S2E3: A relook at nuclear energy's role in the net-zero goal

Powering up: The world is warming up to nuclear energy as nations
scramble for zero-carbon electricity.


Synopsis: Every first and third Sunday of the month, The Straits
Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from
biodiversity conservation to climate change.


For years, nuclear energy has been reviled as an energy source
over safety, cost and the time taken to build the power
plants. 


But with the world’s growing need for clean electricity to fuel
everything from electric vehicles, heating and cooling to giant
data centres, nuclear energy is getting its time in the sun
again.


Some countries, such as the United States, Japan and France, have
committed to tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050, while
others, like Singapore, have said it is not ruling out its use.
China is also making big investments in nuclear energy. 


Compared to generators powered by fossil fuels, nuclear reactors
do not produce any planet-warming emissions. 


But will this be the silver bullet to getting the world to
net-zero? What else is needed in the world’s decarbonisation
journey? 


Our guest is Mr Chris Bradley, Director of McKinsey Global
Institute and Senior Partner of McKinsey & Company. The
institute is the consultancy’s research arm. Chris co-wrote a
recent report looking at the global decarbonisation challenge and
found that we are only about 10 per cent of the way on the
low-emissions journey.  


Highlights (click/tap above): 


2:07 What is accounting for the resurgence in interest in nuclear
energy?


7:36 What are some outstanding issues hindering nuclear energy
deployment? 


10:18 What are the other challenges to the world’s path to
net-zero? 


12:18 What are the challenges for Asia’s decarbonisation
journey? 


15:56 How can South-east Asia speed up its energy
transition? 


Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W


Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2


Follow David Fogarty on X: https://str.sg/JLM6


Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu


Hosts: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg) & David Fogarty
(dfogarty@sph.com.sg)


Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim


Executive producer: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong


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