News from COP26 – and fusion events to watch for
For the first time in the history of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, fusion power is part of the discussion.
The fusion conversation was kicked off at COP26 in Glasgow yesterday (November 4) with a Blue Zone event – A Fusion World Tour – organized by ITER.
Sabina Griffith, Communication Officer at ITER and Dr. Aneeqa Khan, Professor at the University of Manchester, brought the audience along on a world-spanning tour of fusion projects from the ITER project in France to projects in Japan, China, South Korea, Germany, the UK, and the US. Pre-recorded videos introduced just a handful of the many different technologies and scientists and the advances being made. Matteo Barbarino from the IAEA described IAEA’s involvement in fusion and the ITER project, current developments—technically and politically, and the growing number of private projects emerging.
ECG’s President, Jane Hotchkiss, was in the audience and posed the first question to the panel.
If you missed it, the recording of the event can be found here.
Today (Nov 5), there was a side event focused on youth and fusion as part of the IAEA’s Youth event. Panelists emphasized how important it is to bring the next generation into the fusion discussion.
Jane will participate on these next two panels, representing the green advocacy voice for fusion.
On November 11, a side event at Edinburgh University will give local students and scientists the chance to ask the experts about fusion. A livestream will be available here.
On Friday, November 12, in the closing session of COP26, fusion will be a central closing event endorsed by the parties. “Looking to the Future with Fusion” will take place in the Blue Zone and will focus on our future in the context of the recent successes and developments in the fusion energy field. ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot will lead the international panel of experts, including ECG. Attendees will come away with a greater understanding of the industry inner workings, why fusion should explicitly be a part of global national climate R&D agendas, and how innovation in fusion energy can change the future. The event is at 11:30am-12.30pm (GMT) and will be livestreamed here.
