P-05-837 Green Energy for the Wellbeing of Future Generations in Wales

This petition was submitted by Welsh Anti Nuclear Alliance, having collected 1,028 signatures online and 288 signatures on paper, a total of 1,316 signatories.

Text of Petition

We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to invest in green renewable energy sources thus reducing the need for fossil fuels and nuclear energy in Wales. More specifically to

• Support emerging low carbon technologies that could put Wales at the forefront of renewable energies and help to slow – down climate change; and
• Invest in energy sources that do not leave a legacy of radioactive waste, spoil heaps and damage to health and the environment.

We applaud the establishment of the "Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015", as it offers a huge opportunity to make long-lasting, positive changes for current and future generations particularly around clean energy.

We agree with the Energy Statement by Lesley Griffiths 6/12/2016 when she said the Assembly has 3 priorities. First, we will reduce the amount of energy we use in Wales. Second, we will reduce our reliance on energy generated from fossil fuels. Third, we will actively manage the transition to a low-carbon economy. However a reduction in nuclear should be included as it's not renewable or a low-carbon option.

Additional Information

Nuclear power stations rely on Uranium to operate and considerable amounts of carbon are released in the mining, milling and separation of the Uranium from the ore and then it has to be transported. Current estimates for Uranium say reserves will last 50 - 70 years and the higher the demand the more and more poor ores will have to be processed. This will lead to a CO2 balance for atomic power, which gets worse and worse over time (J. W. Storm van Leeuwen and P. Smith, 'Nuclear Power: The Energy Balance', www.stormsmith.nl.)

"Nuclear energy is not renewable and Earth's uranium would eventually deplete meaning that we are effectively depriving our future generations from using that in new and maybe less harmful ways in the future." (Sophie Howe - Future Generations Commissioner for Wales 2018 when supporting the Swansea Tidal Lagoon)

"Claims that nuclear power is a 'low carbon' energy source fall apart under scrutiny. Far from coming in at six grams of CO2 per unit of electricity for Hinkley C, as the Climate Change Committee believes, the true figure is probably well above 50 grams - breaching the CCC's recommended limit for new sources of power generation beyond 2030." (Professor Keith Barnham https://theecologist.org/2015/feb/05/false-solution-nuclear-power-not-low-carbon)

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 19/11/2019.

The Committee considered further correspondence from the petitioners and Members noted their disappointment that no response to previous correspondence had been received from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.

However, in light of the fact that decisions over the development of Wylfa Newydd are subject to a planning inquiry and will ultimately be taken by the UK Government, the Committee agreed to close the petition on the basis that there is little further scrutiny that it could usefully contribute to this process.

Full details of the consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 09/10/2018.

Assembly Constituency and Region

• Brecon and Radnorshire
• Mid and West Wales

Further information

• Learn more about the Assembly’s petitions process
• Sign an e-petition
• How the petitions system works