Hundreds of activists arrive in Strasbourg to demand MEPs block greenwashing of gas and nuclear

Communiqué du 5 juillet 2022

Activists from the #NotMyTaxonomy coalition, a collaboration of several activist groups and organisations, have arrived at the official seat of the European Parliament to stage a week of mass actions, legal demonstrations, and protest camps calling on members to block the controversial inclusion of fossil gas and nuclear energy in the EU’s taxonomy of sustainable investments.

MEPs have already objected to the Commission’s proposal, which would see specific nuclear and gas energy activities included in the list of environmentally sustainable economic activities, during a session earlier this month.

The week of protests coincides with the scheduled European Parliament vote on the resolution, which will take place on 6 July, and will decide whether to give gas and nuclear the “green” label under the taxonomy regulation. To stop the addition of gas and nuclear to the EU taxonomy, 353 MEPs must vote against the EU Commission’s controversial plan.

Quotes Fridays for Future German activist Jule Pehnt :

“Even suggesting to call gas and nuclear energy “sustainable” seems like a bad joke, when at the same time people are suffering everyday under an escalating climate crisis and fossil fuel production. It shows once more how stuck we are in fossil narratives, concerned about profit for the biggest companies and not people’s lives. The taxonomy as it’s proposed right now would work against the impact that is wanted. The EU has a responsibility to take action immediately and the parliament has the chance to make a statement and decision against fossil fuel dependency and for a transformation towards climate justice.”

Oksana Ananyeva, Energy policy expert for the Ukraine’s Centre for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction :

“There is nothing sustainable about climate damaging fossil fuels and nuclear waste that will be piled up for decades. It is time to end greenwashing and veto nuclear power and gas in the EU taxonomy which means MEPs need to block this absurd proposal. Given the war in Ukraine and Russian attacks at nuclear power plants labelling fossil gas and nuclear as sustainable would be a foolish and short-sighted decision that impacts people around the world and not only the EU. If the Commission Proposal passes in Parliament, this decision will deepen the dependency on the aggressor state that should be cut. While current sanctions already leave loopholes for the Russian energy giants, including gas and nuclear in the EU taxonomy will open the door for them and prolong funding the war in Ukraine.”

Joël Domenjoud, co-chair of the French antinuclear network "Sortir du nucléaire"

"This taxonomy is nothing more than a greenwashing tool for dirty and dangerous energies. As a French movement, we feel angry about the French nuclear industry heavily lobbying nuclear power into the text. We cannot bear Macron’s hypocrisy, posing as a climate champion while pushing for the inclusion of gas to get support for nukes.”

Contacts :

Spokespeople are available from : FFF Ukraine, Germany, Italy, and Austria, Ecoaction (Ukraine), Réseau sortir du nucléaire (France), Legambiente (Italy), Ecologistas en accion (Spain), Skiftet (Sweden)

NotMyTaxonomy coalition press desk : +33 7 53 28 13 84, press_taxonomy@riseup.net