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Czech Republic: The RE:START Strategy To Coordinate Three Regions’ Energy and Economic Transitions
The RE:START strategy provides a coordinated framework for the Czech Republic's coal-dependent regions—Moravia-Silesia, Usti, and Karlovy Vary—to transition their economies. Since 2017, it has allocated approximately CZK 68 billion ($3.15 billion) toward goals including entrepreneurship, R&D, and infrastructure. While the strategy is praised for its multi-sectoral coordination and long-term financing, it faces challenges such as the lack of an official national coal phase-out date, limited public consultation, and slow project implementation.
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Document type: Case study
Zero-carbon power is a key milestone on the route to net-zero
The document identifies an "unspoken consensus" among the UK, EU, and US that transitioning to zero-carbon power by the 2030s is essential for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. It analyzes official pathways, noting a shared commitment to rapidly phasing out coal and reducing fossil gas, while dramatically scaling up wind and solar power. The briefing highlights a "credibility gap" in other OECD nations, such as Japan and South Korea, which have net-zero targets but lack corresponding coal phase-out commitments.
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Document type: Briefing
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE EESI CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: TOWARDS AN EVIDENCE-BASED NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY
The document argues that U.S. nuclear policy is currently operating in an "information vacuum," with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) often prioritizing licensee cost-savings over public safety and environmental data. It highlights systemic risks in "fast-track" decommissioning, the vulnerability of thin-walled spent fuel canisters to corrosion and failure, and the lack of scientific evidence supporting 80-year license extensions for aging plants. The authors further caution against the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) and the establishment of consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) without comprehensive risk and cost analyses. The briefing concludes with ten recommendations to policymakers, including mandating ASME N3 standards for waste containers, requiring "hot cells" for repackaging damaged fuel, and reforming NRC oversight to reduce regulatory capture.
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Document type: Briefing
TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY
The provided text consists of speaker biographies for a March 30, 2021, briefing titled 'TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY'. The participants include Tim Judson of the Nuclear Information And Resource Service, Leona Morgan, an indigenous community organizer, Paul Gunter of Beyond Nuclear, Ben Wealer from the Berlin Institute of Technology, and physicist Amory Lovins.
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Document type: Briefing
Muddying the waters: our response to BNP Paribas
Reclaim Finance disputes BNP Paribas' claims that its 2020 fossil fuel financing was an exceptional response to the Covid-19 crisis, arguing instead that the bank is the largest European financier of the industry and the 4th largest globally. The organization contends that the bank's sectoral policies are ineffective against oil and gas majors and that its use of the PACTA methodology should not delay immediate action to halt sector expansion.
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Document type: Statement
L'art de noyer le poisson : nous répondons à BNP Paribas
Reclaim Finance disputes BNP Paribas' claims that its 2020 fossil fuel financing was an exceptional response to the Covid-19 crisis or supported companies in transition. The organization highlights that BNP Paribas was the largest European and fourth largest global financier of fossil fuels in 2020, with $41 billion in funding, and argues that the bank's sector policies fail to restrict funding to oil and gas majors despite their lack of alignment with the Paris Agreement.
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Document type: Statement
A no-regret option: South Africa’s nuclear future
The document examines South Africa's history of nuclear energy planning, from the 2008 Nuclear-1 plan to the current 2,500MW nuclear build programme. It identifies critical failures in governance, including the impact of state capture during the Zuma presidency and the resulting financial instability of Eskom. The brief highlights challenges such as aging infrastructure at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant and the SAFARI-1 research reactor, a decline in technical expertise, and budget constraints exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It recommends updating the 2008 Nuclear Energy Policy, improving parliamentary oversight of spending, and ensuring transparency and public consultation to make future nuclear expansion financially viable and safe.
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Document type: Policy brief
The Hinkley Point C ruling
The Court of Justice confirmed that State aid for nuclear power plants is permissible under Article 107(3)(c) TFEU provided it is compatible with the internal market. Crucially, the ruling establishes that EU environmental law—including the precautionary and sustainability principles—applies to the nuclear sector, and any aid to an activity violating these laws is necessarily incompatible with the internal market. ClientEarth argues that the Commission should use this precedent to systematically enforce Green Deal objectives and the 'do no significant harm' principle across all State aid, recommending updated notification forms and stricter compliance checks for climate neutrality targets.
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Document type: Legal commentary
Shareholder climate proposals in Japan
The document analyzes the legal framework for shareholder climate proposals in Japan, noting that amendments to articles of incorporation are the only viable legal pathway for such proposals under the Japanese Companies Act. It highlights a landmark proposal at Mizuho Financial Group that received 34% support and argues that such proposals, while requiring a two-thirds majority to pass, can still influence corporate behavior, as seen with Mizuho's pledge to stop financing coal projects by 2050. The briefing compares these Japanese mechanisms to 'special resolutions' used in the UK and encourages boards and investors to support proposals aligned with the Paris Agreement.
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Document type: Briefing
Nuclear Energy in Ghana
Ghana is pursuing a nuclear power programme to address chronic electricity shortages and support industrialisation, aiming for a plant by 2030. While the country has made significant progress in establishing a regulatory framework and converting its research reactor from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium, it still faces challenges in funding, stakeholder involvement, and the completion of a national strategy. The report also highlights Ghana's extensive use of nuclear technology in medicine, agriculture, and research.
