More than 20 nations including the US yesterday called for a tripling of nuclear energy to drive down emissions as world leaders assembled for a second day at UN climate talks in Dubai.
With smoggy skies in Dubai highlighting the challenges facing the world, other pledges were expected at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), including stepping up the deployment of renewable energy and cutting methane emissions.
The use of nuclear power as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels is highly controversial as environmental groups are concerned about safety and the disposal of nuclear waste.
Photo: AFP
However, more than 20 nations ranging from the US to Ghana, Japan and several European countries said in a declaration that it plays a “key role” in the global goal of achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century.
They called for the tripling of nuclear energy capacity by 2050 from 2020 levels.
“We are not making the argument to anybody that this is absolutely going to be a sweeping alternative to every other energy source,” US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said at the conference.
“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.
The other signatories include the UK, France, South Korea, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but nuclear powers Russia and China did not sign up.
Environmental group 350.org said the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011 highlighted the dangers of atomic power.
“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,” 350.org North American director Jeff Ordower said.
The declaration came as more world leaders took the stage at COP28 for the second day in a row, although US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) were skipping the talks.
Nations at the COP28 talks are also expected to adopt a goal of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
The discussions about the renewables goal are closely linked to far more difficult negotiations about whether a final COP28 deal would commit nations to phasing down — or phasing out — all fossil fuels. The US and China, the world’s two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, and the UAE were yesterday to host a summit on methane emissions.
Ahead of the talks, Biden’s administration announced it would tighten curbs on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, a critical step toward meeting its commitments to reduce the powerful greenhouse gas.
Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris said that Washington would pledge US$3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, as she urged leaders to accelerate work, increase investments and lead with “courage and conviction.”
The fund, with more than US$20 billion in pledges, is the largest international fund dedicated to supporting climate action in developing countries.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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