Milestone finally reached: Greenpeace welcomes the German nuclear phase-out

Germany is finally shutting down the last remaining nuclear power plants – the green EU label for nuclear power must be abolished

Berlin / Vienna (OTS) – After around 50 years of the anti-nuclear movement, the last three nuclear power plants in Germany, Isar II, Emsland and Neckarwestheim II, will be finally shut down today. This is a historic day for the entire environmental movement. “After years of resistance from the environmental protection movement, nuclear power is finally being sent into the past in Germany – this is a huge milestone in the direction of renewable energies and a safe and green energy future,” says Jasmin Duregger, climate and energy expert at Greenpeace in Austria. At the same time, nuclear power threatens to experience a renaissance in other EU countries, such as France, under the pseudo-argument of climate protection. The environmental organization is therefore calling for the end of labeling nuclear power as green energy and is already preparing a lawsuit once morest the EU taxonomy.

Ever since Greenpeace Germany was founded in 1980, environmentalists have been fighting once morest unsafe nuclear reactors and reprocessing plants, ailing nuclear waste storage facilities, risky nuclear transport and irresponsible electricity companies that make billions in profits at the expense of taxpayers. It was not until following the terrible nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011 that Germany decided unanimously to phase out nuclear power. However, as a result of Russia’s war of aggression once morest the Ukraine, a stretching operation for Isar II, Neckarwestheim II and Emsland might be pushed through for three and a half months.

The end of nuclear power in Germany is an important step towards the future. This opens doors for the expansion of renewable energies. “Nuclear power is, and always will be, risky, unnecessary and expensive. It is all the more important that the EU states this clearly and excludes nuclear power from the taxonomy. However, the current taxonomy regulation fatally classifies nuclear power as “green” energy. On the other hand, we at Greenpeace are already preparing a lawsuit,” Duregger concludes.

A selection of photos from the anti-nuclear movement in Germany can be found here:
Provided the credits are given, the images are available for editorial use.

Questions & contact:

Jasmin Duregger
Climate and energy expert
Greenpeace in Austria
Tel: [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail]

Annette Stolz
press secretary
Greenpeace in Austria
Tel.: + 43 (0) 664 61 26 725
Email: [e-mail]