United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs —

Z. Liu

Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs United Nations

New York, United States of America Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to address this important conference shortly after the United Nations High-Level Week, which included the Climate Action Summit and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit.

I wish to congratulate the IAEA for convening this timely dialogue.

Four years have passed since both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change were adopted by world leaders. Significant momentum is growing across governments and all stakeholders to deliver on these agreements.

At the Climate Action Summit, 65 countries and major sub-national economies have committed to net zero emission by 2050.

Over 100 global companies delivered concrete actions to align with the Paris Agreement climate targets.

Millions of youth activists marched all over the world, pressing hard for immediate climate action.

Countries are also demonstrating their commitment to the SDGs through their Voluntary National Reviews and the concrete steps they are taking for implementation.

But this is not enough.

Looking around the world, hunger is on the rise. The rate of poverty reduction has slowed.

Inequalities are increasing, and the negative trends in biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked. Too many people remain vulnerable, including in small island developing states, least developed countries and landlocked developing countries.

We are not on track to meet the SDGs, or to keep the global temperature rise within 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. We must step up, raise ambitions and scale up action.

Distinguished participants, the newly released Global Sustainable Development Report, prepared by an Independent Group of Scientists, reminds us that the need for action is urgent.

We have limited time in which to bring about the transformation we need. The Report identifies six entry points to accelerate integrated actions. One of these is on energy decarbonization with universal access. In the UN Secretary-General’s global call for a decade of action at the SDG Summit, energy, among a few other issues, is also recognized as the specific solution that link up and have impact across the 17 goals.

The global energy transformation must be accelerated to achieve both the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report showed that limiting warming to 1.5ºC is still possible. However, this requires rapid and far-reaching transitions in energy, along with land, industry, buildings, transport and cities. At present, however, we are far from realizing these visions.

Today, there are still 840 million people living in darkness. Three billion are without clean cooking facilities. At the same time, we are facing a 2 per cent annual increase in carbon dioxide emissions, with a record 37 billion tonnes being released in 2018 alone.

Modern renewables are increasing — but must be dramatically scaled up, especially in transport, heating and cooling. We must advance energy efficiency if we are to double energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

Ladies and gentlemen, how can nuclear energy help realize the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change? Let me share with you a few thoughts, drawing on existing analyses, including the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report.

First, with low levels of greenhouse gas emissions, nuclear power contributes to emissions reduction today, and potentially in the future. Existing nuclear power plants have avoided approximately 1 to 2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year when compared with gas or coal alternatives.

Will this climate dividend continue or expand into the future? That will depend on how countries evaluate nuclear power against renewables and other clean alternatives. It also depends on how countries decide to deal with existing nuclear power plants, as two-thirds of today’s nuclear power plants in advanced economies are more than 30 years old.

Second, nuclear technology plays an important role in our society. It can be used to monitor pollution. It helps in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other major diseases. Radiation technology helps to prevent food from spoiling. It helps create new crop varieties, supporting climate change adaptation.

Third, nuclear safety remains a significant public concern, especially after the Fukushima accident and terrorism related fears. The long term management of nuclear waste is still an unresolved issue and needs to be addressed.

Lastly, the cost competitiveness of nuclear power will remain an important issue — as renewable energy has become increasingly more cost competitive than many conventional options. Few private investors are willing to go it alone, given the large capital costs.

Government commitments and public acceptance will be a prerequisite for the development of new nuclear plants.

Excellencies, distinguished participants, readily available technological solutions already exist to make significant headway toward a zero emission future. And we have the roadmap: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Science also tells us it is not too late.

We at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs are firmly committed to support an accelerated energy transition to realize a zero emission future:

First, we will strengthen coordination across the UN system, including reinforcing the secretariat for UN Energy.

Second, we will facilitate international cooperation, strengthen support for global dialogues on energy at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and follow up the UN Decade on Sustainable Energy for All 2014–2024. We will continue to invest in the SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group.

Third, we will leverage the global conferences next year — on sustainable transport in Beijing, and on oceans in Lisbon — to catalyze further action.

Finally, we will continue to promote the synergies between climate action and the broader SDG agenda so as to scale up ambition and commitment in implementation.

I urge everyone to step up your efforts for a better future for all.

I wish you a fruitful meeting.

Thank you.

2.2.2. United Nations Industrial Development Organization — Keynote Address