UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Alok Sharma as full-time president of the UN COP26 climate conference, with Kwasi Kwarteng replacing Sharma as secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The COP26 president will be based in the Cabinet Office, continuing as a full member of Cabinet, and will chair the Climate Action Implementation Committee to coordinate government action towards net zero by 2050 in the run up to COP26, which will be held in Glasgow this November.

Japan will need nuclear power if it is to realise the government's carbon neutrality goal and should therefore restart idled nuclear reactors as soon as possible, as well as work to extend their operating lifetimes and build new nuclear capacity, the heads of the Japanese Atomic Industry Forum and the Japan Iron and Steel Federation have said in separate New Year messages.

UK Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said he looks forward to “a year of delivery” in 2021, following the publication of the Energy White Paper on 14 December. In an interview with Chris Lambert, director of the Westminster Energy Forum, Kwarteng explained some of the ministerial thinking behind the White Paper and provided further background on the government’s strategy for reaching net-zero by 2050.

A Brussels-based alliance of NGOs, weCARE, has written to the European Commission, Parliament and Council to urge "a more favourable evaluation at EU level" of nuclear energy for a larger projected share in the future very low-carbon energy mix, in combination with renewable sources, "thereby avoiding a gas lock-in effect".

"It would not be a stretch to describe 2020 as an unforgettable year, with the on-going coronavirus pandemic having caused tremendous suffering and economic hardship across the world, and turning everyone's life upside down," writes World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León. "But this year has shown us that we can come together as a global community to fight a common adversary." Bilbao y León took over the reins of the London-headquartered organisation in October.

The UK-EU post-Brexit deal has been signed into UK law. The EU (Future Relationship) Bill first moved through the House of Commons, where it was passed in a vote split 521 in favour and 73 against, was then moved to the House of Lords, where it was passed without a vote, and the Queen then gave the final approval, Royal Assent. The deal takes effect at 23:00 GMT on 31 December.

The European Commission aims to be a model for promoting sustainable development, building on its demonstrated success in being a low-carbon region among developed countries, but the EU Taxonomy could damage that ambition, writes Philippe Costes, senior adviser at World Nuclear Association.

While still primarily relying on coal to meet its energy needs, China says it is committed to playing its part in the global fight against climate change. A white paper published yesterday by the State Council says the country will increase the share of clean energy sources, including nuclear, in its energy mix.

Polish climate and environmental activists are asking Germany to reconsider its 2011 decision to phase out nuclear power. On 18 December, activists from the FOTA4Climate initiative submitted to the German embassy in Warsaw an open letter signed by Polish scientists, intellectuals, activists and citizens.

The Canadian government has launched a strategy that sees low-carbon and zero-emission hydrogen fuel technology as a key part of the nation's path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The strategy is underpinned by a federal investment of CAD1.5 billion (USD1.2 billion) in a Low-carbon and Zero-emissions Fuels Fund to increase the production and use of low-carbon fuels, including hydrogen.

The UK government has announced it will begin talks with EDF to enable investment in the planned Sizewell C nuclear power plant project. Today's announcement was part of the Energy White Paper that outlines "historic plans" to clean up the country's energy system and "keep bills affordable" as it transitions to net zero, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said.

Global electricity demand is set to decline 2% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the International Energy Agency's first ever Electricity Market Report, which was published today. Nuclear power generation is set to fall by about 4% this year, it says. Global electricity demand is forecast to grow by around 3% next year.