Nuclear energy and natural gas can also be regarded as green energy sources within the European Union. The European Parliament last week approved a proposal from the European Commission for a list that will henceforth consider these energy forms as sustainable.
This means EU countries can continue to grant subsidies for investments in both energy sources, helping to meet the Paris climate goals. Nuclear energy is CO2-neutral and natural gas emits less CO2.
A resolution was introduced in the European Parliament to reject this proposal, but that resolution fell short by just a few dozen votes. With this vote in the European Parliament, the way is now clear for more natural gas and nuclear energy in the EU.
"It is a disastrous signal to investors and the rest of the world that the EU now recognizes fossil gas as a sustainable investment. This plan also predates the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It runs counter to the urgent mandate to become independent from Russian gas," said Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout (GreenLeft).
The disappointment is also great for Paul Tang, spokesperson on behalf of the Social Democrats (PvdA): "This vote is a painful and shameful setback for Europe as a leader in the fight against climate change. By embracing this European Commission plan, we institutionalize greenwashing on an unprecedented scale. Europe thus falls from climate leader to climate laggard.
Although gas and nuclear energy are now formally part of the taxonomy for sustainable investments, the governments of Luxembourg and Austria have already announced that they will go to the European Court to contest the decision.
Eickhout, who is chair of the Environmental Committee of the European Parliament, believes this case has a good chance given legal analyses showing the decision conflicts with the original taxonomy law. This means legal uncertainty about this controversial decision will persist for a long time.