In my view we have done very well so far and the prospects are promising that we can do even better in the future. There are many possibilities and many challenges. Most are relatively unproblematic, except finding resources. I shall not discuss multitudes of other uses of nuclear techniques, except to mention that many of them are of great importance in the environment field, e.g. measuring CO 2 in the atmosphere or using isotopic methods to trace the world climate far back. The IAEA is not urging any Member State to use nuclear power.
Energy policies are the sovereign decision of Members States.
We do, however, keep data allowing us to compare the nuclear generation of electricity with other methods from several view points including cost and environmental impact. Not surprisingly various scenarios for restraint and reduction of CO 2 emissions show that an expanded use of nuclear power would be highly significant. Currently, there is stagnation in the construction of nuclear power plants in the West. We see rapid growth only in East Asia. The use of nuclear power is controversial everywhere in various degrees.