COP28: Morocco Joins Calls to Triple Nuclear Energy Product

Rabat – By the end of today’s second day of the UN climate talks in Dubai (COP28), Morocco was among the 22 countries that called for a tripling of nuclear energy production in order to reduce emissions.

The list of countries included the US, Ghana, Japan, and several European countries. In a joint declaration, the 22 said that nuclear energy plays a “key role” in the global goal of achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century. They called for the tripling of nuclear energy capacity from its levels by 2050.

“We are not making the argument to anybody that this is absolutely going to be a sweeping alternative to every other energy source,” US climate envoy John Kerry said at the COP28 conference in Dubai. “But we know because the science and the reality of facts and evidence tell us that you can’t get to net zero by 2050 without some nuclear” power.

The other signatories included Britain, France, South Korea, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates, but nuclear powers Russia and China did not join the declaration.

Nuclear reactors are the most powerful energy source, boasting the highest capacity factor – a measure of energy efficiency – among all alternatives.

However, environmentalists warn that nuclear plants present a substantial environmental hazard if not operated responsibly.

The environmentalist group taking part in the climate commit group 350.org did not welcome the declaration.

Masayoshi Iyoda, a Japanese campaigner working with the group, told the Guardian that “dangerous nuclear power” is a risky diversion and cannot hasten the decarbonization required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

“The attempt of a ‘nuclear renaissance’ led by nuclear industries’ lobbyists since the 2000s has never been successful – it is simply too costly, too risky, too undemocratic, and too time-consuming,” he argued.

“We already have cheaper, safer, democratic, and faster solutions to the climate crisis, and they are renewable energy and energy efficiency.”