Nuclear Power and a Balanced Energy Policy

That the Parliament endorses the Scottish Executive’s target of generating 40% of electricity from renewables, its promotion of energy efficiency and its stipulation that the safe storage of radioactive waste must be addressed before decisions can be made about new nuclear development; notes that the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management has reported that permanent geological storage is the appropriate solution for safe storage of such waste; believes that reduction of CO2 emissions must be the main priority for planning for the future; notes that fossil fuel power stations in Scotland are emitting 18 million tonnes of CO2 per year; recognises that older power stations will eventually have to be decommissioned; welcomes the Executive’s stated objective of maintaining Scotland’s share of the British electricity generation industry; concurs with the view of respected environmental scientist, Professor James Lovelock, that nuclear energy is “an essential part of a portfolio of energy sources”; notes that in 2001 a Swiss study of large-scale energy sources around the world found nuclear electricity generation to be the safest of all large-scale energy sources; understands the support for nuclear developments in East Lothian, Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire and Caithness, and looks forward to the development of replacement nuclear power stations in Scotland to meet our needs for baseload electricity while reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.