Friends of the Earth, Ecotologists in Action, Greenpeace, SEO/BirdLife and WWF welcomed the decision by members of the European Parliament to resist labeling gas and nuclear power as green within the EU taxonomy. The move signals a cautious stance toward classifying those energy sources as sustainable investments.
In a Tuesday vote, the European Parliament’s committees on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Environment, Public Health and Food Safety rejected the European Commission’s proposal. The tally stood at 76 votes against, 62 in favor, with 4 abstentions, marking a clear institutional pushback against the commission’s framework.
The result represents the first step in steering the taxonomy away from equating gas and nuclear activities with sustainable economic activity. The Parliament is expected to deliver its final stance in a general assembly vote scheduled for early July.
In a joint statement, five NGOs underscored the importance of resisting any green label for natural gas and nuclear energy, warning of adverse environmental and financial consequences. They praised the MPs in the ECON and ENVI committees for upholding the credibility of the EU taxonomy, arguing that fossil fuels and nuclear waste should not be portrayed as sustainable options and noting that many investors and banks prefer not to be associated with a green label that might mislead markets.
Looking ahead, the NGOs urged the plenary to align with the committees and reject a proposal they view as a costly climate misstep: channeling billions toward projects that fail to advance the energy transition, with renewables seen as the viable path forward.
The European Parliament will make its final determination in July.
Some supporters of the proposals argued that labeling gas and nuclear energy as green could unlock significant capital for energy projects, but critics counter that such labeling might slow the shift to renewable energy and compromise energy independence. They warn that relying on imported gas increases vulnerability to price shocks and geopolitical risk, while domestic renewable energy production strengthens energy security and stabilizes bills for households and businesses alike.
“Tagging gas as a sustainable investment will lead to Europe using more gas. This implies reduced energy security and higher costs for citizens,” the critics assert. They emphasize that the final July vote carries substantial implications for Europe’s climate and energy strategy, urging the plenary to veto the devolved taxonomy law to prevent what they describe as greenwashing of nuclear energy and gas.
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