World Nuclear Association sets goal for the future of electricity

The World Nuclear Association has developed its own vision for the future of electricity dubbed “Harmony” to help meet the world’s growing demand for energy.

The Harmony programme involves the deployment of a diverse mix of low carbon generating technologies to maximize benefits and minimize the negative impacts of each technology.

“Our target for nuclear energy is to provide 25% of electricity in 2050, requiring roughly 1000 GWe of new nuclear capacity to be constructed – depending on other factors like reactor retirements and electricity demand growth,” said Agneta Rising, General Director of the World Nuclear Association.

Achieving the 1000 GWe target, she noted, will require a cooperative effort by industry players in many fields of activity.

She was addressing the ATOMEXPO 2016 International Forum on nuclear power, holding in Moscow, Russia.

The need for access to affordable and reliable electricity supplies is growing as the global population increases and countries seek to develop their economies and improve the living standards of their citizens.

General Director of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM), Sergey Kirienko, has observed more and more countries are showing interest in nuclear energy generation because of the long life-time investment benefits.

ROSATOM, for instance, has signed over 30 different Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) agreements with governments, companies and other partners at the ATOMEXPO 2016 Forum.

According to Mr. Kirienko, none of the countries in the world can make a clear cut choice for a particular energy source – be it fossil, nuclear or renewable energy sources.

“The question is not which is the best energy source, but which balance to have of all the energy sources we need,” he said.

Whilst pushing for the right balance, he expects renewable to be a complimentary source of energy.

Ms. Rising has emphasized the vitality that the global industry identifies and focuses on eliminating the real barriers to growth to achieve a common goal of ensuring that nuclear can contribute to a reliable, affordable and clean electricity generation mix.

“The global nuclear industry – and all its surrounding stakeholders – should seek to realise a level playing field where countries introduce technology neutral market frameworks that permit all low-carbon technologies, valuing not only levelised costs, but also system reliability and environmental benefits,” she said.

The World Nuclear Association is the international organization that represents the global nuclear industry with a mission to promote a wider understanding of nuclear energy among key international influencers.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh, reporting from Moscow, Russia

Russia expands nuclear energy partnerships with African countries

The Russian Federation is rapidly expanding partnership with African countries on nuclear energy programmes, as demand for electricity grows in emerging economies.

Three African countries – Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia – are new to sign memorandum of understandings with Russia at the ATOMEXPO 2016 International Forum in Moscow, the largest meeting of world leaders and experts on nuclear power.

Nigeria’s cooperation with Russia is in the construction of a centre for nuclear science and technology in advance nuclear research.

“Nigeria does have other energy resources but we’re talking about a balanced and diversified energy basket and nuclear energy happens to be one that is considered. Again, I think it is environmentally friendly [and] will also lead to a better conservation of other resources,” noted Franklin Osaisai, Director-General of Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission.

The research centre is to support Nigeria in the use of nuclear for purposes of agriculture and medicine development, explained Sergey Kirienko, General Director of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM).

Kenya is also seeks cooperation in the sphere of uses of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

“Everybody today is going green, so with us signing the MOU today will give us an opportunity, a window for us to interact more to know about what advantages are there,” said Hillary Ngondi Kyengo, Kenyan Ambassador in Russia.

Zambia is also signing an agreement in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Last year, Ghana signed a similar agreement, as part of countries increasingly looking for solutions to their energy deficits.

Nuclear is seen as a cleaner energy source and nuclear technologies are useful in industry, medicine and agriculture.

The partnerships often involve joint development of atomic energy infrastructure, design and construction of power and research nuclear reactors, as well as the exploration and production of uranium deposits.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh, reporting from Moscow, Russia

Ghana explores nuclear power opportunities at ATOMEXPO 2016

There are over 45 countries actively considering embarking on nuclear power programmes, according to the World Nuclear Association.
 
Ghana is among these emerging nuclear energy countries, as the country strives to meet the increasing demand of energy for domestic and industrial use.

