Nuclear question splits EU climate talks - Guardian

[Eugene]

5.15pm
Nuclear question splits EU climate talks


David Gow and Ian Traynor in Brussels
Thursday March 8, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Deep divisions over nuclear power and renewable energy threatened to derail
the EU's campaign to assume a global leadership in the fight against climate
change at the 27-strong bloc's spring summit which began last night.

Warning that "it is closer to five past midnight than five to midnight" for
international measures to combat global warming, German chancellor Angela
Merkel, chairing the meeting, urged EU leaders to "deliver results for our
grandchildren" by making Europe the world's first low-carbon economy via a
unilateral 20% cut in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

But France, backed by several east European countries, insisted that carbon-
free nuclear power be included within the proposed EU energy mix and rejected
Ms Merkel's proposal to make a 20% target for renewable energy binding on
all 27 members.

At his swansong summit outgoing French president Jacques Chirac insisted that
he would only agree to binding energy targets if nuclear power were included
and proposed that 45% of the mix come from non-fossil fuel sources. France
gets 80% of its power from nuclear power plants.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,,2029554,00.html

(Reuters)

Chirac - EU renewables goal must include nuclear
08 Mar 2007 19:23:02 GMT
Source: Reuters

BRUSSELS, March 8 (Reuters) - Any binding European Union target for renewable
energy sources must take account of the role of nuclear power and clean coal
in national energy mixes, French President Jacques Chirac told EU leaders on
Thursday.

A dispute over whether to set a binding target of 20 percent of EU energy
consumption from renewable sources by 2020 was the main open question at a
summit due to adopt a long-term strategy on climate change and energy policy.

In comments relayed by French officials, Chirac said it would be "more coherent"
to set a target for low-carbon energy than the binding objective for renewables
sought by the European Commission.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0820935.htm

[phantom power]

1. Change the language to "20% carbon-neutral energy" by 2020.

I think that's too little, too slow, but it breaks the deadlock over renewable versus nuclear language. I guess that's similar to what Chirac said in that second story.