Nuclear power is not the way to combat climate change or to ensure energy security, the UK government has been told by its environmental advisers.
After a tense internal argument, the UK鈥檚 Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to reject the nuclear option in favour of an 鈥渁ggressive鈥� expansion of energy efficiency and renewables.
In January 2006, the Labour government launched a review of energy policy which is widely expected to pave the way for new nuclear power stations. According to the SDC鈥檚 chairman, Jonathon Porritt, it is 鈥渉urtling along to a pre-judged conclusion鈥�.
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The advantages of nuclear power as a safe, low-carbon technology are outweighed by disadvantages like uncertain costs, long-lived radioactive waste and the risk of nuclear weapon proliferation, Porritt argues: 鈥淭he government is going to have to stop looking for an easy fix to our climate change and energy crises,鈥� Porritt says. 鈥淭here simply isn鈥檛 one.鈥�
But the SDC only arrived at its recommendation by a single vote, with eight of its governing commissioners voting against nuclear power and seven voting in favour. It had drawn up eight detailed studies covering safety, waste, economics and climate change.
The research showed that even if the UK鈥檚 existing nuclear capacity were doubled, it would only deliver an 8% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2035. Increases in energy efficiency and renewable energy generation could save more sooner, the SDC concludes. 鈥淎ll the modelling scenarios show it is possible to meet targets for reducing CO2 emissions without nuclear power.鈥�
The nuclear industry welcomed the SDC鈥檚 recognition of the benefits of nuclear power, but expressed disappointment at its conclusion. 鈥淲e note the narrow 8-7 vote in the Commission to rule out new nuclear power stations which is in many ways encouraging,鈥� says Philip Dewhurst, chairman of the UK Nuclear Industry Association.
