Angelina Howard, Nuclear Energy Institute, introduced the side event, emphasizing that sustainable development depends on providing enough energy production to meet countries’ basic needs and also allow for economic growth. Howard noted that roughly 11% of world electricity generation is provided by nuclear energy.

Recalling Dwight Eisenhower’s, “Atoms for Peace” speech in 1953, Susan Eisenshower, The Eisenhower Group, said that nuclear power has since had beneficial impacts on medicine, agriculture, and energy production. She emphasized that in light of climate change, nuclear energy is once again under review as the world’s largest source of energy that can effectively address the rising global demand for electricity while not contributing to carbon emissions. Eisenhower stated that although nuclear power has its critics, it is an efficient, safe, and relatively abundant energy source. She added that new technologies exist that mitigate the problem of nuclear waste.

Per Jander, World Nuclear Association, described the World Nuclear University (WNU), a public-private partnership comprised of nuclear science and technology learning institutions. He explained that WNU’s programmes, inter alia, build nuclear leadership, enhance public understanding of nuclear energy, and strengthen international nuclear workforce professionalism. Jander also described WNU’s Summer Institute, which aims at building future global leadership in the fields of nuclear science and technology.

Lisa Stiles, North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN), said that the world’s youth are excited about new nuclear technologies, demonstrated by surging enrollment in nuclear engineering programs. She then described the International Youth Nuclear Congress, and NAYGN, an organization in North America that brings together young professionals interested in nuclear science and technology.

In the ensuing and often emotional discussion, many participants questioned the safety and environmental sustainability of nuclear energy, with some saying that nuclear energy should not be considered as a sustainable option. One participant emphasized that the “Atoms for Peace” speech should have been called “Atoms for War.” The panelists responded by emphasizing that nuclear energy was not the sole answer to the energy crisis, but one of the options in an energy portfolio. One participant questioned whether it is ethical to promote nuclear energy use in developing countries. Another participant from South Africa responded that each country can make its own decisions.

Carolyn Hannan, UN Division for the Advancement of Women, introduced the session, saying that the study built on the findings of the United Nations Conference on Women, held in 1992 in Beijing, China, and the 1997 and 2002 sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, and recognized that economic, social and environmental factors are interrelated and important aspects of sustainable development.

Gerd Johnsson-Latham, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden, outlined the report on “gender equality as a prerequisite for sustainable development,” noting that the study examined how the actions of women and men affect access to resources and power, which in turn affects lifestyles and consumption patterns, and therefore ecological and human environments and sustainability. She described how the study further shows that “rich” men account for the greater part of energy use and carbon dioxide emissions, as they commonly set infrastructure and political trends.

Marie Thynell, Göteborg University, provided insights into gender-specific patterns of transportation by highlighting those of car and road use. She said that a car-owning society does not favor women, noting that approximately 10% of the world's population owns cars, and around 70% of those owners are men. She said that the patterns and reasons for women’s travel differ from those of men, explaining that women take more trips during off-peak hours and off the principal routes, and make shorter and more frequent trips.She hoped that women would play a more prominent role in transportation policy.

Johnsson-Latham then summarized the report, highlighting the need for gender equality as a precondition for achieving sustainable welfare, and calling for the social dimension of sustainability to be strengthened.

Participants discussed, inter alia, the mobility patterns of women in relation to urban planning cycles, and policy reactions to the links between gender and class.