Resolution on nuclear power and climate by the V national conference of the Russian Social Ecological Union "Public participation in development of civil dialogue on climate change and sustainable energy" November 2-4, 2012, St. Petersburg

Resolution on nuclear power and climate by the V national conference of the Russian Social Ecological Union "Public participation in development of civil dialogue
on climate change and sustainable energy"

November 2-4, 2012, St. Petersburg

Conference participants consider it important to note that the constitutional right of Russian citizens for healthy environment is the basis of legal and regulatory state actions for environmental protection, and environmental security is an integral part of national security as stipulated by the Federal Law "On Environmental Protection".

Supporting governmental decisions to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy intensity of the Russian economy, Russia's intention to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions, the participants are concerned by the fact that Rosatom widely introduces in Russia the myth of climate neutrality of nuclear power.

Nuclear lobby in Russia and other countries continues to declare that nuclear power is "low-carbon" and that it is possible to use nuclear power for addressing global climate change, which is not true.

Conference participants note that nuclear energy is EXPENSIVE AND INEFFICIENT TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE PROBLEM. It cannot be considered as a solution to the climate problem for the following reasons:

• Although operating NPPs have no direct emissions of CO2, significant greenhouse gas emissions are inevitable at other stages of the nuclear fuel chain (extraction of uranium ore, uranium enrichment, management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel;
• Nuclear energy in general, taking into account the life cycle of nuclear fuel, is a major emitter of greenhouse gases. The energy generated by nuclear power plants accounts for about the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the one produced by power stations using natural gas;
• It is unacceptable to fight climate risks and threats, creating risks of other kinds (namely, the risks of nuclear accidents and disasters, the risks associated with transportation and storage of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel);

Due to the above facts, nuclear projects, despite efforts by nuclear lobbyists, are not included in the possible mechanisms of the UN climate salvation, particularly in the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol (Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation).

The conference participants believe that in the interests of national security, modernization of the Russian economy and real contribution of Russia to climate change mitigation, it is necessary to give up political support for nuclear energy in Russia, to stop the practice of public subsidies for nuclear power plant construction and operation of the nuclear fuel chain, and to direct the savings for the support of energy efficiency, energy saving and development of renewable energy.

The resolution was adopted by the participants of the 5th All-Russian Conference "Public participation in the national dialogue on climate change and sustainable energy" held in St.Petersburg on November 2-4, 2012.

The conference was attended by 53 representatives of environmental organizations from 24 regions of Russia (Bryansk, Vladivostok, Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Moscow region, Khanty-Mansiysk, Kaluga Region, St. Petersburg , Leningrad region, Arkhangelsk, Kostroma, Murmansk, Kaliningrad, Rostov region, Karelia, Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk).