2019 Energy Talk #2:

Pathways to Climate Security II -A nuclear dawn? The future role of nuclear power in tackling climate change

Perhaps no other energy source has been as controversial and polarizing as nuclear energy. Throughout its history, nuclear power has traversed the entire range of public and political opinion, from being touted as a guarantor of energy security (and, in the case of nuclear powers, military security) to facing widespread demonization, particularly following the Three Mile Island accident in the US, the Chernobyl meltdown in Ukraine and, most recently, the Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe in Japan.The latter incident sparked a worldwide debate questioning the ability of even the most advanced economies to master nuclear safety. Indeed, Fukushima prompted a number of countries to re-consider their nuclear policies, with Germany deciding to phase-out nuclear energy altogether by 2022. The turn away from nuclear in several developed countries has been aided by the exorbitant cost of constructing large nuclear power plants, both from an economic but also from a public acceptance point of view. Indeed, every reactor that has been constructed to date has received some form of public subsidy or another. Moreover, the nuclear waste issue - particularly in regards to where and how safely it can be stored – remains a daunting challenge.Yet, not all countries view nuclear energy in a bad light. Today, a “mini-Renaissance” in nuclear energy seems to be taking place in Asia, with some 35 plants under construction and another 70- 80 planned.And even fervent environmentalists are increasingly re-considering the benefits of low-carbon energy produced from nuclear reactors in light of drastic increases in global carbon emissions. When asked to justify their stance, many point to the 1970s and 1980s nuclear boom in France when it transitioned from burning fossil fuels to producing nuclear energy. This pivot facilitated one of the fastest decreases in greenhouse gas emissions for a country on record.So what role does nuclear energy stand to play in the fight against climate change today? Can it overcome cost, safety and public acceptance issues, perhaps via new technological and more cost-efficient solutions? How can nuclear waste challenges be overcome?This energy talk will explore these and others questions revolving around nuclear energy and the role it can (or cannot) play in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Please register by filling your name and affiliation under the following this link.

This panel discussion will assess the future role of nuclear energy in mitigating climate change.

The provisional programme is as follows:

14:00 Welcome Address and Introduction

Professor Dr Friedbert Pflüger, Director, EUCERS, King’s College London Mr. Felix Dane, Director UK & Ireland, Konrad Adenauer Foundation

Keynote - 

Ms. Agneta Rising, Director General, World Nuclear Association

Impulse statements

Mr. David Bradbury, Expert Associate, TÜV UK

Mr. Antony Froggatt, Acting Director and Senior Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources, Chatham House

Dr. Frank Umbach, Research Director, EUCERS, King’s College London

15:00 Discussion

16:00 Reception

For any further information, please contact Dr. Thomas Fröhlich (thomas.froehlich@kcl.ac.uk).