Strengthening Sustainability: IAEA Conducts Training on Strategic Environmental Assessment

The IAEA hosted a training workshop on how to examine environmental impacts of nuclear power programmes at its Vienna headquarters last week. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for nuclear power programmes helps ensure the programme is environmentally sustainable and that socioeconomic impacts are considered from the outset, helping enable long term programme success. The IAEA has been training its Member States on SEA for nuclear power programmes for the past 10 years. 

The workshop brought together 11 participants from 11 countries for a five-day programme featuring lectures on topics including analytical methods and tools, socioeconomic impacts and relevant IAEA Safety Standards. Participants also took part in several group activities, including a tabletop exercise simulating the work involved in preparing an SEA, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe presented on the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Espoo Convention.

The training was organized in response to growing interest from financial institutions, including multilateral development banks, in funding nuclear energy to help meet sustainable development objectives. Prospective lenders may require SEA ahead of any commitment to finance an energy infrastructure project, and SEAs provide a structured framework to help countries meet these requirements when initiating a new nuclear power programme or expanding an existing one. Nearly 90 countries now have a legal requirement to carry out SEA, and more than 40 additional countries have formal triggers in place for undertaking such assessments.

“SEA can assist in the development of an environmentally sustainable nuclear power programme. Member States can utilise the guidelines developed by the IAEA to help identify possible suitable sites, evaluate reactor technologies, and determine the implications on the grid and other infrastructure,” said Jessica Callen-Kovtunova, an IAEA energy planner/economist and scientific secretary of the workshop. “SEA also has the added advantage of serving as a platform for effective communication with the public and other stakeholders, thereby offering opportunities for addressing any concerns they may have.”

SEA can help enhance understanding of the environmental and social implications of implementing a nuclear power programme by identifying development options and assessing their impacts early in the planning process. By screening out options that may be unviable due to their associated environmental impacts and addressing stakeholder concerns proactively, SEA can help countries avoid costly delays in nuclear power programme implementation. 

“Having contributed to Poland’s nuclear power programme SEA, I have seen how valuable SEA is in shaping informed, sustainable decisions and how it provides a platform for effective communication with the public and other stakeholders,” said ekovert founder Lukasz Szkudlarek who supported the workshop as a trainer. “This workshop offered an important opportunity to share practical experience and deepen understanding of how to assess environmental impacts of nuclear power programmes. I believe this kind of training is essential for countries preparing or expanding nuclear power programmes.”

“Our country is currently in the final stages of completing the SEA before it is submitted to the National Environment Management Authority for approval. The workshop has provided valuable insights and practical guidance on how to address existing gaps in our report,” said Derrick Onyoni, a Renewable Energy Officer at Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency. “The knowledge gained will be instrumental, particularly as I am directly involved in the preparation of our programme’s SEA.” Kenya is currently developing its nuclear infrastructure and has plans to begin construction of its first nuclear power plant in 2027.

“SEAs are essential for nuclear power programmes as they ensure that site selection and development plans are not only safe but also environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable,” said Ade Chandra Lesmana, an Energy Systems Analyst at Indonesia’s National Agency for Research and Innovation. “Indonesia’s 2025 SEA taught us that early and continuous public consultation is critical to building trust and that comprehensive mitigation measures including transparent risk communication and impact-based compensation are essential for addressing complex environmental and social impacts.” The Southeast Asian country’s National Electricity Supply Plan for 2025-2034 outlines plans to introduce nuclear power by 2032, potentially including the deployment of small modular reactors.

The workshop was also an opportunity for the IAEA to gather data from participants on if and how their countries are implementing SEA, which a growing number of countries have made a legal or regulatory requirement. Two of the represented countries had recently finalized an SEA, or will complete one soon, and several countries are aiming to carry out this work in the near future.

The IAEA released guidelines on SEA nuclear power programmes in 2018 and is ramping up its support to countries in this area as global interest in nuclear power continues to build. The guidelines are currently under revision and the feedback obtained from this workshop, including on several new proposed elements such as assessing contributions to national sustainable development goals and considering access to sustainable finance instruments, will inform their further development. A regional workshop on the guidelines, conducted in Russian, is planned to be held in in 2027.