Damian Carrington, Berlin - Wednesday 23 May 2012 08.15 BST

Critics of the atomic phase-out said energy emissions, costs and imports would all rise. They were wrong.

With the UK taking another step towards supporting new nuclear power on Tuesday – at either no extra cost to the consumer if you believe ministers, or substantial cost if you believe most others – it's worth taking a look at what actually happens when you phase out nuclear power in a large, industrial nation.

This report is a WWF and Ecofys collaborative work which shows that all of the world’s energy needs could be provided cleanly, renewably and economically.

It demonstrates that by 2050, power, transport, industrial and domestic energy needs could be met overwhelmingly from renewable sources vastly reducing anxieties over energy security, pollution and not least, catastrophic climate change.

The report also investigates the most critically important political, economic, environmental and social choices and challenges and encourages their further debate.

zerocarbonbritain2030 is a positive, realistic vision for an energy progressive society free from fossil fuels. It provides political, economic and technological solutions to the urgent challenges raised by climate science. It explores the synergies between sectors to create the first fully integrated solution to climate change.

The Low-carbon Strategy from the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University identifies the policies needed to deliver an 80 per cent cut in carbon emissions from UK homes by 2050. These cuts are achievable but will require a quantum leap in commitment from Government and a radical new approach.