January 11, 2022

Ms. Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission

Open letter

Nuclear energy that is neither "sustainable" nor "green"
should not be included in the EU taxonomy

The European Commission's plan to include nuclear power in the EU Taxonomy as contributing substantially to climate change mitigation has greatly shocked Japanese citizens who experienced the nuclear disaster.

From uranium mining to nuclear power plant operations and decommissioning, nuclear power plants generate radioactive waste and continue to emit radioactive materials into the environment, in direct opposition to being environmentally sustainable. The inclusion of nuclear power in the EU Taxonomy and the EU giving its stamp on nuclear power as being green would not only undermine the credibility of the EU Taxonomy, but also leave a significant negative legacy for the future of the EU and the world. This is something that we cannot accept.

  1. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster Is Not Over

The disaster at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is not over. More than 30,000 people still live as evacuees without being able to return to their hometowns. Many people lost their lives, livelihoods, and meaning of life.

The decommissioning of the reactor has made little progress, and the Japanese government plans to release a large amount of water containing radioactive materials from the site into the ocean, and is trying to use the soil containing radioactive materials generated by decontamination for public works projects. Moreover, the investigation into the causes of the nuclear disaster is still ongoing.

The Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred only 25 years after the serious accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Until this happened, the Japanese government and utility companies had irresponsibly promoted nuclear power plants, claiming that "nuclear power plants are absolutely safe."

The EU should learn from the tragedy of such nuclear disasters, and avoid a repeat of what happened in the Soviet Union and Japan.

  1. Nuclear energy causes serious environmental contamination and human rights violations

Nuclear power plants produce various levels of nuclear waste as long as they continue to operate. Despite the fact that high-level radioactive waste needs to be managed deep underground for more than 100,000 years, the final waste disposal site has not been decided upon in Japan, nor in many other countries. Even when the waste is disposed of deep underground, future environmental pollution is inevitable.

Environmental contamination and human rights violations also continue to occur in the process of mining uranium, used as a fuel.

Nuclear power plants are built not in the cities which consume much of the electricity, but in sparsely populated areas away from cities. The areas which suffered most from the nuclear disaster in Japan was not Tokyo, where the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was sending electricity, but Fukushima and its surrounding areas, where the electricity was not used. Workers who are directly engaged in operations and inspections are also always exposed to health risks. In this sense, nuclear energy can be called a symbol of great social disparity and injustice.

  1. Nuclear energy cannot be used to combat climate change.

As mentioned above, making nuclear energy a climate change measure is against the ‘do no significant harm’ (DNSH) principle of the EU Taxonomy.

At the same time, nuclear power plants are prone to accidents and trouble, are expensive, and are unstable. In recent years, there have been a number of reports showing that nuclear power plants are vulnerable to climate change. For example, due to extreme weather events, there are cases in which water used to cool the reactor core cannot be extracted due to rising water temperatures, forcing nuclear power plants to shut down, and there is an increased risk of flooding of nuclear power plants along coastal areas.

The severity of the damage caused by disasters at large-scale nuclear power plants is clear from the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. At the same time, there are also problems with small modular reactors that cannot be resolved. Continued use of nuclear power will encourage a social structure that consumes large amounts of electricity, and the EU will lose the opportunity to make energy and society sustainable.

For these reasons, we strongly urge that nuclear energy not be included in the EU taxonomy.

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Nuclear energy that is neither "sustainable" nor "green"
should not be included in the EU taxonomy

Contact:

Friends of the Earth Japan
1-21-9 Komone Itabashi-ku Tokyo 173-0037
TEL: (+81) 3-6909-5983 FAX: (+81) 3-6909-5986
e-mail: info@foejapan.org

Signatories (261 organizations)

Friends of the Earth Japan

Kiko Network

Peace Boat

Citizens' Nuclear Information Center

Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies

The Citizen’s Alliance Stop Polluting the Ocean!

Fridays For Future Sendai

Fridays For Future Hiroshima

Fridays For Future Dazaifu

350.org Japan

The Liaison Committee for Organizations of Victims of the Nuclear Disaster

No Nukes Asia Forum Japan

Radioactivity Monitoring Center for Citizen

Citizens Against Fukushima Aging Nuclear Power Plants

The Federation of Promotion of Zero-Nuclear Power and Renewable Energy

Shikagenpatuwohaironisosyogenkokudan

Becquerelfree Hokkaido

No nukes! yamaguchi network

Sayonara Genkai Nuclear Plant Kurume

Protect Our Winters Japan

YAMANOVA

Yamada Kensetsu

Hokkaido Electric Power Company Shareholders' Association Against Nuclear Power

Womens democratic club/femin

Hokkaido Green Fund

Japan Association of Environment and Society for the 21st Century

No-Coal-Kushiro,Hokkaido,Japan,

Greencoop-okayama

Sodegaura simin ga nozomu seisaku kenkyukai

Sayonara Nukes Chiba

Icihara Kenpo wo Ikasu Kai

Sayonara Nukes Mitaka Action

Green People's Power

Ohihasama network Kurashiki

Peace and Autonomy Plaza

Association of the 2nd Generation of A-bomb Survivors in Yamaguchi

Catholic Sapporo Diocese Justice and Peace Council

No Nukes Asia Actions

Transition Town Fuchu

Stop Nuclear Power Plants, Toukatsunokai, Japan

General Incorporated Association GQ Power

Citizens' Group to Monitor Nuclear Regulation Japan

Echo-Echanges ONG France-Japon

No Coal Yokosuka

Group for Civil Autonomy

Citizens' Group to Monitor Reuse of Metals from Nuclear Reactors

NoNukes! Noniyukukai

Citizens Environmental Foundation (CEF)

