The European Commission launches its controversial proposal to label these energies as necessary for the ecological transition
The European Commission takes a step forward in its project to label natural gas and nuclear energy (decarbonised) as ‘green’ in terms of investments. According to the document to which the Financial Times newspaper has had access, the idea is that the measure affects the plants that are already in operation and those that are built until 2045. In the case of generation with gas, the green labeling it would be until at least 2030.
The Brussels movement, which according to the British newspaper occurred on December 31, coincides with the plans to shut down nuclear power plants promoted by some countries such as Germany, which intends to end all its production before the end of this year and in the The last day of 2021 has closed three of its six plants.
The idea, which has been debated for months in Brussels, is to set the criteria that allow investment in this type of energy to be classified as sustainable -similar to what already happens with wind or solar- with the aim that they can be financed and help reduce greenhouse gases.
However, their simple debate has generated a sharp division among the member states. So much so that the president of the Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, took over the project with the promise of having it approved before the end of 2021. However, at the moment she has only managed to launch the proposal to the States for consultation. And a strong opposition is expected from some countries that consider that, if the foreseen is fulfilled, only coal would be left out of the ‘clean’ technologies.
It must be borne in mind that the objective of the European Union is to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030. And Von der Leyne has already spoken out on numerous occasions in favor of using natural and nuclear gas as a “stable source” in that transition to renewables. The last time he did so, at the last summit where the Twenty-seven deliberated on the energy crisis in the region.
There he made it clear that his bet is closer to that of France, where 70% of electricity comes from nuclear, than that of Germany. The countries in favor defend the greater stability of this energy, which although it presumes that it does not emit greenhouse gases, it does register emissions in the processes of extraction of materials, waste management or the construction and dismantling of a plant.
Ecologists and countries opposed to this proposal cling to this last point to change the so-called energy taxonomy (the classification of activities in the sector that are considered environmentally sustainable). But everything points to the fact that, after the Commission’s proposal is sent to the states, the plan could be approved in mid-January.
.