Nuclear energy must be included on the path to a low-carbon world

10 September 2018

On Monday 10 September, at the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the world to avoid the disastrous consequences of runaway climate change, but failed to recognize nuclear energy as a vital component needed to achieve this.

In response World Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising said;

“Nuclear generation stands ready to help the world take the low carbon path.  Those countries that have successfully decarbonized already have used nuclear energy. There is no sustainable energy future without nuclear.”

The large-scale reliable output of nuclear energy enables decarbonization, not only to meet current electricity demand, but also in sectors such as transport and water desalination.

The recent MIT report The future of nuclear energy in a carbon-constrained world concluded that realizing nuclear energy’s potential is essential to achieving a deeply decarbonized energy future in many regions of the world.

The global nuclear industry has targeted a tripling of nuclear generation capacity by 2050 as its contribution to a worldwide low-carbon energy mix.

Notes To Editors

World Nuclear Association is the international organisation that represents the global nuclear industry. Its mission is to promote a wider understanding of nuclear energy among key international influencers by producing authoritative information, developing common industry positions, and contributing to the energy debate, as well as to pave the way for expanding nuclear business.