State-owned nuclear companies in Russia and China have taken the lead in offering nuclear power plants to emerging countries, usually with finance and fuel services.

Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) hosts the annual ATOMEXPO International Forum as a major exhibition and business platform for conducting meetings and negotiations between the worldwide leaders of the nuclear power industry.

The 2016 edition, holding in Moscow from May 30–June 2, provides leaders of nuclear power industry and nuclear power engineering with an opportunity to publicly define the place and role of nuclear generation in the 21^st century energy balance.

The Forum also promotes international cooperation between the Russian Federation and the countries of Latin America, Pacific Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe in the field of nuclear power, and to discuss Russia’s proposal on developing national energy programs.

Ghana has representation from the Ministry of Power and the Atomic Energy Commission at the Forum.

In 2013, Ghana announced plans to build a nuclear plant for power generation, which was estimated to take eight years to complete.

With government’s new interest in coal power production, the Ghanaian delegation is expected to explore new opportunities in nuclear power generation in the country’s energy mix, vis-à-vis the environment/climate change, cost and safety concerns of the various energy sources. 

Generating power from thermal and other sources have become unreliable for Ghana to meet industrial needs. The increasing urbanization in will greatly increase the demand for electricity.

Nuclear energy is growing globally with nearly 10 GW of new nuclear capacity supplying electricity in 2015 – more than double the average capacity connected each year in the previous decade.

Though there are long term prospects for nuclear, experts say the emerging nuclear energy countries are not expected to contribute very much to the expansion of nuclear capacity in the foreseeable future.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh, in Moscow, Russia

Strengthening Global Action on Renewable Energy at COP22

On the final day of the climate talks in Bonn, Germany, leaders of key negotiating blocs joined in call for global action on renewable energy and energy efficiency at COP22 in Marrakech later this year.

The Chairs of these groups, representing over 90 countries, highlighted the launch at COP 21 in Paris last year of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, a program with pledges of $10 billion in financial support, as a starting point for scaling up renewable energy worldwide.

The leaders emphasized that COP22 in Marrakech offers an unprecedented opportunity to broaden this success to other developing countries, including small island, least developed, Asian and Latin American countries, as part of an enhanced global effort to support the uptake of renewable energy globally while strengthening energy efficiency.

Among the leaders calling for action were Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group (LDCs, a group of 48 least developed countries) and Ambassador Hussein Alfa Nafo, Chair of the African Group of Climate Change Negotiators (AGN, a group of 54 African states).

Mr. Mpanu-Mpanu said that "the Marrakech COP will be an action and implementation COP. With the LDC renewable energy and energy efficiency initiative we are following up on Paris and beginning to deliver concrete solutions vital to addressing climate change.

"The Least Developed Countries are committed to play our part in the global energy transformation, to provide clean and renewable energy, jobs and opportunities to vastly improve livelihoods for our people", he said.

"COP22 provides an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen support on renewables to the LDCs, as part of a global programme of support. The energy of Paris must be channelled into real solutions to both climate change and development at COP22 in Marrakech", said Mr. Mpanu Mpanu.

Ambassador Seyni Nafo, Chair of the African Group, said "Africa has taken a lead on renewable energy. With a mandate from 54 African Heads of State we have launched the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, with the transformational goal of ensuring universal energy access to all Africans and adding double current electricity generation through renewables by 2030."

"The AREI is a transformative, Africa-led and owned initiative strengthening sustainable development in Africa on a large scale, unlocking the continent's huge potential to generate renewable energy and bringing electricity to hundreds of millions of people", he said.

COP22 in Marrakech is expected to deliver new voluntary cooperation that enables the UN process to accelerate action and deliver results for people, communities and productive sectors in African countries.

Spirit of Paris continues as governments get down to implementing landmark Climate Agreement

The first UN climate change meeting since governments adopted the landmark Paris Agreement has closed amid a suite of positive outcomes that will support the treaty’s widely anticipated early entry into force and stronger, sustained action world-wide into the future.

The nearly two week meeting saw countries push ahead with implementing stronger climate action and constructing the global climate regime “rule book” in order to guarantee the treaty’s fairness, transparency and balance between nations.

