French President Emmanuel Macron ‘hopes’ Australia will lift nuclear energy ban at COP28

Australia should lift its ban on nuclear energy says French President Emmanuel Macron, as dozens of countries sign up to triple their production of the carbon neutral power source by 2050.

Australia should lift its ban on nuclear energy says French President Emmanuel Macron, as dozens of countries sign up to triple their production of the carbon neutral power source by 2050.

The Coalition has accused Labor of letting Australia fall behind the rest of the world and seized on Mr Macron’s informal remarks in favour of an end to the nuclear moratorium captured in a video on the sidelines of the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai on the weekend.

“I hope that you (Australia) will manage to lift the ban,” Mr Macron told Nuclear for Australia founder Will Shackel when he asked about the role of nuclear power in carbon neutrality.

In the video, Mr Macron said with the best regulation he believed it was a “good decision” to pursue nuclear as part of a carbon-neutral energy mix.

Earlier at the summit Mr Macron said France was planning to relaunch the construction of nuclear reactors for the first time in decades, while continuing to develop renewable energies.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he hopes Australia lifts its nuclear power moratorium. Picture: Mahmoud Khaled / COP28 via Getty Images

France, the UK and US were among 22 nations at the summit who joined a “net-zero nuclear initiative” committing to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

Coalition climate change and energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said due to energy forming such a large part of France’s energy mix, the nation had a “clean grid” and among the cheapest power in Western Europe.

Coalition energy and climate change spokesman Ted O’Brien says Australia is falling behind on nuclear energy under Labor.

“No wonder the likes of President Macron is urging Australia to lift its moratorium,” he said.

Mr O’Brien said Australia had “foolishly isolated itself” by refusing to back the international pledge.

“Getting to net zero requires all technologies to be on the table and that includes zero emissions nuclear energy,” he said.

Mr O’Brien said Labor should “learn from other nations” that are being “far more pragmatic” as they based their policies on “engineering and economics”.

It’s not the first time Mr Macron has offered Australia free political advice, infamously accusing former prime minister Scott Morrison of lying about a ditched French submarine deal, and later cautioning against the acquisition of nuclear-powered vessels.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says nuclear is a “pipe-dream” in the Australian context. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has consistently been scathing of the Coalition’s calls for nuclear, arguing in “nuclear for Australia is a fantasy wrapped in a delusion accompanied by a pipe‑dream”.

At COP28, Mr Bowen joined more than 100 countries supporting a push to triple global renewable energy capacity and double global average annual energy efficiency by 2030.

“We know that renewables are the cleanest and cheapest form of energy – and that energy efficiency can also help drive down bills and emissions,” he said.

“Australia has the resources and the smarts to help supply the world with clean energy technologies to drive down those emissions while spurring new Australian industry.”