G7 recognizes benefits of nuclear energy

[AFP, 14 April] Finance chiefs from the world's leading industrial nations have endorsed nuclear energy. The Group of Seven (G7), following a meeting in Washington, DC, on 13 April, issued a joint statement which said, "In order to ensure energy security and to address climate change, we consider energy efficiency and the promotion of energy diversification to be important issues for both developed and developing economies. Diversification can include advanced energy technology such as renewable, nuclear and clean coal." The group at previous meetings had been unable to agree on a text citing nuclear power, primarily due to opposition from Germany. French finance minister Thierry Breton said he had put "a lot of energy" into getting the G7 to include nuclear among potential alternative power sources. He said, "It wasn't my first attempt but it was the first time it was unanimously accepted." A resolution adopted by EU leaders at a summit in March included nuclear power as a legitimate means of meetings the EU's greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

Further information

WNA's Policy Responses to Global Warming information paper

WNN: EU sets carbon and renewables targets, backs nuclear