By Jo Nettleton, Director of Nuclear.
Last week, representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 181 Member States gathered in Vienna for the Agency's 70th General Conference. As governments, regulators and industry leaders discussed the future of nuclear energy, one theme came up time and again in my conversations: how can regulation support innovation, investment and growth while maintaining public confidence and high standards of protection.
Those discussions felt particularly relevant to the UK. Nuclear has an important role to play in delivering energy security, economic growth and net zero, and effective regulation will be critical to enabling that ambition. At the Environment Agency, we are helping to unlock a new era of nuclear-enabled growth through trusted, science-led regulation that gives developers, investors and communities the confidence to deploy new technologies, tackle legacy challenges and deliver clean energy while protecting people, places and nature.
The Government's response to the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review (NRTF) reflected this challenge, recognising the need for regulation to evolve alongside a rapidly changing sector.
Last week, we published the Environment Agency's response in a letter recently sent to the Chancellor from our Chief Executive, Philip Duffy. In that response we outlined the integration of our nuclear strategy and regulatory functions into a single directorate.
I’m pleased to say that directorate will be headed up by me. As Director of Nuclear, my focus is on improving the pace, predictability and proportionality of regulation while protecting the environment and supporting public confidence.
In this blog, I set out how we are turning the Review’s recommendations into practical changes.
Picking up the pace
One of the most important steps we have taken is establishing our Nuclear Transformation Programme to coordinate delivery of the Review’s recommendations, focusing on organisational effectiveness, culture, proportionality and regulatory coordination.
Bringing our nuclear strategy and regulatory functions under a single leadership structure creates clear ownership for driving that change. It means clearer accountability, faster decision-making and better escalation of nationally significant issues, helping us remove unnecessary barriers and respond more effectively to change across the sector.
We are also modernising our permitting service, improving digital pathways and simplifying our processes to create greater consistency, certainty and efficiency for applicants.
All of this means less time spent navigating processes, without compromising the environmental protections that remain the heart of what we do. These changes may not always be visible from the outside, but they are essential to keep pace with the country’s nuclear ambitions.
Focusing on what matters most
The Review rightly places significant emphasis on proportionality. For me, good regulation is measured by the outcomes it delivers, not the volume of process behind it.
Proportionality means our people having the confidence to focus attention on the most significant risks, applying professional judgement and obtaining sufficient evidence to enable faster decisions. That also means making better use of data, digital tools and AI to strengthen our evidence base and target regulatory effort more effectively.
Whether that means modernising guidance, streamlining reporting requirements or supporting innovative approaches to waste management and permitting, our goal is the same: achieving better outcomes through smarter regulation.
A good example is enabling the reuse of 17,000 tonnes of concrete from the decommissioning of Sizewell A in the construction of Sizewell C, cutting carbon, cost and the need for new aggregate, while keeping robust environmental controls in place. That is proportionality in practice, and it is exactly the kind of outcome I want to see more of.
Working closer with partners
The Taskforce also challenged regulators to work together differently. I strongly believe that better coordination alongside clear independent decision-making will be one of the bellwethers of future success.
We are supporting the development of the Lead Nuclear Regulator model, helping create a more coordinated regulatory system where leadership is provided by the organisation with the appropriate expertise at each stage of the nuclear lifecycle.
Separate to that, the Lead Environmental Regulator pilot at Sizewell C is aligned to similar aims. It is helping regulators collaborate earlier, resolve issues more effectively and provide greater clarity while preserving the independence that underpins public trust. The lessons from this pilot will help shape future Lead Nuclear Regulator arrangements across the sector.
Ultimately, this better coordination means identifying issues earlier, reducing duplication and creating a more predictable experience for those investing in the UK's nuclear future.
That spirit of collaboration was evident last week when our Chief Executive, Philip Duffy, attended the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's NRTF event, highlighting the shared commitment and cultural shift needed across the sector to deliver the reforms required to support the UK's nuclear ambitions.
Building momentum through culture
None of this works without the right culture. Regulatory reform requires openness to challenge and a willingness to work collectively to solve problems, and I believe this applies equally to regulators, government and industry.
The Environment Agency is committed to playing its part in that cultural change by strengthening capability, supporting professional judgement and helping our people make timely, evidence-based decisions. Delivering the pace of reform the sector needs will demand deep nuclear expertise, and we are building it deliberately, including through secondments with organisations such as Great British Energy Nuclear and Sizewell C, which build capacity on both sides and strengthen the working relationships good regulation depends on.
Nuclear investment can deliver cleaner energy, skilled jobs, economic growth and stronger communities, and our role is to help create the conditions for that investment to succeed sustainably.
Towards the future of nuclear regulation
One thing that stood out from my recent conversations at the IAEA conference in Vienna was how closely the UK's nuclear regulatory journey is being followed internationally. Around the world, regulators are wrestling with many of the same challenges: how to take a proportionate approach to risk and build the right culture needed to support innovation while maintaining high standards of protection.
Those conversations reinforced my belief that regulation cannot stand still. As new technologies emerge and expectations evolve, regulators must be prepared to adapt while remaining firmly focused on safety and environmental protection. I look forward to continuing to drive this change with colleagues and partners across the sector.
seen at 10:45, 25 September in Environment Agency: For homes and habitats..