Countering climate change, nuclear energy as an element of the solution

Speaker: Alain Bucaille, Advisor to the Chairman of the AREVA Group

Today, the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused by human activities results in a phenomenon commonly called “climate change” whose dramatic consequences are already experienced by a number of countries worldwide. Unless sufficient corrective actions are taken quickly, the environmental, economic and social price to be born will be huge. The international community, realising how serious the situation is, has in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol set a first objective for 38 industrialised countries to commit a 5.2% collective cut in their greenhouse gas emissions by 2008-2012 compared to their 1990 levels.

But this is only a first step in the right direction. Considering the scale of emission reductions to be achieved, the best use of all technologies contributing to this objective should be made. This means that in the energy sector, energy efficiency, renewable energies, CO2 sequestration and nuclear energy will have a major role to play. Indeed, in the field of base-load electricity production, nuclear energy has the advantages of emitting almost no greenhouse gas, stabilizing energy bills and providing long term security of supply. The European Commission has recently released the European Union’s climate change strategy for the post 2012 period which will soon be presented to the Parliament. The purpose of this event was to prepare the upcoming debate on this topic by presenting the contribution nuclear energy can make to the worldwide climate change strategy.