Green party ends blanket opposition to nuclear power

The Green party of England and Wales has voted to drop its longstanding opposition to nuclear power. Members at the party’s conference adopted a motion that removes the “blanket opposition to nuclear fission” from policy. The change commits the party to assessing nuclear projects alongside other low-carbon technologies, though electricity generation policy still prioritises offshore wind, onshore wind, and rooftop solar.

Policy shift and leadership reaction

Green MP Carla Denyer said the decision recognises a role for nuclear while the country moves towards an electricity system based primarily on renewables. “This evolution of our policy does not commit the party to backing new nuclear, but accepts this power source is here to stay for now, while we transition to electricity generation based primarily on renewable sources,” she said. Denyer added that keeping existing nuclear stations running could be a low-carbon option, since a significant proportion of their carbon footprint comes from construction. “So if I were energy secretary, my evidence-based approach would be to keep existing nuclear plants in operation, but to consider proposals for new nuclear power very carefully, bearing in mind the cost, speed and environmental impacts.”

The shift marks a reversal from Denyer’s own comments in 2023, when she described nuclear energy as “incredibly slow and incredibly expensive” and said renewables were “simply the way forward”. Party leader Zack Polanski previously compared investment in new nuclear reactors to “creating a fax machine”. Last year, then co-leader Adrian Ramsay criticised government support for Sizewell C, saying money would be better spent on insulating homes.

Internal debate and expert criticism

Eugene McCarthy, co-founder of Greens for Nuclear and a supporter of the motion, said the climate crisis demands a pragmatic approach. “We are at the throw-the-kitchen-sink-at-it phase of the climate crisis where you cannot be ruling anything out for things like Chernobyl happening in the 1980s,” he said. McCarthy explained the motion lets elected members assess proposals case by case, so they could support extending the lifetime of Sizewell B if the numbers add up, or reject other projects. He acknowledged Polanski’s past criticism, saying the leader is still entitled to his views but can now take a nuanced position.

But Professor Andrew Stirling, who has advised government on nuclear power and energy policy, called the move “completely irrational”. He questioned why a party that pioneered concerns about nuclear power would shift its position, arguing that all authoritative sources agree climate action is faster, more affordable and more impactful with combined renewables and storage. McCarthy countered that renewables are cheaper and quicker to roll out, but nuclear can help with baseload issues.