Press release : European Taxonomy

Fight against climate change, not against nuclear power.

Nuclear energy has become in France the priority target of a multitude of associations whose budget dedicated to the issue amounts to nearly 15 million euros per year¹, while at the same time, the actors able to rebalancing the nuclear debate are few in number and share a budget of around 150 times less.

We consider that fighting nuclear power is a serious reversal of priorities. We affirm that the priority is not to fight against nuclear power but against global warming. As environmental activists, we are aware of the challenges that the further increased development of the nuclear industry can present, but we consider it a duty not to fall into lies, exaggeration or caricature.

Current techniques do not allow wind or solar energy to meet our energy needs without being supplemented by fossil fuels. Nuclear power may have bad press, but it is one of the energy sources with the lowest environmental impact, in particular 12g of CO₂ equivalent per kWh produced, i.e. four times less than solar energy², a footprint that is low in materials, in occupied territory and in volume of waste otherwise controlled. It has the same characteristics that are the basis of an ecological activity.

This is the reason why multiplying by 2 to 6 times the world nuclear fleet to fight against climate change is an option proposed by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)³ in its SR15 report.

Last May, the European elections showed once again the importance that many French people attach to the environment. It is now a question of being coherent and pragmatic: the European institutions must not penalize nuclear power out of ideological reflex.

Created in March 2018, our association the Voices of Nuclear brings together volunteers, supporters and employees of the French nuclear industry, convinced of the importance of carrying out this action despite the difficulty of positioning ourselves in contrast to what has become for many “a evidence ”. Our commitment is independent of any economic, institutional, union or political power. Our ambition is to promote the facts to rebalance the debate and fight against any desire to bias it.

We started from a simple observation: the battle for the climate is an emergency in which nuclear power is not an enemy but on the contrary contributes to the solution. It presents an immediate, viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels; it is an ally of ecology and development. It is not the regularly agitated scarecrow.

If we support the nuclear industry, it is above all for the major ecological, economic and societal benefits it provides. We are co-founders of the Nuclear Pride Coalition, and the Nuclear Pride Fest in Munich and Brussels have proven that our convictions are increasingly shared in Europe. The Union must take this into account.

To learn more, go to our dossier on the Taxonomy.