Nuclear Energy Must be Part of the Equation to Tackle Climate Change: UN Nuclear Chief
Image Source: Fortune
The U.N. nuclear chief stated on November 8 that nuclear energy is a necessary component of the solution to combat climate change.
Even after spending trillions of dollars on the green transition over the past 20 years, over 80% of the world’s energy still comes from climate-warming hydrocarbons, as Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the U.N. General Assembly.
According to Mr. Grossi, the world’s carbon dioxide emissions would be significantly higher in the absence of nuclear power, as over 25% of the electricity generated by nuclear power is low-carbon. Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The gas absorbs heat from the atmosphere and causes the climate to warm.
Global electricity supply comes from over 400 nuclear reactors spread across more than 30 countries, and according to Mr. Grossi, more than 50 are currently under construction, and many more are expanding their current nuclear programs.
However, he stated that during the previous 20 years, “nuclear power’s share of global electricity production decreased by about half.”
According to Mr. Grossi, the growing interest in nuclear energy is a result of its ability to decarbonize not only electricity grids but also other sectors, such as the production of drinking water through desalination processes and sustainable heat for homes and industries.
Additionally, the head of the IAEA stated that nations are considering nuclear power in Latin America, where it is predicted to double, and Africa, where electricity capacity is expected to grow fivefold by 2050.
“Of the 30 or so countries that are currently either considering or embarking on the introduction of nuclear power, more than half are in the developing world, and most of these are in Africa,” Mr Grossi said.
As a consequence of air travel picking up steam following the COVID-19 pandemic and more cities turning to coal as a cheap source of electricity, the International Energy Agency reports that in 2022 greenhouse gas emissions increased more than in any other year since 1900.
According to a report released by the agency in March, carbon dioxide emissions from the production of energy increased by 0.9% to reach 36.8 gigatons in 2022.
According to Mr. Grossi, the IAEA has raised its optimistic nuclear energy forecast to 873 gigawatts by 2050 due to the growing interest in nuclear energy throughout the world.
To “achieve such growth will require a better investment playing field, one that takes into consideration the full benefits of nuclear,” he cautioned, nevertheless.
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