LETTER
Olaf Scholz
Federal Minister of Finance
and Vice Chancellor
11016 Berlin
Germany
Please save the Green Deal: Take action to prevent nuclear energy and fossil gas from being labelled as green
Berlin/Brussels, 15 November 2021
Dear Federal Minister,
We are extremely concerned by the announcement of the European Commission’s President, Ursula von der Leyen, to likely label both nuclear energy and fossil gas as sustainable in the context of the EU’s taxonomy. According to media coverage, it was the absence of a strong German voice against nuclear in the European Council on 21/22 October that directly contributed to this decision. In your role as current finance minister and future Chancellor, we call on you to swiftly and decisively confirm the German veto against labelling nuclear as a sustainable form of energy and highlight that the Commission’s attempt to shape this discussion during the sensitive time of a new government being formed in Germany is not acceptable.
The EU taxonomy regulation is meant to provide guidelines for the necessary future-oriented investments for Europe’s economic transition. Nuclear energy, however, is unsustainable due to severe safety risks, environmental pollution and the unsolved waste problem. Fossil gas emits large quantities of climate-damaging greenhouse gases, especially methane, along its extraction and transport chain. Granting nuclear and fossil gas the label of sustainability would undermine the EU’s climate targets, divert much-needed investments in the green transition and jeopardize the credibility of the entire European Green Deal.
Dear Federal Minister, Germany has embarked upon a clear path to phase out nuclear power by the end of next year. NGOs from across Europe count on you to take an equally clear stance against nuclear energy but also fossil gas at the European level.
Yours sincerely,
1. .ausgestrahlt, Germany
2. 350.org Europe
3. A Sud, Italy
4. Alofa Tuvalu, Tuvalu
5. Andy Gheorghiu Consulting, Germany
6. Associazione Tarantola Rubra, Italy
7. atomstopp_atomkraftfrei leben!, Austria
8. BankTrack, The Netherlands
9. Begegnungszentrum für Aktive Gewaltlosigkeit, Austria
10. Bellona Deutschland, Germany
11. Bellona Europa
12. BI “Stoppt Temelin”, Germany
13. Bioland e.V., Germany
14. BirdLife Europe
15. Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) e.V. – Friends of the Earth Germany,
Germany
16. BürgerBegehren Klimaschutz, Germany
17. Bürgerbewegung Finanzwende, Germany
18. AnsvarligFremtid, Denmark
19. Klimabevægelsen i Danmark – 350 Denmark, Denmark
20. Bürgerinitiative “Kein Atommüll in Ahaus” e.V., Germany
21. Calla – Association for Preservation of the Environment, Czech Republic
22. Campagna “Per il Clima Fuori dal Fossile”, Italy
23. Carbon Market Watch
24. CEE Bankwatch Network
25. Clean Air Action Group, Hungary
26. Climate Action Network Europe
27. Climate Action Network International
28. Climate Strategy Group
29. Collectif anti-nucléaire Ouest, France
30. Collettivo No al Fossile Civitavecchia, Italy
31. Coordinamento ravennate Fuori dal Fossile, Italy
32. Corporate Europe Observatory
33. Counter Balance
34. Creatura Think & Do Tank, Finland
35. Der Arbeitskreis Indianer Nordamerikas, Austria
36. Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V., Germany
37. Deutscher Naturschutzring e.V., Germany
38. E3G – Third Generation Environmentalism
39. eco-union, Spain
40. Environmental Coalition on Standards
41. EuroNatur Stiftung, Germany
42. European Alliance for the Self-determination of Indigenous Peoples, Austria/France/Germany/Switzerland
43. European Environmental Bureau
44. Fair Finance Guide, Sweden
45. Fair Finance International
46. Fédération anti-nucléaire Bretagne, France
