The Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom is taking part in the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) being held at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt from November 6-18.
The Rosatom presence at this year’s COP 27 climate summit is one among the various initiatives by the global nuclear industry as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to highlight nuclear energy as central to tackling the climate crisis.
A Rosatom statement said its representatives will participate in several events dedicated to the role of nuclear energy and nuclear technologies in helping countries and regions overcome challenges in sustainable development.
On November 10, representatives from Rosatom Corporate Academy and members of Impact Team 2050, a youth advisory council under auspices of Rosatom’s Director General, are expected to participate in Young and Future Generations Day events taking place at the “Youth and Children” and “SDG7” pavilions.
The events will see the launch of the Youth Energy Transition Commission and a presentation of the BRICS Youth Energy Forecast. BRICS is the group of emerging economies consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
“On November 15 (Energy Day), participants of a Rosatom-organised side event will discuss nuclear energy’s contribution to solving sustainable development challenges in African countries”, the statement said.
Representatives from nuclear energy organisations in Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa will share their experience selecting green technologies, updates on large-capacity nuclear power plant construction projects and thoughts on such projects’ potential impact on the broader regional economy.
The event will be attended by Rosatom’s First Deputy Director General, Director of Development and International Business Kirill Komarov, Board Chairman of Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plant Authority Dr. Amged El-Wakeel, Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission Yusuf Aminu Ahmed, Director of Renewable and Nuclear Energy at Ghana’s Ministry of Energy Robert Sogbaji, and Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa representative Knox Mzebenzi.
Also on November 15, at an official COP27 event dedicated to Russia’s approaches to climate change mitigation, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev will discuss nuclear energy’s contribution to the low-carbon development of Russia’s economy and the ability of nuclear technologies to help counteract climate change.
Rosatom is also scheduled to participate in a thematic exposition titled “Russia’s Innovative Approaches to Climate Adaptation and Mitigation,” which will be held on November 16 and 17 at Russia’s COP27 booth.
Earlier, the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi opened an exhibit at the COP 27 in Egypt showcasing nuclear technology’s potential in the fight against climate change.
The previous COP 26 climate summit held in Glasgow, UK, last year, was a landmark in cementing the integral role of nuclear energy in meeting the world’s decarbonisation goals.
At the Glasgow COP26, the IAEA had organised several events encouraging conversations about nuclear power and its vast applications.
“To achieve net zero, we need more nuclear power. That’s the scientific consensus from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and other leading climate experts. Governments are starting to converge around this consensus, but we must act faster”, the IAEA Director General had said.
