Researchers: the Misinterpretation of the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change, advocates of nuclear power

– To say that nuclear power is necessary to reach climate targets is a misinterpretation of the IPCC report, says Joeri Rogelj, a climate scientists and a lead author of the report.

He explains that the IPCC report contains a diversified image of nuclear power is and gives several examples of what is in the report's chapter 2 on energy. It shows that in the various examples are large span in both renewable energy sources such as nuclear power, and the big teams reflects the uncertainty in both the technical development as a strategic choice. There are no recommendations to build out nuclear power.

the Report finds scenarios that either scaling up or phasing out nuclear power altogether around the middle of the century. To decide which road to be taken is a strategic issue and the need to take into account social preferences and acceptance, " says Joeri Rogelj.

the public in the fall, stated that there is a big difference in the effects of a warming of 1.5 degrees compared to 2 degrees. And to half a degree less warming could mean big gains for people as well as nature. It ruled that it is still possible to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, but that it then required a rapid and extensive changes of the entire society on a scale that is unprecedented. Emissions of greenhouse gases must quickly reduce and is halved already by the year 2030.

the IPCC do not do their own studies, the basis for the global report is a series of scientific reports which are then compiled. As a researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems in Austria, Joeri Rogelj himself made any of the studies when the energy. Because nuclear power exists today in the global in the mix, so was it also with the in the studies that were used. When the report was made, there were no studies in which no nuclear included.

on to the IPCC's main report shows several different suggestions and not notes that an expansion of nuclear power is necessary in order to achieve the climate targets.

– So here we write in chapter 2: ”There are big differences in kärnkraftskapacitet in the models and scenarios. One of the reasons for this is that the future use of nuclear power can be limited by societal preferences. Some of the 1.5 degree scenarios sees no role for nuclear power at the end of the century, while others expect an expansion of nuclear power.”

The great report is summarized in a much shorter version that caters to the decision-makers, and is called the ”Summary for policy makers”. And the reason for the perception that nuclear power is necessary in order to achieve the climate objectives can be found in an illustration in the summary.

– Very often watching people on the graphics 3B contained in the summary. The graphic shows four different scenarios, which were selected for their diverse mix of deforestation, bio-energy with carbon dioxide capture, and reduced energy consumption. Each of these scenarios include nuclear power, but it is important to know is that they have not been selected to be representative of kärnkraftsanvändningen in the scenarios for temperaturmålet 1.5 degrees, " says Joeri Rogelj.

Read more: Historical shift is required to curb the warming