March 2024

Nuclear Scientific Community for

Global Sustainable Development
Position Paper of High Scientific Council

Executive summary
• Nuclear power and technology are crucial to achieving sustainable development and
global energy transition.
• In this regard, the nuclear sector needs to grow dynamically in terms of the number of
new projects and in their advancement, which requires meeting current technical
challenges, filling knowledge gaps and ensuring workforce development.
• An enabling condition for achieving these objectives is to prioritise the maintenance of
a strong and robust Research & Development & Innovation community and creating
optimal conditions for its development.

Faced with pressing challenges of climate change, global efforts are underway to promote
sustainable development while mitigating environmental impacts. Energy, particularly clean and
affordable sources, is crucial for human development, and well-being.

Nuclear power is vital for sustainable development and the energy transition thanks to its low-
carbon nature, scalability, dispatchability and reliability. It ensures energy security and stable
electricity prices, and offers decarbonization opportunities for other sectors with its clean
electricity and heat. Projections show a need for a substantial increase in global nuclear capacity,
reinforcing its role in achieving net-zero emissions goals. This need is increasingly recognized by
the international community, as witnessed recently by the declaration made at COP28 to triple
global nuclear capacity by 2050 and similar declarations made at the IAEA’s Nuclear Energy
Summit attended by around some 30 States.

However, realizing this potential requires An enabling condition for

substantial efforts in research, development, achieving these objectives is to
and innovation (R&D&I). The main areas prioritise the maintenance of a
requiring intense research, development and
strong and robust R&D&I
innovation include support for new-build
community and creating optimal
projects, enhancing the operation of the current
fleet, and advancing innovative nuclear energy conditions for its activities and its
technologies, securing an abundant supply of further development.
fuels and advanced fuels, integrating nuclear

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facilities with future energy systems, digitalization, the circular economy and nuclear medicine.
An enabling condition for achieving these objectives is to prioritise the maintenance of a strong
and robust R&D&I community and creating optimal conditions for its activities and its further
development.

To support the development of the nuclear sector, the R&D&I community faces several challenges
that need to be recognized and addressed:

• Securing substantial and targeted funding from both private and public sectors for
research projects, recruitment and retention of researchers, and support for education
and training of the future workforce.
• Prioritizing nuclear R&D&I topics essential to address global sustainable development
needs and fostering 'blue skies' research for future progress.
• Promoting inter-disciplinarity, collaboration, and networking to enhance research
efficiency.
• Open political support for nuclear energy, to encourage the young generation to join the
nuclear workforce.
• Maintaining, replacing, and extending aging nuclear research facilities to foster optimal
research conditions and produce, or test and qualify advanced materials for energy,
medical and industrial applications.
• Building new research and material test reactors to support the design and early
deployment of innovative nuclear systems

In conclusion, nuclear energy and associated technologies offer significant potential for
addressing both climate change and sustainable development goals. However, realizing this
potential requires sustained investment in R&D&I, interdisciplinary collaboration, and political
commitment. By fostering a strong nuclear R&D&I community, countries can harness the benefits
of nuclear energy for global sustainability and energy security.

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1. Global objectives and targets – climate change and sustainable

development

In a world increasingly marked by the urgency of climate change, recent years have raised
awareness of the state of our planet and, as a consequence, pushed developed and emerging
economies to promote sustainable development. With global warming at 1.2°C in relation to pre-
industrial levels [1], and high certainty about the role of human activities in weather extremes
around the world [2], the 2015 Paris Agreement strives for 1.5°C warming, adopting Net Zero
emissions by 2050.

However, climate action alone cannot be the world's sole objective; the UN 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) address diverse human needs across biosphere, society, and
economy [3]. Around 75% of governments have SDG strategies, and while they may not yet have
achieved their objectives, leveraging scientific knowledge and governance across all the
disciplines can drive action and timely implementation [4].

Energy is the primary driver of human development, underscoring the imperative nature of the
UN's recommendation to prioritize and channel efforts towards affordable, clean energy solutions
(UN SDG 7). Therefore, transitioning to low-carbon energy sources, such as nuclear power and
renewables whose synergy enables clean energy to be optimally produced and integrated into
the network of downstream users, is one of the key conditions for facilitating climate mitigation
and sustainable development.

Fully aware of this, the parties to the UNFCCC, at COP28, “called to contribute to the global efforts,
accelerating zero- and low-emission technologies, including, inter alia, renewables, nuclear,
abatement and removal technologies” [5]. All this should be delivered while ensuring energy
security and avoiding excessive costs.

