All eyes are on New York City this week, as world leaders come together for
the U.N. Climate Summit – an event that aspires to shape the national and
global energy future. The U.N. Climate Summit will build global partnerships
among representatives from business, science, advocacy and government sectors.
These partnerships will take action on an essential plan to reduce carbon
pollution and address global climate change.
This plan must include realistic actions that take us toward sustainable
energy solutions, including building renewables and harnessing the strengths of
nuclear energy, which provides 60 percent of clean carbon-free energy in the
U.S. today.
It’s critical that the U.N. act now. An alarming U.N. report released last
week showed that in 2012 carbon dioxide emissions increased significantly –
more than twice the average increase in carbon levels in recent decades. At the
U.N. summit, Pres. Obama will meet with other world leaders to discuss ways to
lower emissions of carbon, methane and other gases contributing to global climate
change.
To do this, leaders around the world are developing initiatives to reduce
pollutants from fossil fuels, doubling energy efficiencies, doubling renewable
energy’s share in the global energy mix, and building access to modern energy
services. Like any parent, I want to leave the Earth better off for my
children, with a solid mix of energy sources that provide a stable life, not
only for them, but also for their children. However, the reality is that as of
yet, renewables like solar and wind can’t deliver the amount of electricity and
heat needed to power our cities. Because of this, reliable nuclear energy
remains a vital source of power that can meet increasing demands without carbon
pollution.
There’s no question among the U.N. leaders that we should be moving toward
renewables; some of the plans on the table this week include a renewable energy
corridor uniting Eastern and Southern Africa and a framework to move the
developing countries toward a greater use of renewables.
However, it’s only common sense to continue to invest in a healthy, diverse
mix of all electricity sources. This will provide a solid foundation for
economic development in developing countries while protecting our planet. While
discussions at the U.N. this week will focus on moving toward sustainable
energy solutions they should also take into account power sources that we know
can deliver 24-hour always-on power cleanly, like nuclear energy.
The summit will attempt to build consensus globally on long-term solutions,
none of which will be easy. The real work will begin when local leaders go home
and begin taking action. As mayor of Dallas, I faced the same concerns these
leaders face every day: balancing the power needs of millions of residents with
meeting state and federal emissions reduction goals.
The global community is at a crossroads when it comes to addressing climate
change. International studies have also shown that if we can’t slow our
progression toward increased temperatures, the world will soon feel the impact
through rising sea level that will damage the health and economy of coastal
cities such as New York.
Forbes.com