In the name of responding to global warming, the nuclear industry throughout the world, including in Japan, is pushing strongly for a great expansion of nuclear power. Also the Japanese government is promoting exports of nuclear power plants to Asia and the rest of the world. Because construction of new nuclear power plants in Japan is declining, the Japanese government and industry are very keen to export nuclear plants, including to Asian countries. They are also lobbying in international fora to have nuclear energy accepted as a project under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Meanwhile, the governments of several Asian countries, including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, are keen to introduce nuclear power.
In order to prevent dangerous climate change, it is necessary for global CO2 emissions to peak and begin falling within the next 10 years. We have so little time to turn the situation around, but it usually takes more than 10 years from planning to commencement of operation of nuclear power plants. Construction of the Olkiluoto-3 plant in Finland began in 2005, but it is already 50% (2 billion Euros) above budget and two and a half years behind schedule. Clearly nuclear power plants are too expensive and will take too long to build to be any use as a response to global warming. In fact, according to an energy scenario recently produced by the International Energy Agency, even if 32 gigawatts (32x1000MW plants, or 2.6 plants a month) of nuclear power were added globally each year to 2050, Greenhouse Gas emissions from the energy sector would only be reduced by 6%, or less than 4% of global GHG emissions.
Besides being of no use in addressing climate change, nuclear energy actually undermines the development and introduction of effective measures to avert global warming: increase of energy efficiency and promotion of renewables. Furthermore, centralized electric power systems based on nuclear energy would obstruct the introduction of small-scale and decentralized energy system. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these alternatives also offer the potential for greater energy independence and energy security, in particular for developing countries.
An expansion of nuclear power will exacerbate the ever-increasing problem of radioactive waste management, as well as increase the risk of major accidents. It will also lead to nuclear proliferation and provoke tension in this region. The Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake, which struck the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant on July 16, 2007, almost one year ago, alerted the world to the danger of an earthquake-induced nuclear disaster ("genpatsu shinsai"), at the same time demonstrated how fragile electricity systems based on nuclear power are.
For these reasons, we demand that:
1. Countries with nuclear industries such as Japan, not give permission or support for proposals to export nuclear power plants and related technology, including to Asian countries;
2. Transfers of energy related technology, including to Asian countries, be restricted to renewables and energy efficiency, and not include nuclear technology;
3. Climate and energy policies not be based on promotion of nuclear energy, but on renewable energy and energy efficiency;
4. Financial support mechanism for measures to prevent dangerous climate change not include nuclear energy;
5. In order to avoid the risk of major accidents caused by earthquakes, existing nuclear power plants should be closed and construction of new nuclear power plants should be stopped.
Endorsed by participants to No Nukes Asia Forum 2008 (NNAF2008)
Dian Abraham (Indonesia)
Fabby Tumiwa (Indonesia)
Won Young Yang (South Korea)
Heonseok Lee (South Korea)
Minki Kim (South Korea)
Boknyeo Kim (South Korea)
Woo King Nien (Taiwan)
Woo Chang Mei De (Taiwan)
Cheng-Yan Kao (Taiwan)
Gloria Kuang-Jung Hsu (Taiwan)
Lee Chou Han (Taiwan)
Fenlan Lai (Taiwan)
Chiung lin chen (Taiwan)
Kang Shih-hao (Taiwan)
Gwo Jin-Chywqan (Taiwan)
Santi Choakchaichamnankit (Thailand)
Korn-uma Pongnoi (Thailand)
Monthien Thammawat (Thailand)
Sairoong Thongplon (Thailand)
Supara Janchitfah (Thailand)
Pipope Panitchapakdi (Thailand)
Jan Beranek (Greenpeace International)
Tessa de Ryck (Greenpeace South East Asia)
Daisuke Sato (Japan)
Ryo Okuda (Japan)
Kubo Yasuyuki (Japan)
Manami Suzuki (Japan)
Hideyuki Ban (Japan)
Phillip White (Japan/Australia)
Kuniko Takagi (Japan)
Noboru Kobayashi (Japan)
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