BRACKETED NUCLEAR ENERGY TEXT Challenges: Nuclear power presently accounts for 16% of the world's electricity generation. However, nuclear energy is associated with a number of concerns namely nuclear safety, spent fuel and waste management. The choice of nuclear energy rests with countries. Several countries have been using nuclear energy technologies safely and see no inordinate concern in using and developing additional technology for properly managing and controlling spent fuel and other nuclear materials. However, several other countries, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS), do not consider nuclear as appropriate or acceptable source of energy for meeting their energy needs and are of the view that nuclear energy is not compatible with the objectives of sustainable development. For those countries that choose nuclear energy, the challenge lies in finding cost-effective solutions and in addressing nuclear safety and spent fuel and waste management as well as public concerns on these issues. Recommendations: Governments, taking into account national circumstances, are encouraged to: a. support their national efforts, including research and international cooperation as an effective tool in addressing the issues of nuclear safety and spent fuel and waste management; b. strengthen independent national regulatory agencies and promote cooperaiton in nuclear safety across countries; c. promote a high level of nuclear safety worldwide by IAEA; d. improve the transparency of nuclear safety related decisions; e. prevent the proliferation of fissile materials through IAEA safeguards; f. promote public education and participation as well as capacity building as well as capacity building on human resources on energy and waste management by countries that choose nuclear energy; g. further develop technological solutions for long-lived radioactive waste; h. address the safety of their nuclear energy installations, as being appropriate after assessment by national regulatory authorities, including consideration of the option of phasing out of such installations; and i. more consultations; taking into account the high risk to human health, safety, and the environment from the movement of nuclear waste, the transboundary movement of such waste have to be done in compliance with the international instruments.

Under Section B on general principles, Saudi Arabia proposed eradicating poverty is an indispensable requirement of sustainable development. For developing countries, poverty eradication is the highest priority. Environmental standards applied by some countries may be inappropriate and of unwarranted economic and social costs, hindering developing countries efforts to eradicate poverty. The EU called for bracketing this text.

The Canadian delegation (above left) and Algeria with Canada (above right); Canada expressed concern over reference to developing national strategies and indicative targets in enhancing the contribution of renewable energies to total energy consumption. He said goals or indicative targets are fine in industrialized countries, but in other countries, they can and will lead to serious distortions in the energy sector and the energy market. The EU preferred marinating reference to indicative goals.

Duncan Marsh and Arthur Rypinski of the US delegation and Janet Stephenson and David Drake of the Canadian delegation. Janet Stephanson briefed participants on the status of the Energy and Transport exhibit, which was scheduled  to be held in parallel to CSD-9. She said that due to insufficient financing and logistics the exhibit would not take place, but could take place in some form at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. NGOs expressed disappointment that the exhibit would not be held as they had worked very hard in collaboration with the US and Canadian governments. They were concerned that the scope of the exhibit would widen to include for example nuclear technologies.