Spain opposes classifying nuclear energy, natural gas as green investments

ANKARA

Spain rejects a proposal by the European Commission to classify nuclear energy and natural gas as green investments, a government official said Sunday, according to local media.

The government does not consider investments in nuclear energy and natural gas domains green or sustainable, said Teresa Ribera, the deputy prime minister and minister for the ecological transition and demographic challenge, according to the Spanish daily La Vanguardia.

Reiterating that Spain remains a staunch supporter of the green transformation, Ribera warned that such action would be a step backwards and send the wrong signals as far as the European Union’s green transformation goals are concerned.

She stressed that the country acknowledges that both nuclear energy and natural gas have a role to play in the transformation, but they should not be treated as green while there are other sources of energy that do not pose a threat to the environment.

Yolanda Diaz, the deputy prime minister and minister of labor and social economy, called on the EC to reconsider the proposal.

"Europe still has the chance to reconsider this decision to avoid moving away from scientific evidence and social demand,” she said.