EU Legislature Committees Disagree With The "Green" Term For Gas And Nuclear Projects

Tuesday, two European Parliament committees supported an effort to prevent the EU from labeling gas and nuclear energy as climate-friendly investments, paving the way for a full parliament vote next month on whether to reject the guidelines.

The environment and economic committees of Parliament supported a resolution that seeks to thwart a proposal by the European Commission to include gas and nuclear in the European Union's taxonomy - a labeling system for "sustainable" investments intended to steer private capital towards those that support climate change targets.

EU nations and legislators are divided over whether the fuels are sufficiently green to merit this name, echoing larger divisions over how Europe can fulfill its climate objectives, and the EU plan might be rejected.

Beginning in July, the whole European Parliament will vote on the resolution. With the support of at least half of its 705 legislators, the gas and nuclear regulations would be blocked.

The resolution states that based on current EU regulations, gas and nuclear cannot be deemed sustainable, and labeling them as green would deceive investors. Tuesday, it passed with 76 votes in favor and 62 against.

"We are already cash-strapped and need every euro for solar and wind power," said Michael Bloss, a German Green MP who backed the measure.

Pascal Canfin, chairman of the environment committee, was among those who opposed it, citing the proposed regulations that designate natural gas and nuclear energy climate-friendly with the proviso that they are "transitional activities" that cannot yet be deemed totally environmentally friendly.

French politician Canfin said that this delegated act is consistent with the reality of the alternatives available to progress toward carbon neutrality.

The invasion of Ukraine by the world's leading gas supplier, Russia, has exacerbated disputes about gas dependence. Eastern European nations have argued that investments in natural gas are necessary to replace more polluting coal, while others argue that labeling CO2-emitting natural gas as sustainable weakens efforts to combat climate change.

Meanwhile, pro-nuclear governments, such as France, regard the CO2-free energy source as important to achieving climate goals, while opponents, such as Germany, highlight waste disposal issues.