Strasbourg, 06.07.2022 – The European Parliament in Strasbourg voted today with a narrow majority in favour of the delegated act of the EU Commission, which will grant investments in gas and nuclear power a sustainability label. Until the very end, MEP Manuela Ripa, together with her group Greens/EFA, had tried to persuade MEPs from other groups to vote against the planned EU taxonomy.

Commenting on the outcome of the vote, Ripa says: “Today’s vote is a major blow against climate protection. We Greens/EFA have clearly positioned ourselves against the greenwashing of natural gas and nuclear power in the run-up to the vote and have campaigned for weeks against the EU taxonomy. Only energies that are truly sustainable and guarantee a credible climate and environmental policy should be given a green stamp. Apparently, this assessment is shared neither by the conservatives nor by a large part of the liberals in the EU Parliament. The EU sustainability label decided today is a farce and sets Europe’s energy transition back.”

The EPP group, which was divided on the question until the very end, supported the Commission proposal with 107 out of a total of 145 members. Renew Europe was also in favour of the EU taxonomy, except for a small minority. Only a majority of the S&D group was clearly in line with the Greens/EFA group – but this alliance was not sufficient to reach the required absolute majority of 353 votes.

“Unfortunately, the narrow majority achieved in the joint vote of the Environment Committee and the Economic Committee in the EU Parliament in mid-June could not prevail in plenary today. Today’s approval of the EU taxonomy is a gift to Putin and a blow to Ukrainians. With the EU taxonomy, investments in gas and nuclear power projects will now remain attractive in the future and the switch to renewable energies will be delayed. Thus, the credibility of the EU as a global leader in climate protection is at risk. It is high time for the greenwashing in financial markets to end. The EU must do everything in its power to expand sustainable investments in the future and continue to invest in the energy transition and a climate-neutral economy. Only a clear ‘no’ to nuclear power and gas can give the financial sector the necessary confidence in green investments”, Ripa concludes.