There are more than 400 nuclear power stations in operation around the world today, generating around 10% of the world’s energy. Nuclear power is controversial, and its role in limiting climate change is contested. But nuclear power stations have long operational lives and new ones are being commissioned and constructed in China, India, Europe and the Americas. All nuclear power stations depend on the mining of uranium – currently around 60,000 tonnes a year, and projected to increase in the coming decades. And all mining has significant social and environmental impacts.

Could the impacts of uranium mining be mitigated through the development of a ‘Responsible Uranium’ programme based on an international, multi-stakeholder standard?

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) asked OneWorldStandards to help it explore the possibility of developing such a programme. OneWorldStandards prepared a background paper, and sought the views of a broad range of stakeholders through interviews and a questionnaire on the potential value and feasibility of a programme.?

The research allowed CATF to consider the options and challenges, and to take a well-informed decision on the possibility of further development of the concept.