Nuclear Energy: Meeting the Climate Change Challenge

Climate change poses the greatest environmental threat of the 21st century and challenges us to radically revise our energy supply systems. Nuclear energy is essential to any credible strategy for significant reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions.

Today more than two-thirds of the world’s electricity consumption is met by fossil fuel generation. This electricity generation from coal, oil and gas is responsible for a third of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Energy is and will continue to be a primary engine for human and economic development. It is vital for every aspect of modern life: heat, light, mobility, communications, clean water, agricultural and industrial capacity.

Full Lifecycle CO2 Emissions from Energy Production Systems

(gCO2/kWh)
Source: IAEA 2000

Over the next twenty five years global electricity demand is expected to double. By the middle of the 21st century that demand could be three or four times larger than that of today. Growth is inevitable and necessary, as the world economy evolves and countries seek to improve the quality of life of their citizens. Meeting the increasing demand for electricity will require a mix of energy resources, with low or non-emitting sources, including nuclear power, taking an increasingly predominant role.

Nuclear energy already makes a substantial environmental contribution to generating electricity. Today nuclear power plants operating in over thirty countries produce 15% of the world’s electricity, avoiding the emission of over two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. This saving equals more than 20% of global CO2 emissions from power generation.

Extensive studies have shown that the full lifecycle emissions from nuclear power are similar to most forms of renewable generation, and many times lower than electricity generation from fossil fuels.

Nuclear technologies can be used in areas other than the generation of clean low carbon electricity. A number of nuclear reactors have already been used to power desalination plant, a role that will become increasingly important as the world’s water resources become scarcer. 

Nuclear technologies can also be able to reduce emissions in the transport sector by providing electricity to recharge battery-powered vehicles or by producing hydrogen for fuel cells.

Nuclear power plant designed to generate high temperature heat will be able supply process heat, enabling industry to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

Nuclear Energy and the UNFCCC Negotiations

Nuclear power is currently used by over 30 countries around the world. More than twenty additional countries are actively considering the use of nuclear energy in the future.

The IPCC have recommended that all countries should give serious consideration to nuclear power as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There should be no place for arbitrary exclusions or restrictions on the type of project eligible for the Kyoto Mechanisms or Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions. All technologies should be considered on an equal basis.  

Parties should be also able to access credits under the Kyoto Mechanisms if they decide that nuclear power should be part of their strategy for achieving the twin aims of supplying reliable and affordable supplies of electricity whilst seeking to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions