Austria is suing the European Union for plans to characterize natural gas and nuclear power as sustainable energy in an effort to combat climate change.
On Friday, the Austrian government filed a lawsuit with the EU’s Supreme Court over the classification used to define clean energy sources. The EU’s executive committee will next year add certain nuclear and gas plants to a list that will help investors decide which projects are sustainable.
Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler warned that the measure could “greenwash” nuclear and gas, despite the environmental damage they cause.
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She said calling natural gas, which could make the climate green, could be misleading and undermine the EU’s credibility.
She pointed out that the disasters at Chernobyl in Ukraine and Fukushima in Japan show that nuclear power plants carry “unfathomable risks”.
In a series of tweets, Gewessler said adding certain types of gases to Europe’s classification system “does not justify Europe’s commitment to a good and climate-friendly future.”
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Austria relies primarily on hydropower for most of its energy needs, UPI reports.
Luxembourg, also an EU member state, said it would support Austria’s case.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.