Funding Flows

While work towards the agreed flows of USD 100 billion per annum by 2020 continues, two of the key international funding arms—the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF)—underlined how they are supporting the Agreement.

The GCF told delegates that its board had set an aspirational goal of 2.5 billion USD in 2016 for both adaptation and mitigation programmes and projects. The GCF urged countries to submit ambitious proposals for funding as soon as possible.

The GEF announced that it had put together forward-looking work programmes for the funding of both mitigation and adaptation projects. On mitigation, 450 million USD is available for new projects while current projects to the value of 106 million USD are already being implemented. On adaptation, some 250 million USD is available for projects. The GEF will also assist the Moroccan Government to green COP22. 

The session featured several events on ensuring early and adequate support for the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and their integration into national economic plans while ggovernments also began exploring how to directly link climate-friendly technology cooperation to the funding arrangements of both the GCF and the GEF.

Segolene Royal, President of the COP21 United Nations Climate Change Conference and French Minister of the Environment, Energy and the Sea, praised the ‘Esprit de Paris’ evident throughout the nearly two weeks of the ‘Bonn session’.

“Countries with different levels of development and from different regions and often differing views on many issues, found a common vision in Paris. That work and that vision has continued, and continued positively here in Bonn, as countries look towards the next major milestone event in Marrakesh in November,” she said.

The substantive work across three technical bodies, as well as the constituted bodies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), includes developing rules for accounting financial resources, overall reporting and transparency arrangements and how science should inform the implementation of the agreement.

It also includes technical work to improve the delivery of capacity building and technology cooperation and to evolve a credible regime covering loss and damage from climate change.

The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to limit an average global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius with a preference for holding this to a safer 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures. Scientific data shows that around one degree of this rise has already occurred.

The agreement’s goals therefore require an early peak in global emissions followed by a very rapid reduction, which must go hand in hand with a significant strengthening of social and economic resilience to climate change.

Science in Support of the Agreement

Countries followed up with in-depth discussions on the role of science in the implementation process. In this context, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agreed to include the 1.5C temperature target in the next overall assessment report on climate science. Further, the IPCC will issue the report to match the timing of the 2018 stocktaking on collective progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The May meeting has laid solid foundations for the next annual UN climate change conference, in Marrakech, Morocco, in November. In preparation for their political leadership of COP22 the incoming Moroccan presidency is expected to conduct several consultations over the next few months.  

Incoming President of COP22 , Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, said: “We count on the support of all the parties to COP22 to translate our solidarity and hope into action for our future generations and the planet. And we are convinced that the success of COP22 will be based on the active contribution of each and every one of us.”

Championing Global Climate Action

In line with the outcomes from Paris, two high-level champions have been appointed to advance a Global Climate Action Agenda by so called ‘non-party stakeholders’ ranging from local authorities to companies and investors. The Champions, who are Hakima El Haite, Morocco's Delegate Minister in Charge of the Environment and Ms. Laurence Tubiana, France's Lead Negotiator of the Paris Agreement, were formally introduced to delegates here in Bonn.

Ms El Haite said: “The solidarity and trust built in Paris must be indicators of the success in Marrakech. COP 22 needs to be an action COP, launched on the work done in Bonn. It needs to strengthen tangible solutions and actions whilst maintaining the spirit of Paris.”

Ms. Tubiana echoed this and added: “Now is the time to fully connect government actions, and in particular NDCs, with the many initiatives and coalitions carried out by Non State Actors : let's bring the good energy of the outside in the inside!”

The champions will drive the action agenda with a focus on Africa and developing countries, as well as through signature meetings such as the 1–2 September 2016, Multinationals of the South Summit, in Rabat, Morocco.

Entry into Force

The speeded up pace of progress in Bonn reflects the expectation that the agreement will enter into force reasonably soon after there have now been no less than 177 signatories to the agreement and 17 countries have already deposited their instruments of ratification, which is the final step for a nation formally joining. At COP22, countries are likely identify ways to integrate their work on the rule book with a possible early entry into force of the Paris Agreement.

