IAEA at COP29: Time to Deliver Nuclear Solutions

Momentum for nuclear energy as a key driver toward net-zero is stronger than ever. Now is the time to turn last year's historic consensus in Dubai into action, advancing nuclear solutions to ensure energy security, achieve climate targets and promote sustainable development.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is bringing this message to the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).

This year's COP has climate finance at the top of the agenda. Building on the back of the historic inclusion of nuclear in the COP28 Global Stocktake and the first ever Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Director General Grossi will attend COP29 with a call to increase climate finance for nuclear. At the Financing Low Carbon Technology, Including Nuclear Energy event on 13 November at 16:00, Director General Grossi, as well as the COP29 presidency, ministers, heads of international organizations, multilateral development banks and the private sector will discuss scaling up the financing necessary to expand all low carbon energy technologies, including nuclear power.

In recently published projections, the IAEA increased its forecast for nuclear power generation for the fourth consecutive year. In its high-case scenario, global nuclear capacity by 2050 could reach two and a half times today's levels, with small modular reactors (SMRs) contributing a quarter of this expansion. The United States Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, John Podesta, and Director General Grossi will host an event on Accelerating Early Deployment of Small Modular Reactors at 12:45 on 13 November.

Throughout the two-week conference, which runs from 11 to 22 November, the IAEA will also promote the use of nuclear science and technologies for climate change adaptation and monitoring to achieve sustainable water management, protect coastal and marine ecosystems and provide food security.

On 12 November, Director General Grossi will join leaders from UNIDO, FAO, WTO and other key sectors for a flagship event on Decarbonizing and Adapting the Cotton-to-Clothing Value Chain through Multisectoral Partnerships. The event will showcase how innovative policies, technologies and partnerships can drive decarbonization in the cotton sector and strengthen climate resilience.

Millions worldwide still face hunger, and transforming agrifood systems through science and technology is essential to address this challenge amid changing climate conditions. An event on the joint IAEA/FAO Atoms4Food initiative will take place at the China Pavilion on 12 November to present achievements in agriculture and food security in the context of national climate adaptation efforts.

The Atoms4Climate pavilion will be hosted by the IAEA in the Blue Zone at COP and will showcase nuclear power, science and technology solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring.

The IAEA will host and participate in more than 50 events focusing on four thematic areas: energy, food, the ocean and water.

See the IAEA COP29 page for the complete list of IAEA and partner events. Check the individual event pages for updates on livestreaming opportunities.

Nuclear security measures

For the third time, the IAEA is supporting the COP host country to implement nuclear security measures during the two-week conference. In October, the Agency trained more than 100 national first responders and staff from security enforcement bodies, including through hands-on equipment training conducted at the Baku Stadium, the venue for the COP. The Agency has also supplied over 100 radiation detection devices to support the nuclear security measures throughout COP, which is expected to draw around 40 000 participants. Similar assistance was provided by the IAEA at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and COP28 in Dubai, UAE, as part of the IAEA's two decades worth of support offered to countries, upon their request, for nuclear security at major public events.

IAEA media team contacts

IAEA experts in climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring will be available for interviews at COP29.

For interview requests and other media-related questions, please contact Fredrik Dahl, IAEA Spokesperson, at [email protected] and copy [email protected].

The IAEA video team will be present at COP29. B-roll footage of the Director General, the IAEA pavilion or specific events is available, upon request. Please contact [email protected] and copy [email protected].

Registration

To attend IAEA events in person, you must register for COP29. For media accreditation and all other details concerning the attendance of COP29, please refer to the UNFCCCC online registration page. The IAEA cannot assist with accreditation to COP29.

Media kit

The COP29 media kit provides information on the four key areas highlighted at the #Atoms4Climate pavilion - energy, food, the ocean and water - along with recent reports and further background information.

The media kit also contains B-roll video footage on nuclear power and applications to tackle climate change, videos on the IAEA and climate change and high-resolution images in the IAEA Flickr account. The IAEA will take photographs at COP29 and post them on Flickr.

This material is free to use under the copyright provisions of the IAEA Terms of Use. If you have further questions, please contact us.

The IAEA's explainer articles, podcasts and other resources on climate change are available on the IAEA website.

Follow the IAEA and #Atoms4Climate on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Weibo for updates throughout COP29.

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