Rwanda and Senegal joined the global commitment to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 at the Cop30 climate conference, which finished on Friday in Belém, Brazil, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

They IAEA said the two nations have united with 31 other countries in endorsing a declaration to triple nuclear energy, which was launched two years ago at Cop28.

It said international support for nuclear power as a key part of the equation to achieve net-zero emissions continues to grow, including in Africa, which now accounts for nearly 20% of countries endorsing the pledge to triple nuclear energy production.

According to the World Bank, around 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity, representing nearly 83% of the world’s unelectrified population. This underscores the need to develop new sources of clean energy, including nuclear.