(AGENPARL) – Fri 13 March 2026 PressReleaseFinal3.jpg
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY
13 March 2026
Global Leaders Affirm Central Role for Nuclear at 2026 Nuclear Energy Summit
NES-2026.jpg
Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations and financial institutions, industry representatives, and experts at the Nuclear Energy Summit, held in Paris, France, on 10 March 2026, discussing the role of civil nuclear energy in addressing major energy and climate challenges. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)
World leaders, government ministers and heads of industry, international organizations and international financial institutions gathered in Paris this week for the 2026 Nuclear Energy Summit, underscoring the central role that nuclear power plays in providing clean, reliable, affordable and secure energy at a time of rising electricity demand and geopolitical tension.
“Nuclear power is key to reconciling both independence, and thus energy sovereignty, with decarbonization, and thus carbon neutrality,” French President Emmanuel Macron, said in his opening remarks. “We must mobilize much greater public and private financing to enable the development of new nuclear projects. Banks, insurers and international financial institutions must fully play their role if we want to accelerate the deployment of this energy that is essential for our energy security and for the fight against climate change,” President Macron added.
With countries around the world facing energy, climate and security challenges, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said nuclear energy is now widely recognized as an essential part of the solution. “All the conditions are now pointing in the direction of fully integrating nuclear energy into the global energy mix,” Mr Grossi said. “The momentum we are seeing today is the result of a growing recognition that reliable, low-carbon electricity will be essential to meet the world’s rising energy demand.”
Thirty-one countries currently operate nuclear power plants, which provide around 10% of the world’s electricity, equivalent to about a quarter of all low-carbon power. Dozens of so-called newcomer countries are exploring or already embarking on the introduction of nuclear power. Leaders at the summit emphasized that expanding nuclear power will require coordinated international action, strong regulatory frameworks and sustained investment.
“The reduction in the share of nuclear was a choice — and, in hindsight, it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emission power,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who also joined President Macron and IAEA Director General in the High Level segment of the Summit 
In an example of shifting policies, von der Leyen announced that the European Commission will present a new strategy for small modular reactors (SMRs), including efforts to align licensing rules across European Union (EU) member states to facilitate deployment. The EU will also create a 200 million euro guarantee to support private investment in advanced nuclear technologies and strengthen the European nuclear ecosystem, she added.
Greece also plans to set up a ministerial committee on the development of small nuclear ‌reactors to contribute to the country’s energy mix, the country’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at the summit.
Taking place one day before the 15th anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Japanese representative underscored the significant changes in the country since then. Japan has now restarted 15 reactors and is now planning to refocus on the technology to achieve clean energy security and strengthen overall affordability. “Maximum use will be made of nuclear energy on the firm premise of ensuring nuclear safety,” said Ino Toshiro, Japanese State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. “We are proceeding with the restarting of the nuclear power plants, incorporating the lessons of the Fukushima Daiichi accident.”
China currently leads the world in nuclear power construction and plans to continue scaling up the technology and driving innovation in the years to come, said Chinese Vice Prime Minister Guoqing Zhang said. “China has completed and put into operation the world’s first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor demonstration plant. China’s Linglong One, the world’s first onshore small modular PWR, is expected to connect to the grid this year,” he said.
Newcomers from Africa to Asia stand to eventually benefit from such developments. Three newcomers—Bangladesh, Egypt and Turkiye—are in advanced stages of building their first nuclear power plants.
Several leaders also pointed to emerging applications for nuclear energy beyond electricity, including industrial heat, hydrogen production and power for large data centres.
The United States of America, where nuclear power generates almost one fifth of electricity, is ramping up efforts to deploy advanced nuclear technologies including SMRs, with a stated goal of quadrupling nuclear capacity by mid-century. “The world cannot power its industries, meet the demands of artificial intelligence, or secure its energy future without nuclear power,” said U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno.
For Ethiopia, expanding access to reliable energy is central to its development ambitions, said Habtamu Itefa Geleta, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy, who called for stronger international partnerships to support peaceful nuclear programmes. 
“We choose the atom. We choose peace. We choose development,” he said. “Together we can demonstrate that nuclear energy is not the privilege of the few, but the right of all nations committed to a prosperous future.”
Follow IAEA on:
                                                                                                                                                               
About the IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) serves as the world’s foremost intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Established as an autonomous organization under the United Nations (UN) in 1957, the IAEA carries out programmes to maximize the useful contribution of nuclear technology to society while verifying its peaceful use.
IAEA | Media, Multimedia & Public Outreach Section
Office of Public Information and Communication
______________________
IAEA VIENNA, Wagramer Strasse 5 P.O. Box 100, VIENNA, NA NA Austria