The agreement will enter into force as soon as 55 countries representing at least 55% of global emissions deposit their instruments of ratification.  

Advancing Pre-2020 Ambition

The Conventions technical bodies are developing the tools and mechanisms for the implementation of the Paris Agreement by moving forward climate action before 2020 – both a springboard and a foundation for strengthened climate action.

This includes the successful Technical Expert Meetings, which allow delegates, experts, businesses, investors and other stakeholders to identify proven and innovative ways to boost both adaptation to climate change and emission reductions before 2020 through, for example carbon pricing and advancing sustainable transportation solutions including alternatively-fueled vehicles.

Following on from developed countries public sharing of views on their actions to reduce emissions, the Bonn meeting also launched a sharing of views on mitigation and adaptation actions by developing countries in order to further strengthen and focus climate action.

The meeting also showcased wider societal action towards faster, pre-2020 ambition including a capacity-building event and an exchange of best practices in building public awareness and access to environmental information under the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) initiative.

A workshop on gender, which underlined the central role women must be able to play in raising national and community responses to climate change, was also a highlight.

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC said: “The Paris Agreement is a highly sophisticated blueprint for a better, more climate secure world. Every working part needs to spin in synch for the extraordinary potential of this treaty to deliver its multiple goals and contribution to sustainable development”.

“This understanding was alive and well here in Bonn. Indeed we find ourselves at an exciting time of implementation that is a mixture of positive motivation, ongoing action and necessary technical work. As a planning meeting for the COP22 Climate Change Conference to be held in Marrakech, Morocco at the end of the year, the Bonn conference has sent a very encouraging signal!”

Joint project to help reduce menstruation-related school absenteeism in Ghana

Lack of access to sanitary supplies during menstruation drastically increases school absenteeism, whilst inadequate reproductive health education can have even more devastating consequences.

In Ghana, girls and young women in parts of the country face obstacles to caring for themselves during menstruation – girls fall behind or drop out of school completely.

To provide support for underprivileged girls in Ghana to pursue their education, a joint partnership project has been announced in Kumasi to provide sanitary supplies and health-related educational materials to 1,000 junior school girls over the next 6 months.

The three partners for the project include Procter & Gamble SSA (Sub-Saharan Africa Markets), World of Children® Award and EPF Educational Empowerment Initiative, a Ghanaian organization founded by Winnifred Selby, 2015 World of Children Youth Honoree.

This is P&G’s first corporate citizenship initiative in Ghana, in line with its new Commitment to Action announced at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in September 2015, to help girls and women around the globe build confidence.

“Empowering the female child is multifaceted and one of the most powerful platforms to positively change our society,” said Khululiwe Mabaso, P&G’s Director of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa. “Beyond the powerful impact this initiative will have on the lives of vulnerable Ghanaian females, we are optimistic that this will transverse all over Africa enabling an environment that positively embraces and uplifts the female African child.”

It is broadly estimated that as many as 30 million girls globally lack access to proper sanitation during menstruation.

Through P&G’s ‘Always School Programme’, over 1.2 million girls receive puberty and hygiene education from professional nurses annually.

Selby is thrilled with the joint project and its potential to expand the scope of her current programs.

“Girls can face so many problems in Ghana today. Winning the World of Children Award and entering into this relationship with P&G shows that EPF’s work – and these girls – are truly important to the world. I cannot wait to share the news with them,” she said.

P&G has already made significant impact with campaigns like the Always #LikeAGirl campaign, which elicited an incredibly positive global response.

Harry Leibowitz, Co-Founder of World of Children Award, describes the reasoning behind the three-way project as an opportunity “to bring a largely taboo subject out of the shadows”.

He said “with P&G’s new commitment and past work, Selby’s work with girls in her native Ghana, and World of Children Award in a position to connect the two, the project just makes sense. We’re honored to be an integral part of this incredibly important program designed to help girls remain in school.”

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh