The bigger picture: EU Ministers Nod to Support Nuclear Energy

As part of the EU’s mandate for the UN climate summit, EU ministers have agreed that they should call to accelerate “low-emissions technologies”, including the use of nuclear power. The move signifies a shift in attitudes towards nuclear energy following Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.

A group of predominantly eastern European countries and France, will recognise the “pivotal role” of nuclear energy on Tuesday in a published paper, ensuring it’s integration in new proposals for EU energy regulation. However, several EU countries, including Germany, Austria and Denmark, have noted their fears that focusing on nuclear energy could undermine renewable energy as a cheaper, cleaner and faster method of cutting emissions.

The revival of nuclear power across Western countries has sparked concerns over global warming, as well as the security of energy supplies amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. For instance, France, which already generates 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, is set to build six new units and extend the life span of existing reactors.

The news coincides with the move from international tech companies to incorporate nuclear power into their energy supply. Google has made a deal with Kairos Power, offering six to seven small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) with a total capacity of 500 megawatts in a move towards clean energy. On Wednesday, Amazon.com also signed three agreements to develop SMR nuclear power technology in a push to meet surging electricity demand from data centres.

The EU’s move towards nuclear energy sets out their negotiating mandate for COP29 to be hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan next month.

In Irish news:

• Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan warns that the uncertainty over the level of funding to support climate-vulnerable countries risks the possibility for a global agreement at COP29.
• A UK watchdog says that Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector is “making unsustainable demands on the environment” following a report that found land use change and pollution from agricultural intensification were the principal factors causing biodiversity loss.
• Wicklow County Council will host its first Climate Action Week in October with a strong focus on community engagement and the implementation of their Climate Action Plan.

In other world news:

• In a lawsuit against the state of Ontario, Canada, seven people aged 16 to 28 argue that the province’s climate target violates young people’s rights, with a decision that could sway similar cases internationally.
• The EU will stick to it’s plan to ban the sale of new petrol-driven cars by 2035, as they face backlash from Europe’s car industry due to struggles with electric vehicle sales and competition from Chinese manufacturers.
• The Global Commission on the Economics of Water, an OECD-backed group, calls for a new international pact to solve the water crisis that will cut economic growth by at least 8% and will risk the world’s food supplies.