On March 10, 2026, at the 2nd Nuclear Energy Summit held in Paris, France, China, Brazil, Belgium and other countries officially announced their accession to the Tripling Nuclear Energy Declaration. This has increased the total number of participating countries in this international initiative from the initial 22 to 38, injecting strong impetus into the global green and low-carbon energy transition and climate governance.

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Declaration: Global nuclear power installed capacity to triple by 2050

Launched jointly by France and 22 other countries during the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in December 2023, the Tripling Nuclear Energy Declaration sets a clear core target: to raise global nuclear power installed capacity to three times the 2020 level by 2050. This initiative helps achieve global net-zero emissions by the middle of the century and fulfill the goal of limiting global temperature rise to within 1.5°C under the Paris Agreement.

The Declaration is not merely a target initiative; it includes 11 specific joint actions, forming a clear global roadmap for nuclear energy development:

Safety and Sustainability

Uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants and the proper long-term management of nuclear waste.

Addressing Financing Challenges

Promote innovative financing mechanisms, mobilize global investment, and support the construction of nuclear energy projects.

Expanding Diversified Applications

Advance the extension of nuclear energy from power generation to industrial decarbonization sectors such as heating, hydrogen production and seawater desalination, and support the development of advanced technologies including small modular reactors (SMRs).

Strengthening Industrial Resilience

Enhance cooperation in the global nuclear industrial chain and supply chain to guarantee the stable supply of nuclear fuel and key equipment.

Tapping Existing Potential

Extend the service life of operational nuclear power units through technological upgrading to efficiently increase the supply of clean energy.

China’s Accession: Injecting Vital Strength into Global Goals

Shan Zhongde, Director General of the China Atomic Energy Authority, announced China’s accession to the Declaration on behalf of the Chinese side at the Summit. He stated that achieving the global goal of tripling nuclear energy by 2050 requires solidarity and joint efforts from all countries. Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China is ready to work with all parties to advance nuclear energy technological innovation, safety governance, industrial collaboration and win-win cooperation, contributing Chinese wisdom, solutions and strength to the global clean energy transition.

As the country with the world’s largest nuclear power capacity under construction and one of the top-ranked in total installed capacity, China boasts a fully independent and controllable whole nuclear industry chain. The localization rate of key nuclear equipment exceeds 90%, enabling large-scale, batch and low-cost nuclear power construction. China’s accession is regarded as a crucial step for the delivery of the Declaration’s targets, greatly enhancing the certainty and feasibility of achieving the global nuclear energy tripling goal.

Global Consensus: Nuclear Energy as the Core Pillar of Energy Transition

At present, the global energy transition and climate governance are confronted with dual challenges. On the one hand, power demand continues to grow steadily; on the other hand, geopolitical conflicts escalate energy security risks and expose the vulnerability of reliance on fossil fuels. As a clean, stable and large-scale deployable baseload power source, nuclear energy boasts increasingly prominent strategic value.

The signing and expansion of the Tripling Nuclear Energy Declaration marks the deepening global consensus on the pivotal role of nuclear energy in addressing climate change and safeguarding energy security. The Declaration commits to reviewing progress annually during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) to ensure steady advancement of its goals. With the participation and concrete actions of more countries, nuclear energy is evolving into an indispensable core pillar for the world to achieve net-zero emissions.