Press Taxonomy/Photos: Maxime Burgun
(EUSKERA) (CASTELLANO)
Certain new gas and nuclear projects labelled ‘sustainable’ as greenwashing passes European Parliament Strasbourg, 7 July 2022 – A decision to label certain new gas and nuclear projects as “sustainable” by the European Parliament has been labelled a “betrayal” by activists from the NotMyTaxonomy coalition group. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) today voted 278 to 328 (with 33 abstaining) to pass the motion, which sees specific nuclear and gas energy activities included in the list of environmentally sustainable economic activities.
Their vote comes after a week of sustained mobilisations in protest of the proposal by hundreds of grassroots climate activists from numerous organisations and at least 12 European countries in the city of Strasbourg.
QUOTES:
Fridays for Future Ukraine speaker Ilyess El Kortbi «Every day Ukraine fights for its existence, independence and democracy. But today the European Union has deepened energy dependency on Russia’s fossil fuels with their new Taxonomy. The Climate Crisis is not seen as a crisis, war in Ukraine is not seen as war in Europe. The EU is trying to label what is unsafe as «green» – but you can’t relabel evil as good. Europe needs independent and truly «renewable» energy sources more than ever, for a safe future and for peace today.»
Skiftet Sweden activist Maria Hammer “This is a huge betrayal by the EU and a massive step backwards in a time of climate crisis and war. Clearly the EU not only has a toxic dependency on fossil fuels but also on lobbyists. They have today denied us the progressive action that is necessary for climate and social justice. We will continue to stand up to the fossil fuel lobby until politicians stop prioritising profit over people.”
Fridays for Future Italy activist Cecilia Fiacco “After months of campaigning, spreading awareness, and organising, the EU today decided to permit the biggest lie to be accepted: Gas and nuclear energy will be considered sustainable energies. This marks the biggest failure of the EU in terms of climate policies. What we can do now is to keep calling our so-called leaders out about their false promises and betrayals, spread awareness about the reality behind this taxonomy and keep mobilising people. The fight for climate and social justice continues and we will keep demanding effective, fast and radical climate action.”
Fridays For Future Austria activist Klara König «We stayed from night until morning in front of the European Parliament. We campaigned for months, we protested, we camped and we spoke to MEPs. We didn’t fail, we showed up, we spoke up, and we fought for democracy, peace and climate justice. But the EU betrayed us today. Now Austria has to deliver on its promise and sue the European Commission. This is our biggest chance to still take this bloody greenwashed taxonomy down.» 
Fridays for Future Germany spokesperson Jule Pehnt “The decision made by the European Parliament today, will have a disastrous impact in the coming years. Calling gas and nuclear energy «renewable» after years of fossil dependency, which has directly caused an escalating climate crisis, and rising energy prices, is insane. Again we see politics deciding in favour of fossil fuel ideologies and profit and against the lives and rights of people. Every euro that now goes into gas and nuclear energy will be missing from a renewable transformation and from creating climate justice.»
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