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Nuclear energy and sustainable developmentThe concept of sustainable development was described in the now famous Brundtland Report as "...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." In a broad sense, sustainable development incorporates equity within and across countries as well as across generations, and integrates economic growth, environmental protection and social welfare. A key challenge for sustainable development policies is to address those three dimensions in a balanced way, taking advantage of their interactions and making relevant trade-offs whenever needed. The analysis of nuclear energy characteristics within a sustainable development framework shows that the approach adopted within the nuclear energy sector is generally consistent with the fundamental sustainable development goal of passing on a range of assets to future generations while minimising environmental impacts and burdens. While existing nuclear power plants are economically competitive in most cases and perform well in deregulated electricity markets, the economic competitiveness of new nuclear power plants will remain an issue due to their high capital cost. However, nuclear power has already internalised a large part of its external costs, such as the decommissioning of the plant at the end of its life and the management and disposal of the radioactive waste produced. Such a claim cannot be made by fossil fuel technologies, all of which emit waste to the environment. In OECD countries, nuclear energy in normal operation has a low impact on health and the environment, but in order to make a continuing contribution to sustainable development goals, nuclear energy will have to maintain its high standards of safety in spite of increasing competition in the electricity sector, ageing reactors, and the expansion of the industry to new countries and regions. Geological disposal of long-lived radioactive waste has been identified as a technically safe solution that can be implemented without affecting the competitive position of nuclear energy. While there is no technical urgency to implement long-lived waste repositories, it is important to construct and commission such facilities to demonstrate that the goals of sustainable development can be fulfilled. In order to meet sustainable development goals, nuclear energy will have to achieve a higher level of social acceptance than it enjoys in many countries today. The role of governments is to allow the public to put social, ethical and political issues related to nuclear energy into perspective with the issues raised by alternatives, in order to create the conditions for decision-making processes consistent with the goals of sustainable development. NEA sustainable development publications and reportsNuclear energy: Towards sustainable development (2007)  OECD countries share the same goals of sustainable development, but differ in their views on the role of nuclear energy in achieving those goals. Indeed, few energy sources have been scrutinised in the public spotlight over the years quite as much. The question is simple: is nuclear really a sustainable energy? Article by NEA Director-General Luis E. Echávarri published in the OECD Observer. Nuclear Energy and the Kyoto Protocol (2002) Nuclear Energy in a Sustainable Development Perspective (2000) This issue of NEA News was prepared in conjunction with the OECD Forum 2001 on “Sustainable development and the new economy”. It includes a range of individual contributions on the subject of nuclear energy and sustainable development, covering its economic, social and environmental aspects. They outline the role that nuclear energy may be able to play in helping to promote sustainable development in OECD Member countries and beyond. This role arises from two of nuclear energy's most important assets: namely, that it produces negligible amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and provides a stable supply of baseload electricity which is not vulnerable to volatility in fuel prices. Articles available on this site:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Related linksEnergy for Sustainable Development OECD Work on Sustainable Development Most OECD activities relate to sustainable development, from climate change analysis to development co-operation to corporate social responsibility. On this website, there are links to a wealth of projects and information which illuminate certain dimensions of sustainable development. The current work programme includes analysis and a workshop on reforming subsidies which have harmful economic, environmental and social effects. An attempt is being made to identify best practices in national sustainable development strategies in the 30 OECD countries, to be supplemented by a workshop with non-OECD countries, and to measure sustainable development through indicators, accounting approaches and other frameworks. The OECD works closely with the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) and contributes specifically to activities on education for sustainable development, public/private partnerships for sustainable development and the special themes (which are climate change, energy and industry in 2006/2007). Round Table on Sustainable Development The Bruntland Report is the common shorthand for the report 'Our Common Future' by the Kyoto protocol Last updated: 7 February 2007 |
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