TRACK 5: ENHANCING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

5.5.1. Parallel Technical Session 5a: Multilateral partnership mechanisms Moderator: S. Jaworowski (USA)

Session 5a comprised an interactive panel discussion on international cooperation in low carbon energy deployment. The panellists included representatives from Energy for Humanity, the IAEA, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the World Nuclear Association (WNA), and the moderator was S. Jaworowski (USA). The panel reflected on lessons from recent partnerships in the deployment of nuclear power or other low carbon energy technologies, and discussed how governments, international organizations and others can facilitate cooperation across the low carbon energy sector.

L. Angelino (IRENA): ‘International cooperation and partnerships: Experience from IRENA’;

W. Huang (IAEA): ‘Enhancing international cooperation and partnerships in low carbon power deployment — The IAEA’s role’.

These speakers outlined the ways in which their organizations are active in building partnerships to support their Member States reach their energy and development objectives.

The aims of these partnerships range from supporting long term energy planning and knowledge management to capacity building and infrastructure development, through to implementation and deployment. L. Angelino highlighted examples such as the Global Geothermal Alliance, the Small Island Developing States’ Lighthouses Initiative and the IRENA Coalition for Action, which seeks to establish common ground for collaboration between developers of different technologies: wind, solar photovoltaics, hydro and geothermal.

W. Huang drew attention to the importance of partnerships across agencies of the UN, such as with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, for coordinating efforts to address the climate change and sustainability agenda. He noted the IAEA’s ongoing efforts to engage with a broader audience, including environment ministries on the potential of nuclear power.

He also reminded the audience of the IAEA’s role in multilateral and bilateral partnerships related to the non-energy applications of nuclear technology, such as in medicine and agriculture. New opportunities for cooperation between renewables and nuclear power — including in the planning and deployment of hybrid energy systems — were also discussed.

J. Cobb (UK, WNA): ‘Multi-lateral partnership mechanisms’.

With regard to industry cooperation, low carbon technologies are often competing for recognition and investment and are sometimes pitted against one another by national policy, echoing a similar message from IRENA. The presentation recommended a focus on inter-industry partnerships that can provide mutual benefits to different forms of low carbon energy, including in influencing climate policy. Also discussed was collaboration within the nuclear industry, noting that cooperation is already central to any nuclear power project, given the range of partners and suppliers involved. Looking forward, the WNA has established the Harmony Goal and programme, which provides a focus for collaboration among the WNA’s 180 members.

K. Gogan (UK, Energy for Humanity): The presentation provided further examples illustrating the potentially wide range of stakeholders — from industry, government, NGOs, academia — who will need to cooperate in the low carbon energy transition, as well as the need for partnerships to be demand (market) driven and to evolve. Changing energy markets create opportunities to engage with new partners, for example in non-electrical applications, and capitalize on new entrepreneurial approaches and business models. Also highlighted was an

example of how shared goals on climate change action, combined with an open and measured approach from the nuclear sector, enabled organizations representing nuclear power, renewables and carbon capture sector to cooperate to achieve common policy outcomes, without the initiative being obstructed by traditional opponents of nuclear power.

5.5.2. Parallel Technical Session 5b: Experiences and perspectives on cooperation Chairperson: A. Metelitsa (UNIDO)

A. Borio Di Tigliole (IAEA)

Session 5b comprised presentations from Argentina, China, North Macedonia, and the USA reflecting on experiences and perspectives on cooperation across different aspects of nuclear power, including innovation and deployment, sustainable information and knowledge management, and the importance of a robust and transparent system for nuclear safety and security.

B. Carpinelli (Argentina): ‘Nuclear energy as a solution to climate change analyzed in terms of the new global market demands: The importance of nuclear projects cooperation and the international organizations role’.

The presentation addressed the importance of cooperation in nuclear projects and the role of international organizations in the context of global climate and market demands. Also highlighted was how the urgent need for climate action necessitates increasing the use of nuclear power, and how cooperation and partnerships supporting the development of innovative technologies and commercial models, as well as financing, can contribute to the goal of reducing NPP investment costs and construction times. Argentina is seeking to capitalize on a bilateral partnership with China to expand the use of nuclear power, as well as collaborating in international forums facilitated by the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC), the Generation IV Forum (GIF), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the IAEA.

B. Li (China): ‘Current status of nuclear power development and nuclear safety in China’.

The presentation approached the topic of cooperation with a focus on safety. The paper illustrated the growing importance of nuclear power to China’s energy system and the strong and successful institutional focus on safety. China’s activities to maintain and improve nuclear power plant safety explicitly embed cooperation with international, regional and domestic partners, including the IAEA, OECD/NEA, regulators, plant operators, suppliers and users. Mr.

Li acknowledged the important role of technical support, particularly for ‘embarking countries’, including in regulator training and during regulatory reviews and safety inspections. Mr. Li and Ms. Carpinelli agreed on the value of the Argentina–China bilateral cooperation on nuclear power as an important mechanism for sharing best practices in safety and other areas.

E. Zaveckas (USA): ‘Harnessing international support for nuclear power deployment:

challenges and opportunities’.

This presentation explored the challenges and opportunities in garnering international support for the deployment nuclear power. In order to maximize support for nuclear energy, it is critical to ensure confidence in the international regulatory mechanisms that govern the development and deployment of new power plants. While recognizing the value of the assistance provided under the IAEA’s Milestones approach, the speaker raised a concern that the voluntary nature of IAEA assistance, relying on requests from Member States based on self-assessment, risks the possibility that a nuclear power plant may be designed, built and become operational in non-compliance with the IAEA’s nuclear safety standards. To address this challenge, the speaker recommended strengthening the IAEA approach with additional information sharing on new projects and cooperation with regional organizations — for example, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OCSE) and the International Energy Agency of the OECD — to add additional layers of accountability and potential enforcement options.

M. Sejmenova-Gichevska (North Macedonia): ‘Nuclear information management related to climate change: Correlation between energy indicators for sustainable development and INIS knowledge organization system’. Cooperation and partnerships related to information and knowledge management were discussed. The presentation outlined the Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development (ESID) and International Nuclear Information System (INIS) domains and taxonomy, focusing on their linkages with climate change. International partnerships play a key role in information collection and dissemination, as well as communicating energy issues and promoting institutional dialogue.

5.6. TRACK 6: PUBLIC AND NON-NUCLEAR STAKEHOLDERS’ PERCEPTION OF