EU Taxonomy Technical Screening Criteria

Definition

The EU Taxonomy Technical Screening Criteria are specific characteristics that can be used to determine whether an economic activity provides a substantial contribution to mitigation or adaptation

Technical Screening Criteria

Climate Change Mitigation

For climate change mitigation activities meeting the requirements, technical screening criteria have three components:

1. Principles: The underlying rationale for how the activity will result in a substantial contribution and/or avoidance of significant harm to the environmental objective in question.
2. Metrics: The method(s) by which the environmental performance of the economic activity will be measured, including defining the boundary for this measurement (See e.g., GHG Assessment Boundary)
3. Thresholds: Qualitative or quantitative conditions which must be met to enable the performance of the activity in a way that is considered environmentally sustainable

Climate Change Adaptation

For climate change adaptation activities the technical screening criteria are based on qualitative screening to identify activities that contribute to adaptation. Measured baselines or accepted metrics for adaptation have not yet been developed, hence an established methodology for defining quantitative screening criteria for adaptation and defined adaptation targets at the national, sectoral, or subnational level do not exist.