Policy paper

Agile Nations working group on fusion energy regulation: joint statement

Published 16 October 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

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The United Kingdom, Japan and Canada publish joint recommendations on how to develop a regulatory framework for fusion energy

As part of the Agile Nations working group on fusion energy, the UK[footnote 1], Japan[footnote 2] and Canada[footnote 3] have published recommendations on how to develop a regulatory framework for fusion energy facilities. The working group consisted of governments representatives and called upon national technical experts when required.

The Agile Nations is an inter-governmental regulatory network designed to foster cooperation on innovative regulatory practice. The Agile Nations working group on fusion energy regulation, comprising of the UK, Japan and Canada with Singapore and Bahrain as observers, have drawn on their own experiences to produce 5 recommendations on how to develop a regulatory framework for fusion energy facilities.

This group recognises the benefits of fusion and the opportunities a globally harmonised approach to regulation could bring. This group recommends that fusion regulation should be proportionate to the hazards of fusion energy while remaining transparent and pro-innovation and nations should consider the public perceptions of fusion when considering regulation.

The working group on fusion energy has also produced 2 case studies detailing some of the evidence that has been generated by contributing nations to support these recommendations. These case studies are published alongside the group’s recommendations:

  1. We recommend the recognition of the important contribution that fusion energy could make to the global challenges of climate change and energy security.
  2. We recommend all nations start developing clarity on a regulatory framework that would apply to fusion energy facilities independent of the fusion technology.
  3. We recommend nations recognise the benefits of a harmonised approach to fusion regulation being adopted by several nations.
  4. We recommend the development of a regulatory framework for fusion energy that maintains appropriate protections for people and the environment, proportionate to the hazards of fusion energy while remaining transparent and pro-innovation.
  5. We recommend nations recognise the importance of assuring the public that the levels of protection are suitable and consider how this can be achieved.

We encourage other countries starting to think about fusion regulation to reach out to the Agile Nations working group to discuss our recommendations in more detail and share the knowledge we have gained through the development of our own regulatory frameworks for fusion energy.

  1. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero ↩

  2. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ↩

  3. Natural Resources Canada ↩

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