nuclear-news

Over 100 European non government organisations urge the European Commission to block nuclear power from being accepted as a clean green investment

NGOs press Germany to block nuclear, gas green status  https://www.montelnews.com/news/1272742/ngos-press-germany-to-block-nuclear-gas-green-status SIOBHAN HALL, Brussels, 16 Nov 2021   

Montel) More than 100 NGOs from across Europe have urged Germany to ensure nuclear and natural gas-fired power plants do not qualify as “green” investments under the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy.

They expressed concern in a letter to future German chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday that the European Commission was finalising the rules for nuclear and natural gas while Germany was focused on forming its new government.

The country has committed to phase out nuclear power by the end of next year and the NGOs urged Scholz to “take an equally clear stance” against nuclear power and natural gas in EU level rules. 
An unofficial draft paper circulating in Brussels recently set out potential criteria for including gas-fired power plants and nuclear as green as part of new taxonomy proposals.

EU pressure

In October, 10 EU countries led by France signed a joint declaration urging the EC to recognise nuclear and natural gas as sustainable activities according to the taxonomy.

Doing so would make it cheaper to finance and build new nuclear power plants, said the Czech Republic’s deputy prime minister Karel Havlicek at the time.

The other countries involved were Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

On Sunday, environmental group Greenpeace attacked the EC over potential plans to define gas and nuclear as green against the backdrop of a “weak” agreement made at the conclusion of COP26 climate talks in Glasgow.  

“Over the last two weeks of climate talks, the European Commission has supported fast-track funding for new gas terminals and pipelines, and labelled gas, nuclear energy and industrial farming as sustainable and eligible for green funding,” said the group. 

November 16, 2021 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, EUROPE