As the European Commission hammers out new rules for climate-friendly investments, the fate of nuclear power remains uncertain and hotly contested. But not every expert sees the potential exclusion of the technology from the EU’s new rulebook as a fatal blow for new-build plants. The commission published the first set of criteria under its sustainable finance taxonomy regulation on April 21. The document will serve as a checklist for green finance, helping prevent greenwashing, or mislabeling unsustainable activities as green, and ultimately supporting the European Green Deal strategy. It will come into effect in early 2022, but the debate over the inclusion of nuclear has been kicked into the long grass, with a final verdict promised in the summer following further scientific appraisals.
S&P Global 21st April 2021 read more »