Is nuclear really ‘key’ to reaching net zero?

Over budget and behind schedule have been the defining features of nuclear power projects. Yet at COP28, the UK, France, China and the US were among the countries insisting that nuclear has a vital role in the energy transition. Can the technology ever deliver on industry promises?

Nuclear is a “zero and low-emissions technology” that should be accelerated alongside renewables, says the “global stocktake” signed at the end of COP28. During the climate conference, 22 countries – including the United Arab Emirates, France, Japan and the UK – also signed a declaration put forward by the US to triple nuclear capacity by 2050 and to recognise “the key role of nuclear energy in achieving global net zero greenhouse gas emissions”.