Global industry to policymakers: Net zero needs nuclear

Recommendations: The letter urges global policymakers to take immediate steps to prevent the premature closure of existing nuclear generation capacity and to accelerate the scale and time frame for investment in new nuclear capacity, and it includes the following recommendations:

• Nuclear energy should be clearly recognized in national and international policies and conventions as clean, low carbon, and sustainable.
• National and international policy frameworks should ensure equal access to climate financing for all low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear, and clearly signal this to the private finance and investment community.
• Countries should maximize the generating potential of their existing nuclear reactors and build replacements for retiring reactors.
• Countries with existing civil nuclear energy expertise should support countries that wish to deploy nuclear energy responsibly, as well as expand their own nuclear capacity.
• Countries should include nuclear energy alongside other low-carbon energy technologies in their nationally determined contributions and in their low-emission development strategies.