Nuclear is, and will be, part of the solution if we are to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, ahead of next week’s 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26). Mr Grossi will attend the COP, taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 31 October to 12 November, where he will meet with world leaders, and will host and participate in events and discussions surrounding nuclear solutions to help meet climate goals.
The annual COP brings together countries to negotiate and accelerate action towards the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement – an agreement adopted by 196 countries aiming to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degree Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
During this world forum, heads of state and government are expected to deliver plans to cut emissions, which could impact our everyday lives – from the vehicles we drive to how we heat our homes. The recent headlines stemming from the UN’s Climate Change and Emissions Gap reports, as well as the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin from the World Meteorological Organization, highlight the urgency for swift action to address climate change.
“Woods are burning, floods and hurricanes are multiplying, and temperatures are rising,” said Mr Grossi. “Now is the time for action, and this action must be based on science and on facts. According to the best science of our day, nuclear power is part of the solution.”
The IAEA recently released reports detailing the roles of nuclear science and technology in climate change adaptation and of nuclear power in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. At COP26, the Agency will showcase the twofold role of nuclear: to help realize a net zero world and to help adapt the management of agricultural systems and natural resources to cope with challenges posed by climate change.
“Nuclear energy provides more than a quarter of the world’s clean power,” Mr Grossi said. “Over the last half century, it has avoided the release of more than 70 giga-tonnes of greenhouse gasses. Without nuclear power, many of the world’s biggest economies would lack their main source of clean electricity.”
“COP26 is a chance we cannot waste,” Mr Grossi continued. “It may be one of our last best opportunities to agree on concrete steps to achieve sustainable prosperity for all. In the face of climate change, we are all one nation.”
He highlighted some examples of how nuclear techniques are being applied to adapt to consequences of climate change, such as tracking and quantifying carbon, water and nutrient movement and by inducing variability in crops to make them tolerant to drought, salinity or pests.
