Despite a big backlash, Brussels labels gas and nuclear as sustainable
Ignoring the furious backlash and accusations of greenwashing, the European Commission has decided to move forward with its highly controversial plans to label gas and nuclear activities as sustainable, hoping the two sectors can help the bloc meet its ambitious roadmap to climate neutrality.
The move has been under discussion for months and has been delayed several times due to deep-seated disagreements between EU countries, which have sent public letters and statements to make their cases. Brussels circulated a draft document on New Year's Eve, a highly unusual date that reflects the explosive nature of the matter.
Following the feedback from governments, MEPs and expert groups – which featured "many diverging views", according to EU officials – the Commission has taken the official step of proposing a green label for gas and nuclear energy.
As a result, the two sectors will be included in the EU taxonomy, a technical rulebook that allows private and public investors to make informed choices about climate-conscious investments.
The taxonomy covers a long list of projects that make a "substantial contribution" to at least one environmental objective of the EU's climate policy while avoiding significant harm to any of the other five. The system has already labelled sectors such as solar energy, geothermal, hydrogen, wind power, hydropower and bioenergy as green.
The entrance of gas and nuclear into the taxonomy has raised the alarm among several member states and outraged civil society organisations, which have repeatedly warned the tweak will undermine the bloc's climate transition and violate the Paris Agreement.
Spain has said the plans "make no sense," while Austria and Luxembourg have invoked the possibility of a legal
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