47. FMKK – The Swedish Anti Nuclear Movement, Sweden
48. Focus Association for Sustainable Development, Slovenia
49. Food & Water Action Europe
50. Forum Ambientalista O.d.V., Italy
51. Forum Ökologie & Papier, Germany
52. Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft e.V., Germany
53. Fossielvrij NL, The Netherlands
54. France Nature Environnement, France
55. Frauen für den Frieden Schweiz, Switzerland
56. Freistädter Mütter gegen Atomgefahr, Austria
57. Friends of the Earth Europe
58. Gas Free Pensions
59. GasExit, Germany
60. Germanwatch e.V., Germany
61. GLOBAL 2000 – Friends of the Earth Austria, Austria
62. Global Nature Fund, Germany
63. Global Witness
64. Grandparents For Future Austria, Austria
65. Green Liberty, Latvia
66. Greenpeace Belgium, Belgium
67. Greenpeace France, France
68. Greenpeace Germany, Germany
69. Health and Environment Justice Support
70. Hiilivapaa Suomi, Finland
71. Inter-Environnement Wallonie, Belgium
72. International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, Liechtenstein
73. International Network for Sustainable Energy
74. IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War), Germany
75. Jihočeské matky, z.s., Czech Republic
76. Legambiente, Italy
77. Milieudefensie, The Netherlands
78. Miljöringen lovisa Finland
79. Mom Loves Taiwan, Taiwan
80. Mouvement Ecologique – Friends of the Earth Luxemburg, Luxemburg
81. Movimento No TAP/SNAM Brindisi, Italy
82. National Society of Conservationists – Friends of the Earth Hungary, Hungary
83. Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V., Germany
84. NewClimate Institute gGmbH, Germany
85. NOAH – Friends of the Earth Denmark, Denmark
86. Nucléaire Stop Kernenergie, Belgium
87. Our Fish
88. Parents for Future Gütersloh, Germany
89. Parents For Future Oberösterreich, Austria
90. Parents For Future Vienna, Austria
91. Plattform gegen Atomgefahren Salzburg (PLAGE), Austria
92. Polish Ecological Club Mazovian Branch, Poland
93. PSR / IPPNW Switzerland (Physicians for Social Responsibility /International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War), Switzerland
94. Réaction en chaîne humaine pour l’arrêt du nucléaire, France
95. Reclaim Finance, France
96. ReCommon, Italy
97. Redazione emergenzaclimatica.it, Italy
98. Réseau “Sortir du nucléaire”, France
99. Réseau Action Climat France, France
100. Réseau pour la transition énergétique CLER, France
101. Rete “Legalità per il clima”, Italy
102. ShareAction
103. Socio-ecological union international
104. Stowarzyszenie Ekologiczne EKO-UNIA, Poland
105. Stowarzyszenie Ekologiczno-Kulturalne “Wspólna Ziemia”, Poland
106. Stowarzyszenie Pracownia na rzecz Wszystkich Istot, Poland
107. Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto – Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Finland
108. Tegengas/Dégaze, Belgium
109. TerraBlu, Italy
110. The Alliance of the Associations Polish Green Network, Poland
111. The Green Tank, Greece
112. The Peace Movement of Orust, Sweden
113. The Swedish Anti-Nuclear Movement, Branch Gävle, Sweden
114. Transport & Environment
115. Trivelle Zero Marche, Italy
116. Trivelle Zero Molise, Italy
117. Umanotera – Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development, Slovenia
118. Umweltinstitut München e.V., Germany
119. uranium-network.org, Germany
120. Urgenda Foundation, The Netherlands
121. urgewald, Germany
122. WEED e.V. – World Economy, Ecology and Development, Germany
123. Wiener Plattform Atomkraftfrei, Austria
124. WISE Netherlands, The Netherlands
125. Women Against Nuclear Power, Finland
126. Women for Peace, Finland
127. WWF Forlì-Cesena, Italy
128. Za Zemiata – Friends of the Earth Bulgaria, Bulgaria
129. ZERO – Association for the Sustainability of the Earth System, Portugal
