Ultra Centrist But Not Super Critical: Blueprint’s Nuclear Plan

Let Me Sum Up

Frankie is back from pod mat leave and Tennant is spruiking recipes from Dungeons & Dragons Heroes’ Feast Cookbooks! (Vol 1 and Vol 2). Pleasantries aside we dive in with our own stocktake of the first Global Stocktake on progress of the Paris Agreement towards achieving its purpose and long-term goals. Due to be discussed in Dubai at COP28 shortly, it’s an important if unsurprising summary of where we’re at: Paris has driven a lot of activity but we are not on track for 1.5C.

And stay tuned for more COP news Sumerupperers as your intrepid hosts are departing for Dubai and will be dissecting all the deliberations for your delight!

Our main paper

Nuclear energy and its potential role in Australia’s future energy mix may be the hottest debate around. Enter, the Blueprint Institute, with their report, ‘The lowest cost net-zero grid: a critical analysis of nuclear energy in Australia.’ Authors Cross, D., Ouliaris, M., Williams, L., Poulton, C., and Lubberink, J contend there may be a small but significant role for small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide clean firming in a close-to-100% renewables grid. Your intrepid hosts unpack the ultra centrist but not super critical findings which suggest some low-to-no regrets measures we can take now in case the appallingly high costs come down post 2040.

One more things

Tennant’s One More Thing is (if you can believe it) CBAM news! The issues paper for the Government’s Carbon Leakage Review is out and Reed wants you to read it! His sneaky twofer is the recent Australia-Tuvalu climate & security treaty.

Frankie’s One More Thing is another shout out for the Careers for Net Zero campaign. With two million workers needed for Australia’s transition there’s no time to waste if you’re net zero career curious - check it out!

Luke’s One More Thing is visiting eminence Josephine Maguire from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland speaking on the SwitchedOn podcast about the mammoth job of running a one-stop-shop for home energy upgrades.

And Frankie’s one more one more thing is a huge shout out to the marvellous Alison Reeve for her stellar run on LMSU the past couple of months! We are looking forward to Alison joining us for our Holiday Movie Special…

… which we’re fission for ideas on! Send your hot tips on climate themed movies to [e-mail], xeet ‘em at @LukeMenzel, @TennantReed, @alison_reeve and @FrankieMuskovic, or blu ‘em at @lukemenzel.bsky.social @tennantreed.bsky.social, @frankiemuskovic.bsky.social and @reevealison.bsky.social.