Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020 shows the outside view of the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States.(Photo: Xinhua)

The European Union is planning to label energy from nuclear power and natural gas as "green" sources for investment despite internal disagreement over whether they truly qualify as sustainable options.

The proposal, seen by AFP on Saturday, aims to support the 27-nation bloc's shift toward a carbon-neutral future and gild its credentials as a global standard-setter for fighting climate change.

But the fact the European Commission quietly distributed the text to member states late Friday, in the final hours of 2021 after the much-delayed document had been twice promised earlier in 2021, highlighted the rocky road to draft it.

If a majority of member states back it, it will become EU law, coming into effect from 2023.

The commission confirmed on Saturday that it has started consulting with member states on the proposal where it covers nuclear and gas energy.

"The activities covered in this complementary Delegated Act would accelerate the phase out of more harmful sources, such as coal, and in moving us towards a more low-carbon greener energy mix," it said.

It said it "considers there is a role for natural gas and nuclear as a means to facilitate the transition towards a predominantly renewable-based future."

France has led the charge for nuclear power, its main energy source, to be included, despite robust opposition from Austria and scepticism from Germany, which is in the process of shutting all its nuclear plants.

Germany's Environment Minister Steffi Lemke told German media group Funke on Saturday that including gas and nuclear would be "a mistake," arguing that atomic power "can lead to devastating environmental catastrophes."

AFP