International Symposium on Electricity, Health and the Environment

An international symposium on Electricity, Health and the Environment jointly organized by ten international organizations brings together some 300 experts at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, 16-19 October 1995. The main focus will be a comparative assessment of the impact on the environment of different energy sources for electricity production. Co-organizers with the IAEA are the European Commission (EC), the Economic and Social Comission of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD (NEA), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

In his opening speech the Director General of the IAEA, Dr. Hans Blix, pointed to the fact that three years after the "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro "the progress made worldwide, for example in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is extremely small, not to say negligible. Carbon dioxide emissions have slowed only marginally in industrialized countries - and that mainly due to the recent economic recession - and in most developing countries, have continued to increase significantly owing to energy demand growth and reliance on fossil fuels as the most readily available energy source".

The medium term outlook, according to Dr. Blix, is no better. "The expected continued dramatic growth in energy and electricity consumption in Asia will lead to drastic increase of greenhouse gas emissions, if measures are not taken soon to reduce the share of fossil fuels, especially coal, in electricity generation. In Eastern Europe, energy consumption has flattened due to the economic stagnation that has occurred; however, as the economies of the region begin to recover and grow, these countries will also be faced with increases in emissions, unless effective control and mitigation measures are implemented. In Western Europe too, according to the findings of a number of recent studies, carbon dioxide emissions will continue to grow after the turn of the century."

The Director General called for a rational assessment and comparison of all available energy supply options - renewable, fossil and nuclear - taking into account their complete fuel cycles, their technical and economic performance, and their impact on health and the environment. "I do not suggest that nuclear power alone could solve all of the problems involved in achieving a secure and sustainable energy supply worldwide. However, together with renewable sources and energy conservation, nuclear power could play a very significant role in strategies aiming towards this goal."

Dr. Blix added: "within the Technical Co-operation Programme of the IAEA, a large number of projects are devoted to supporting Member States in the field of energy and electricity system analysis and planning. These projects examine not only the nuclear power option, but also fossil and renewable energy systems." The Director General pointed to the IAEA's DECADES project which encompasses a data base and methodology for comparative assessment of different energy sources for electricity generation and is co-sponsored by all organizations at the symposium.

The main agenda topics of the International Symposium on Electricity, Health and the Environment are: Key issues for implementing sustainable electricity policies, the role of international co-operation; assessment of health and environmental impacts; implementation of comparative assessment; and national case studies.

More information is available from the IAEA's Division of Public Information in Vienna (tel.:43-1-260621275 or fax 43-1-260620610) or via Internet, which can be accessed at the World Wide Web address http://www.iaea.or.at.