On February 2, the European Union (EU) finalized and proposed regulations to classify nuclear power generation and natural gas as green energy, and the implementation of "EU Taxonomy" is just around the corner. Now that activities for a sustainable planet are receiving great attention, Taxonomy is an important policy that should not be missed and is currently the biggest global environmental news.
Taxonomy was created by combining the words TAXIS (Sort out) and NOMOS (Science) in Greek. In the industry, it was called Green Taxonomy because it was usually related to the environment. Currently, it is used as a criterion for judging the "eco-friendly industry" that can cope with greenhouse gas reduction and climate change. It is also called the Green Classification System. It selects and designates eco-friendly industries and provides financial support benefits to them so that investment can be activated.
In March 2018, the EU called for the establishment of a classification system for EU Taxonomy through the Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth. Then, in June 2020, the European Commission (EC), the EU's executive branch, announced the Taxonomy Regulation (TR). TR contains the overall composition of the taxonomy, six environmental goals, and four basic principles. The draft green taxonomy, released on December 31, 2021, was based on this taxonomy regulation.
The taxonomy, announced on February 2, 2022, included nuclear power plants and natural gas. The EU also added that "renewable energy plays a transitional role in the future when it becomes the main energy source." If there is no big problem after four months of discussion, the taxi nomination will be finally implemented in January 2023.
The nuclear power was included in the taxonomy, but with special conditions. In the case of new nuclear power plants, construction permits must be issued before 2045. There are also rules that the construction country should have a documented plan that includes detailed steps to manage radioactive waste and operate high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities by 2050.
Although the carbon emissions of nuclear power and natural gas generation are low, the environmental impact of radioactive waste should be seriously considered.
There are also conflicting views within EU countries. Countries such as France, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Finland, which have a large proportion of nuclear power generation, say nuclear power should be recognized as a green industry. However, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark are opposed due to safety issues such as the treatment of radioactive waste.
We should seriously think about environmental issues and strive for sustainable development. What do you think about EU taxonomy?
