112: Inside the World Nuclear Association: Global Perspectives on Nuclear’s Role in the Energy Transition ft. Dr Sama Bilbao y León

In this episode of the Mission Shunya podcast’s nuclear energy series, we step into the global arena with Dr. Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association (WNA) — the body that represents the worldwide nuclear industry.

From COP28’s commitment to triple nuclear capacity by 2050 to regional differences in policy, deployment, and public perception, Dr. Sama brings a global systems-level view to the nuclear dialogue. We unpack the role of WNA in shaping international frameworks, supporting industry collaboration, and navigating the complex balance between advocacy, public trust, and regulatory realities.

This conversation also explores:

• What the World Nuclear Association actually does and how it operates
• How nuclear is being positioned in national energy strategies across regions
• The post-Fukushima decade and nuclear’s narrative shift
• Whether institutions like WNA carry inherent biases, and how they deal with them
• Public perception, misinformation, and the role of transparency

As always, the goal of this series is to approach nuclear energy with a neutral lens — asking informed, critical questions while staying open to where the answers lead.

So whether you’re a nuclear skeptic, supporter, or still forming your opinion, this episode offers the global context you need to understand where the sector is — and where it’s going.

Next up: We head into the world of fusion with Renaissance Fusion — a deep dive into how Europe is tackling fusion energy differently.

Mission Shunya is a podcast that brings you stories at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and the energy transition — hosted by Girish Shivakumar.

Connect with Dr Sama: https://world-nuclear.org/
Artwork courtesy - www.terregeneration.com a content agency specialised in telling stories in climate, biodiversity and sustainability.
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