Education and training policy in the European Union must do more to ensure there is a sufficient number of people with the right skills in the nuclear field, according to a new position paper issued by Foratom. The European nuclear trade body suggests a number of actions that the industry and policymakers can take to avoid a skills shortage in the nuclear sector.

The European Commission has presented a plan to reduce European Union greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Foratom, the European nuclear trade body, said EU policy must recognise nuclear's potential role in meeting that target.

Nuclear energy projects should be included in post-COVID recovery plans as they provide a large number of jobs that help boost the economy, the OECD-Nuclear Energy Agency says in its newly published Policy Brief, Creating high-value jobs in the post-COVID-19 recovery with nuclear energy projects.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and the Generation IV International Forum have called for greater efforts to support the early deployment of innovative nuclear reactor systems to address climate change. The appeal came during the 14th GIF-IAEA Interface Meeting held last week.

A failure to renew France's fleet of nuclear power reactors will have consequences as soon as 2030 for not only the country's energy security but also its climate targets, according to the French nuclear energy society (SFEN). Nuclear power plants, with a combined capacity of 62 GWe, currently account for more than 70% of the country's electricity generation.

Nuclear energy should be part of post COVID-19 recovery plans, participants agreed during a webinar held today by the OECD/Nuclear Energy Agency to launch a series of policy briefs. Nuclear energy can not only provide economic and employment benefits, but can also help the world attain a low-carbon energy system and increase energy resilience, they said.

The OECD/Nuclear Energy Agency has today launched a series of policy briefs that examine nuclear energy's role in the post-COVID economic recovery. The policy briefs, to which World Nuclear Association contributed, have four themes: building resilience; job creation; cost-effective decarbonisation; and unlocking finance.

The European Commission should acknowledge the importance of harmonising the European nuclear supply chain and support EU Member States in reviewing their regulatory framework to enable the use of modern high-quality components manufactured for other industries, according to Foratom. The European nuclear trade body said a strong and harmonised European nuclear supply chain can also help the EU revive its economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US Nuclear Energy Institute has announced a programme to foster diversity and inclusion in the nuclear industry and says it will make a monetary contribution to the Equal Justice Initiative.

The world's response to COVID-19 is also an opportunity to meet strategic goals that include reducing carbon emissions and attaining a healthier, more sustainable environment, while ensuring economic recovery, the leaders of the Canadian Nuclear Association and World Nuclear Association said yesterday.

"It is important to ensure that nuclear energy is treated on an equal footing with other low-carbon energy sources by EU decision makers," says Esa Hyvärinen, the new president of Brussels-based industry group Foratom. Nuclear, he says, will play an important role in meeting the bloc's climate targets.

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency is supporting its members as they adjust to the environment created by the COVID-19 crisis and establishing a means for rapid exchange of ideas and best practices, the Paris-based intergovernmental organisation's director general, William Magwood, said yesterday.