Ni medlemmer af ekspertgruppen, der rådgiver Den Europæiske Union om dens regler for bæredygtig finansiering, har truet med at træde tilbage, hvis Bruxelles går videre med planer, som de siger ville miskreditere dens bestræbelser på at bekæmpe klimaændringerne.
Europa-Kommissionen forsøger at afslutte sin bæredygtige finansierings-taksonomi, en milepælsregulering, der fra næste år vil definere, hvad der kan mærkes som en bæredygtig investering i EU.
Et lækket forslag til reglerne, der blev delt med EU-staterne i sidste uge, ville mærke nogle bæredygtige gasanlæg, der producerer energi og også giver varme eller køling som bæredygtige. Dette kom efter Kommissionens oprindelige forslag – der nægtede naturgasdrevne kraftværker et grønt mærke efter anbefaling fra blokkens ekspertrådgivere – stod over for modstand fra nogle EU-lande.
Reuters rapporterer 1.4.2021:
Nine members of the 67-person “platform” advising the EU on the rules wrote to the Commission on Wednesday, saying the latest leaked proposal contradicted climate science and created reputational risks for them.
“Should politics and lobbying prevail over science, it is our responsibility to inform you that we would be forced to reconsider our contribution to the Platform,” said the letter, seen by Reuters.
Its signatories included finance experts from the campaign groups WWF, Transport & Environment and Romanian group Agent Green, and academics. The platform also includes representatives from industry and the finance sector.
The letter said the Commission’s proposed rules for gas, bioenergy and forestry would “openly discredit” EU goals to cut planet-warming emissions.
Gas should be denied a green label, while bioenergy and forestry should be temporarily removed from the rules and discussed in more detail, it said.
“The concept of what is scientifically sustainable, that’s really not for politicians to decide,” said Andreas Hoepner, a professor at University College Dublin who signed the letter.
“We have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to do something right,” said Monique Goyens, director general of the non-profit European Consumer Organisation, another signatory.
The Commission said it does not comment on leaked documents, and was finalising the proposal based on input from EU countries and the European Parliament.
“This will be subject to an assessment for the development of a scientifically robust delegated legislation,” an EU official said, referring to the rules on gas.
