary benefits of these multi-solving solutions means they remain underutilized by local governments. With the support of Natural Resources Canada and our partners, ESSA and All One Sky Foundation are developing a toolkit with clear economic data and guidance to help communities confidently invest in these sustainable, cost-effective strategies to multiple local problems.”  

Jimena Eyzaguirre
Climate Change Adaptation Practice Lead, ESSA Technologies Ltd.

“In 2022, we brought together leadership and staff from First Nations and local governments and local agriculture sectors as well as federal and provincial representatives to collectively discuss what a Build Back Better, Together process would look like and to explore how we could work together more effectively in our shared landscape. This funding will support subsequent dialogues as we work toward developing a unified plan for how to maximize resilience in the Lower Mainland.” 
  
Tribal Chief Tyrone McNeil 
Chair of the Emergency Planning Secretariat 

Quick Facts

The National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) provides a whole-of-society plan focused on protecting Canadian lives and building more resilient and prosperous communities. Canada released its first NAS on June 27, 2023. Achieving the objectives of the NAS requires whole-of-society action. The Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and the private sector to develop innovative technical, financial and operational solutions that will support adaptation action by communities across the economy.Every $1 spent on climate adaptation measures saves up to $15 in terms of the long-term costs involved in mitigating climate change and extreme weather events.Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $6.5 billion in adaptation efforts, including $2.1 billion since fall 2022 to implement the NAS and other adaptation-related activities.The CCAP will help Canada’s regions and sectors to adapt to a changing climate. More specifically, the CCAP aims to:support decision-makers in identifying and implementing adaptation actions;enhance adaptation knowledge and skills among Canada’s workforce; andincrease access to climate change adaptation tools and resources.The CRCC Program supports regional-scale pilot projects on Canada’s three marine coasts —Atlantic, Pacific and North — and in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region. The program aims to enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses and to accelerate adaptation to reduce climate change risks and coordinate innovative actions.

Related Product

Backgrounder: Canada Invests in Climate Change to Keep Communities Safe in British Columbia and Across Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/natural-resources-canada/news/2024/11/canada-invests-in-climate-change-adaptation-to-keep-communities-safe-in-british-columbia-and-across-canada.html

Associated Links

Climate Change Adaptation ProgramNatural Resources Canada Announces up to $15 Million to Help Communities and Businesses Adapt to a Changing ClimateClimate-Resilient Coastal Communities ProgramNational Adaptation StrategyGovernment of Canada Adaptation Action Plan

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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András Szakonyi named CEO of Ferrovial’s Digital Infrastructure Division

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This division targets the high-growth data center market, building on a decade of successful projects for industry leaders

AMSTERDAM, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ferrovial, a leading global infrastructure company, announces the appointment of András Szakonyi as CEO of Digital Infrastructure. Szakonyi brings deep sector expertise, both in data centers and sustainable AI cloud solutions. As divisional CEO, he will strengthen and expand Ferrovial’s presence in a growing sector where it has been developing projects for multinational leaders for more than 10 years in Europe and the Americas. 

“Ferrovial brings distinctive expertise in complex data center construction projects. Our proven track record of engineering excellence and value creation positions us well to expand our role as a global investor and developer of digital infrastructure. We welcome András’s leadership in driving our continued success and innovation in this strategic area,” said Ignacio Madridejos, CEO of Ferrovial.

The Digital Infrastructure Division will identify investment opportunities to develop high-value projects in this sector.  

András Szakonyi holds an MBA in Finance and Economics from Corvinus University in Budapest and is a graduate of INSEAD Business School’s LEAP (Leadership Excellence through Awareness and Practice Program).

During his extensive professional experience, he has held various international leadership positions. He started his career as a finance professional at General Electric, where he spent six years leading different finance functions in the United States. 

Afterward, he spent 21 years in multiple senior leadership roles at Iron Mountain (IRM), a global listed B2B service company based in Boston focusing on data centers and information management services. He played a key role in building Iron Mountain’s data center business in his role as global COO. 

Since 2020, he has been a member of the Supervisory Board and Audit Committee of Magyar Telekom (Subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom), a leading Hungarian information and communications technology company.

About Ferrovial

Ferrovial is one of the world’s leading infrastructure companies. The Company operates in more than 15 countries and has a workforce of over 24,000 worldwide. Ferrovial is triple listed on Euronext Amsterdam, the Spanish Stock Exchanges and Nasdaq and is a member of Spain’s blue-chip IBEX 35 index. It is part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good, and all its operations are conducted in compliance with the principles of the UN Global Compact, which the Company adopted in 2002. 

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SOURCE Ferrovial

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2025 Fortune Global Forum to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Fortune will also hold a Most Powerful Women gathering in Riyadh next year

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Fortune announced that its 2025 Fortune Global Forum, the premier gathering of CEOs and other leaders of the world’s largest multinational companies, will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next December. In the spring, Fortune will also hold in Riyadh its first-ever Fortune Most Powerful Women event in the Middle East, an extension of the annual Most Powerful Women summit in the U.S.

This marks the first time since its inception in 1995 that the Fortune Global Forum has taken place in the Saudi capital. The Forum and the MPW event are being held in partnership with the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority.

“For 30 years, Fortune has been proud to bring the Fortune Global Forum to the frontiers of the business world,” Anastasia Nyrkovskaya, CEO of Fortune, said. “Saudi Arabia is one of those important frontiers. We look forward to connecting leaders of companies across industries from the East and West in Riyadh, an ideal location for our 2025 Fortune Global Forum.”

The Forum has historically been held in major cities at the forefront of global business, including Singapore, Barcelona, Guangzhou, New Delhi, Rome, Hong Kong, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Cape Town, and San Francisco. Earlier this week in New York City, the 2024 Fortune Global Forum included speakers such as former U.S. CIA Directors Mike Pompeo and Leon Panetta; Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO, Nasdaq; Gita Gopinath, First Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Josh Kushner, Founder and CEO, Thrive Capital; Rob Manfred and Adam Silver, the commissioners of Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association, respectively; John Stankey, CEO, AT&T; Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Brooke Shields, actor, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of Commence; H.E. Fahd bin Abdulmohsan Al-Rasheed, Advisor, General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and Chair, Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority; Tom Brady, seven-time world champion; and Wynton Marsalis, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the site of the Forum, and more.

The Fortune Global Forum fosters impactful discussions among leading executives and other top figures in business, government, and culture and offers valuable insights into international business strategies.

Fortune’s annual Most Powerful Women Summit convenes women leaders from Fortune 500 companies and trailblazers from government, philanthropy, education, sports, and the arts for inspiring conversations, collaboration, and networking. The Riyadh MPW conference will draw women globally who are making significant contributions to business and economic growth.

About Fortune:
Fortune is a global multi-platform media company built on a legacy of trusted, award-winning reporting and information for those who want to make business better. Independently owned, Fortune tells the stories of the world’s biggest companies and their leaders as well as a new generation of innovators who are moving business forward. Digitally and in print, Fortune measures corporate performance through rigorous benchmarks, and holds companies accountable, in regions around the world. Its iconic rankings include Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500Most Powerful Women, and World’s Most Admired Companies. Fortune builds world-class communities by convening industry thought leaders for exclusive summits and conferences, including the Fortune Global Forum, Brainstorm Tech, Fortune Most Powerful Women. For more information, visit fortune.com.

Media Contacts:
Patrick Reilly
Fortune
Patrick.Reilly@fortune.com

Chelsea Hudson
Fortune
Chelsea.Hudson@fortune.com

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SOURCE Fortune Media (USA) Corporation

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