Belgium IAEA Summit Action
In support of the first International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, we teamed up with the Stand Up for Nuclear Belgium chapter, assembling advocates from 11 countries (Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Germany, and the United States) to demonstrate outside the summit to bear witness to this pivotal moment for global energy.
On the morning of March 20th, advocates assembled outside one of the summit entrances with banners, signs, and “Melty” polar bears. Our largest banner and centerpiece, in sunshine yellow, read “Grow clean energy, build nuclear!” Advocates displayed colorful banners from an array of pro-nuclear organizations creating a visual spectacle that caught the eye of people passing through. Our goal was to show the growing support for nuclear and engage with the attendees including politicians, journalists, and NGO members -being antinuclear is no longer the status quo.
40 allies from across the EU took time off from work and school to travel to Europe’s capital out of a concern for the climate and a desire for nuclear’s expanded role in the clean energy future.
Down the street was a very different scene. Greenpeace activists held a large, hot pink banner proclaiming “nuclear fairytales = climate crisis.” Such a sign seemed out of step with the urgency of the climate crisis we face and the role nuclear, as a low carbon energy source, has played and will continue to play in the energy transition.
Despite Greenpeace’s disruptive presence, – activists threw pink powder, lit pink flares, and used bikes and cars to block main access roads to the summit – our allies remained strong and cheered on the attendees. This did not discourage the French-speaking TV station RTL and radio from interviewing our Belgian organizers and the Danish TV station from sending a representative to interview our Danish allies.
Greenpeace’s presence signaled nuclear energy is back in energy conversations and can no longer be ignored in decarbonization discussions. In response to their actions, the police pushed our advocates off our stage. However, we continued via megaphone, hearing from Swedish youth climate activist Ia Aanstoot, Polish youth climate activist Julia Galosz, and Belgian nuclear expert Vincent Van Der Heyden. In all the speeches, the speakers called on world leaders to uphold their promise of tripling global nuclear capacity and creating financial and industry frameworks to support nuclear expansion worldwide.
