Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a key objective of energy policies in many countries. As energy consumption will continue to increase in the medium and long term, even if the recent financial crisis might curtail this rise momentarily, there is a general consensus on the need to foster the development and use of all carbon-free options for energy supply. What role can nuclear energy play?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has estimated that to stabilise global temperatures at 2ºC above pre-industrial levels–the cut required to avoid catastrophic consequences for the planet–global GHG emissions in 2050 should be reduced by at least 50% below 2000 levels. This could imply reductions of up to 80% by 2050 for OECD countries.
With expected population and energy demand growth, this means reducing the carbon intensity of the world energy system by a factor of four. This is an enormous challenge, and it cannot be faced without mobilising all the available options, including energy conservation and the large-scale deployment of low-carbon energy sources.
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