Some members of the European Parliament are apparently planning to take legal action against the Commission if the proposal to label these investments as climate-friendly is accepted next week. The EU’s green taxonomy is a classification system that determines which investments are environmentally sustainable. It was created in the wake of the European Green Deal in July 2020, and was originally set up to prevent “greenwashing” in certain investments.
While gas is considered a fossil fuel that produces emissions, those countries that want it in the green taxonomy argue it is needed as a transition fuel on the route to net zero.
Nuclear power, while cleaner than gas, as its power plants do not produce direct carbon emissions, leaves behind radioactive waste that poses a threat to human health for many years.
Although labeling both of these energy sources as “green” could unlock billions of euros of private sector investment, EU lawmaker Paul Tang has warned that some MEPs will try to sue.
Mr Tang, who is part of the EU parliament’s bargaining team on taxonomy, said: “Parliament will definitely try to go to court … We will argue that it goes against primary legislation and we will definitely fight for that.”
The plan is expected to be rejected on the grounds that investments must “substantially” contribute to one of six environmental objectives if they are to be considered green, and not threaten others.
But Mr Tang expects the vote to come down to the wire.
The motion must have the support of a majority in the assembly, which consists of 705 legislators, to make a law.
The plan has long been the subject of furious debate, causing a major clash between EU member states.
Luxembourg has threatened to sue the commission over its plans to classify nuclear energy as “green”.
In February, Energy Minister Claude Turmes accused the commission’s president, Von der Leyen, of using cunning tactics to implement the proposal.
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But several countries, including Poland and Bulgaria, have sought for the taxonomy to encourage gas investment to help them phase out coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel.
Germany, which is heavily dependent on imported gas, a third of which comes from Russia, has also insisted that gas be considered a green investment.
France, which gets 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear power, leads a group of twelve countries that support the inclusion of this energy source as part of a green taxonomy.
But the labeling of these “transitional energy” sources has caused a major delay in compiling the green taxonomy list, which could result in large investments in renewable energy.
According to POLITICO, some believe that the commitment to France and Germany’s domestic energy needs will ‘make a mockery’ of the Commission’s aims to be a world leader on climate change.