In a continuous effort to actively explore the feasibility of transitioning to nuclear energy, the APEC Business Advisory Council is convening a consortium of industry experts, policymakers, and thought leaders for an upcoming virtual experts roundtable on 24 October 2023.

This event, a collaborative effort between ABAC Philippines and ABAC Canada, aims to foster in-depth discussions on financing mechanisms and the commercial viability of nuclear energy.

Sabin Aboitiz, Aboitiz Group president and CEO, who is a member of ABAC Philippines and Vice Chair of the ABAC Sustainable Growth Working Group, along with Jan De Silva, chair of ABAC Digital Innovation Working Group and president and CEO of Toronto Region Board of Trade, will kick off the event.

"Nuclear energy holds the promise of a dependable and clean power source and the potential for a sustainable future.," said Aboitiz.

Secretary Jose "Popo" Lotilla from the Department of Energy in the Philippines will headline the event, while Aboitiz Power vice president for corporate affairs Suiee Suarez will take on the role of event host. Ruth Yu-Owen, vice president of The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance and co-founder of Connected Women, will once again lead the panel discussions.

The first session will focus on "Collaboration and Financing for Nuclear Energy Transition," featuring participation from Felino "Lino" Bernardo, Thermal Business Group chief operating officer of Aboitiz Power; Michael Rencheck, president and CEO of Bruce Power; Gary Rose, executive vice president of Nuclear Canada at AtkinsRéalis; and Dr. Jennifer Gordon, director of the Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative at the Atlantic Council.

Joining them in the second part of the roundtable talks, which will focus on "Nuclear Energy Integration and Innovation," are Dr. Kenji Kimura, senior researcher at The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan; Daniel Stout, chief nuclear officer at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation; Dr. José Reyes, chief technology officer at NuScale Power Corporation; and Dr. Mingguang Zheng, chief engineer for Nuclear Power at the State Power Investment Corporation.

"The transition to a sustainable future must be just and equitable. Our collective challenge is to ensure that the burden of climate action does not unfairly weigh on developing economies as we judiciously harness the full potential of our existing energy sources and explore emerging technologies toward a cleaner and more sustainable environment," Lotilla said.

This second roundtable discussion aims to concentrate on important aspects of transitioning to nuclear energy. These include the collaboration and financing between APEC economies, the role of nuclear energy in achieving decarbonization objectives and exploring innovative financing methods.

Additionally, the second roundtable will serve as a preparatory platform to further fine-tune the presentation of the ABAC Sustainability Growth Working Group on the feasibility of nuclear energy for the upcoming ABAC 4 meetings scheduled in San Francisco, USA this November. The insights and discussions from this roundtable will be integral in finalizing and enriching the content and recommendations of the presentation.

Those who are interested are invited to register for the event and join in on the dialogue, which has the potential to influence future developments in sustainable energy solutions. To register, participants may sign up using this link: http://bit.ly/ABACSGWG_RTD.

To know more about our panelists and the event, follow ABAC Philippines on its official Facebook Page account.

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