PRESS RELEASE – UK Government must do more to meet net-zero emissions targets says CCC

PRESS RELEASE

12 July 2019

UK Government must do more to meet net-zero emissions targets says CCC – and integrate anaerobic digestion into its plans, says industry body.

• UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) responds to 2019 Progress Report from the UK Committee on Climate Change
• The UK AD industry can cut UK emissions by 5% across multiple sectors
• ADBA urges the UK Government to press on with the Agriculture Bill and implementation of separate food waste collections across England

The UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC) this week published its latest progress report to Parliament, Reducing UK Emissions,  and warned that the UK Government needs to take stringent action over the next 18 months if it is to meet its net-zero emissions targets by 2050.   In a second report, Preparing for Climate Change Impacts, the CCC concludes that the UK is ill-prepared to withstand the most critical effects of global warming on the natural environment, health and business.

The recommendations put forward by the CCC to meet the UK’s legally binding emissions targets and manage climate risk, include:

• the policies to achieve net-zero emissions must be business-friendly,  providing clear and stable direction and a simple, investable set of rules and incentives which enable businesses to innovate and switch to low-carbon technologies effectively.
• the general public must be fully engaged to achieve behaviour change towards net-zero emissions, with policy and low-carbon products designed around individuals’ needs.
• the UK should take the lead in encouraging increased effort to reduce emissions worldwide, including pushing for the adoption of similar world-leading net-zero emissions targets by other developed countries in the EU and beyond.
• Farmers who are working to improve the natural environment must be rewarded. The Agriculture Bill, which will lead to a new payment system for farmers after Brexit, must support soil and water conservation, habitat protection and natural flood management. The draft Environment Bill also needs to set a framework for environmental targets that take climate change into account.

Jon Harrison, External Affairs Manager for the UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), said: “The World Biogas Association, of which ADBA is a founder member, published a report last week highlighting its potential in addressing climate change; AD and biogas can cut emissions by up to 10% globally – 5% in the UK.  This country cannot reach net zero emissions by 2050 without our industry’s contribution. 

On-farm AD is the fastest growing area for our sector.  It can significantly decarbonise UK agriculture whilst providing new income for farmers.  By processing waste (notably food waste) and turning it into clean energy and bio-fertilisers, AD can also support the development of a circular economy that both farmers and the general public can fully engage with.  On the back of the CCC report and as the most immediate measures, we would therefore encourage the Government to progress the Agriculture Bill as soon as possible, with recognition of AD included in its system of “payments for public goods”, and to continue to support local authorities with the implementation of separate food waste collections by 2023”.

– ENDS –

For further information, contact:

Jocelyne Bia, Senior Communications Consultant
Jocelyne.bia@adbioresources.org ; tel: +44 (0)7910 878510

Notes to Editors

By converting organic wastes and crops into renewable heat and power, clean transport fuel, and soil-restoring natural fertiliser, anaerobic digestion (AD) can contribute to a 10% cut in worldwide emissions. Crucially, AD reduces emissions from hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as heat, transport, and agriculture, as well as from the power sector and from waste.

The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) is the trade association for the UK anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry.  It was established in September 2009 and now counts over 400 members. ADBA’s vision is to see the full potential of the UK AD industry realised so it can help the UK achieve its emissions targets and other policy goals, creating a truly circular economy. www.abioresources.org

The Global Potential of Biogas report published on 10th July by the World Biogas Association highlights the potential of AD as a technology to generate renewable energy, abate GHG emissions and recover organic nutrients and carbon for use on soil. The report also sets out the potential of AD to help meet the climate change targets under the Paris Agreement. www.worldbiogasassociation.org