Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Austria sues EU executive over green label for gas, nuclear

Austria says it has filed a legal complaint with the European Union’s top court over plans by the bloc’s executive branch to label natural gas and nuclear power generation as sustainable energies

Via AP news wire
Monday 10 October 2022 19:17 BST
Europe Austria Climate
Europe Austria Climate (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Austrian government said Monday it has filed a legal complaint with the European Union's top court over plans by the bloc's executive branch to label natural gas and nuclear power generation as sustainable energies.

Austria's environment minister, Leonore Gewessler, warned that the measure could “greenwash” nuclear power and gas despite the environmental damage they cause.

Another EU member, Luxembourg, announced later that it would stand by Austria in the legal case, adding more political weight to the move.

The EU's executive Commission plans to add certain nuclear and gas plants next year to a list that helps investors determine which projects are sustainable.

Gewessler said the disasters in Chernobyl in Ukraine and Fukushima in Japan have showed that nuclear power plants come with “incalculable risks.” Meanwhile, the burning of natural gas, a fossil fuel, adds greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, stoking climate change.

A dozen environmental groups have already launched legal challenges to the Commission's plans, backed by the bloc's lawmakers in July.

___

Follow AP’s climate coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/climate

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in