2023-12-03 16:58:00
At the Conference of the Parties (COP 28), a historic milestone was reached when 118 countries, including Brazil, committed to tripling their renewable energy generation capacity by 2030. At the same time, a group of 20 nations also proposed to triple production of nuclear energy by 2050. The agreement comes as the planet faces heat waves and breaks temperature records in 2023.
This ambitious movement, led by powers such as the European Union, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, seeks to significantly increase global renewable energy capacities such as wind, solar and hydropower to around 11,000 gigawatts, compared to the current 3,400 gigawatts.
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China and India are left out of the agreement at COP 28
Notably, China and India, despite supporting the initiative, have not signed the pledge, as reported by Reuters. The pact, which includes countries such as Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Canada, Chile and Barbados, is non-binding and takes into account the distinct national circumstances of each signatory. Sultan al-Jaber, president of COP 28, expressed optimism, stating that this agreement could help the world move away from coal.
According to published by G1, experts warn that to achieve carbon neutrality this century, it is crucial to quickly reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Natalie Unterstell, president of the Talanoa Institute, sees the tripling of clean energy as an opportunity for Brazil to accelerate its energy transition and explore export markets for renewable energy, such as biofuels and potentially green hydrogen.
Would nuclear energy be a solution?
Brazil's entry into OPEC+ is seen by environmental organizations such as the WWF as a contradiction, as it strengthens the bloc of oil producers, going against the necessary global energy transition. The debate between renewable and nuclear energy has been intense, with accidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima influencing opinions. Countries such as Germany have abandoned nuclear energy, while the US, France and Japan are among twenty countries committed to expanding their nuclear production.
John Kerry, US special envoy for climate, defends nuclear energy as essential to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. However, Jeff Ordower of the environmental group 350.org warns against the “dangerous distractions” of nuclear energy. The last time the World Bank financed a nuclear project was in 1959, a fact highlighted by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi.
The COP 28 pro-nuclear declaration includes signatories ranging from developing countries like Mongolia and Morocco to conflict-ridden nations like Ukraine. Currently, 412 nuclear reactors in 31 countries supply about 10% of the world's electricity, with nuclear energy considered the most profitable per gigawatt generated compared to other renewable sources, according to a report by the IEA and IAEA.
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