In addition, a specific plan for the operation of a disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste must be submitted by 2050 at the latest. Another condition is that the new nuclear facilities receive a building permit by 2045, as can be seen from the text available to the German Press Agency.
Investments in new gas-fired power plants should also be able to be classified as green temporarily under strict conditions. For example, it should be relevant how many greenhouse gases are emitted. For plants that are approved after December 31, 2030, according to the proposal, only up to 100 grams of so-called CO2 equivalents per kilowatt hour of energy would be allowed – calculated over the life cycle.
The classification of economic activities by the EU Commission is intended to enable investors to switch their investments to more sustainable technologies and companies and thus make a significant contribution to Europe’s climate neutrality by 2050. However, whether gas and nuclear power should be considered climate-friendly as part of the so-called taxonomy is highly controversial among EU countries.
Austria and Germany, for example, are against taking up nuclear power. For countries like France, on the other hand, nuclear energy is a key technology for a carbon-free economy.
The EU member states now have until January 12 to comment on the draft of the legal act sent by the EU Commission late on Friday evening. Implementation can only be prevented if a qualified majority of the member states oppose it. According to this, at least 15 EU countries would have to unite, which represent at least 65 percent of the total population of the EU.