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Document type: Report
Nuclear Power and Governance Frameworks: Egypt, Ghana and South Africa
The report analyzes the varying stages of nuclear energy development in Egypt, Ghana, and South Africa. Egypt is currently constructing a nuclear power plant with Russian assistance, though it faces criticism for a lack of transparency. Ghana is in the early infrastructure-building phase, following the IAEA Milestones Approach. South Africa possesses the continent's only operational plant, Koeberg, but struggles with ageing infrastructure and the financial legacy of previous failed expansion plans. The document emphasizes the importance of robust governance, international non-proliferation commitments, and civil society engagement to ensure the safe and sustainable use of nuclear energy in Africa.
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Document type: Report
“Advanced” Isn’t Always Better
The report argues that most non-light-water reactors (NLWRs) do not provide significant enough improvements over light-water reactors (LWRs) to justify their associated safety, security, and proliferation risks. It specifically evaluates sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), and molten salt reactors (MSRs), finding that claims regarding 'burning' nuclear waste are oversimplified and that the timelines for commercialization are often unrealistic. The author recommends that the US Department of Energy (DOE) prioritize improving existing LWR technology over pursuing immature NLWR designs.
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Document type: Report
Powering Ghana's Economic Development through Nuclear Energy
Ghana is pursuing a nuclear power programme to support its goal of becoming a highly industrialised economy within four decades and to ensure a sustainable electricity supply as natural gas and oil reserves are predicted to be depleted by 2045. Despite a history of nuclear research and the operation of the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) since 1994, the country has faced setbacks due to political instability and military coups. Current efforts are guided by the IAEA's Milestones Approach and Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions, with the government aiming to incorporate nuclear energy by 2029.
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Document type: Report
Nuclear is not a sustainable energy
The statement contends that nuclear energy fails the sustainability criteria of the European taxonomy due to unresolved waste management, pollution from uranium extraction, and high water usage. It further claims that heavy reliance on nuclear power can hinder the deployment of renewable energy and does not significantly lower carbon emissions compared to renewable-based systems.
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Document type: Statement
Le nucléaire n'est pas une énergie durable
Reclaim Finance argues that nuclear energy should be excluded from the European taxonomy because it fails to meet sustainability goals regarding waste management, pollution, and biodiversity. The document claims that nuclear power can hinder the deployment of renewable energy and that the taxonomy is a transparency tool rather than a mechanism that prevents state-funded nuclear investment.
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Document type: Statement
CLIMATE SECURITY AND THE STRATEGIC ENERGY PATHWAY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
The report examines the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and security in Southeast Asia. It identifies key vulnerabilities, including sea level rise threatening megacities and the Mekong Delta, and extreme heat reducing economic productivity. These stressors are analyzed as 'threat multipliers' that exacerbate existing geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, fuel violent extremism through livelihood degradation, and complicate transboundary water management of the Mekong River. The document also highlights the 'energy-climate security nexus,' arguing that the region's continued reliance on coal and the pursuit of civilian nuclear power—often involving long-term partnerships with China and Russia—create new strategic risks. It concludes with a call for 'Climate Security Watch Centers,' carbon drawdown plans for ASEAN states, and a systemic shift toward renewable energy to ensure regional stability.
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Document type: Report
Nuclear Energy in South Africa
The report details South Africa's transition from a secret nuclear weapons programme to a global advocate for nuclear disarmament and peaceful nuclear use. It analyzes the current nuclear governance framework, the state of aging facilities like the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, and the political and financial turmoil surrounding nuclear expansion plans, particularly during the Zuma presidency. The document highlights systemic challenges including state capture, dwindling expertise, and fragmented governance, while outlining the Ramaphosa administration's more cautious approach to adding 2,500MW of nuclear capacity.
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Document type: Report
Powering Ghana’s Economic Development Through Nuclear Energy
The document examines Ghana's history of energy crises and its strategic shift toward nuclear energy to support industrialisation. It details the country's existing nuclear research capabilities, the challenges posed by political instability, and the progress made through IAEA infrastructure reviews.
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Document type: Policy brief
Countdown to Shutdown
The document details the use of the RESOLVE model and the Clean System Power Calculator to evaluate seven scenarios regarding the retirement of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. It focuses on three global warming emissions targets (46 MMT, 38 MMT, and 30 MMT) by 2030 and compares the effects of a 2025 shutdown versus a 20-year extension to 2045. The analysis specifically aims to estimate the resources needed to replace nuclear capacity without increasing emissions and to calculate the resulting differences in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.
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Document type: Report
Countdown to Shutdown
The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that California's current electricity sector planning is insufficient to replace the zero-emissions energy from the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, which is scheduled for retirement in 2024 and 2025. Without further action, the state faces a cumulative increase of 15.5 million metric tons of global warming emissions over the next decade, as existing natural gas plants fill the gap. The report recommends adopting a more ambitious 30 MMT emissions target by 2030 to guarantee full replacement and accelerate decarbonization.
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Document type: Briefing