| More than 16% of the
world's electricity is produced by nuclear power plants. But nuclear's growth
has slowed at a time of increasing interest in carbon-free energy sources to
help meet global goals of sustainable development. In September 1999, the
world's leading nuclear authorities are meeting in Vienna at a Scientific Forum
that will focus on nuclear power's role in sustainable development. Sessions
are being organized during the week of the IAEA General Conference, beginning 27
September.
Background
The Scientific Forum was
established
last year with the objective of adding a certain degree of scientific
and technical focus to the debate at the Agency's General Conference.
It was envisaged that the Scientific Forum would address various major
issues of a scientific and technical nature that have a direct influence
and bearing on the Agency's programme of activities and discuss new
trends
in nuclear matters which are of relevance to Member States.
Objective
of this year's Scientific Forum
There has always been a need for
the Agency to provide objective and impartial information to policy
makers
in various Member States about the strengths and weaknesses of nuclear
power vis-à-vis other available energy options in meeting future energy
services/requirements in different world regions. This need is now all
the more important for the following reasons:
- The 9th Session of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development
(CSD-9) will be held in 2001 and will focus on energy issues. The
decisions
of the CSD-9 will be greatly influenced by input from the
participating
countries and organizations.
- The Conference of Parties (COP) to the Framework Convention of
Climate Change (FCCC) and
various countries party to the FCCC are expected to take important
decisions
over the next two years concerning preferred energy strategies to meet
GHG (greenhouse gases) reduction targets.
- In most debates concerning sustainable development and GHG emission
mitigation measures, the focus has been on energy efficiency
improvements,
clean fossil technologies and the accelerated commercialization of
renewable
energy technologies. Nuclear power has generally been overlooked
in spite of the fact that it currently avoids the release into the
atmosphere of approximately 8% of global GHG emissions and has the
potential
to play a much greater role in the future.
The Scientific Forum
will assist policy makers from Member States
to formulate their position on issues related to future energy demand
and supply and the sustainability of energy options (including the
nuclear
option), while preparing their inputs to COP-5 & 6 in 1999 and 2000, and
CSD-9 in 2001. At the same time, it will be helpful to the Agency to
provide
a meaningful input to CSD-9 on the basis of an open and frank exchange
of views with Member States as well as with other international
organisations.
As the nuclear power option for
energy production is in the midst of a global debate, it would
also be important for the Secretariat to understand the vision of Member
States with regard to the future role of nuclear power and their
perception
of what important issues need to be addressed. Such international
co-operation
is essential for whatever future role is foreseen for nuclear
power.
It is envisaged that there will
be a report from the Scientific Forum to the plenary session of the
General
Conference. The report will summarize the different views expressed on
the anticipated role of nuclear power. Discussion on important and
controversial
issues, together with the consensus reached, will also be included with
recommendations on international co-operation and on actions to be taken
by the Secretariat.
The Report of the Scientific
Forum,
the keynote papers and the summary of the discussion will later be
published
and made available on IAEA.org.
Next:
>> Sessions
of the Scientific Forum |
