#1 Nuclear power is a major ally against climate change

(that’s for sure, it’s nothing new, and it’s time do admit it)

How does nuclear contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of the UN #13: the fight against climate change?

The impacts of climate change are already visible, ranging from exacerbating global poverty, water scarcity and food insecurity to severe public health repercussions from the spread of disease, extreme weather events and destruction of ecosystems.

By 2030, it is estimated that over 100 million people will be forced into extreme poverty and some 250,000 additional deaths each year between 2030 and 2050 will be caused by climate change.

Nuclear power has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any energy source, and it is one of the world’s largest sources of low-carbon electricity.

Its use prevents more than two billion tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, the equivalent of eliminating half of the 520 million vehicles circulating in the world.

It can be deployed at the rates required to avoid the worst effects of climate change. This has been observed in countries like France and Sweden, where a rapid expansion of nuclear power in the 1970s and 1980s contributed to a high degree of decarbonization of the power system, while ensuring significant economic development.

The full report of the World Nuclear Association is available here.