Disagreement on nuclear energy in the G7

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G7 Energy and Environment Ministers have committed to accelerate efforts to phase out the use of coal and other fossil fuels in the meeting on climate, energy and environment, which was held this weekend in Sapporo, Japan. "We underline our commitment, in the context of global efforts, to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels to achieve net-zero emissions energy systems by 2050," they said in a joint statement. However, they have not reached a definitive agreement regarding the deadlines and methods to achieve this. The use of nuclear energy is a point of disagreement among the members of the intergovernmental political forum.

The members of the G7 point out that it is necessary to diversify energy supply sources and rapidly develop "clean, safe, sustainable and affordable energies" within the global action framework agreed for 2050 and aimed at limiting the planetary increase in temperatures to 1.5 °C. But they have not specified the deadlines to end the use of fossil fuels. The energy supply of the host of this meeting, Japan, still depends heavily on coal and the import of gas and oil. One of the sources of electricity supply proposed by Japan is nuclear energy. «Countries Special Data that choose to use nuclear energy recognize its potential to provide affordable low-carbon energy that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, to address the climate crisis and ensure global energy security », adds the G7 declaration in this sense. Steffi Lemke, Germany's Environment Minister, has shown her rejection of this position and has stated in a press conference that "it is not a secret that the different G7 countries "They have different opinions regarding nuclear energy.



Germany kept its promise to abandon nuclear energy and this weekend disconnected its last active nuclear reactors (Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland). In contrast, theEFE Agency points out that Japan decided last December to extend the useful life of its nuclear reactors so that they can operate beyond from its current limit of 60 years, in a policy change with the goal of reducing CO emissions2 and guaranteeing its electricity supply. The European Commission gave the green light last year to label nuclear as 'green' for private sector investments. The role of nuclear energy in the energy transition, however, is controversial due to issues related to the safety and storage of radioactive waste.