The first ever Nuclear Energy Summit starts tomorrow, where world leaders will gather to discuss how nuclear power can help drive sustainable development.
Co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo and the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi, the Summit will be the highest-level meeting to date exclusively focused on the topic of nuclear energy. It comes in the wake of the historic inclusion of nuclear energy in the Global Stocktake agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023, which called for accelerating its deployment along with other low carbon energy sources.
Director General Grossi said, “This historic summit will build on the momentum of COP28 where the world finally agreed it must invest in nuclear energy to meet its climate goals. Now is time for action, for laying out the concrete steps that will make the investment happen.”
Leaders speaking at the historic meeting are expected to include the presidents or prime ministers of Armenia, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
High level representatives from the following countries will also give their national perspective on the topic: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The night before the summit, Prime Minister de Croo and Mr Grossi will host an evening debate with more than 70 young science communicators at the iconic Atomium in Brussels.
The summit will start with opening speeches by the co-hosts before the adoption of a key declaration about nuclear energy. The heads of state will speak next followed by other national statements.
The afternoon will consist of technical panel discussions on the practical steps needed to leverage nuclear energy’s full potential to tackle global challenges.
These include sessions on factors influencing deployment; global, regional and national perspectives; technological advancements and innovations; and importantly, finance.
“The summit will provide an opportunity for leaders to support each other as they create the conditions for new nuclear reactors,” Director General Grossi said. “To progress, we need a level financial playing field. That means nuclear energy getting the kind of support already given to other energy sources, whether nationally or by international institutions, such as development banks.”
