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World Nuclear Association

WNA

World Nuclear Association is the international organization that represents the global nuclear industry.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

28 Nov 2023 · Echange sur le rôle du nucléaire dans nos efforts de décarbonation et sur les besoins de la filière nucléaire et de l’industrie lourde pour optimiser ce potentiel.

Meeting with Joan Canton (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton)

13 Jul 2023 · Preparation intervention of Commissioner Breton during the congress later this year

Response to Climate change mitigation and adaptation taxonomy

8 Dec 2020

The EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy will have an impact beyond EU borders. World Nuclear Association (WNA) therefore wishes to support the submissions made by the European nuclear body Foratom and other EU-based nuclear organisations, and complement them with our own points. The purpose of this Delegated Act (DA) is to establish “the technical screening criteria for determining the conditions under which an economic activity qualifies as contributing substantially to climate change mitigation or climate change adaptation”. We observe with dismay that nuclear energy is not considered in this DA, despite currently generating about half of the EU’s low-carbon electricity and having displaced over 20 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions historically. The TEG evaluation of the different energy technologies has been a highly politicised process that ignored factual information provided by scientific experts/organizations, particularly when assessing the “Do No Significant Harm” aspects of nuclear energy. Even so, the TEG final report recognizes that “Evidence on the potential substantial contribution of nuclear energy to climate mitigation objectives was extensive and clear”. We therefore believe that proceeding with the finalization of this DA without including this major proven low-carbon technology can only result in a flawed framework that will harm the EU’s decarbonization and clean energy ambitions. To restore credibility to the EU Taxonomy process, WNA calls on the EC to wait for the expert groups at JRC, Euratom and SCHEER to complete their assessments of the sustainability of nuclear energy before finalising this DA. Although the stated objective of this draft DA is to “subject all economic activities within a given sector to the same technical screening criteria” in keeping with the principle of a level playing field, the reality is that the level of rigour in the draft DA is different for individual activities and especially energy technologies. Some technologies (such as wind & solar) do not need to meet the GHG life cycle emission threshold of 100gCO2e/kWh and are only required to meet the requirements of relevant European legislation to be considered taxonomy compliant. On the other hand, technologies such as hydropower are required to comply with onerous technical screening criteria, well beyond current European legislation. But without a doubt, the biggest inconsistency in the taxonomy process to date is the treatment of nuclear energy, which has been required to undergo an additional and demanding independent scientific assessment subject to review by two expert groups in order to determine its sustainability before even being considered under this DA. If the concept of a level playing field is to remain applicable in EU energy policy, then the process of defining compliance with the taxonomy must be consistent and robustly evidence-based. WNA therefore calls on EC to ensure that all energy sources are screened against the same set of transparent technology-neutral technical criteria and subject to the same assessment process.
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Response to Climate change mitigation and adaptation taxonomy