Furthermore, it is crucial not to overlook the importance of advancing the UN SDG 3, particularly
with regard to promoting good health and well-being. This includes, among other aspects, the
use of nuclear medicine for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

2. Nuclear in support of world’s objectives

Nuclear power is a crucial sector supporting the achievement of sustainable development and
energy transition worldwide. As a low-carbon, scalable, dispatchable, baseload source of
electricity, it offers guaranteed security of supply and stable, affordable electricity prices. The non-
electric applications of nuclear energy - like hydrogen production, energy-intensive industries,
district heating and desalination - can also support other sectors to decarbonize their activities
and processes in due course. In addition, nuclear energy offers States the opportunity to increase
their energy independence and sovereignty as well as to benefit from high-quality education,
training, Research & Development & Innovation (R&D&I) and supply chains.

Nuclear energy and technologies contribute as well to multiple SDGs – directly supporting nine of
them [6], like SDG3 (focused on health and well-being). Annually, more than 10 million patients in
Europe benefit from diagnosis and treatment through nuclear medicine [7].

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3. Expectations from nuclear sector in the future

These unique characteristics of nuclear energy and associated technologies are reflected in
projections of future global energy mixes.

According to OECD-IEA World Energy Outlook and its Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario, global
nuclear power capacity is set to more than double by 2050 [8], with similar trend seen in the high
projection of the latest IAEA scenario [9].

In IPCC’s analysis of over 3000 peer-reviewed energy scenarios, pathways to 1.5°C warming
require on average 1160 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2050, a near tripling from 2020
level. The OECD-NEA analysing the pathways to achieve this averaged capacity, suggests there
is a need for a mix of long term operation of existing NPPs and new builds of large-scale
evolutionary reactors and small modular reactors [10].

The indispensability of nuclear energy in a Net Zero world is further confirmed by IEA’s Low Nuclear
Case variant of its NZE scenario, which, in the event of failing to extend the global nuclear capacity,
results in major overall drawbacks such as exacerbated challenges associated with integrating
high shares of variable renewables, higher costs, higher strain on supply chains, greater exposure
to natural gas and coal market prices [11].

In line with these projections, nuclear energy was not only included in 2023’s COP28 Global
Stocktake text quoted above, but also in declarations and strategies at national and international
level, the recent result of which is the ministerial declaration to triple nuclear energy output by
2050, signed by 24 world governments, and followed by an aligned pledge of 120 industrial
companies [12]. The year 2024 will see further declarations of support for nuclear energy from an
even greater number of States, the prime example of which is the Nuclear Energy Summit, jointly
organized by the IAEA and the Belgian Prime Minister, involving around 30 States from all over the
world [13].

4. Research, Development, Innovation to meet challenges

To deliver the multiple development targets set by the global community, nuclear power and its
supporting technologies require dynamic growth, both in terms of the number of new projects
and of their scientific advances. However, certain challenges remain, requiring intensive research,
development and innovation in areas such as:

• Support for new-build projects: research and innovation supporting new-build projects,
from facilitation of design and licensing to fabrication, construction, quality control and
management.
• Support for the current fleet: research and innovation supporting plants currently in
operation and their long-term operation, not only in terms of the long-term integrity and
behavior of the components, but also in terms of new management strategies capable to
solve organisational issues, spare part management, staff ageing and component
obsolescence.
• Innovative nuclear power technologies: ranging from new LWR designs to innovative
reactors, both large scale and small modular reactors. Depending on the technology,

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materials testing and qualification, advanced fuel chemistry and performance, new
systemic solutions, safety demonstrations and other fields require advances in order to
progress towards demonstration and ultimately industrial scale deployment.
• Ensuring abundant fuel supplies and performance: research covering every stage of the
fuel cycle including: maximizing uranium availability, development of advanced fuels such
as Accident Tolerant Fuel and High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuels, closing the
fuel cycle using advanced reactor and advanced recycling technologies.
• Integration in future environment: research on integration of nuclear facilities with future
energy systems and infrastructure:
o integrated renewable-nuclear energy systems that require system analyses and
understanding the impacts of long-term flexibility of NPPs,
o non-electric and cogeneration applications of nuclear systems, capable of
supporting the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industrial processes. Analyses of
systems coupling nuclear plants with industrial facilities and hydrogen production
units are needed to realize such installations in the future.
• Digitalisation: progress in the field of digitalisation for operating and future power plants
and fuel cycle facilities using robotics, AI and advanced I&C adapted to innovative nuclear
systems. The adoption of digital technologies will improve safety and reduce operational
and maintenance costs of nuclear facilities.
• Waste and circular economy: advances in radioactive waste treatment and disposal,
including the recycling and reuse of radioactive and non-radioactive materials, in order
to promote a circular economy approach that treats nuclear waste as a valuable
resource.
• Saving lives through nuclear medicine: research into nuclear medicine and technologies
intricately connected to the well-being of societies, emphasizing accessibility and
enhancement of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

To make this happen, it is necessary to prioritise the maintenance and the continued growth of a
strong nuclear R&D&I community, capable of focusing on and providing answers to the range of
technical challenges that would otherwise hamper the required development of the nuclear
sector.

