The United States will advocate for nuclear power to be included in proposed global commitment to enhance renewables at upcoming climate negotiations in Dubai.
In the lead-up to this year's COP28 climate negotiations hosted by the United Arab Emirates, both the European Union and the UAE have been urging nations to unite in Dubai to establish worldwide objectives of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
This initiative, operating alongside the official UN-led climate talks, represents a noteworthy diplomatic effort, with the resulting commitment poised to be a key outcome at the summit.
Support for the renewables commitment has been on the rise leading up to COP28, which will take place November 30. During their September meeting, the Group of 20, comprising the world's wealthiest nations, reached consensus on the aspiration to "pursue and encourage efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally."
While the primary objective remains unchanged, the United States is advocating for supplementary language, referred to as framing language in diplomatic discourse, to be incorporated alongside the main commitment. This additional wording aims to guarantee that other low-emission technologies, such as nuclear power, receive due consideration and are not disregarded.
A US official told Cipher:“We want to ensure nuclear is not forgotten and is complementary to the global pledge to boost renewables and clean energy at COP28.”
This initiative acknowledges advancements in nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors, which the U.S. aims to leverage in its pursuit of decarbonising the economy. The objective is twofold: to diversify countries' alternatives as they strive to reshape their power sectors to align with the target of limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Traditionally, nuclear and renewable hydropower have been primary sources of zero-carbon electricity globally. However, the landscape is evolving with the rapid growth of solar and wind energy, expected to dominate expansion in the coming decade. Nevertheless, experts, including those at the International Energy Agency, assert that nuclear power will remain crucial post-2030. This is particularly emphasized due to its ability to provide stable and continuous power, unlike the variable nature of wind and solar sources.
Serval parties have already signed the summit’s accompanying cover letter, including COP28 presidency, the U.S., the IEA, the European Commission, the International Renewable Energy Agency, Barbados, Chile, Kenya and Micronesia.
It is hoped that countries will sign the pledge at the COP28 summit, having read the draft text which is currently being distributed to governments worldwide.
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