BRUSSELS — Draft European Union plans that would allow nuclear and gas energy to remain part of the bloc's path to a climate-friendly future came under immediate criticism over the weekend from both environmentalists and some governing political parties in EU member nations.
Energy use accounts for about three-quarters the greenhouse gas emissions produced in the EU and is thus instrumental to the 27-nation bloc's efforts to meet its commitments for curbing global warming. France has asked for nuclear power to be included in the so-called “taxonomy” by the end of the year, leading the charge with several other EU countries that operate nuclear power plants and want to make it eligible for green financing.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck criticized the plan to classify investments in gas and nuclear power plants as climate-friendly. In Austria, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler from the Greens also sharply rejected the proposed regulation, saying "the EU Commission took a step towards greenwashing nuclear power and fossil gas in a night and fog action.”