07/11/2008 Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Strasbourg, 07.11.2008 – To what extent can nuclear power help meet energy needs and reconcile them with the demands of sustainable development? Can it be combined with the development of renewable energy sources and CO2-free technologies? Is the hazardous nature of nuclear power proven and how can radioactive waste be managed in the long term? Is the safety of nuclear power stations guaranteed? These were all questions which representatives of the nuclear industry, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and civil society tried to find answers to at a hearing held in Strasbourg today by the PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs.
This balanced debate between supporters and opponents of nuclear power gave the Environment Committee members statistically-based insights into the subject, on which views diverge widely, and provided Bill Etherington (United Kingdom, SOC) with material for the preparation of his report on “nuclear energy and sustainable development”.
Nuclear power accounts for 16% of global electricity production (80% in France, the country with the highest figure), but only made up 2.5% of the total energy consumed worldwide in 2008. Nuclear power’s share in energy consumption in France is 17%.