Sustainable solar power: top takeaways from the EU taxonomy requirements

Solar power is expected to be a key enabler for a transition to a low-carbon society. However, while it is an eligible activity in the EU taxonomy, it is not automatically considered to be a sustainable activity. The technical screening criteria set out a number of requirements for solar power to qualify as sustainable.

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Here are some top takeaways that you should know about solar power and the taxonomy:

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• Generating electricity from solar power is enough to qualify as making a substantial contribution to climate change mitigation, but there are also requirements that the activity does no significant harm in other key areas.

• Solar power installations should use equipment and components of high durability, recyclability and that are easy to refurbish and dismantle in order to be in compliance.

• A climate risk and vulnerability assessment will need to be carried out to identify physical climate risks that may impact the activity.

• Solar power can also make a substantial contribution to pollution prevention and control if installations meet pollutant thresholds set out in the new draft annex.

• There are currently five pollution thresholds covering life-cycle emissions. They address the most significant air pollutant emissions resulting from solar power production in the European Union.

• An Environmental Impact Assessment should be completed for the activity to identify possible risks as well as mitigation or compensation measures required to protect the environment.

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