Open letter to Chris Bowen: Give nuclear energy a fair hearing at COP31
10 November 2026
The Hon Chris Bowen MPCOP31 President of Negotiations Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Dear Minister Bowen,
COP31 opened a decade after the Paris Agreement entered into force. Global temperatures averaged more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in 2024, and Carbon Brief projects that the annual average could reach around 1.7°C in 2027. The UN Environment Programme now expects long-term warming to far overshoot 1.5°C. How much warming exceeds that goal, and for how long, still depends on how quickly we cut emissions.
We are individuals and organisations from Australia and around the world that support the peaceful use of nuclear energy as part of the clean energy transition. At COP28, parties agreed to accelerate zero- and low-emissions technologies, explicitly including nuclear energy alongside renewables. At COP31, countries pursuing nuclear power to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels should have a fair opportunity to build on that agreement.
Nuclear power has a proven record of cutting emissions while supplying reliable electricity. The International Energy Agency estimates that nuclear generation has avoided 72 billion tonnes of CO₂ since 1971 by reducing the need for coal, oil and gas power plants. Nuclear plants can supply electricity around the clock, including when wind and solar output is low. Extending the life of existing reactors where they can continue to operate safely is also among the lowest-cost ways to supply low-emissions electricity. France shows what this can look like at scale. Nuclear power and hydropower helped it build one of the world’s lowest-emissions electricity systems.
The Paris Agreement recognised the importance of ensuring a just transition for workers. With coal still supplying about a third of the world’s electricity in 2025, it is especially important that coal workers, their unions and the communities that depend on the industry have a say in their future. As Canada’s experience shows, nuclear power offers a viable pathway for workers from coal-fired power stations to move into secure, well-paid jobs in the nuclear industry with funded retraining and recognised qualifications. We ask you to advance the COP21 just transition commitment at COP31, working with unions, employers and communities to plan for new jobs and invest in coal regions well before closures occur.
As President of Negotiations, you are responsible for facilitating agreement among all parties. As Australia’s climate and energy minister, you represent a government that opposes nuclear power at home. We ask you to publicly commit to keeping those roles separate and to running the negotiations impartially, regardless of your own views or the Albanese Government’s domestic policy. Proposals on nuclear energy should receive the same consideration in consultations and draft texts as proposals on other low-emissions technologies.
Türkiye, this year’s COP host, is building its first nuclear power plant and has endorsed the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy. Australia’s allies and trading partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and several EU member states, are investing in new reactors or in restarting, upgrading or extending the life of existing plants. You have acknowledged the role nuclear power plays in other countries.
The World Nuclear Outlook Report shows that over 50 countries have set national nuclear capacity goal and if achieved, global nuclear could reach 1467 GWe by 2050. At COP31, we encourage Australia to support member states that have decided to deploy nuclear energy as part of their energy mix and would welcome Australia to join other countries to explore nuclear energy as part of a clean energy future.
Before COP31 closes, will Australia commit to supporting proposals that help those countries expand nuclear power, and will it endorse the declaration’s collective goal of tripling global nuclear power capacity by 2050?
Australia also has a practical opportunity to contribute to research on advanced reactors. Australia participated in the Generation IV International Forum under its previous agreement and has been invited to sign the 2025 Framework Agreement. Will the Albanese Government sign it and renew Australia’s participation in that research? If the Government declines to endorse the declaration or sign the framework agreement, we ask you to explain why and set out what practical support Australia is prepared to offer.
Australia already supplies uranium to fuel nuclear power overseas and holds the world’s largest known uranium resources. We urge the Albanese Government to use the current review to add uranium to Australia’s Critical Minerals List and work with states to replace blanket mining restrictions with rigorous project assessment and environmental safeguards. We also call on the Commonwealth to lift its prohibition on nuclear power so Australians can assess its merits alongside other clean energy options.
The world has made important progress in deploying clean energy over the past decade, yet global energy-related CO₂ emissions reached a record high in 2025. When governments rule out nuclear power, even where it has public support and could replace fossil fuels, they risk delaying the phase-out of those fuels. That prolongs the emissions driving climate change, and leaves countries exposed to fuel price shocks and supply disruptions. COP31 is your chance to show leadership.
As President of Negotiations at COP31, give nuclear energy a fair hearing to ensure a level playing field at UNFCC negotiations which support all low and zero carbon technology.
Yours sincerely,
The undersigned
WePlanet Australia, Australia
Nuclear for Australia, Australia
Dick Smith AC
Dr James Hansen
Mark Richards, District Secretary, Mining and Energy Union, Victorian District.
Australian Nuclear Association (ANA), Australia
Mothers for Nuclear
WePlanet Poland, Poland
WePlanet Belgium, Belgium
Stand up for Nuclear Belgium.
Nuklearia, Germany
Nuclear New York, USA
WePlanet International
Foreningen Atomkraft Ja Tak, Denmark.
18for0 - Advocating for Clean Energy, Ireland.
Emys Energy
WePlanet Sweden
WePlanet Denmark
Weplanet Africa, Kenya
World Nuclear Association
WePlanet Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
Kenya Young Generation in Nuclear, Kenya
Xerxes Foundation
The Nuclear Society of Kenya, Kenya
The Voices of Nuclear, France
Ecohumans, France
Women in Nuclear Global.