It is Germany that has chosen a special path, namely to get out of nuclear power before the coal phase-out.
(Photo: dpa)
There is now talk of kneeling in front of the nuclear lobby, of betrayal of the European Green Deal: The outrage over the decision of the EU Commission to classify investments in nuclear power and natural gas as sustainable is enormous, especially in Germany. The Greens sharply criticize the so-called taxonomy, which is supposed to help direct private capital into climate-friendly technologies.
The EU’s classification is hardly surprising, not even the point in time at which it became public. It has been evident for months that Brussels considers nuclear power and gas to be compliant with climate protection under certain conditions. Also that the Commission would try to leak the decision between the years to take the edge off the debate.
This tactic can be found politically questionable, but so is the loud protests about supposed “greenwashing”. Because the excitement bears no relation to the importance of the taxonomy.
The Commission’s regulatory project is not a super law, or a master plan to undermine the sovereignty of the member states over their energy mix. It is an administrative regulation, a delegated act, to be precise – nothing more. The European energy transition will not be decided by it.
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If the Ampel coalition succeeds in proving that the German bet on the rapid expansion of renewable energies is paying off, other countries will follow the German example. The Greens, who hold the key portfolio for economy and climate protection in the coalition, should now focus their efforts on this instead of working off on the commission.
There is enough to do. In any case, so far the Federal Republic has not succeeded in convincing its neighbors. In order to meet the energy demand, coal is still being burned in Germany – the most climate-hostile form of energy.
According to the traffic light plans, the coal phase-out should be accelerated, but whether it is wise to rely on natural gas as a transition technology and thus become increasingly dependent on Russia, which is increasingly aggressive in terms of foreign policy, is doubted in other European capitals. Rightly so, as the Russian threats against Ukraine have been demonstrating for weeks.
In short: the energy transition in the Federal Republic of Germany is viewed beyond the German borders as a delicate experiment with an uncertain outcome. Especially since it is not enough to convert the current power supply to CO2-free energy sources in order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality: Electricity generation must increase drastically so that energy-intensive sectors such as the steel and cement industry can be supplied with emission-free hydrogen in the future.
France orients its climate strategy heavily towards nuclear power plants
The answer of many other EU countries to these epochal challenges is not to rule out any technology that can generate CO2-free electricity from the outset. Not even nuclear energy.
The French are particularly focusing their climate strategy on nuclear power plants. This is why the French government in Brussels has campaigned vehemently for nuclear power to be classified as sustainable.
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However, Paris is not alone. In view of the impending climate catastrophe, the nuclear question arises anew for many. Several EU countries are now considering building new nuclear power plants, such as the Netherlands.
The EU Commission had to take note of this reality when it created the taxonomy. The sooner the Berlin Ampel-Coalition comes to terms with it, the better.
A Franco-German rift over nuclear power is of no use to anyone. It is Germany that has chosen a special path, namely to get out of nuclear power before the coal phase-out. Now it is up to the new federal government to show that this path can lead to success.
More: EU Commission wants to classify gas and nuclear power as green – Economics Minister Habeck rejects plans