France and Germany are not agreeing on whether nuclear should be included in the EU’s upcoming green energy finance taxonomy. As EURACTIV France explains: Tabled in 2018, the EU taxonomy aims to determine which economic activities can benefit from a sustainable finance label at European level. The objective is to give clear indications to investors so they can redirect their financing towards environmentally-friendly sectors. Six pre-defined environmental objectives must be met in order to obtain the label. If any technology seriously undermines one of those goals, it is automatically disqualified. It is because of this double level of control that nuclear energy failed to win the green label in the European Parliament, until the Council representing EU member states voted to reinstate it in September. Nuclear has no scientific evidence for waste treatment, and that’s why it was not initially included. But France believes that nuclear is necessary to combat global warming, as it meets the low carbon-emissions objective. About 75% of France’s power comes from nuclear energy. “Nuclear energy is not safe and sustainable nor cost-effective,” said German state secretary for energy, Andreas Feicht, during a September meeting of EU energy ministers. “So we reject the idea of EU money to extend the life of nuclear power stations,” he said.
Electrek 29th Nov 2019 read more »
The European Parliament yesterday adopted a resolution on COP25 – the 25th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – to begin in Madrid next week. The resolution states that all technologies – including nuclear – are needed to combat climate change, for which it has called an emergency.
World Nuclear News 29th Nov 2019 read more »