More than 20 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, propose to triple the volume of nuclear energy production in the world.
The group of states called for a threefold increase in the installed capacity of nuclear power plants worldwide by 2050 compared to 2020. The declaration was distributed by the US climate envoy John Kerry.
This step should help reduce dependence on fossil energy sources, the statement said. The signatories include the United States, Britain, France, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Finland, Japan, Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine.
Russia and China, which have a large number of nuclear power plants, refused to sign the declaration.
The initiative was announced on the second day of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Nuclear power currently accounts for about 10% of global electricity production.
The declaration calls on international financial institutions to promote the expansion of nuclear power. Currently, this is prohibited by the charters of many banks. John Kerry reminded that, according to scientific data, it will not be possible to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 without nuclear power.
Critics, in turn, point to the risks associated with nuclear power, unresolved waste disposal issues and the high cost of expanding this industry.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, also called for further investment in nuclear power. It would be a mistake to abandon nuclear power because of problems with some projects, Grossi told AFP on the sidelines of the conference.
Germany shut down its last three nuclear power plants in April and stopped producing nuclear energy in the country. However, the country is still debating the pros and cons of the program.