Greenpeace and a raft of other environment groups yesterday issued the EU an ultimatum over its decision to grant some gas and nuclear power stations a “fake” green label under the bloc’s sustainable finance rules.
Eight Greenpeace organizations across Europe, as well as nonprofits ClientEarth, WWF, Transport & Environment and BUND have demanded a review of the decision to include gas and nuclear power in the EU’s green rulebook, known as the taxonomy.
The European Commission has until February to reply, or the groups said they would take the case to the European Court of Justice.
Photo: AFP / Antti Yrjonen / Greenpeace
“Gas is a leading cause of climate and economic chaos, while there is still no solution to the problem of nuclear radioactive waste and the risk of nuclear accidents is far too significant to ignore,” Greenpeace EU sustainable finance campaigner Ariadna Rodrigo said. “This fake green label is incompatible with EU environment and climate laws.”
The complaint is that channeling money to gas projects — albeit with strict conditions attached — is not compatible with the EU’s climate neutrality goal, which is enshrined into law, and the Paris Agreement.
The non-government organizations say that it would take money away from renewable sources of electricity such as wind and solar. Greenpeace highlighted the waste from nuclear power, as well as the long time needed to construct new facilities.
Last week, five nonprofits announced they would leave the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance, which provides technical advice to the EU Commission in protest over the taxonomy.
Austria and Luxembourg are also in the process of taking legal action against the decision, which would enter into force in the New Year after a last-ditch vote on an objection in the European Parliament in July was rejected.
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