Richard Betts, has been one of the lead authors on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 4th, 5th and 6th Assessment Reports. He joined one of the events during COP27’s Science Day, to encourage the increase in more creative and evidence-based solutions for clean energy in order for the world to reach net zero.
Alongside net zero advocates from both Lesotho and the UK, Betts used his platform to engage stakeholders and investors to invest in science to build solutions.
During the event Betts argued for an increase in nuclear power, to help move the world away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. There has been a mixed reactions to this as some countries state that nuclear energy is far too dangerous.
Bett’s worked very closely with the late James Lovelock, who also believed that nuclear was the way forward. Bett’s stated that:
“He [Lovelock] was one of the first environmental scientists to turn around and say, yes, we do need nuclear. He made a lot of us think: ‘Perhaps we do need a re-think on this’.”
His own argument was that:
“Personally, I think we need to throw everything at this problem
—I don’t like to rule anything out.”
Nuclear has already been successful in decarbonising within Canada, France, Sweden and Switzerland.
