PAEC Chairman Highlights Pakistan’s Climate Vulnerability, Nuclear Contributions At 69th IAEA General Conference

Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar, has said that Pakistan, despite contributing the least to global carbon emissions, is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change and is making significant contributions to mitigate its impact through peaceful applications of nuclear technology

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2025) Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar, has said that Pakistan, despite contributing the least to global carbon emissions, is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change and is making significant contributions to mitigate its impact through peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

He was delivering Pakistan’s National Statement at the Plenary Session of the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, said a press release on Monday.

At the outset, Dr. Anwar congratulated the newly elected officers of the General Conference and welcomed the Republic of Maldives on joining the Agency.

He emphasized that Pakistan remains committed to international efforts for reducing climate-related risks and is advancing nuclear energy to ensure clean, reliable, and sustainable electricity production.

The Chairman informed the Conference that Pakistan currently operates six nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 3,530 MW.

In the past year alone, nuclear power contributed 18.3% to the national electricity mix and accounted for 34% of low-carbon energy generation, helping avoid nearly 15 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

He noted that a new 1200 MW nuclear power plant (C-5) is under construction and expected to be operational by 2030.

Highlighting Pakistan’s 108 reactor-years of safe, secure, and fully safeguarded nuclear operations, Dr. Anwar called for fair access and unrestricted collaboration in civil nuclear technology, particularly for climate-vulnerable nations.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for IAEA initiatives including Atom for Net Zero, Rays of Hope, Atoms for Food, ZODIAC, and NUTEC Plastics.

Dr. Anwar also elaborated on Pakistan’s achievements in health, agriculture, water management, and education. He shared that PAEC operates 20 cancer hospitals across the country, serving over 80% of Pakistan’s cancer patients and performing more than one million diagnostic and therapeutic procedures annually.

In agriculture, PAEC’s four research institutes have developed more than 150 high-yield, disease-resistant crop varieties, while NIAB, an IAEA Collaborating Center, has made breakthroughs in cotton, wheat, rice, and chickpea research. Pakistan has also been selected among the first beneficiaries of the joint IAEA–FAO Atoms for food initiative.

On water security, he highlighted the use of isotope hydrology for groundwater mapping and management, with PINSTECH contributing actively as part of the IAEA GloWAL network. In education, PIEAS continues to strengthen nuclear education by offering 20 fully funded international scholarships in nuclear science and technology, along with five Marie Curie Fellowships for 2025–26.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to nuclear safety and security, Dr. Anwar said that the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) functions as an independent national regulator and recently granted the construction license for C-5.

He added that Pakistan conducted its first National Radiation Emergency Exercise in 2024, hosted the IAEA’s ConvEx-2c, and participated in ConvEx-3 in 2025. The Pakistan Centre of Excellence in Nuclear Security (PCENS), under an arrangement with the IAEA, continues to play a key role in building national and international capacities. Pakistan will also host the IAEA International Physical Protection Advisory Services (IPPAS) Mission and the IAEA Nuclear Security Support Centre (NSSC) meeting in 2026.

Concluding his address, Dr. Anwar reaffirmed that Pakistan stands ready to further strengthen its partnership with the IAEA and Member States in advancing the peaceful uses of nuclear technology to promote sustainable development and meet the global challenge of climate change.