ADBA PRESS RELEASE – COP26 in the UK – a unique opportunity to put the UK biogas industry on the map

COP26 in the UK – a unique opportunity to put the UK biogas industry on the map

• Glasgow will host the COP26 meeting in December 2020 following Turkey's withdrawal
• UNFCCC Secretariat called for biogas to be “at the table” when governments design their Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement.
• Global Potential of Biogas report shows industry potential to reduce GHG emissions by 12%
• Biogas is a ready to use technology which helps reduce emissions in multiple, some particularly hard-to-decarbonise, sectors
• UK trade association welcomes the news of Glasgow winning COP26 but warns of Brexit impact on the event

Turkey's withdrawal this week from the bid to organise the UNFCC Conference of Parties 2020 (COP26) had led to the confirmation that Glasgow will be hosting next year's meeting under the presidency of Claire Perry MP, former Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).  The UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) has welcomed the news, which highlights the UK's leadership in addressing climate change and presents the anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas sector with a unique opportunity to assert its potential to contribute to the UK's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).  All signatories to the 2015 Paris Agreement must submit their NDC by the end of 2020.

Addressing the first World Biogas Summit, jointly organised by ADBA and the World Biogas Association (WBA) in July, UNFCCC Secretariat (UN Climate Change) Manager Niclas Svenningsen emphasised the need for biogas to be part of every country's NDC to meet Paris Agreement targets. “Biogas has all the features of the next generation technology”, he said, “It needs to be at the table when the future policies of governments are designed, when NDCs are reviewed and taken to the next level” he said.

The WBA's Global Potential of Biogas report launched at the Summit shows that the biogas industry has the potential to reduce global green house gases (GHG) emissions by 12% across multiple sectors.  In the UK, the figure is 5% – a significant contribution towards meeting the Paris Agreement commitments and net-zero target by 2050 set by the Government – provided the industry is given appropriate policy support, incentives and investment.  ADBA has made it clear that net-zero cannot be achieved without biogas, which, as we enter the critical period for preventing climate breakdown, provides a ready-to-use technology to cut emissions, particularly in hard-to-decarbonise sectors. 

Charlotte Morton, ADBA Chief Executive, said: “We congratulate Glasgow in securing COP26, which rewards the UK's ongoing leadership in putting climate change at the top of the global agenda.  Our recent interactions with Claire Perry and her team at BEIS were very encouraging and the pledges made in the Resources and Waste Strategy published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs fill us with optimism for the future place that AD and biogas can take in the development of UK's low carbon circular economy. 

We are nevertheless very concerned about the impact that Brexit negotiations and the uncertainty and distraction they create for both government officials and businesses will have on delivering on these ambitions. The UK needs to demonstrate the highest level of commitment to addressing climate change to be an influential host to COP26 and we therefore urge the Government to stay focused on this critical issue.”

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For further information, please contact:

Jocelyne Bia, Senior Communications Consultant, ADBA
e: jocelyne.bia@adbioresources.org ;  tel: +44 (0)7910878510

Notes to editors

The UNFCCC Secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations body responsible for coordinating and facilitating the global response to climate change.  It was established in 1992 when countries adopted the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) www.unfccc.int            @UNFCCC          
Read press release on Niclas Svenningsen's World Biogas Summit address
The Global Potential of Biogas report aims to highlight the potential of anaerobic digestion 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.

The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) is the trade association for the UK anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry.  Its 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. ADBA was established in September 2009 and now counts around 400 members. www.abioresources.org  @adbioresources