Members of the European Parliament call on the European Commission to recognize nuclear power as sustainable
Nearly 100 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have called on the Commission to follow the science and include nuclear under the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, a classification system, establishing a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities that would provide companies, investors and policymakers with appropriate definitions for which economic activities can be considered environmentally sustainable.
Acording to a letter sent to Commissioners, members of the European Parliament urge to “choose the path that their scientific experts have now advised them to take, namely to include nuclear power in the taxonomy”.
“The EU has just 30 years to decarbonise its economy in a sustainable way. Achieving this means implementing policies which are solely based on science”, states Yves Desbazeille, Director General of FORATOM, the trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe. “We need to be able to use all sources of energy which can help us reach our goals. Therefore, Member States who wish to invest in low-carbon nuclear should not be prevented from doing so just because others are politically opposed to nuclear.”, he adds.
The EU has 30 years to decarbonise its economy, and member countries need to be able to use all sources of sustainable energy such as low-carbon nuclear
In the letter, MEPs draw attention to the fact that the scientific assessment of nuclear concludes that “the existing legal framework provides adequate protection in terms of public health and the environment“. Nuclear complies with the requirements of the taxonomy, and therefore the MEPs ask the Commission to take this scientific work seriously and not to discriminate against nuclear.
The Members of Parliament ask the European Commission not to discriminate against nuclear power
In this letter they express the hope that the European Commission will be “courageous enough to create EU regulations that do not actively generate disadvantages for investments in nuclear power, or any other fossil free technology.”
Sources: FORATOM, European Commission
