The twenty-first century faces numerous challenges in the realm of traditional and non-traditional security threats. Climate change has become a global challenge, affecting even those states that produce little to no carbon emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions are considered the main cause of climate change. Greenhouse gases, which include water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide, absorb and emit radiation. According to a 2019 study by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon dioxide accounts for 81% of greenhouse gas emissions, which made it the most impactful factor in climate change. According to Britannica, “carbon emission includes direct emissions, such as those that result from fossil-fuel combustion in manufacturing, heating, and transportation, as well as emissions required to produce the electricity associated with goods and services consumed. In addition, the carbon footprint concept also often includes the emissions of other greenhouse gases, such as methane, nitrous oxide, or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)”.
Carbon emissions can be traced back to industrialization, where human activities release 29 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. Most of this derives from the burning fossil fuels for energy. Along with this, the planting crops and rearing animals releases greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. For example, cattle produce methane during digestion, which is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The fertilizers used by farmers contain nitrous oxide which is nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Deforestation is equally important in this domain, cutting down trees results in greater carbon emissions.
According to EPA, 25% of carbon emissions comes from electricity and heat production followed by industry at 21%, agriculture and forestry at 24% and, transportation at 14%. For power generation or electricity production, one can have tools like coal, wind, solar and nuclear energy. Among these, coal produces the most carbon emissions. In an interview with Dr. Mehdi Sarram, nuclear energy experts stated, that coal is 100-200 times worse than nuclear energy in terms of carbon footprint. For nuclear power, only about 5-10 grams of carbon are produced per kilowatt-hour of electricity, compared to 1,000 grams for coal.
Experts state that nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. Over their life cycle, nuclear power generates about the same carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind and only one-third of those from solar. Nuclear energy provides twice as much electricity than wind and solar. In 2019, wind and solar energy combined for 10% of US electricity production. Whereas nuclear energy supplied 20%. Ultimately, according to an estimate, one will need three million solar panels to replace one nuclear power plant. The de-carbonization of climate requires states to generate electricity through nuclear power, which is most appropriate to keep the global temperatures below 1.5c.
By focusing on this cost-benefit analysis, states are inclined to choose nuclear energy as the best option for power generation. In a July 2017 International Atomic Energy Commission (IAEA) report International Status and Prospect of Nuclear Power, twenty-eight countries around the globe are considering, planning and starting their nuclear power plants. However, the question is: how will these countries, lacking expertise in handling nuclear power plants, ensure safety and security? The IAEA has established safety and security measures with four main missions to further make nuclear power plants in the states safe and secure.
- Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review, the purpose is to assess the nuclear infrastructure development in a country.
- Nuclear Energy System Assessments (NESA), using the international project on innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycling methodology to help states develop long-term national nuclear energy strategies.
- IAEA Sites and External Events Design (SEED), that review the design and siting of nuclear plants against external hazards specific to the sites.
- Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS), which aims to scrutinize regulatory structures upon government invitation.
Similarly, countries with existing nuclear power plants are taking the lead in promoting investments for newcomers in nuclear energy. According to World Nuclear Association (WNA), China and Russia are offering nuclear power plants with finance and fuel service to other countries. In addition, Agency France Nuclear International (AFNI) helps states in setting up their system and structure in the establishment of civil nuclear programmes in countries. Moreover, countries with nuclear power plants are investing in the upgrading current or constructing new power plants. There are 400 nuclear power plants globally and they provide about 17% of the world’s electricity. France depends on nuclear power for electricity than most, generating about 75% of its electricity from nuclear power. On the other hand, nuclear power supplies about 15% of the electricity in the US. Recently, US President, Joe Biden, announced to launch of a $6 billion project to recover nuclear power plants that are at risk of shutting down. Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, said in a statement, “US power plants contribute more than half of our carbon-free electricity and President Biden is committed to keeping these plants active to reach our clean energy goals.”
According to the IAEA, China has 48 nuclear power plants in operation and 9 under construction. However, its cities, like Beijing are some of the world’s largest carbon emitters, due to the excessive use of coal by the industrial sector. To overcome this, China approved the construction of six nuclear power reactors for Sanmen Unit 3 and 4, and Haiyang Unit 3, 4, 5 and 6. These initiatives would help reduce fossil fuel consumption, ultimately reducing carbon emissions.
Pakistan is among the countries most affected by climate change. Although it contributes less than 1% of global carbon emissions, it is ranked 8th on the Global Climate Risk Index as of 2021. Pakistan considers nuclear power plants for electricity generation as the best tool to reduce carbon emissions, having seven nuclear power plants and six of them are generating 3,500MWe. Karachi nuclear power plant unit-3 (K-3) is currently commissioned to generate 1,100MWe for cost-effective and reliable electricity.
All in all, states should transition from coal to nuclear energy, as nuclear power is the most effective way to control carbon emissions under IAEA safeguards. This way of electricity production will not only decrease industrial and domestic carbon emissions, but also can be used in electric vehicles. Nuclear energy is enroute to reduce the usage of non-renewable energy sources and delay climate change by reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
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