The Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge has been launched at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the original 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai. The Pledge, endorsed by 120 companies, headquartered in 25 countries, and active in more than 140 nations worldwide, commits industry to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. This followed a US-led Nuclear Ministerial Declaration signed by 22 countries earlier at COP28 making a similar commitment.
Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge is an initiative by the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), supported by the IAEA Atoms4NetZero Initiative launched in COP27. “Let’s translate ambition into pragmatic policies, affordable financing for nuclear, and on-time, on-budget delivery of new nuclear energy projects,” said Sama Bilbao y Leon, WNA Director General. The pledge calls on governments, multilateral development banks, and the World Bank to ensure that nuclear energy receives climate finance equal to other clean energy sources. This will enable the nuclear industry to deploy capacity at scale worldwide, contributing significantly to climate change mitigation.
Russia did not sign the Ministerial Declaration but welcomed it as positive. Commenting on the declaration, Russia’s Deputy Economy Minister Vladimir Ilyichev told Bloomberg in an interview that “Without nuclear energy it is impossible to achieve climate goals.” The declaration was a “positive shift,” he said.
However, at the invitation of WNA, Russia’s Rosatom has joined the Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge. Kirill Komarov, Rosatom’s First Deputy Director General for Development & International Business affirmed its commitment to decarbonisation goals. “At Rosatom, we recognise the urgent need to address climate change, and nuclear energy is a proven, rapid, and resilient solution for deep decarbonization. By joining the Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge, we affirm our dedication to work collaboratively with governments and stakeholders to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. This initiative aligns with our vision for a sustainable energy future, and we applaud the governments that have already committed to this transformative goal.”
