Lady Barbara Judge and Nuclear Energy

With extensive experience across a number of sectors, Lady Barbara Judge has been particularly instrumental in the development of the nuclear energy field as we know it today. She is Chairman Emeritus of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, having been part of the research organization first as a non-executive director in 2002, and then as Chairman for two terms from 2004 to 2010. In this role, she encouraged the development of the business and improved the general public’s perception of the nuclear sector, achieving commissions from the government to build a new reactor as part of the procedures to meet lower carbon emissions.

In 2012, Lady Barbara Judge delivered a speech in Japan about the current reputation nuclear power has with the general public, calling for the government to create a board tasked with improving the image of this form of energy. Following her speech, she was invited by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which operates the nuclear plant at Fukushima, to become Deputy Chairman of their Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee. In this role, Lady Barbara Judge has focused on achieving a culture of safety and unlocking the potential of a sustainable form of energy. This has included overseeing the development of areas that have been affected by incidents, such as the Fukushima site following the tsunami in 2011, as well as encouraging women to become more involved in its research and development. By being actively involved at the front line of the matter, she hopes she can be an inspiration for more inclusion and gender equality in the field at all levels.

On the international stage, Lady Barbara Judge has taken part in important breakthroughs, such as leading a trade delegation to India to discuss the participation of British companies in the construction of six nuclear reactors in the proposed project of the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project. She has also been a member of the International Advisory Board for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the advancement of nuclear energy in the region. She was appointed to the Jordanian Atomic Energy Commission as part of its International Advisory Group in 2016; in recent years, she has suggested a transition arrangement to maintain the involvement of the United Kingdom within Euratom (the European Atomic Energy Community).

As a result of her experience and involvement in several sectors, Lady Barbara Judge currently has a variety of academic commitments, including some related to the future of the energy field. She is Chair of the UCL Energy Institute, a cross-faculty multidisciplinary initiative focused on strengthening research in the field. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2010, she was awarded Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to the nuclear and financial industries, recognizing her contribution to the development of the sectors.

Spotlight on the Sustainability of Nuclear Energy

Spotlight on the Sustainability of Nuclear Energy

As countries around the world navigate a rapidly shifting energy landscape, they face similar challenges: carbon emissions, cost, and continuity of supply. In this article, I will discuss the potential of nuclear power in increasing sustainable energy production. Electricity has been generated through nuclear fission since the 1950s In the wake of World War II,… Continue Reading