Hibaku Iryo wo Kangaeru Kai Kagoshima

Hakaru-Sapporo Citizens' Station for Measuring Radioactivity in Sapporo

Chibachuourinnkaibu taikikannkyo wo kanngaerukai

No Nukes Hiroba in front of Kyushu Electric Power

Nipponzan Myohoji Buddha Sangha

Save the Earth! Action 97

Nuclear power generation zero-Ikoma

ENAGA no kai

Erasmus Institute of Peace Studies

Kobe International Christ Church

Kobe International Sustaining Organization

Workers’ Executive Committee For Movements Against Nuclear Power Generation

Denryoku Kaikaku Project

Kanagawa's Association of Preserving Peaceful Constitution

Shinkuukouhanntai Higashinadakujuuminnokai

Sayonara Nukes Network in Nara

Food Policy Center - Vision21

Sayonara Nukes in Hokukatsu

The Tomakomai citizens meeting of abandoning nuclear power and promoting natural energy

No Nukes, join in Western Janan/Madam Meeting

NPO Edogawa Citizen's network for Climate Changes (ECCC)

Crossroads Cafe Kamakura

Fukushima Network on Radioactive Waste Incineration

Zenko Kandenmae Project

Palestine Solidarity in Sapporo

NPO Kyushu Renewable Energy Suishin Network

De-nuclear power plant Oita network

Shinshu Izokukai Hiroshima

Fukushima Support Project Ibaraki

PV-Net Hodogaya

Anti-war senior group kyoto

311 wo Wasurenai in Shizuoka

Shien koryu "Nijikko"

Oiso Energy shift Japan

Ooma to Watashitachi Mirai ni Tsunagarukai

Shimin no Hiroba

Godo Shuppan

Fair Trade & Eco Shop Ozone

Senior・workers-coop・sendai

Live-in-Now Group

Power-Shift Fukuoka

JUSHIMATSU

Higasikukara gennkaigennpatu no hairo wo kanngaerukai

Kodaira solar

No Nukes Shinagawa

Tokorozawa People’s Solar Power Association

Agri-watcher club

No Nukes! Kansai Electric stockholders' group

People's Institute of Environment

People's Action Against The Genkai Mox Project

NRA lunch break protest every Wednesday

Datsu Hibaku Jitsugen Net

Machida Citizen's Network

Hakaru wakaru Hiroba (Hachioji Citizens Radioactivity Measurement Room)

Group Mirai

The Voice of Gifu Citizens for saving Peace, Human rights and Environment

Hanedakuko Zobin Mondai wo Kangaeru Kai

Sayonara Genpatsu Gifu

Hokkaido Active Citizen's Association of Science

Wakasa no Genpatsu wo Kangaeru Kai

Tokyo seikatsusha network

Citizens Against Fukushima Aging Nuclear Power Plants

350 Shizuoka

Uchira Komattennen @ Kyoto

Citizen volunteers who promote dialogue

No more Nankin Nagoya

Fukushima wo omou Jikkoiinkai

Sayonara Genpatsu Düsseldorf e.V. (SGD)

