The European Commission argues that natural gas—a fossil fuel composed mainly of methane, which plays a key role in climate change—plays an important role in the transition to renewable energy, sparking outrage among climate activists and some lawmakers.
Generally, natural gas emits less carbon dioxide than coal; however, scientists point out that the focus should be entirely on increasing clean energy sources, not to mention the fact that supporting new gas projects will only prolong the use of fossil fuels.
As for nuclear energy, the main argument in its favor is that it does not directly produce carbon emissions, but opponents raise concerns about safety, including how to store the radioactive waste it produces. In addition, nuclear power plants are expensive and often plagued by delays.
According to Bas Eickhout, a Dutch lawmaker in the European Parliament, speaking to CNN, calling natural gas “sustainable” contradicts the European Union’s calls for the rest of the world to decarbonize their economies as quickly as possible.
Although the proposal had been put forward months before the war in Ukraine, it gained momentum mainly because the bloc’s countries were highly dependent on Russian energy sources, which were banned after the conflict began.
The European Union has pledged to reduce emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030 and to become a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. As a result, all pollutant emissions will be drastically reduced, and any remaining emissions will be offset, either through natural methods such as tree planting or through technology designed to capture them.
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