The G7 Alliance Gaining Independence from Russian Nuclear Power

What is the G7 alliance?

In April 2023, five G7 nations teamed up to reduce their reliance on Russian nuclear fuel; the alliance came about at the ‘G7 Ministers - Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment’ in Sapporo, Japan.

Cooperation between Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States (named the Sapporo Five) was created to reduce, and eventually phase out the influence which Russia has on the global nuclear supply chain.

Due to the extreme energy crisis  most of the world plummeted into, partly because of the Russia and Ukraine war, the dependence on Russian energy was brought into the limelight, showing many countries the need for energy independence, especially when it comes to nuclear power. This alliance would be the first step towards resolving or preventing the nuclear crisis for all of the countries involved or affected by the dependence on Russian nuclear power.

Why has the alliance been reiterated?

COP28 in Dubai has brought an opportunity for the Sapporo Five to come together and discuss strengthening and reiterate the alliance.

Recognising the progress made and initial feedback on the alliance is imperative for real change. The latest announcement has built on the initial pledge made in April earlier this year.

What will be invested in nuclear power?

A planned £3.3bn in total government-led and private investment over the next three years has been announced, bringing much-needed investment into the nuclear energy industry across the globe. This is planned due to the recognised need to triple nuclear energy generation by 2050 and the increased resilience of supply chains.

All five countries intend to promote public and private and private investment in enriched uranium production capacity, all free from Russian material, this will lead to enabling secure reliable nuclear fuel supplies.

They said in a statement:

“Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States share common visions of democracy as well as safe and secure global economic and energy systems. Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and the increasing impacts of climate change have fundamentally altered the global energy landscape and accelerated the need for collaboration between like-minded allies.”

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The G7 alliance, named Sapporo Five, intend to eventually end the reliance on Russian nuclear energy, and Russian materials, creating much-needed security in the energy market to stop any future energy price spikes or availability issues related to Russian supplies.