Global Utilities: The failure of climate change initiatives will drive new nuclear power build

Table of Contents

• DATAMONITOR VIEW
  • PREDICTION
  • With the 2012 deadline for Kyoto compliance rapidly approaching, the post-Protocol world is struggling to establish a multilateral agenda for tackling climate change.
  • SUMMARY
  • The timeline for the next major global debate on climate change is uncertain. While piecemeal US climate change initiatives gather momentum, America's participation in a multilateral agreement will require Chinese involvement. Europe will continue to lead the abatement agenda, but it cannot block a renaissance of nuclear power.
  • METHODOLOGY
• ANALYSIS
  • The Montreal Action Plan is 'open ended'
  • American industry is preparing for inevitable federal action on climate change
  • Chinese involvement is central to active US participation
  • Flue gas desulphurisation will become the norm for European coal plant
  • A weak European emissions trading scheme will fail to deliver
  • Existing dependence will force Europe's anti-nuclear lobby on to the back foot
  • Nuclear renaissance will centre in Moscow and Beijing
• APPENDIX
  • Further reading
  • Ask the analyst
  • List of Figures
    • Figure 1: China versus America: GDP and emissions growth
    • Figure 2: FGD: how it works
    • Figure 3: Original EU-15 and new member state generation mixes
    • Figure 4: Forecast % breakdown of global nuclear output, 2003 to 2030