Activists and governments alike approached the 2021 Glasgow climate change conference – known as COP26 – knowing that bold action would be needed to avoid the worst effects of a warming world. Is nuclear energy the answer? Nuclear energy is a low-carbon source of electricity and the industry is looking to expand to new applications (like hydrogen production) and new countries. Only 32 countries now deploy nuclear energy, supplying 10% of the world’s electricity generation. Nuclear energy’s market share of electricity production has been declining for a few decades – it has not been able to surmount long-standing cost, safety, waste and nuclear weapons proliferation challenges. Next-generation reactors promise a lot but so far have not delivered. Perhaps most importantly, the world may not have enough time to “do nuclear right” if we hope to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Sharon Squassoni
Research Professor of the Practice of International Affairs