Four environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the European Commission over the adoption of a controversial law to include fossil gas in the EU's list of sustainable investments.
It is reported by Euroactive.
In a controversial move earlier this year, the European Commission gave gas-fired power plants a "sustainable" label under the EU's taxonomy of green funding, provided the technology meets a certain CO2 emissions threshold.
But environmental groups say the legislation, which was voted on in the European Parliament on July 6, contradicts the European Climate Act and does not comply with the EU's obligations under the Paris Agreement.
“Gas is a potent fossil fuel that threatens European energy security and has led to sky-high energy prices across Europe,” argue the four NGOs – ClientEarth, WWF’s European Policy Office, Transport & Environment (T&E), and BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany).
According to the group, the EU risks directing more money to fossil gas-fired power plants and introducing investments from greener technologies such as renewables and reducing consumption.
“Propping up gas, a fossil fuel which is currently at the centre of a cost of living crisis across the bloc, undermines the EU’s fundamental aims of achieving cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy,” said a spokesperson for the four environmental groups.
The lawsuit was made possible after a landmark reform of EU access to justice laws was adopted last year, throwing the courtroom doors open to a new wave of climate litigations.
The European Commission now has up to 22 weeks to reply before the EU Court of Justice is asked to rule on the matter and potentially repeal the controversial EU law – called a Delegated Act – which formally included gas into the EU’s green finance taxonomy.
As EcoPolitic reported earlier, on February 2 European Commission contributed nuclear energy and natural gas in the classification of environmentally sustainable activities for investors of the "EU Green Taxonomy".
European Parliament on July 6 supported inclusion of natural gas and nuclear power plants to the list of "green" investments.
Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said that the inclusion of gas and nuclear energy in the green taxonomy will allow Europe to replace russian energy resources.
