The Wire

This week, the Australian Government signed onto the US-backed Global Nuclear Energy Partnership or GNEP in Vienna. The organization has raised some eyebrows because it largely sidesteps the current UN-backed regime for monitoring the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the world – the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT. While Australia was amongst 16 signatory countries present, its unclear at this stage what impact this will have the country’s engagement in the nuclear industry as the Australian Government has to date remained silent on this issue. Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s head of campaigns, Steve Campbell remains critical of the move.