Ref. Ares(2021)2578883 - 16/04/2021
EU Taxonomy Shadow/Rapporteurs Call for Science-based Criteria for Fossil Fuels,
Bioenergy, and Forestry
Dear President von der Leyen,
Dear Executive Vice-Presidents Timmermans and Dombrovskis,
Dear Commissioner McGuinness,
Following our previous exchange on the EU Taxonomy and as the European Parliament´s
rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs for the EU Sustainable Finance Regulation, we would like to
express our concerns with regard the substantial revision of several criteria in the latest version of
the Delegated Act.
In our previous communication, we have expressed our support for a science-based criteria.
Therefore, we are worried about the fact that on fossil gas, bioenergy, and forestry, the criteria
have been weakened to the extent that they are now contradictory to the purpose of the EU
Taxonomy and could be harmful to the environment. The Taxonomy, which was designed to
prevent ‘greenwashing’, must not become a tool that promotes it with the EU’s seal of approval.
The European Green Deal’s credibility, the EU’s reputation as a climate leader and our own work
are at stake. What is more, the EU Green Recovery is endangered: the green bonds which are due
to finance its climate spending would lack credibility if they were based on a standard that
classified fossil fuels and deforestation as sustainable. We need a Taxonomy that is fit for purpose
and which aids the transition to climate neutrality.
We are of the opinion that the current text could face the opposition of a ‘coalition of the unlikely’
in the European Parliament, as groups which support science-based environmental policy could
vote against it, and those who oppose any type of climate policy would oppose it, too. Given that
opponents of the European Green Deal will not support the Taxonomy under any circumstance,
we believe that the Commission will address the concerns of groups who defend climate science
in order to win their support for the Delegated Acts. Efforts in the other direction have so far
resulted only in more vocal demands for undercutting our work and the EU Taxonomy.
We acknowledge transitional role of some activities, but considering that the discussion on how to
specify criteria for the gas related transitional activities is still ongoing, we would suggest to
remove them from the current proposal. Similarly, we think that the best way forward, as the
discussion on land-based has not yet matured, is to postpone the criteria on bioenergy and forestry
to wait for their examination in the RED-III, EU Forest Strategy, and in the Platform. This is
possible as the postponement of agriculture criteria shows.
There is still time to publish a revised, science-based Taxonomy in April. We urge you to take this
opportunity in order to bring forwards EU Taxonomy that will cement the European Green Deal
and Green Recovery and to get the necessary support in the European Parliament.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Hojsík (Renew Europe)
Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP)
Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA)
Paul Tang (S&D)
Simona Bonafè (S&D)