German minister defends shift on nuclear energy in EU climate policy

Yahoo

22-05-2025

German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on Thursday defended a major policy reversal that saw Berlin drop its opposition to nuclear energy being deemed sustainable.
"Every ton of CO2 we can save is a good thing. We have to be open to technology here," Reiche told journalists in Brussels.
In the European Union's taxonomy for sustainable economic activities, technologies that emit no carbon-dioxide (CO2) or are low in CO2 should be prioritized, Reiche noted.
The taxonomy lists areas in which investments can be made to combat climate change. Certain investments in gas or nuclear power plants are categorized as climate-friendly.
This has been the subject of fierce opposition by Germany's previous government amid criticism that the use of nuclear energy produces radioactive waste and should not treated on par with renewable sources.
The new leadership in Berlin under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has embraced a different stance - one that now puts it in line with France.
A paper jointly published with French government, a staunch supporter of nuclear power, states that energy policy is to be based on climate neutrality, competitiveness and sovereignty and that all low-emission energies, including nuclear, are to be treated equally.
Two years after the last nuclear power plants were shut down, Germany has no plans to return to the energy source, Reiche said.
"We respect the fact that member states are pursuing their own engineering path in the energy mix. We are taking a different path to France here," she said.
France currently operates 18 nuclear power plants with a total of 56 reactors. A 57th reactor is currently under construction.