Japan, US Increases Global Nuclear Energy By 2050

DUBAI - More than 20 countries, including Japan and the United States (US), pledged to double the world's nuclear energy capacity by 2050 to reduce global carbon emissions, according to their statements.

The declaration, broadcast by the US Department of Energy, points to "an important role of nuclear energy in achieving global zero net greenhouse gas emissions" and is issued in the 28th session of the Parties Conference on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP28, which is ongoing in the United Arab Emirates.

Countries supporting the declaration also include Britain, Canada, France, South Korea, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates. In the declaration, they said they would work together to double nuclear capacity by 2050 from the 2020 level.

However, the statement received criticism from climate activists.

In a press release by 350.org, an international environmental organization, Japanese campaigner Masayoshi Iyoda said Japan needed to "stop using the climate crisis to justify its addiction to nuclear energy while Japan is allowing carbon-intensive industries to extend fossil projects."

The Japanese government passed a law earlier this year allowing nuclear reactors in the country to operate beyond the current 60-year limit and estimates that around 20-22 percent of its energy will come from nuclear energy in the fiscal year 2030.

The bill aims to ensure adequate energy supply for the country, where the use of nuclear power has raised concerns among the public after the 2011 nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in northeastern Japan.

The crisis caused the closure of all nuclear reactors, with most still out of service as the reactor had to meet stricter safety standards imposed after the disaster before the reactor could resume operations.