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WWFPOSITIONSTATEMENT
NUCLEARPOWER
(May2003)
WWF'smissionistostopthedegradationoftheplanet'snaturalenvironmentandtocreateafuture
inwhichhumanscanliveinharmonywithnature.Weaimtoaccomplishthisthroughpreserving
genetic,speciesandecosystemdiversity,ensuringthattheuseofnaturalresourcesissustainable
bothnowandinthelongerterm,andpromotingactiontoreducepollutionandkeepwasteful
consumptionofenergytoaminimum.Therefore,WWFpromotesthesustainableandefficientuse
ofrenewableresourcesinallindustrialsectors.
Therefore,WWFpromotesthesustainableandefficientuseofrenewableenergyresourcesinall
industrial,residentialandtransportsectors.TogetherwithmanyotherNGOsintheClimateAction
NetworkWWFurgestheincreaseofnew1renewableenergiesto20%oftheglobalprimaryenergy
consumptionby2020andtoaround100%by2080.WWFalsocallsontheimplementationof
seriousenergyefficiencymeasurestohandleenergydemand.Thatimpliesthattheuseofnon
renewableenergyresourcessuchasfossilfuelsanduraniumhavetoeventuallybereducedtozero
aphaseoutoffossilfuelandnuclearpower.
Inthefaceofgrowingenergyrelatedproblemssuchasglobalwarming,acidrainandlocalair
pollutionnuclearpowerisbeingpromotedbyinterestedindustriesandcertaingovernmentsasa
cleansourceofenergywhichcouldhelptoreduceenergyrelatedhumanimpactontheenvironment.
WWFstronglyopposesthisview.
OneofWWF'sleadingprioritiesistoacceleratetheimplementationofthesolutionstocombat
globalwarming.Globalwarmingiscausedmainlybycarbondioxide(CO2)emissionsfromtheuse
offossilfuelse.g.coalandoilinparticular.Oilandcoalburningareresponsibleforabout4045%
ofglobalgreenhousegasemissions;allfossilfuelsareabout55>60%.Solutionstoenergyrelated
problemssuchasglobalwarmingcanonlydeliverlongtermbenefitsiftheyreduceinsteadof
merelydisplacehumanity'sdemandsontheenvironment.
AsindustrialisednationstakeoncommitmentstolimitCO2emissionsasrequiredundertheClimate
ChangeConvention(KyotoProtocol)and/orimplementnationallegislation,someelectricity
industries(utilitiesandnuclearadvocacygroups)andcertainnuclearpowerproducingcountries
havesuggestedthatnuclearpowerisoneofthecentralmeanstocombatclimatechange.Thislobby
considersnuclearakeytechnologyinachievingclimateprotectioncommitments.Thisisnot,
however,consistentwithrecentdecisionsintheglobalcommunity.ThefinalisedrulesoftheKyoto
ProtocolexcludenuclearfromtheCleanDevelopmentMechanism(CDM)andJointImplementation
(JI).Thisdoesnot,however,haveadirectimpactonnationaldecisionstorunexistingplantsor
installnewnuclearfacilitiesanywhereintheworld.
WWFbelievesthattheargumentthattheworldshouldreembracenuclearpowerareseriously
flawed.Wearenotaloneinthisjudgment.Infact,therearemanyindustrialisedcountriesthatdo
1
New renewables refer to the following sustainable energies: All wind, solar, geothermal, and marine power, small hydro
(<10 MW) in compliance with World Commission on Dams criteria and sustainable forms of biomass use excluding
municipial waste incineration, peat and activities that lead to degradation/deforestation of land and in-door pollution.
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notengageinnucleartechnologiesatall.Therearealsomoreandmoregovernments,suchas
Belgium,GermanyandSwedenthathaveembarkedonnuclearphaseoutprogrammes.Inyetother
countries,thereisaverystrongdebateaboutthefutureofnuclear.
ResearchcommissionedbyWWFandmanyotherorganisationsonthestatusofnuclearpower
programmesandtechnologicaloptionsforcuttingbackonCO2providessoundargumentsforwhy
nuclearisnotthesolutiontoglobalwarming.
