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Assessments of the Potential Role of Nuclear Energy in National Climate Change Mitigation Strategies
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
I12006CRP
2139Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
27 March 2020Participating Countries
Description
This CRP will coordinate research efforts by Member States, supported by in-house activities, on the assessment of the potential role of nuclear energy in mitigating climate change. It will draw on background material prepared by the IAEA, scientific and technical support and on the experience of the Member States in decarbonizing their electricity projects. The investigations will focus on the assessment and effectiveness of support mechanisms (ie. domestic policies, carbon pricing) recognized under the “Paris Agreement” in order to identify key barriers and develop approaches to address investments in low carbon technologies, including nuclear. A set of analytical IAEA tools or Member States’ own models or tools will be combined, tested and applied to assess the potential role of low carbon electricity generation projects, including nuclear, within long-term national GHG mitigation strategies. The variety of starting points and national circumstances will provide invaluable opportunity to both developed and developing Member States to share information in identifying least-cost decarbonisation strategies.
Objectives
Developed and developing states need to design the implementation of INDCs and prepare their mid-century, long-term low GHG emissions development strategies under the PA of UNFCCC. The overall objective of the CRP is to support Member States in national level evaluations on the potential role of nuclear power in GHG mitigation in preparation of their low GHG emissions development strategies under the PA. Another important objective is to develop analytical framework for the assessment of support mechanisms to address investments in low carbon technologies, including nuclear.
Specific objectives
To assist Member States in evaluating support policies (national and international) for low carbon projects.
To develop and test analytical / methodological frameworks for comparing low carbon energy supply options, including nuclear power, under various policy support mechanisms.
To generate information package for Member States in preparation of their low GHG emissions development strategies under the PA.
Impact
The CRP has had an impact across several dimensions:
• Capacity building: the CRP supported countries in strengthening national expertise to assess mitigation strategies and the role of nuclear power and other low carbon energy options. This included support in developing analytical frameworks tools, which can be applied to future energy planning and strategy development.
• Analysis and dissemination: the CRP participants produced high quality analysis on the role of nuclear power in climate change mitigation and disseminated their findings in scientific and policy discussions nationally and internationally.
• Policy development: while all CRP research teams contributed to broader policy relevant discussions, a number of teams have already provided direct input to the national policy process, contributing to official energy and climate strategy development.
Additional impacts are expected from further outreach by MSs and IAEA (including publication and dissemination of IAEA TECDOC — see below).
Relevance
Over the course of the CRP, the work became progressively more relevant both within the Agency and more broadly for Member States and the international community. During this period (2017-2019 and beyond), the Agency increasingly engaged in high-profile activities connected to the role of nuclear power in climate change mitigation including: the GC62 Scientific Forum on Nuclear Technology for Climate; the IAEA 2019 International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power; the planned GC64 Scientific Forum on Nuclear Power and the Clean Energy Transition; and UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties (COPs) and UN activities related to the Sustainable Development Goals. One of the first actions of DG Rafael Grossi to attend COP25 reinforced the relevance of the CRP and related activities.
The overall objective of the CRP also addressed the goals of IAEA Project 1.3.2.2 (Topical issues related to sustainable energy development) of Subprogramme 1.3.2 (Energy
Economy Environmental Analysis), to support Member States with, among others, reports and other information material on the potential contribution of nuclear energy to the climate
change mitigation objectives of the Paris Agreement and case studies analysing sustainable energy and low carbon energy development strategies focusing on the potential for nuclear energy. Specifically, the CRP supported national experts to conduct case studies on low carbon energy development strategies, consistent with the goals of Paris Agreement and national mitigation policies, with a focus on the potential role of nuclear energy.
More broadly, the relevance of climate action continues to be reiterated by numerous stakeholders internationally, with increasing urgency. The concluding RCM coincided with the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit, while more than 100 countries have now adopted net zero emission targets for 2050. The role of nuclear power in climate change is explicitly mentioned by 13 countries in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement; this is expected to increase as countries update their NDCs in 2020.