EU nations quarrel over whether nuclear, gas are 'green'
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Sunday
February 05, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 05, 2023
EU nations quarrel over whether nuclear, gas are 'green'

Europe

BSS/AFP
22 January, 2022, 11:45 am
Last modified: 22 January, 2022, 11:52 am

Related News

  • Ukraine wins EU pledges of support, no promise of fast-track accession
  • Germany's Scholz: EU wants to avoid subsidy race with US
  • Humanitarian aid: EU releases over €43 million for Myanmar and Bangladesh
  • EU lawmakers agree to tougher rules on targeted political ads
  • EU chief arrives in Kyiv, says bloc 'stands by Ukraine'

EU nations quarrel over whether nuclear, gas are 'green'

BSS/AFP
22 January, 2022, 11:45 am
Last modified: 22 January, 2022, 11:52 am
EU nations quarrel over whether nuclear, gas are 'green'

Hours before the window for lodging objections closes, EU environment and energy ministers meeting in France Friday differed sharply on a European Commission provision that would classify nuclear and natural gas energy as "sustainable".
 
The controversy pits countries led by France -- where nuclear generates a world-leading 70 percent of electricity -- against Germany, Austria and others in the 27-nation bloc.
 
Debate over the Commission's so-called "taxonomy" is not on the agenda of the informal, three-day talks in Amiens, but flared nonetheless.
 
In late December the European Commission unveiled a classification labelling investment in nuclear gas-based energy as sustainable, in order to favour sectors that reduce the greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming.
 
Nuclear power is carbon-free, and gas is significantly less polluting than coal.
 
Countries in the European Union had until midnight Friday to suggest modifications.
 
After that, the Commission -- taking these suggestions into account -- must "rapidly" publish a final text that will be definitely adopted four months later.
 
Passage in its current form seems more than likely: it would take a majority of deputies in the EU parliament or 20 of the 27 members states to derail it, and critical mass is lacking in both cases.
 
A letter to the executive European Commission from some European Parliament deputies protesting that the period for suggesting changes was too short has fallen on deaf ears.
 
And among EU member states, a dozen have backed France's position and the Commission's proposed taxonomy.
 
Many are central European nations looking to switch from carbon-intensive coal-fired power to natural gas.
 
"Nuclear is a decarbonised energy," French environment minister Barbara Pompili told journalists in Amiens.
 
"We cannot deprive ourselves of it at the same time that we need to very rapidly reduce our carbon emissions."
 
'A very bad signal'
 
Despite the strong headwinds, anti-nuclear resistance has not subsided.
 
"It is neither sustainable nor economic", countered Germany environment minister Stefan Tidow. "It is not a green energy."
 
Luxembourg and Austria have gone even further, threatening to take the case to court if nuclear is certified as sustainable, citing the risk of accidents and the as-yet unresolved problem of nuclear waste.
 
"It would be greenwashing," Luxembourg's environment minister, Carole Dieschbourg, told AFP.
 
"And it would send a very bad signal: it is not a transition energy, it takes too long," she added, alluding to the lag time for building nuclear reactors.
 
Her Austrian counterpart, Leonore Gewessler, said labelling nuclear power as sustainable will "undermine the credibility of the taxonomy" because it does not fulfil the legal criterion of "not causing damage to the environment".
 
The EU Commission has proposed a measure requiring financial products to specify what percentage of the activities financed involve nuclear energy, a transparency measure that would allow investors to steer clear if they wanted to.
 
Berlin has expressed reservations about joining Vienna and Luxembourg in a legal challenge.
 
"For now, we're working on our response, and when the Commission presents a new text we'll analyse it from a legal standpoint," said Germany state secretary for economic affairs and climate action Sven Giegold.

Austria has also objected to tagging gas as sustainable, with The Netherlands -- which backs the label for nuclear energy -- arguing "there is no scientific reason to include" gas.
 
Polish undersecretary of state for the environment Adam Guibourge-Czetwertynski disagreed.
 
"Gas replacing coal because there's nothing better in the short term, that makes sense," he said.

Top News / World+Biz / Global Economy

EU nations / EU / EU countries / Greenhouse gas / greenhouse gas emissions / Nuclear Power / Clean energy

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Bangladesh likely to get back the money borrowed by Sri Lanka: FM
    Bangladesh likely to get back the money borrowed by Sri Lanka: FM
  • Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making
    Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making
  • Consumers should pay the actual costs to get gas and electricity: PM
    Consumers should pay the actual costs to get gas and electricity: PM

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Collected
    'Consensus' with Zelensky that Western arms do not hit Russia: Olaf Scholz
  • A still image from video, released by Russia's Defence Ministry, shows what it said to be captured Russian service personnel in a bus following the latest exchange of prisoners of war at an unknown location in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in this image taken from handout footage released February 4, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
    Ukraine, Russia swap prisoners; bodies of British volunteers returned
  • Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends an International Human Rights forum, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 9, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
    Ukraine's Zelenskiy strips citizenship of several former politicians
  •  A general view shows protesters, members of French Socialist party and members of the EELV ecologist party gathering at Place d'Italie during a demonstration against French government's pension reform plan in Paris as part of a day of national strike and protests in France, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
    French PM offers to tweak pension overhaul for conservatives backing
  • Flags of China and Russia are displayed in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration
    China says political trust with Russia has deepened after envoy's visit
  • A Ukrainian serviceman walks near a destroyed tank at sunset, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, near Izium, Ukraine, October 31, 2022. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo
    US allows seized Russian money to go to Ukraine aid: report

Related News

  • Ukraine wins EU pledges of support, no promise of fast-track accession
  • Germany's Scholz: EU wants to avoid subsidy race with US
  • Humanitarian aid: EU releases over €43 million for Myanmar and Bangladesh
  • EU lawmakers agree to tougher rules on targeted political ads
  • EU chief arrives in Kyiv, says bloc 'stands by Ukraine'

Features

Aarong never ceases to surprise with their vibrant ensemble perfect for Fagun looks. Photo: Courtesy

Say it with Colours

5h | Mode
Photo: Courtesy

From 'Made in Bangladesh' to 'Designed in Bangladesh'

7h | Panorama
Google must adjust to a world where content is increasingly generated by AI. Photo: Bloomberg

Google will join the AI wars, pitting LaMDA against ChatGPT

4h | Panorama
The megaproject Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has a debt of Tk90,474 crore. Photo: Courtesy

Projects funded with debt need to be selected prudently, and implemented timely

5h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Lack of coordination, policy biggest problems

Lack of coordination, policy biggest problems

1h | TBS Round Table
Industries panicked about continuing stresses on profitability

Industries panicked about continuing stresses on profitability

2h | TBS Round Table
One meal at Tk 20

One meal at Tk 20

2h | TBS Stories
International award at the age of 23

International award at the age of 23

2h | TBS Entertainment

Most Read

1
Leepu realised his love for cars from a young age and for the last 40 years, he has transformed, designed and customised hundreds of cars. Photo: Collected
Panorama

'I am not crazy about cars anymore': Nizamuddin Awlia Leepu

2
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
Economy

IMF approves $4.7 billion loan for Bangladesh, calls for ambitious reforms

3
Fund cut as Dhaka's fast-track transit projects on slow spending lane
Infrastructure

Fund cut as Dhaka's fast-track transit projects on slow spending lane

4
Photo: Collected
Court

Japanese mother gets guardianship of daughters, free to leave country

5
Belal Ahmed new acting chairman of SIBL
Banking

Belal Ahmed new acting chairman of SIBL

6
Photo: Collected
Startups

ShopUp secures $30m debt financing to boost expansion, supply chain

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net