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UK nuclear industry leaders unite in response to Chancellor’s call for sector-wide culture reset

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Office of Nuclear Regulation , 12 November 2026

The joint response, sent on behalf of the newly formed Nuclear Industry CEO Forum, builds on individual replies already issued by organisations including the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), and marks the first time industry and regulators have come together to respond collectively to the Chancellor’s call for reform.

The Chancellor’s letter, issued in response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025, asked regulators and industry leaders to treat organisational culture as a strategic priority, and to report back on how they are addressing behaviours such as excessive risk aversion, proceduralism and a reluctance to challenge established ways of working.

In its joint reply, the CEO Forum notes how the UK is entering the largest expansion and renewal of its nuclear sector in decades, and that the industry’s current approaches to regulation and delivery need to evolve further to keep pace with the country’s needs.

Without urgent, system-wide reform, they warn, ‘the UK risks an energy security gap, diminished defence capability, escalating costs and the loss of a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity.’

Changes already underway across the sector include:

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  moving from resource-intensive periodic reviews to continuous assurance,
• the safe application of digital technologies and AI to improve decision-making
• streamlining engineering and safety processes to remove duplication
• strengthening early collaboration between industry and regulators to resolve technical issues, reduce uncertainty and support innovation without compromising standards.

To sustain this momentum, the sector has established the Nuclear Industry CEO Forum, led by the ONR, which will develop and share case studies of effective culture change, capture lessons learned, and build confidence in new ways of working.

Leaders said they would hold themselves personally accountable for the transformation, fostering an environment where people are supported to challenge established practice and make proportionate decisions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Nuclear Industry CEO Forum – Co-signatories

• AWE Nuclear Security Technologies
• Babcock International Group including Cavendish Nuclear
• BAE Systems Submarines
• Great British Energy – Nuclear
• NNB Genco (HPC)
• Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
• Nuclear Restoration Services
• Rolls Royce SMR
• Rolls Royce Submarines
• Sellafield Limited
• Sizewell C Limited
• UK National Nuclear Laboratory

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November 15, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, UK