4 August 2008: The
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released its 2007 Annual Report,
which notes that the nuclear development is increasingly shaped by issues
linked to concerns over and climate change, food and energy.

The Report states that an increasing number of countries are
seeking technical assistance on nuclear science and technology, including nuclear
power for electricity generation. The Report will be examined by the General
Conference of member States, scheduled to take place from 29 September to 4
October 2008 in Vienna, Austria.
The Report notes the Agency’s contribution to
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report
and outlines IPCC findings, including that nuclear energy has the largest
mitigation potential in terms of avoided emissions at the lowest average social
cost globally. On the policy side, the Report recalls the convening, by the
IAEA, of a side event during the Climate Change COP in Bali in December 2007,
on the mitigation potential of nuclear power and the IAEA services to member
States for analyzing nuclear options.
The Report further highlights the Agency’s initiatives for ongoing water management efforts and assessing climate change impacts. Finally, the Report’s
section on technology mentions the applications of nuclear techniques in the
protection of the marine environment, including through a study on the effects
of ocean acidification that follows the IPCC recommendation for greater
knowledge of the impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity. [IAEA Annual Report 2007]