The European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, has recognized nuclear power as an energy source that can contribute to curbing global warming under certain conditions.

But member countries are divided over the wisdom of expanding the use of nuclear power.

The move in Europe should not be used as an impetus for promoting nuclear power generation in Japan, where conditions differ from those in Europe.

The European Commission has added power generation using nuclear energy and natural gas to the list of environmentally sustainable economic activities, known as the EU Taxonomy.

While member countries are free to decide which energy sources to use, the commission expects that inclusion on the list will help attract investment in nuclear and natural gas projects.

In addition to Germany, which is moving to phase out nuclear power, four members including Austria had expressed objections to the proposal to attach a “green” label to nuclear power.

But France, which depends on nuclear energy for the bulk of its overall electricity output, and many other members welcomed the proposal, making it likely to be adopted.

Qualifying under the EU Taxonomy requires “no significant harm” to such environmental objectives as the sustainable use and protection of water, the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems as well as pollution prevention and control.

To be qualified as sustainable economic activities, nuclear plants must have a specific plan for a high-level radioactive nuclear waste disposal site.

Projects to build new nuclear plants or expand existing ones as well as modifications and upgrades of existing installations for lifetime extension must receive official permits before specific years.

With regard to natural gas power plants, the proposal sets ceilings on their carbon dioxide emissions and also places certain conditions, such as replacing a coal-fired power plant.

The European Commission describes nuclear power and natural gas as power sources for the transitional period in the shift from coal and oil-fueled power generation toward renewable energy.

It is not clear how many nuclear plants will meet the conditions or whether member countries will promote nuclear energy.

Europe was impacted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which occurred in 1986 in the former Soviet Union.

Environmental groups have denounced the European Commission’s proposal as “greenwashing,” which means overstating the green credentials of businesses and investments.

Japan’s power industry has welcomed the proposal.

But the fact remains, as we learned from the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, that a serious nuclear accident could deliver a devastating blow to the lives of many people and cause “significant harm” to the environment.

The natural conditions in Japan are different from those in Europe. Japan is prone to earthquakes, home to many active volcanoes and regularly subjected to typhoons. These factors argue against applying the European Commission’s proposal to Japan.

Japan has started the initial phase of assessing two municipalities in Hokkaido for their suitability to host a facility for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.

But the outlook of the process beyond the first stage, called “bunken chosa” (literature survey), remains unclear.

There are limits to the ability of current scientific knowledge and technology to assess factors concerning the safety of a geological repository to store nuclear waste, which is hazardous for tens of thousands of years.

It has also become increasingly clear that nuclear power generation does not necessarily make economic sense, either.

According to estimates published last year by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the unit cost of nuclear power generation in 2030 will be higher than the cost of producing electricity from solar power.

The government should continue efforts to push the nation toward a carbon-free future in line with its goal of reducing its dependence on nuclear power as much as possible and promoting the use of renewable energy.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 10