Akatsuka Narimasu 9jo no Kai

Stop Nuclear Waste Campaign Kansai

No war no genpatsu Fukuoka

Kodaira Kankyo no Kai

The Community of Yamaguchi-city people to accomplish the Constitution of Japan

Solidarity Labor Union in Yamaguchi

Asia Wide Campaign-Japan in Yamaguchi

No Nukes citizens group in Hiroshima

Anti-Nuclear Power Action in Kagawa

Nuclear Accident Evacuees Association in Okinawa

Tomeyou genpatsu kansai network

Zenrokyo tahshokusha union

Kitaku shiminhatsuden syoiinkai

Seikatsusha Network at Nakano

Neyagawa citizens party for Renewable Energy

Sayonara Nukes Fukui Network

Citizen association Tama

Ome civil alliance for peace and constitutionalism

Antiwar-tigers-hyogo

Datsu Genpatsu!Itoshima Network

Sayonara Nukes Tokorozawa Liaison

Fukushima Genpatsu Saiban wo Sasaeru Kai Tokorozawa

We'd Like to Hand the Better Future to Children / Osaka-no-Kai

Agenda Project

Niigata Citizens Forum for No-Nukes Society

Friday Hachioji Demonstration March against Nuclear Power

Get together for peace

Sayonara Nukes Belgium

Greens Japan

Nuclear-free Japan

Datsugenpatsunohi Jikko Iinkai

Kita-ku Citizens' Group Against the Release of Radioactive Contaminated Water

Ueda Citizens’ Energy

Ponte fra Italia e Giappone - TomoAmici

JAN (Japanese Against Nuclear) UK

Tanba jiyu gakko

Aizu Radiation Information Center

Fukushima Action Project

Transition Town Kawanishi

Hokkaido Women's Group Aiming to End Nuclear Power

Yosomono-Net Francz

No Nuke Wastes! Civil Network in Gifu

Kyoto Stop Nuclear Generation Plaintiffs’ Group

Osaka Citizens Against the Mihama,Oi and Takahama Nuclear Power Plants (Mihama no Kai)

Sendai Nuclear Power Plant 30 kilos area inhabitants network

10,000 People for the Future of Energy in Hokkaido

Thanks & Dream, The Great East Japan Earthquake & Nuclear Disaster Evacuees Association

Kawasaki Citizens Against Nuclear Power

Higashimurayama Energy

Citizens' Group on Nuclear Dangers Takarazuka

Nagano City Environmental Protection Association

Peace Forum Shonan

ATSUGI SHIMIN HATSUDENSHO

NPO genkiryoku hatsudensho

Deutsch-Japanische Gesellschaft Dortmund

Sayonara Nukes Duesseldorf

Metropolitan Coalition Against Nukes

Green Osaka

Montréal KIZUNA

Sayonara Nukes Berlin

Stichting Dialogue Netherlands-Japan-Indonesia

Iwate Committee to protect the Sanriku Sea from Radiation

Green New Deal for Japan

Children's Trial Against Radiation Exposure

No Nukes Miyagi Kaze no Kai

No Nukes Kobe

Minnano housyasen sokuteisitu tetoteto

Citizens' Group for Nature and Future in Miyazaki

A group of “Goodbye Nuclear” Sticker

Nipponzan Myohoji Narita Dojo

Anti-Nuclear Local Government Lawmakers and Citizens' League

Peace Making Network of Interfaith

Citizen network in western Chiba to support victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake

Seisho Coalition with the Children of Fukushima

National Network to Stop Restarting

Citizens' Group Considering Nuclear and Climate Crisis in Komae

Seikatsu Club consumers cooperative Kanagawa

Fukushima Childrens' Fund

Citizens' Network on Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Shizuoka

Nuclear Phase-out TEPCO Shareholders Movement

Chernobyl Children's Fund, Japan

NPO Kirakira Citizens's joint Power Plant

Okinawa Kuminosato

The Tent Plaza in front of METI

Associate Energy Co.

Sayounara kasiwazakikariwagenpatu purojekuto

Wind of Citizens toward Uniting for Peace

ECOMESSE NPO for environmentally conscious city development

Citizens' Conference in Sendai for No Nukes

Goodbye Nukes Shikoku Network

XRShikoku

Shimin no iken 30 no kai Tokyo

Shonanhamakusaikuseikai

Group of Concerned Scientists and Engineers Calling for the Closure of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant

The Takagi Fund for Citizen Science

YWCA of JAPAN

Setagaya Energy for All

Hachiouji people's support for Fukushima children

NPO koganei shimin hatuden

Seikatsuclub(shiga) COOP

Nuclear Disaster Information Center

OUR Energy

43 hiroba

TEPCO Shareholder Derivative Suit

Genpatsu no Haishi wo Motomeru Kai

Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative gunma

AWC-Japan

Peoples' power network

Environment Watch TOKYO

Plaintiffs' Association for the Lawsuit against The Nuclear Reactor Suppliers

Musashino civil demonstration for nonukes and peace

Network for Human Rights of Disaster Evacuees

Transition town koganei

Citizens' Energy in Tottori

Citizens' Group for Future of Energy in Tottori

Liaison for Food Safety

Rietdekker Sakurai

Citizens Green Kochi

Tsuki Ikkai Genpatsu Eigasai

AWC-Kyoto

Group not to forget FUKUSHIMA

People21

Research Forum on Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Nippon Kirisutokyokai Hokkaidonakakai Yasukuni Shakaimondai Iinkai

Takagi School

Machida Citizen's Initiative on Nuclear Accidents

Hiroshima Network to Stop Kaminoseki Nuclear Plant

Itabashi's network aiming to eliminate nuclear power

Junkan Worker’s CLub

People Thinking of Local Autonomy for No-Nukes Hokkaido

Mekong Watch

The Forum on Shrinking Society

Miyagi Kinnyou Demo no Kai

350 Chushikoku Network

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Communication Center

NGO Climate Crisis Action Fujisawa

Fujisawa econet

NPO Mitaka Shimin Kyodo Hatsuden

I Women's Conference Hiroshima Branch

Ichimoku

I Women's Conference Fukuyama

Higashi Yamato Citizen' Group on Energy

Group Ten Thousand Plaintiffs for the Lawsuit to Stop the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

IITATE Power Co.LTD

Citizen network hokkido