COP28: Over 20 nations call for tripling of nuclear energy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050

Over 20 countries advocated for a threefold increase in global nuclear energy capacity during UN climate talks on Saturday as part of the initiative to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. In a joint declaration supported by nations including the United States, Ghana, Japan, and various European countries, it was emphasized that nuclear energy holds a “crucial role” in attaining the objective of carbon neutrality.

The endorsement of nuclear energy as a cleaner substitute for fossil fuels remains contentious, given environmental groups’ apprehensions regarding safety and the management of nuclear waste.

“We are not making the argument to anybody that this is going to be a sweeping alternative to every other energy source,” US climate envoy John Kerry said at the COP28 conference in Dubai.”But we know because the science and the reality of facts and evidence tell us that you can’t get to net zero 2050 without some nuclear,” he said.

“These are just scientific realities. No politics involved in this, no ideology involved in this.”The aim is to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 from 2020 levels.

The other countries that signed up to the declaration include Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, South Korea, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.

“While we appreciate that the Biden administration is looking to invest in alternatives to fossil fuels, we don’t have time to waste on dangerous distractions like nuclear energy,” said Jeff Ordower, North America director at environmental group 350.org.

With inputs from AFP.