Nuclear reactors produce the electricity needed to meet global energy demand responsibly

  • Responsible consumption and production must still allow everyone to enjoy a high quality of life, with sufficient energy supplies to enable the achievement of all of the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Nuclear power plants supply large amounts of electricity from compact sites, using fuel that has the potential to be recycled.

Many of the production and consumption patterns of the modern world are not sustainable.

Consumption and production must be carried out in a way that enables everyone to access a quality of life that allows them to realize their ambitions. At present billions of people are denied access to the type of lifestyle that has been enjoyed by developed countries for many decades.

Nuclear has already played a vital role in addressing this. Nuclear power has much lower raw material requirements per unit of electricity produced than other clean energy options. It also produces large amounts of electricity from an energy-dense power source, using a fuel that has the potential to be recycled through reprocessing or novel nuclear fuel cycles.

Nuclear technologies can also help to make other sectors more sustainable. Cotton is well-known for requiring a lot of water, but scientists have used nuclear techniques to develop an enhanced cotton plant that increases yields by at least 30%, which could help reduce the amount of water needed.

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