Speaker
Description
It is vital that we take an integrated systems approach to embed sustainable development in decisions taken throughout the nuclear lifecycle. As the decommissioning of the UK’s earliest reactors proceeds towards final decommissioning, restoration plans and decisions need to respond to wider social and environmental considerations. Nuclear operators also need to deliver against their corporate environmental and social responsibilities. Approaches that enhance public value, engage local communities, consider intergenerational equity, enhance environmental protection, and mitigate and adapt to climate change, are needed. These changes require a culture that places sustainable development goals at the centre of decision making.
For sustainable remediation to be effective, planning should consider the impacts beyond the site boundary, the value of assets, and the eventual use of the site. Sustainability is a principal goal of remediation and should consider factors such as safety, cost, environmental impact, legal compliance and other socio-economic impacts. Integration, collaboration and communication is necessary if we are to avoid the potential for unintended negative impacts.
The Environment Agency has been working on innovative ways of achieving these aims. This paper sets out our expectations for identifying and addressing environmental outcomes and considers lessons from work with nuclear operators.