27 Apr 2020

The World Nuclear Association (WNA) is grateful for the opportunity to provide comment on the sustainable finance taxonomy. Given the global nature of the nuclear industry, developments in the taxonomy will impact it beyond EU borders. We therefore wish to support the submissions made by the European nuclear body Foratom and other EU based nuclear companies/organizations, while also adding our own points. WNA commends the EU for seeking to harmonise green investment labeling across its member states. We believe that the taxonomy and the Green Deal are vital steps for achieving a clean energy transition to a net-zero carbon economy. However, in order to maximize both policy robustness and probability of success, the process to determine what is ‘environmentally sustainable’ must be science-led and evidence-based. This means using consensus science wherever possible, as produced by recognised institutions and regulators. For example, just as IPCC produces internationally recognized climate assessments, there are intergovernmental organisations which provide scientific assessments on nuclear energy – notably the IAEA and OECD NEA. It is clear that the consensus scientific view was not factored into the TEG final report when it choose not to include nuclear, citing principally concerns over nuclear waste and the Do No Significant Harm criteria (see attachment for a detailed discussion). This weakness now dramatically undermines the entire taxonomy. WNA believes that the taxonomy should not exclude a particular technology without providing a scientific justification. In order to identify whether an energy source is sustainable or not, it is important to evaluate all technologies consistently – using a whole life-cycle approach applying the same objective criteria. We support calls to establish a group of experts with an in-depth knowledge of the nuclear life-cycle as quickly as possible so they can finalise their assessment in time for nuclear to be included in the first round of Delegated Acts. As a dispatchable low-carbon technology, nuclear can form the ‘backbone’ of the reliable energy system which advanced economies depend on. Leading energy bodies now recognize the importance of a ‘system approach’ in decarbonizing electricity. For example OECD NEA has concluded that even in a low-cost renewables future, a cost-optimized national electricity mix would need to consist of “40%-60% provided by dispatchable low-carbon technologies such as nuclear or, perhaps one day, fossil-fuelled plants with carbon capture, utilisation and storage”. WNA therefore welcomes the introduction of the “transition” and “enabling” activities as part of the Taxonomy Regulation. The nuclear sector needs ongoing investment i) into the long term operation of existing nuclear plants and ii) into nuclear new nuclear plant construction that can help decarbonize industry and heating in addition to further decarbonising electricity. These investments should be recognized as sustainable and benefit from inclusion in the taxonomy. Currently nuclear energy provides about 40% of the EU’s low carbon electricity. No other energy source has played a greater role in driving down historic EU CO2 emissions. About half of EU member states choose to use nuclear energy now (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden) and others are choosing to introduce it in the future (Estonia, Poland). It is their sovereign right to do so. The Covid-19 pandemic brings a renewed focus on the resilience of the economy and energy systems, which WNA believes should be added as an additional sustainability criteria. There are many ways in which nuclear energy contributes to resilience, for example through the creation and maintenance of long-term local jobs and by reducing the dependence on volatile imported fossil fuels.
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Response to 2030 Climate Target Plan

15 Apr 2020

World Nuclear Association represents the global nuclear industry, an industry that contributes 100 billion euros annually to the EU economy, an industry that provides some 1 million jobs across the Union and provides 27% of the EU’s electricity. We are strongly in favour of the European Commission’s ambition to increase the GHG emissions reductions targets for 2030 and that any such emission reductions are done in a responsible and sustainable fashion. Ensuring that already-existing nuclear power plants are given the conditions to continue to provide stable, affordable and inherently clean electricity will be a crucial component in meeting this increased ambition. We welcome the initiative to ensure that the EU has access to a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system which is also socially fair, environmentally robust and builds skills for the future. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the eventual need for a huge mobilization to aid the economic recovery, consideration to the cost allocation and effectiveness of the energy transition solutions will be essential. Therefore, it is crucial that any components of such an energy system must carry all its system costs, rather than distributing these without identification on to the consumers. This would not only ensure achieving GHG emissions reductions, but also ensure that genuine value for money is delivered for citizens. We agree with leading experts that all low carbon technologies will be needed to achieve deep decarbonisation. Nuclear energy has a unique role to play in regard to ensuring a socially and economically just transition that would be applicable through the Union. The reality in many Member States is that coal remains a key pillar in the community, not only in terms of electricity generation but also in terms of jobs. It is crucial that any transition away from coal towards low-carbon sources must be done in a way that is socially and economically sustainable. If nuclear plants were built and timed to start operating with coal unit closures this would also provide a just transition for many coal power plant workers without the need for a career change or relocation, given the fact both power plants share many engineering features. We welcome the fact the EU is willing to provide global leadership in meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement and agree that the EU’s ability to demonstrate the feasibility of a trajectory to climate neutrality and to manage a just transition will send a strong signal to other countries to follow suit. Historically, nuclear power effectively decarbonised several Member States’ electricity systems (e.g. France, Sweden) and nuclear power is the low-carbon backbone of the EU, providing some 27% of the EU’s electricity, and 50% of its low-carbon electricity. Maintaining and growing nuclear energy in the energy system of the future would not only make the transition towards a sustainable society much easier within the timeframes required and to a lower cost. We believe that nuclear energy has a key role to play, as set out in the Commission’s Clean Planet For All communique. Nuclear, alongside with renewables, will be able to achieve the deep GHG emissions cuts that the Commission has set out in this document, whilst also ensuring that the transition will be socially and economically affordable. By adopting a nuclear-renewables policy, the EU will once again provide well-needed leadership in the global arena in regard to climate change and sustainable development.
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