Cape Town became the unlikely epicenter of a quiet but consequential shift in global energy politics this April, as South Africa officially launched its G20 presidency with an ambitious rethinking of energy transition strategies. Unlike the solar and wind-centric narratives that have dominated international climate forums, this moment was defined by the reassertion of nuclear energy as an indispensable pillar of future energy systems. Spearheading this effort alongside the G20 was the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), entering its second year of formal collaboration with the forum.
This partnership—first initiated under Brazil’s presidency in 2024—signals more than policy continuity. It reflects a growing international recognition that decarbonization cannot be achieved through intermittency alone, and that nuclear energy, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs), offers a resilient, dispatchable option for both industrialized and developing economies seeking sovereignty and sustainability.
Africa’s Presidency, Africa’s Priorities
South Africa’s leadership of the G20 represents not just geographic symbolism but an ideological pivot. For the first time, the G20’s clean energy narrative is being shaped by a Global South nation with both operational nuclear experience and a continent-wide view of development. Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa emphasized that nuclear power is not a luxury of the elite but a strategic necessity for ensuring energy justice, energy security, and scientific progress for emerging economies.
His framing of nuclear energy as foundational for sovereignty and digital-era advancement placed the technology squarely within a developmentalist agenda—one that resonates with many African states that have begun laying nuclear groundwork in partnership with the IAEA. Egypt, for example, is building four reactors, while Ghana and Kenya are developing infrastructure with a particular focus on SMRs. These countries aren’t chasing prestige—they’re seeking stable baseload power essential for health, industry, and education.
Reframing the Nuclear Narrative: Realism Over Rhetoric
The tone of the event and subsequent discussions reflect what Ramokgopa called a “return to realism”. This pragmatism contrasts sharply with earlier decades, where nuclear energy was often sidelined due to political risk and public skepticism. Today, however, the urgency of net-zero targets and a rising distrust in overpromised renewable timelines have created space for a more balanced dialogue.
Countries like Italy and the United Arab Emirates offered telling endorsements. Italy is restructuring its domestic policy to reintroduce nuclear via advanced modular reactors and a new regulatory framework, while the UAE’s Barakah plant—already powering a quarter of the country’s electricity grid—was highlighted as a case study in successful deployment. These examples point to a geopolitical shift: nuclear energy is being reframed not just as a tool of decarbonization, but of state resilience.
Money Talks: The Cost of Clean Energy Credibility
Despite growing enthusiasm, financing remains the Achilles’ heel of nuclear deployment. This issue was addressed directly in a dedicated session on project financing, featuring input from the IAEA, International Energy Agency, and G20 country delegates. Beyond technology, the central barrier is confidence: investors need assurance that nuclear projects will be delivered on time, on budget, and with sufficient political support to weather multi-decade horizons.
This is particularly acute for developing countries, where capital costs and creditworthiness are often limiting factors. Yet SMRs offer a promising inflection point, lowering barriers to entry through modularity, smaller footprints, and potential for public–private investment structures. What’s needed now is multilateral action to create financing instruments tailored to nuclear—such as green bonds, sovereign risk insurance, and regional project consortia.
From Forum to Framework: Will the G20 Lead or Linger?
The most significant implication of the IAEA’s engagement with the G20 under South Africa’s presidency is not technical—it’s institutional. By centering nuclear energy in high-level G20 dialogues, the conversation has expanded beyond national ambition to a shared recognition that decarbonization must be inclusive, reliable, and strategically financed.
This G20 cycle could mark the beginning of a new era in which nuclear energy is normalized not only for industrial powerhouses but for emerging economies across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Whether this momentum materializes into long-term financing and deployment frameworks remains to be seen. But South Africa’s presidency has already ensured that the question is no longer whether nuclear belongs in the energy transition, but rather how it can be equitably scaled.
A Final Note
The IAEA’s collaboration with the G20 under South Africa’s leadership is more than a policy engagement—it’s a recalibration of global energy governance. By bringing nuclear power into a broader conversation about equity, resilience, and realistic decarbonization, this partnership positions emerging economies not as passive recipients of energy aid, but as architects of their own sustainable futures. What unfolds in 2025 may well shape the contours of a more inclusive and technologically balanced energy order.
