European Commission declares Nuclear and Gas Green – Get on with that?

By Deutsche Welle

The European Commission has labeled nuclear and gas as sustainable. Critics are calling the step a “green wash” and say it could threaten the bloc’s efforts to become climate-neutral by 2050.

https://www.dw.com/en/european-commission-declares-nuclear-and-gas-to-be-green/a-60614990#:~:text=European%20Commission%20declares%20nuclear%20and%20gas %20 to %20be, %20bloc% 27s% 20bid% 20to% 20become% 20 Climate-neutral % 20by% 202050.

A good way to tell if someone is trustworthy is for them to tell you how trustworthy (trustworthy) they are.

In a proposal presented on Wednesday of this week, the EU Commission stated that certain constraints remain in place. For example, gas plants can only be considered green if the facility switches to low-carbon or renewable gases, such as biomass or hydrogen produced with renewable energy, by 2035.

Nuclear power plant will be considered green if the site is manageable Safe handling of radioactive waste. So far, worldwide, there is no permanent landfillwent into operation.

At a press conference in Brussels, Mairead McGuinness, the EU commissioner responsible for financial services, said her organization has not guilty of “green washing”, ” Because gas and nuclear are labeled as “transitional” energy sources in taxonomy. “Our reputation is still strong,“McGuinness added.

https://www.dw.com/en/european-commission-declares-nuclear-and-gas-to-be-green/a-60614990#:~:text=European%20Commission%20declares%20nuclear%20and%20gas %20 to %20be, %20bloc% 27s% 20bid% 20to% 20become% 20 Climate-neutral % 20by% 202050.

Not everyone is happy.

Environmental groups certainly take this seriously, saying the proposal could jeopardize the EU’s goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Europe wrote that the EU Commission “sacrifices the scientific integrity of classification on the fossil gas altar and the nuclear corridor” and has failed to “redirect financial flows towards real investment”. climate appropriate”.

https://www.dw.com/en/european-commission-declares-nuclear-and-gas-to-be-green/a-60614990#:~:text=European%20Commission%20declares%20nuclear%20and%20gas %20 to %20be, %20bloc% 27s% 20bid% 20to% 20become% 20 Climate-neutral % 20by% 202050.

It is a comprehensive article and well worth reading.

What happens next?

The European Commission’s classification proposal will now be considered by the 27 EU member states and the European Parliament.

When the EU executive chooses a mandated action, a type of expedited legislative procedure, only a total of 20 EU states, or a majority of EU lawmakers in the European Parliament, can refuse it. .

Although EU states are unlikely to refuse the classification, a victory in the European Parliament remains uncertain. MPs from across the political spectrum have expressed anger over the inclusion of fossil gas and nuclear power in the EU’s classification system.

Green lawmaker Rasmus Andresen said he was “disappointed” by the proposal, adding that the group of Green MPs would fight vigorously to rally a majority against classification.

German Social Democratic Party member Joachim Schuster told DW he thought it was possible the European Parliament could vote against the legislation.

And even as lawmakers back it, another threat looms: Austria and Luxembourg threatened to sue European Commission on classification rules.

https://www.dw.com/en/european-commission-declares-nuclear-and-gas-to-be-green/a-60614990#:~:text=European%20Commission%20declares%20nuclear%20and%20gas %20 to %20be, %20bloc% 27s% 20bid% 20to% 20become% 20 Climate-neutral % 20by% 202050.