Paul Allen, CAT Development Director said:

“British nuclear decommissioning liabilities from the past 30 years have been estimated at £60 billion. This, plus the costs of security, safe transport and storage of waste must be taken into account in the true price we pay for nuclear power.

“Nuclear power currently makes up only 3.6% of the national energy mix. Even the most optimistic advocates of new nuclear power stations estimate that they won’t come online before 2017, most likely after 2020 – providing carbon savings too little, too late.

“In addition, if Britain makes nuclear a core component of its response to climate change, many other developing economies will follow suit. It will then be very hard to make a case why we are allowed nuclear technology, when others are not, yet must also meet their climate change targets.

“Renewable technologies can deliver, without an economic legacy or a foreign policy dilemma.”

In July, CAT will launch zerocarbonbritain: a blueprint to secure a sustainable energy future. It will demonstrate how Britain  can negate the need for nuclear power through increased efficiency and renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions to near zero by 2027.

The report addresses the urgent concerns of oil depletion, climate change and global equity.