Nuclear for Australia says the Australian Government’s net zero plans doesn’t go nearly far enough, and calls for greater ambition to deliver a clean energy grid in a reliable and affordable way.
Founder of Nuclear for Australia Will Shackel says that today’s climate target announcement, net zero plans and National Climate Risk Assessment highlight the need for pragmatic environmentalism in Australia.
“Today’s net zero plans reveal under the current approach, Australia would rely on fossil fuels for more than 30% of total energy supply in 2050* to shore up renewable reliability. That is a concerning admission for anyone interested in climate in Australia,” Mr Shackel said.
“In short they’re saying, ‘we will continue to pollute the air with carbon but offset more of that by having less pollution in other areas’. It’s not ambitious or pragmatic, it’s a COP-out.
“We must do better than relying on offsetting emissions – we need to be ambitious about what technologies can actually support us in delivering a clean energy grid.
“There are clear risks to climate change and Australia has been slow to decarbonise the economy because successive government’s have overlooked nuclear power. While the billions announced today are welcome, they will be wasted if we don’t look at all the options.
“The only way to achieve the ‘affordable, clean, equitable, reliable and secure energy supply’ the plans call for, is to integrate nuclear energy into a grid that includes wind and solar.
“We don’t want ‘cleaner’ solutions. We want clean ones.
“More than 30 countries operate nuclear power every day, and our closest allies – the UK, US, Canada and Japan – have all committed to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050 to support their clean energy transition and meet 2050 goals.
“This is not a one or the other - nuclear can work together with solar and wind, providing certainty through baseload, flexible power to secure the grid and meet our nation’s increasing energy needs.
Mr Shackel said that delivered in the right way, nuclear is affordable, reliable, emissions-free and safe.
“Treasurer Jim Chalmers highlighted an orderly shift will rely on private investment, but private investors should be allowed to invest in all of the options, including nuclear.
“We’re calling on all parties to put aside their election rhetoric and have a serious conversation about the potential of nuclear energy.
“Nuclear sciences shouldn’t be politicised, and all sides of government need to look seriously at the science and its capacity to deliver on clean energy commitments in a way that is affordable to the Australian public.
“The bans on nuclear energy need to be lifted and then the market and local communities can decide if they support civilian nuclear energy to deliver affordable, reliable and a truly clean energy grid.
“If we want our country to thrive, to power our investments in AI, data centres, and a Future Made In Australia, we need a reliable energy source to back up renewables.”
Nuclear for Australia looks forward to reviewing in detail the plans released today.
*Figure 5.6 Energy supply mix to 2050, Baseline Scenario, Net Zero Plan 2025.
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