Scott Foster, director of the Sustainable Energy Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, describes how energy is the "golden thread" that connects the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and that nuclear power has a role to play in the energy mix of the future. The following is the text of the presentation Foster gave during the webinar the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency held today to discuss its newly published Policy Brief, Nuclear power and the cost-effective decarbonisation of electricity systems.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeated his support for new nuclear power. During Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons yesterday, Johnson told a member of parliament representing a constituency in Cumbria, "We believe that nuclear power is a significant potential contributor to our Net Zero ambitions, and I look forward to working with my Honourable Friend to ensure that Cumbria continues its long historic tradition as a pioneer of new nuclear technologies."

Canada's Green Ribbon Panel has developed four principles it believes are necessary to change the conversation around climate, energy and the economy. The panel - formed in February by a collection of environmental and economic leaders - will focus on the role nuclear with other technologies that anchor Canada's energy sector can play in fighting climate change and growing the economy at home and abroad.

The US power sector made significant progress in the transition away from coal in 2019, driving substantial reductions in pollution from the power sector, according to a newly released benchmarking study of the country's 100 largest power producers. Nuclear made up 55% of the USA's zero-carbon resources.

The UK government has announced an investment of GBP40 million (USD50 million) in the development of advanced modular reactors and small modular reactors. A government-commissioned report, meanwhile, has made recommendations for boosting the capability of the UK's nuclear R&D sector and domestic supply chain to support future AMR deployment.

US Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette yesterday called for the world to take a dynamic, rather than static, approach to energy policy to facilitate the innovation necessary to secure a clean energy future. Speaking at the International Energy Agency's Clean Energy Transitions Summit 2020, he cautioned against "static" policies that could stifle innovation and limit fuel choices.

The COVID-19 pandemic recovery has presented a window of opportunity for governments, according to a White Paper published today by World Nuclear Association. It says recovery plans that include investment in nuclear energy could not only boost economic growth and jobs, but also fulfil climate change commitments and build a clean and resilient energy system.

Foratom says it "remains concerned" that the European Commission is paying "insufficient attention" to low-carbon, non-fossil fuel sources of hydrogen, such as nuclear. The EU nuclear trade association was responding to two strategies the Commission released on 8 July for energy sector integration and hydrogen. Foratom said it welcomed the addition of a 'low-carbon hydrogen' category but said its usage should not be limited to the short and medium term.

High-level speakers from government, industry and international organisations at an International Energy Agency summit today underlined the need for nuclear energy to play a role in the post-COVID economic recovery at the same time as meeting the climate challenge.

Foratom, the European nuclear trade body, has welcomed the European Commission's decision to appoint its Joint Research Centre as the group of experts that will assess nuclear under the sustainable finance taxonomy. However, the JRC will not submit its findings until next year, after the relevant acts have already been finalised.

Building new nuclear capacity does not need to be risky or expensive, a new report from the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency has found. The organisation has called for government action to support a rapid reduction in the costs of new nuclear capacity by creating policy frameworks that capture and apply the lessons learned and capabilities developed over recent years.

The US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis has released a report establishing a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide in the USA by no later than 2050. The Climate Crisis Action Plan includes support to keep existing nuclear plants operating and calls for Congressional support for the development of advanced nuclear technologies.