6. Low-carbon energy

6.1 Decarbonized energy sources

The carbon content of energy can be reduced by substituting natural gas for coal, and by increasing the share of nuclear power and renewables in the energy mix.

However, there are still many obstacles to overcome:

• nuclear power is confronted with the high level of investment required and the reluctance of public opinion in many countries, following the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents. As a result, nuclear power's share of the world's electricity supply has fallen sharply, from 17.5% in 1996 to just over 10% in 2019.