Arthur De Laborde (special envoy to Dubai) / Photo credit: Ludovic MARIN / AFP 14:06 p.m., December 02, 2023

Some twenty countries gathered at COP28 in Dubai proclaimed themselves in favour of the return of nuclear power, and want its production to be multiplied by three by 2050. "Nuclear power is a clean energy, it must be repeated," Macron insisted. The objective of this COP is to promote alternatives to fossil fuels.

Against coal, against methane, for nuclear, for renewables. The countries gathered at COP28 in Dubai put the spotlight on the energy world of tomorrow. At the same time, there are painful negotiations on how to achieve a fossil-free world within a few decades.

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"Nuclear energy is back." In English, Emmanuel Macron took the floor on Saturday morning in Dubai to proclaim the return of nuclear power. "Nuclear power is a clean energy, it must be repeated," the French president insisted. "The reality is that you can't achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 without nuclear," said U.S. climate envoy John Kerry.

Tripling nuclear and renewables

Long taboo at COPs, the atom is now back in fashion. The purpose of this call launched by some twenty countries is to triple the production of nuclear energy in the next 27 years. The target set is ambitious, but in reality this declaration has no binding effect. This does not prevent criticism from many environmentalists who argue for a transition without nuclear power.

Another, more consensual call was launched in parallel in Dubai, by 110 countries: it sets the objective of tripling the capacity of renewable energies in the world by 2030.