Background

Climate change is a global problem. Countries must work towards the reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions in to the environment. When addressing climate change, policy-makers should consider zero and low emitting electricity generating technologies, including nuclear energy.

The current use of nuclear energy (accounting for about 13.7% of the world's electricity generation) avoids the emission of about 2 billion tonnes of CO₂ every year. In the EU as whole, the avoidance levels amount to 608 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, taking into account the current energy mix (cf. Nuclear Energy and GHG Emissions Avoidance EU, 2010). By comparison, the EU has a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of 446 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent below 1990 level by 2008-2012. To make savings equivalent to those from the use of nuclear power, all passenger cars in the EU (212.5 million) would have to be taken off the roads.

At present, low-CO₂ emitting sources: nuclear and renewable energies, (including hydropower), produce 45% of the EU's electricity representing 17% of total energy consumption. Nuclear energy accounts for [more than three quarters] of this low-carbon electricity, and nearly one third of total electricity generated.

Latest developments

The European Commission published on 9 March 2011 a Communication entitled: A roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy by 2050, setting out the strategy required to promote Europe’s transition to a low-carbon economy by 2050. The central components of this strategy are reducing EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, and increasing the share of low-carbon technologies in the EU’s electricity mix, which includes nuclear energy, to almost 100% by 2050.

Following on from this, the European Commission will put forward an Energy Roadmap 2050 in late 2011. The Energy Roadmap 2050 will aim at presenting different pathways to reach the objectives in the sector. It will address the established objectives of EU energy policy – sustainability, energy security and competitiveness, and focus on how energy security and competitiveness can be improved throughout the transition to a low-carbon energy system.

FORATOM Environmental issues Task Force

FORATOM believes that the EU needs to maintain a diversified and flexible energy mix in order to meet the combined challenges of security of energy supply, CO2 reduction and delivery of electricity at competitive prices. Nuclear energy can help to address all these challenges. Any future climate change agreements and policies should establish a framework that encourages the use of nuclear generation as part of the energy mix.

The nuclear power sector can play an even greater role in greenhouse gas abatement through the construction of new nuclear plants, plant lifetime extensions and plant upgrades. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) believes that nuclear should continue to play an important role in the overall effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the decades to come.

Links

• European Commission on Climate Change
• Climate and energy package
• UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)