According to Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Germany’s reconsideration of nuclear energy would be a logical step.
Speaking at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, Grossi remarked that Germany is the only nation to have fully abandoned nuclear power and suggested that German policymakers might reflect on why other countries have not done the same.
“It seems logical to me. It’s a rational stance,” Grossi stated, adding that nuclear plants produce minimal greenhouse gas emissions, which are harmful to the climate. He expressed that giving up nuclear power is “a very bad idea” for the planet.
Last week, Germany’s opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) criticized the government’s shutdown of the last nuclear power plants in April 2023 as an ideologically driven mistake by the current center-left coalition. The CDU now argues that it’s essential to reassess whether restarting the plants “under acceptable technical and financial conditions” is still feasible.
The shutdown was initially prompted by former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) following concerns over the Fukushima disaster in Japan. Grossi, however, emphasized that he respects Germany’s decision, noting that he does not challenge democratically made choices by member states.
