FTSE nuclear rules delayed

Criteria enabling nuclear power companies to qualify for the FTSE4Good indexes are unlikely to be produced until at least the end of this year, EP understands.

Businesses in the nuclear industry and tobacco and arms manufacturers are excluded at present from the FTSE4Good universe.

Work began in spring 2009 on criteria allowing nuclear industry companies to qualify if they fulfil certain requirements (EP10, issue 11, p1), but the deliberations appear to have taken much longer than expected.

An announcement had been awaited late last year but delays  have meant the criteria are not now likely to be published until the end of the year, and possibly later.

FTSE4Good has always said it aspires to replace exclusions with tight criteria to ensure that companies in all sectors behave responsibly.

It has been prompted to consider the nuclear sector rather earlier than expected, thanks to recent suggestions that nuclear power might help to reduce carbon emissions significantly.

Any new criteria could eventually open the door to excluded companies such as British Energy, E.ON, Iberdrola and RWE.