As world leaders convene at this year’s Cop28 climate conference in Dubai, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said nuclear energy, once a “taboo topic” at Cops, is ready to emerge as a crucial player in the fight against climate change.

“At Cop28, countries will stand together to deliver a clear, strong message: nuclear is part of the climate crisis solution,” International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi said.

The IAEA will host and participate in around 50 events at Cop28 – officially known as the UN Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – from 30 November to 12 December 2023, highlighting the solutions nuclear science and technology can provide in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and monitoring.

Cop28 will also see the US lay out the first international strategy to commercialise nuclear fusion power and lead a push to triple the amount of installed nuclear power capacity globally by 2050.

The declaration will call on the World Bank and other international financial institutions to include nuclear energy in their lending policies.