Nuclear Free Local Authorities welcome European support in Taxonomy fight

1 year ago 47

The UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities have warmly welcome the support of Cities for a Nuclear Free Europe as that organisation’s Chairman has written to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to protest against his plan to designate nuclear ‘green’ in revised taxonomy rules.

The NFLA had itself submitted a letter of protest to the Chancellor prior to Wednesday’s Budget.

Nonetheless, unsurprisingly, Chancellor Hunt announced within his budget speech that ‘subject to consultation nuclear power will be classed as “environmentally sustainable” in our green taxonomy, giving it access to the same investment incentives as renewable energy’.

To justify this, the Chancellor resorted to referencing the customary falsehoods that nuclear is ‘cheap and reliable energy’ and that ‘increasing nuclear capacity is vital to meet our Net Zero obligations’; it is of course none of these things.

Last year the European Commission reclassified nuclear and natural gas projects as sustainable and green under revised taxonomy rules, making investments in these energy forms more attractive and making subsidies possible. This led to a massive campaign of opposition from environmental groups, concerned citizens and politicians. The NFLA supported our partners, the CNFE, in this fight.

Cities for a Nuclear Free Europe believe that the UK is on the brink of making the same mistake. CNFE Chair Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky has written an urgent appeal to the UK government to let the facts and scientific research prevail, and not include nuclear energy in the UK taxonomy rules.

In his letter Councillor Czernohorszky mentions three main reasons:

  • Using nuclear as a temporary solution in the fight against climate change risks even higher emissions, than going straight to renewables.
  • Nuclear power is by no means carbon neutral.
  • Because any new nuclear takes 15 to 20 years to be realized, nuclear cannot be an instrument against the climate emergency.

Each reason is supported with scientific research, as quoted in the letter.

The CNFE has appealed to the UK Government to continue to exclude nuclear from classification as a ‘green’ investment under the revised taxonomy rules.

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Notes to Editors

The letter follows. For more information, please contact NFLA Secretary Richard Outram by email on richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk or mobile 07583097793

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