Morespecifically,WWFbelievesthatnuclearpowerisnotasustainablesourceofenergy,forthe
followingreasons:
Theentirecommercialchainoftheprocessingofnuclearrawmaterialsfromnuclearmining;
operatingnuclearpowerstations;handlingnuclearwasteandfinallyreprocessing,isfullof
leaksandcontaminationandproducesahighlytoxiclegacyforthousandsofyearstocome.
Thecreationandhandlingofhighlytoxicnuclearproductsandtheunsolvedissueofsafestorage
ofwastedemonstratestheunsustainabilityofthetechnology.
Replacingfossilfuelfiredpowerstationswithnuclearenergysimplyreplacesonefundamental
environmentalproblembyanother.Itisclearthatnuclearpowerremainsparticularlydangerousand
difficulttocontrol.ThishasbeendemonstratedbytheaccidentsatChernobyl,Russia,in1986and
atTokaimura,Japan,in1999.
Inadditiontotheseinherentrisks,onemustalsoassesstheprimarilyeconomicreasonsthatprevent
nuclearfrombeingaviablealternativetocombatclimatechange:
Investmentintonuclearpowerprojectscandrainbadlyneededfundsfromenergyefficiencyand
renewableenergyprogrammes,mostofwhichhavesubstantiallylowerspecificgreenhousegas
abatementcoststhannuclearenergy
Nucleartechnologydoesnotcreateincentivesforenergysavings.Itisabaseloadtechnology
whoseenergyoutputcannotbeadjustedtospecificconsumerandindustrialdemand.
Nuclearpowerprojectshaveavarietyofnegativesystemicimpacts.Thesefactorscanblock
innovationinthepowersupplysectorandindemandsideefficiency.Theyinclude:
theneedforinefficientlargepowergridsystems;
displacingactivityindevelopmentofmoreefficientsmallscalepowersupplyandenergy
services;
limitingemploymentopportunitiestohighlyqualifiedstaffinaverycapitalintensiveindustrial
sector.Thisisparticularlyimportantforthepotentialsuitabilityoftechnologiesunder
technologytransferandODAactivities.
nuclearenergyismoreexpensivecomparedtootherenergysupplyoptionsinmostifnotall
cases.ThisisoneofthemainreasonswhynonewnuclearreactorsexceptoneinFinlandare
presentlyplannedorunderconstructionintheOECDuntilabout2010.Mostofthepower
utilitiesthatarehighlyreliantonnucleareitherreceivedirectorindirectsubsidiesbythestate
(suchasBritishEnergyintheUK,EdFinFrance).InRussianuclearreactorsarestateowned
andnotpartofautilityoperatinginfreemarkets.Expansionofnuclearinmanydeveloping
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nationsisoftenjustifiedbythehiddenagendaofsomecountriestofueltheaccesstomilitary
nuclearrawmaterials.Bydoingso,globalexpansionofnuclearenergyishighlylikelytobreach
orunderminecompliancewiththenuclearnonproliferationtreaty.
nuclearenergyonlyproduceselectricity,butmodernsocietiesneedasignificantshareoftheir
energyintheformofheat(andcold).Inanuclearsupplyscenario,ifheatdemandiscoveredby
usualfossilfuelfiredboilers;nuclearpowerlosesitsgreenhousegasemissionadvantageover
highlyefficientnaturalgasfiredcogenerationplantsandhassignificantlyhigheremissionsthan
renewablebiomasscogenerationplants.Cogenerationhelpsincreaseefficienciesbygenerating
steamandelectricity,oftenclosertowheretheseutilitieswillbeconsumed.Nuclearpower
plantsalsohavesignificantlyhigheremissionsthanrenewablebiomasscogenerationplants.
Conclusion
Fortheabovereasons,WWFdoesnotbelievethatnuclearpoweristhesolutiontoglobalwarming.
Infact,WWFhasavisionforthefuturewhichphasesouttheuseoffossilfuelandnuclearinthe
shareofenergyuseacrosstheglobe.Thisispossibleandisnecessaryinordertoensurean
environmentallysound,secureandpeacefulfuture.
