The recent shift in acceptance of nuclear energy reflects the realisation that the world will not get to net zero carbon emissions without reactors, but financing nuclear power programmes remains a challenge and the private sector and multilateral development banks must play their part, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi has said.

In a statement on 15 October to the 79th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Grossi said climate change is an “existential challenge” that affects every person on this planet and “today’s storms, floods and droughts are clear and frightening signposts, warning us that we must make fast progress to avoid an even more disastrous future”.

He said 415 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries make up more than 374 GW of installed capacity, providing almost 10% of the world’s total electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon supply.

Another 59 reactors totalling almost 62 GW are under construction in 15 countries, three of which are newcomers, Bangladesh, Egypt and Turkey.

Of the 30 or so countries that are either considering nuclear power or embarking on it, more than half are in the developing world. Many of these are in Africa.