Countries that backed renewables over nuclear power have cut more CO2

By Adam Vaughan

Wind turbines off the south coast of the UK

Geoff Smith/Alamy

Nations that embraced renewable energy have significantly cut their carbon emissions, but those pursuing nuclear power failed to do so, researchers have found.

Nuclear and renewables are seen as two key ways for governments to decarbonise, but the question of whether one is more effective for tackling climate change hasn’t been fully addressed. With several countries on the brink of deciding whether to back new nuclear plants to meet carbon targets, the answer matters.

To find out, Benjamin Sovacool at the University of Sussex, UK, and his colleagues looked …