Misconceptions

The electrification of heating, while controversial, has significantly lower CO2 emission factors in France than gas heating, about 80 gCO2e/kWh according to the calculation methods recommended by the ADEME, compared to 180 to 210 gCO2e/kWh for gas.

The most comprehensive studies on the subject are clear, the continued operation of nuclear power plants would have reduced German CO₂ emissions by tens of millions of metric tons each year. Keeping in mind that the carbon footprint for one passenger on a round trip Paris-New York flight is about 1.5 metric tons of CO₂.

Nuclear power is a low-carbon energy. Compared to fossil fuels, nuclear-related CO₂ emissions are very low, similar to renewables like wind and solar.

Nuclear power plants release water vapor, a powerful greenhouse gas, but it rapidly condenses into precipitation due to the limited ability of air to store it. These emissions therefore do not contribute to the increase in the greenhouse effect.