Tim Yeo, chairman of the UK-based New Nuclear Watch Institute, said the nuclear energy industry must play a key part in this transition. “The world cannot completely replace fossil fuels by improving energy efficiency and expanding renewables alone,” he said.
Mr Yeo said nuclear has long been recognised as a reliable, efficient, and affordable supplier of low carbon baseload electricity. “No advanced economy can survive without this supply. This recognition has just been strengthened by a ringing endorsement for nuclear power from a new quarter.”
Mr Yeo pointed out that the European commission’s Joint Research Centre this month confirmed that the latest nuclear reactors have lower accident fatality rates than all electricity generation technologies.
Its analysis also stated that there is no scientific evidence that nuclear harms human health more than the other electricity production technologies such as renewables which are accepted by the EU as sustainable activities.
Mr Biden has invited world leaders to join him at a virtual summit on climate on 22 and 23 April. Mr Yeo said that after last week’s positive talks in Shanghai between US climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua hopes of a joint US/China commitment to faster and bigger emissions reductions are rising.
“Although no magic bullet exists the possibility that America and China may set aside their other differences and work together on climate change could be game changing,” Mr Yeo said.
