Australia Signs Renewable Pledge, but Not Nuclear Energy Call at UN COP28

Participants attend day four at night of the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference at Expo City Dubai, in United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 3, 2023. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Australia’s opposition is concerned the Labor government did not sign up to an international pledge calling for the tripling of nuclear energy.

However, Australia has committed at COP28 to triple renewable energy around the world by the year 2030.

Shadow Climate Change and Energy Minister Ted O'Brien said Australia has “foolishly isolated itself” from AUKUS allies and 20 other countries by refusing to back the nuclear call.

The Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy was signed by 22 countries, including the United States and United Kingdom, at the COP28 United Nations climate change conference in Dubai.

Mr. O'Brien said getting to net zero requires “all technology to be on the table” and that includes zero-emissions nuclear energy.

“If you’re not serious about nuclear, you’re not serious about net-zero. It’s why the Coalition is adopting an all-of-the-above approach. We’re open to all technologies from renewables to carbon, capture and storage, zero-emissions nuclear energy, and so much more,” Mr. O'Brien said.

The nations to sign the pledge were the U.S., UK, France, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Bulgaria, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Korea.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOJ) said the declaration “recognizes the key role of nuclear energy in achieving global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keeping the 1.5-degree goal within reach.”

“Core elements of the declaration include working together to advance a goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050 and inviting shareholders of international financial institutions to encourage the inclusion of nuclear energy in energy lending policies,” the DOJ said.

‘Radical Experiment’: O'Brien

Mr. O'Brien said the government is “attempting a radical experiment” by embarking on a pathway to net zero which will “make our nation poorer, weaker, and more dependent on foreign powers.”

“They should instead learn from other nations which are being far more pragmatic as they base their policies on engineering and economics,” he said.

“Prime Minister [Anthony] Albanese and Minister [Chris] Bowen claim to know more about zero-emissions nuclear energy than the 32 countries which currently use the technology and 50 others which are looking at introducing nuclear for the first time.”

Federal member for Fairfax Ted O'Brien speaks on stage during the Australian 2020 Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic Celebration at University of Sunshine Coast in Sunshine Coast, Australia, on Oct. 07, 2021. Peter Wallis/Getty Images for the AOC

In parliament, Mr. Bowen, the climate change and energy minister, cited a report showing nuclear energy is the most expensive form of energy in Australia.

“I met with the director general and senior executives of the International Energy Agency just two weeks ago, and they pointed out that utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind are the cheapest options for new electricity generation in the significant majority of countries worldwide. It is the case not just in Australia but around the world,” he told parliament in February.

“Of course, we have the GenCost report, a collaboration between the CSIRO and AEMO, which has found consistently for several years that wind and solar are the cheapest forms of energy and that nuclear energy is by far the most expensive form of energy, and that’s particularly the case in Australia, where we don’t have a nuclear industry of any scale, and where scaling it up would come at a very significant cost.”

Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Sept. 18, 2023. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Australia Joins Renewable Pledge

Meanwhile, Australia has joined an international pledge involving more than 100 countries around the world to triple renewable energy capacity and double global annual energy efficiency by 2030.

The world leaders signed the Global Renewable Pledge and Energy Efficiency Pledge on the third day of COP28.

“We know that renewables are the cleanest and cheapest form of energy—and that energy efficiency can also help drive down bills and emissions,” Mr. Bowen said.

“That’s why the Albanese Government is supporting the UAE’s signature initiative to triple global renewable energy generation capacity and double global average annual energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

Mr. Bowen said the government’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) will help deliver 32 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable generation and storage.

Participants walk among flagpoles on day four at night of the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference at Expo City Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 3, 2023. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

“Australia has the highest penetration of rooftop solar in the world and has a plan to get to 82 percent renewables by 2030 to deliver cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable energy, for emissions to go down around the world, we need a big international push,” he said.

“Australia has the resources and the smarts to help supply the world with clean energy technologies to drive down those emissions while spurring new Australian industry.”