PRIC & LSCC

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi says Nuclear is, and will be, part of the solution towards the goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.

This was captured in reports released by the IAEA detailing the role 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.

He explained that the role of nuclear is 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.

He expressed worry about rising temperatures and the consequences of climate change. “Woods are burning, floods and hurricanes are multiplying, and temperatures are rising. Now is the time for action, and this action must be based on science and on facts and according to the best science of our day, nuclear power is part of the solution”, he said.

He clarified further that nuclear power forms a high percentage of the world’s clean energy, a clear indication that the climate situation could be worse without nuclear. “Nuclear energy provides more than a quarter of the world’s clean power…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”, he added.

COP26: How Nuclear Power and Technologies Can Help Tackle Climate Change (iaea.org)