Reframing Net Zero: Nuclear’s role in protecting biodiversity
As world leaders and climate activists get ready to gather in Belem, Brazil for COP30, the stewarding of biodiversity has emerged as one of the 6 thematic axes, reflecting global concerns over the loss of ecosystems. Both climate change and biodiversity losses are driven by the global dependence on fossil fuels, which not only emit carbon gasses but also devour ecosystems. The COP30 presidency urges all organisations, governments and the private sector to act with urgency and transform climate goals into reality.
Power production is crucial for human life, and electricity demand will continue to rise as social development advances, and more people are lifted from energy poverty. At the same time, demand continues to outpace clean energy growth: oil and coal still represent the largest sources of energy globally and continues to grow. Relying on coal, and fossil fuels more broadly, to meet our demands, and subsequently worsening greenhouse gas emissions, will only compromise our efforts to mitigate climate change and preserve biodiversity.
Coal’s environmental toll extends far beyond carbon emissions. Mining operations destroy habitats, pollutes waterways, and accelerates biodiversity loss. Power productions also drive eutrophication – the increased concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus that depletes oxygen in water – and acidification – the concentration of acidic chemicals caused by the absorption of CO2 which damages water quality, harms shellfish and coral, and leads to excessive algal growth.
Clean energy, though far lower in emissions, is not free from environmental impact. The extraction of rare earth elements for wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles carries its own environmental burden – larger than that of bulk minerals such as steel and aluminium.
Recognising nuclear energy’s role in protecting climate and biodiversity
If we are to meet our growing electricity, heat, and power demands without further endangering biodiversity, nuclear energy must be globally recognised as a vital part of the solution.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified three environmental challenges linked to mineral developments: land use change, water use, and waste generation. Nuclear energy directly addresses those challenges, offering a high-density energy source with limited extraction needed and subsequent low waste volumes. Nuclear’s land use is the lowest, generating more power with 31 times less land than solar and 173 times less land than wind. In addition, 99% of water used for cooling a nuclear power plant is returned to the environment.
In 2024, nuclear power generated 9% of the world’s electricity, and it remains the second largest clean energy source behind hydropower. Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and over the course of its life cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind, and one-third of the emissions per unit of electricity when compared with solar. It is evident that a sustainable future requires nuclear to decarbonise all sectors of the economy including transport, heat and industry.
Nuclear and Sustainable Development
In 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity, aligned to the three pillars of sustainability. The UN agreed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be used to guide and gauge progress.
Nuclear energy plays a vital role in advancing SDGs, particularly SDG 15 focusing on protecting and preserving terrestrial ecosystems and life on land.
In comparison to other energy sources, including low-carbon ones, nuclear power requires the smallest amount of land per unit energy produced, leaving more undisturbed land for natural habitats. Whereas fossil fuel extraction, and the land-intensive nature of renewable energy sources, alongside its low energy density and limited capacity factors, contribute to deforestation and destruction of habitat.
Nuclear technology also plays a significant role in advancing SDG 14, which focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans and marine resources. As marine biodiversity continues to decline worldwide due to human activity, the role of nuclear technology has become more crucial than ever. Nuclear power can play a major role in protecting the biodiversity of the oceans by reducing ocean acidification, because of its low-carbon credentials and the fact that it does not cause chemical emissions that pollute waterways – unlike many other energy sources.
Nuclear and isotopic techniques provide necessary means to study and protect aquatic ecosystems. They enable scientists to trace sources of pollution, asses the effectiveness of clean-up and remediation techniques. Moreover, these methods can also be used to evaluate past changes in ocean acidity, as well as the ocean’s capacity to store carbon and predict how these dynamics may influence future climate patterns.
COP30 is set to highlight the urgent need to preserve our planet’s biodiversity. Yet, as we continue to seek sustainable solutions, nuclear technology must not be overlooked. It offers a unique opportunity to meet global energy demands while protecting the ecosystems that sustain life on earth – with low emissions, minimal land usage and varied scientific applications for ecosystem monitoring.
World Nuclear Association will be actively engaged at COP30, hosting and facilitating a series of events at its Pavilion (in the Blue Zone) in support of the Net Zero Nuclear initiative. Find out more about our activity here.
- Written by Bia Zuccaratto, Analyst, Communication & Marketing, World Nuclear Association
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The views expressed are those of the individual author and do not necessarily represent those of World Nuclear Association.