Friday November 15, 2024

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso at the UN COP29 climate change conference taking place in held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Under the new MoU, the IAEA and the EBRD will coordinate their activities to help countries strengthen their capacities in developing energy policies, energy strategies, governance and financing frameworks, as well as mechanisms to achieve net zero emissions targets, taking into account the possibility of countries using nuclear energy. energy. Activities will also promote gender equality in the nuclear sector, including through the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Program and the Lise Meitner Program.

The IAEA said countries will benefit from the partnership’s activities that will support nuclear and radiation safety as well as technical infrastructure throughout the life cycle of electrical and non-electrical applications of nuclear energy. This will include the decommissioning of associated facilities and the management of radioactive waste and environmental releases.

The IAEA said the MoU constitutes “an important milestone” as it extends its cooperation with the EBRD “beyond nuclear and radiological safety concerns”.

The organizations already cooperate within the Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites, on Chernobyl-related projects and on peer reviews of EBRD-managed projects.

“Together, we are not only building on years of successful cooperation in nuclear safety, but also opening new doors to capacity building, clean energy and economic resilience,” Grossi said. “Partnering with financial institutions, like the EBRD, is essential to unlocking the investment needed for a low-carbon future, and ensuring that the unique benefits of nuclear energy are accessible, safe and sustainable for all. »

He stressed the importance of partnerships with financial institutions and the private sector to develop nuclear energy. The IAEA invites governments, industry, banks and other stakeholders to partner with the Agency and contribute their financial resources, expertise, industry knowledge and advocacy.