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Mr President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

My name is Astrid Gisbertz and I am speaking on behalf of FORATOM, the European Atomic Forum, representing the nuclear industry in Europe. We are here at the climate change conference under an umbrella group—the International Nuclear Forum.

Not only do I represent these official groups but I am also a young person with concerns about my environment and the environment for my children.

In some areas of the world, electricity is a basic commodity, whereas in others, it is only a dream.

Even with conservation measures, population and economic growth will increase world demand for electricity as countries develop and expand their industrial base.

Satisfying this demand will have environmental consequences, as all methods of electricity generation have some impact on the environment. Our global challenge is to minimize this impact while satisfying the energy needs of the world.

The world needs all available emission avoidance technologies. We suggest there should be no exclusion of technology that can fulfil the criteria within the framework of Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism. Additionally, the choice of nuclear energy in this context must be based on each individual country's circumstances.