EU Court Allows Climate Label for Nuclear Power and Natural Gas
Luxembourg (dpa) – According to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, the EU Commission may continue to classify nuclear power and gas as climate-friendly. A lawsuit by Austria against the so-called taxonomy was dismissed by the judges in Luxembourg, as the court announced. Austria can still appeal the ruling to the next higher instance, the Court of Justice of the European Union.
EU aims to promote sustainable investments
The taxonomy is a kind of quality seal for sustainable financial products. The classification system is intended to support companies as well as citizens in sustainable investments. Austria criticizes that nuclear energy and fossil gas are classified as a significant contribution to adapting to climate change. Vienna accused Brussels of “greenwashing,” meaning that something is labeled as climate-friendly even though it is not. Austria receives support from environmental organizations that also filed lawsuits against the classification.
The EU court had no objections to the EU Commission’s assessment of nuclear energy and gas. Economic activities are thus generally considered sustainable under the EU taxonomy regulation.
Also, so-called transitional economic activities – for which there are no technically and economically viable low-CO2 alternatives – can be sustainable under this EU regulation. Investments in gas or nuclear power plants, for example, are considered climate-friendly if they use the currently lowest-emission technologies.
Judges: Nuclear energy and gas contribute to supply security
The Luxembourg judges stated that the generation of nuclear energy causes almost no greenhouse gas emissions and that there are currently no sufficient alternative technologies available to continuously and reliably meet energy demand.
The court also noted that gas could contribute to climate protection. The background is that gas power plants can replace the even more climate-damaging coal power plants. The EU climate label is part of a “gradual approach aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in stages while ensuring supply security,” the judges emphasized.
“A black day for the climate,” said the board of the environmental organization Greenpeace Germany, Martin Kaiser, after the decision. With this classification, billions would flow into gas and nuclear, instead of advancing the rapid transition to renewable energies. Greenpeace is pursuing a lawsuit with the same direction before the European Court. (September 10)