Moreover, the scientific community has a paramount role to play in ensuring maintenance and
development of the nuclear workforce and capacity building, by providing the required high-
quality and in-depth education and training. The education and training organisations will need
to encompass all the major engineering and scientific disciplines that will be needed to underpin
the design, manufacture, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning and
regulation of the nuclear power plants and associated technologies, to ensure the provision of
the necessary nuclear professionals to the whole sector, including the next generations of
engineers and researchers.

5. R&D&I community status and recommendations

It is clear that the deployment of the necessary levels of nuclear power in the coming decades to
effectively contribute to the delivery of the world’s net zero emissions goals will require conscious

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decisions by governments to support the maintenance and development of a strong and

competent engineering and scientific R&D&I community.

Scientists of the nuclear sector are a subgroup of general R&D community, which totals over 2M
full-time equivalent researchers in the EU. They work in governmental, industrial, academic,
hospital as well as private non-profit and higher education facilities [14], among others in 28
nuclear research centres [15].

To deliver the support needed for the required development of nuclear sector as discussed above,
the nuclear R&D&I community faces a number of challenges that need to be recognized and
addressed by:

• Substantial and well-targeted funding for nuclear R&D from both the private and public
sectors. Funding is needed to carry out the required research projects, to recruit and retain
the necessary researchers, and support the educational and training institutions that are
needed to educate and train the future workforce.
• Special focus on the above-mentioned critical topics, enabling the nuclear sector to
develop to the level necessary to address the global sustainable development needs, as
well as on support for ‘blue skies’ research, providing prospects for developments in the
more distant future.
• Active efforts to support inter-disciplinarity, strengthen collaboration and networking to
optimise and accelerate research projects.
• Open political support for nuclear, sending a clear message to the younger generation
that nuclear has a future and ensuring the maintenance and growth of nuclear R&D
community.
• Maintenance, replacement and extension of aging nuclear research and radioisotope
production facilities in order to provide optimal conditions for conducting research and
producing material useful in medical and industrial applications.
• New research and material test reactors to support the test and qualification of
advanced materials and fuels, thus supporting design and early deployment of innovative
nuclear systems offering enhanced sustainability.

6. Conclusion

Nuclear power and technologies will play a vital role in achieving global climate and sustainable
development goals. Thanks to its low-carbon footprint, scalability and reliability, the use of
nuclear energy contributes to the urgently needed achievement of multiple SDGs while mitigating
climate impacts. Projections point to a significant increase in nuclear capacity, but to achieve this
will require dynamic research and innovation to address a number of challenges. It is essential
therefore for governments to nurture a strong interdisciplinary R&D&I community that is well
funded, based on collaboration, has political support, and is underpinned by a comprehensive
education and training sector. Sustainable research and development, and innovation
communities are needed to ensure that nuclear energy can make a substantial contribution to
global sustainability and energy security.

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References

All sources were accessed in March 2024.

[1] WMO confirms that 2023 smashes global temperature record

https://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-confirms-2023-smashes-global-temperature-record

[2] CLIMATE CHANGE 2023 Synthesis Report

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf

[3] Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

[4] GSDGR 2023 https://sdgs.un.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/GSD%20Report%202023-

Digital%20-Executive%20Summary.pdf

[5] Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement First
global stocktake https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2023_L17_adv.pdf

[6] IAEA Nuclear Power for Sustainable Development

https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/np-sustainable-development.pdf

[7] EANM Position Paper; Nuclear Medicine; What it is. Where it goes. What it needs.
https://www.eanm.org/content-eanm/uploads/2022/07/EANM-overarching-narrative_0707.pdf

[8] World Energy Outlook 2023 https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/86ede39e-4436-42d7-

ba2a-edf61467e070/WorldEnergyOutlook2023.pdf

[9] Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2050, 2023 Edition
https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/RDS-1-43_web.pdf

[10] Meeting Climate Change Targets The Role of Nuclear Energy https://www.oecd-
nea.org/jcms/pl_69396/meeting-climate-change-targets-the-role-of-nuclear-energy

[11] IEA Nuclear Power and Secure Energy Transitions

https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/016228e1-42bd-4ca7-bad9-
a227c4a40b04/NuclearPowerandSecureEnergyTransitions.pdf

[12] Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge backed by 120 companies https://www.world-nuclear-
news.org/Articles/Net-Zero-Nuclear-Industry-Pledge-backed-by-120-com

[13] First-Ever Nuclear Energy Summit to be Held in Brussels in March 2024

https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/first-ever-nuclear-energy-summit-to-be-
held-in-brussels-in-march-2024

[14] R&D personnel https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

explained/index.php?title=R%26D_personnel&oldid=624836#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20ful
l%2Dtime,from%201.43%20to%202.08%20million.

[15] nucleareurope’s interactive map of nuclear facilities https://www.nucleareurope.eu/facts-

figures/nuclear_facilities/

HSC Position Paper: Nuclear scientific community for global sustainable development March 2024 ENS