On the 10th, the second Global Nuclear Energy Summit was held in Paris, France. Government representatives, heads of international organizations, and representatives of enterprises and research institutions from over 60 countries, including China, attended the conference to discuss the theme of "safe and accessible nuclear energy". This summit aims to promote consensus among countries on the development of nuclear power, attract more countries to join the "Triple Global Nuclear Capacity by 2050" initiative, and promote progress in nuclear power financing mechanisms. The world needs nuclear energy because it is an important source of progress, prosperity, and independence. ”French President Macron stated in his opening speech that nuclear energy can achieve three key goals simultaneously: enhancing economic competitiveness, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthening energy independence. As the host country of the summit, France has long held an important position in the global nuclear energy industry, with about 70% of its electricity structure coming from nuclear power. The French government has decided to construct six new EPR2 reactors and plans to build eight more in the future. Currently, the global energy landscape is undergoing profound changes. The military conflicts in the Middle East, geopolitical risks, and fluctuations in energy prices have once again made energy security a focus of policy attention. At the same time, the pressure of climate change continues to increase, and countries are accelerating their efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The International Energy Agency predicts that global electricity demand will increase to approximately 2.5 to 3 times its current level by 2050. The revival of nuclear energy has become a truly global trend. ”The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Grossi, stated that electrification, digitization, and the development of artificial intelligence are changing the global energy demand structure. With the continuous increase of new infrastructure such as data centers, the demand for stable and reliable power supply in society has significantly increased, prompting more and more countries to reassess the role of nuclear energy in their energy structure. He pointed out that in recent years, international financial institutions have begun to re-examine the financing of nuclear energy projects, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has signed cooperation agreements with institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Currently, nuclear power accounts for approximately 10% of global electricity production. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that nuclear power can reduce approximately 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. In December 2023, multiple countries signed the "Triple Nuclear Declaration" at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Dubai, with the goal of increasing global nuclear power installed capacity to three times that of 2020 by 2050. This summit will discuss this goal and promote more countries to participate in nuclear energy cooperation. New changes have emerged in the discussion of European nuclear energy policy. European Commission President von der Leyen said that Europe had reduced the proportion of nuclear energy in the energy structure for a period of time, which was a "strategic mistake" and kept Europe away from a reliable and low emission energy source. The European Commission announced the establishment of a € 200 million guarantee mechanism to support investment in innovative nuclear energy technologies. Some countries that had planned to gradually phase out nuclear power have also begun to re-examine their relevant policies. Belgian Prime Minister De Wever stated that the past withdrawal from nuclear power without establishing a stable alternative has limited the space for energy policy. The Belgian federal government has decided to give nuclear energy a more important position in the future energy structure. At the same time, emerging economies and developing countries have shown a significant increase in interest in nuclear energy. Rwandan President Kagame stated that new technologies such as small modular reactors provide a new development path for countries with smaller power grids, and their flexibility and modular characteristics are particularly suitable for African countries, which will help Rwanda achieve energy structure diversification and promote industrial development. In recent years, global nuclear energy investment has shown a trend of recovery. According to data from the International Energy Agency, global nuclear energy investment has grown by about 50% in the past five years, showing a clear upward trend. Multiple countries are advancing new nuclear power plant projects, and small modular reactors have become an important direction for industrial development. Compared to traditional nuclear power plants, small modular reactors have smaller volumes, shorter construction periods, more controllable investment scales, and more flexible site selection. China has made positive progress in the field of advanced nuclear energy technology. The world's first fourth generation nuclear power plant, the high-temperature gas cooled reactor demonstration project, has been completed and put into operation; China's first land-based commercial modular small pressurized water reactor, "Linglong 1," is expected to be connected to the grid for power generation this year; The research on controllable nuclear fusion is gradually moving from scientific verification to engineering stage. Although nuclear energy development is showing a rebound trend, it still faces problems such as long project construction cycles, large investment scales, and complex financing structures. How to establish a more stable and diversified financing mechanism has become an important topic of discussion at the summit. In addition, issues such as nuclear waste disposal, safety supervision, talent cultivation, and supply chain stability also need to be addressed through cooperation among countries. (New Society)