IAEA's Grossi at COP 25: More nuclear power needed for clean energy transition

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaking at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) on 11 December in Madrid, Spain, said greater use of low carbon nuclear power is needed to ensure the global transition to clean energy, including to back up variable renewables such as solar and wind. The world is currently well off the mark from reaching the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. With around two thirds of the world's electricity still generated through the burning of fossil fuels, and despite growing investment in renewable energy sources, global emissions of greenhouse gases reached a record high last year. Mr Grossi said greater deployment of a diverse mix of low carbon sources, such as hydro, wind and solar, as well as nuclear power and battery storage, will be needed to reverse that trend and put the world on track to meet climate goals.