• Some 2050 countries call for tripling the world's nuclear energy capacity by <>

On Saturday, at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, the 2050th UN Climate Change Conference (COP2020) began with the call of some 2011 countries to triple the world's nuclear energy capacity by <>, compared to <>, illustrating the spectacular general revival of interest in the atom, which makes it possible to generate almost carbon-free electricity. but suffered after the Fukushima accident in <>.

"We know from science, from the facts, from the evidence that you can't achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 without nuclear," U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said at an event in Dubai with several leaders, mostly European, who also pushed for the development of small reactors called "SMRs."

"I want to reiterate that nuclear energy is a clean energy, it must be repeated," Macron said.

"Nuclear energy is the future," insisted his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.

In addition to the United States and Canada, the 20 or so signatories include, according to a list published by the Americans, pro-nuclear European countries as well as South Korea, Ghana, the United Arab Emirates, which has just built its first plant, and Japan, which is restarting its plants.

But China and Russia, the world's leading nuclear reactor builders today, have not signed.

This is a voluntary call by countries, in no way binding in the context of the official COP28 negotiations under the aegis of the UN.

Their aim is to proactively promote alternative energies to fossil fuels, giving them arguments to hope to negotiate the end of oil, coal and gas in a final agreement at the COP.

Read alsoCOP28: the United Arab Emirates caught up in its contradictions on climate

  • Tripling renewable energy by 2030

Leaders meeting in Dubai since Thursday for the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) will discuss on Saturday the tripling of renewable energy capacities (solar, wind, hydroelectricity, biomass, etc.) by 2030, a call that is expected to be signed this time by more than 110 countries.

The European Union had launched an appeal in this direction in the spring, supported by the Emirati presidency of COP28 and then successively taken up by the G7 and G20 countries (80% of global greenhouse gas emissions).

"Today, our call has turned into a powerful movement. More than 110 countries have already joined," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. "I invite you all to include these goals in the final decision of the COP."

While leaders are busy publicly, thousands of negotiators from nearly 200 countries are holding a series of meetings in rooms away from the cameras to make progress on the real issue at stake at COP28: the text(s) that will have to be adopted by consensus by 12 December.

The most difficult paragraphs to negotiate concern the reduction or even the end of fossil fuels: oil, gas and coal.

Illustrating this tension: when the G20 pledged in September to "encourage efforts" to triple renewable energy, its final declaration was silent on the fate of fossil fuels.

With AFP

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