Twenty-five countries have signed a pledge to triple nuclear generation capacity by 2050 from a base year of 2020 at the UN’s Climate Change Conference in Dubai.

The Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy recognises the key role of nuclear energy in achieving global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keeping the 1.5-degree goal within reach”, the US Department of Energy said in a statement.

It was signed at Cop28 on 2 December by countries including the US, Canada, Japan, France, the UK and the UAE.

Signatories have committed to supporting development and construction of nuclear reactors such as small modular and other advanced reactors for power generation as well as wider industrial applications for decarbonisation, such as for hydrogen or synthetic fuels production, the declaration said.