WCRE paper, June 13th, 2001
Draft for a Supplementary Protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of July 1st, 1970
The contracting states
- in harmony with the fundamental aims of "Agenda 21", adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, championing a sustainable economic and social development consistent with the conservation of natural fundaments of life;
- considering the experience of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which took effect on July 1, 1970;
particularly because of
- the increasing difficulty to separate civil and military utilization of nuclear technologies and the concomitant national and international efforts for supervision,
- the fact that countries receiving nuclear technologies will remain dependent on a supply with nuclear fuels and technical components,
- the increasing costs of nuclear power stations because of the increasing expenses for safety,
- the increasing problems of a lastingly safe burial of nuclear waste,
- the requirements of centralized grids for power distribution which are necessary for the operation of nuclear power stations, although a large part of mankind in developing countries is living in rural regions and thus must cover their daily energy demand by electricity independent of centralized grids,
- the danger of released radioactivity for the genetic heritage of mankind,
- knowing that most countries do not lay claim on the obligation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation-Treaty: to help its member states to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Knowing further that the goal of an independent, sustainable, and emission-free energy supply can be reached faster and better with renewable Energies;
- considering the manifold problems of the utilization of fossil energies, particularly
- the exhaustibility of these resources,
- the fact that many countries depend on imports of these primary energies and the serious problem of many developing countries: not to have sufficient foreign currency to import primary energies, fact crucially hindering their economic development ,
- the knowledge, that CO2 greenhouse gases cause serious anomalies in our climate and impact large habitats,
- the great danger of acid rain for the forests (Waldsterben)
- the aftermath of emissions, especially with regard to human health;
- considering the destruction of vegetation zones, since an increasing amount of people fall back on natural energy sources to cover their energy demand - as they do not have any other options - but without renewing these sources;
- in view of a growing population whose chances of life depend on a secure energy supply, which is not sufficiently provided so far;
- considering the extreme disproportion: that 25% of mankind in industrialized countries would consume 75% of the available useful energies, which is one of the reasons for the growing economic divide on our globe and for increasing social tensions in world's society;
- understanding that the ecosphere is common to all people and has no national borders and that every nation is obliged not to jeopardize the ecosphere to the disadvantage of other nations and future generations;
- understanding that Renewable Energies, with solar power always, directly or indirectly, being their energy source, represent an inexhaustible potential and that their active use does not result in the dangers and limitations of fossil and nuclear energies;
- being convinced that any state must be offered the opportunity to participate in a most broad exchange of scientific information and technical development as to saving resources and using Renewable Energies;
- with the intention to promote international cooperation, overcome differences and foster confidence among nations;
- understanding the necessity to expand and strengthen the international regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and therefore get the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty lastingly accepted, and thus understanding that any nation must be offered the possibility to comprehensively use its own non-nuclear and non-fossil energy sources;
with the urgent recommendation for a co-operation of all states and for strengthening common intra-national institutions to realize these goals
amend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by the following protocol:
Article I
(Proliferation directive)
Each contracting party undertakes to pass on to other contracting parties any knowledge on technical possibilities to use Renewable Energies and improve energy efficiency, gained by public research or public funded research, development and education and to do this on the very same conditions as apply in its own territory,
Article II
(Conditions of Membership in the Contract)
Only states being members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and fulfilling the terms under Article II (prohibition to accept or develop nuclear weapons) and article III (adoption of the security measures of the IAEA) of that Treaty may become members of this contract.
Article III
(International Renewable Energy Agency)
(1) Each contracting party undertakes to join the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
(2) To fulfill the terms of this contract, the International Renewable Energy (and energy efficiency) Agency takes on the international transfer of Renewable Energies.
(3) It is the task of this agency to grant the technology transfer for the use of Renewable Energies and the improvement of energy efficiency within the meaning of Art. I, by making available to any interested contracting party, the United Nations Organizations, and NGOs the relevant services (scientific-technical information, education, training, advising).
(4) The agency prepares international standards for the conversion technologies of Renewable Energies.
(5) The agency works according to the principle of subsidiarity. It becomes active in those fields where there are no sufficient activities and when its support is asked for.
Article IV
(Development aid for Renewable Energies and action programmes)
(1) Any contracting party granting development aid in the field of energy supply undertakes to support primarily the use of Renewable Energies.
(2) Assisted by the International Renewable Energy Agency and the United Nations Organizations, those contracting parties being members of the OECD will try hard to implement solar action programmes for the use of Renewable Energies in developing countries. This includes the support of extensive reforestation programmes to increase the natural potential to absorb carbon, improve the natural water balance and soil quality and create jobs in the field of agro-forestry for people in rural regions.
(3) Contracting parties supporting the World Bank and other development banks will try hard to grant loans primarily to investments for the use of Renewable Energies and the improvement of energy efficiency.
Article V
(International trade in Renewable Energies)
(1) The contracting parties mutually undertake not to impose any clearance charges on the trade with technologies for the conversion and utilization of Renewable Energies and for the increase of energy efficiency. Moreover, they undertake to abolish non-tariff barriers to trade.
(2) The contracting parties undertake to cooperate in promoting global international technology standards for the use of Renewable Energies and energy efficiency.
Article VI
(Considering social costs)
(1) Each contracting party undertakes to record, by own measures and international co-operation, the running and expected costs and impairment of value in the entire environment caused by the utilization of fossil and nuclear energies, especially costs caused by damage to human health.
(2) Each contracting party undertakes not to take any discriminating measures against a state monetarizing the social costs of energy supply. This involves that the contracting states cooperate to counteract discriminating measures against a contracting party monetarizing these social costs.
Article VII
(Information of people and technical education)
The contracting parties undertake to inform, in their countries, the people about the possibilities to use Renewable Energies, save energy, and increase energy efficiency, and to grant first priority to these matters in the field of technical education.
Article VIII
(Terms of validity)
(1) There is no limit to the contractual period.
(2) Every contracting party is entitled to resign from this contract, with three months notice, if and when it sees its own interests affected by the contents of this contract. Before resigning, the reason must be presented to a complaints commission. Each contracting party is represented with one seat and vote in the complaints commission.
(3) This contract allows the members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to replace their obligation to assist with a use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes by the obligation to assist with the use of Renewable Energies.
International Proliferation Treaty for Renewable Energies (pdf)