Edinburgh green gas conference to highlight the sector’s economic and net zero value ahead of Scottish Parliamentary elections

Edinburgh green gas conference to highlight the sector’s economic and net zero value ahead of Scottish Parliamentary elections

• The ADBA Scottish Conference 2026 will take place at the ICC in Edinburgh on 4 March
• Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in the Scottish Government Gillian Martin MSP will deliver a keynote address

Taking place two months before crucial Parliamentary elections in Scotland, the conference on green gas organised by the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) in Edinburgh on 4 March will offer an opportunity not only to reflect on the sector’s progress in the country, but also to highlight its contribution towards energy security, the net zero transition, quality jobs, and reducing the cost of living – daily realities for local households, businesses, farmers and communities as they prepare to vote.

Bringing together industry and policymakers, the ADBA Scottish Conference 2026 follows an important Scottish Parliament debate in January, which demonstrated the growing cross-party recognition of the value of anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas in supporting Scotland’s economy and net zero objectives.

Having visited the Ellon biogas plant operated by Brewdog in the Autumn and participated in that Holyrood debate, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy Gillian Martin MSP will deliver the keynote address, setting out the SNP Government’s record and its ambitions for the sector.  She will then join a  discussion showcasing how AD is already generating jobs, creating new revenue streams and cutting costs for Scottish businesses while delivering on Scotland’s climate change goals.

Facilitated by former UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and ADBA chair Chris Huhne, the debate entitled ‘Delivering Green Growth & the Climate Change Plan with AD’, will feature alongside Ms Martin:

• Anna Graham, Head of Environment, Scotch Whisky Association
• Andrew Connon, President, National Farmers’ Union Scotland (NFUS)
• Stephen Boyd, Director, IPPR Scotland
• Alister Veitch, Business Development Director, Acorn Bioenergy
• Cameron Ball, External Affairs Lead, ADBA

“With an election just weeks away, the choices made in May will shape the regulatory, financial and political environment in which our industry operates for years to come.” commented ADBA’s External Affairs Lead Cameron Ball. “Those working in the energy and agricultural sectors, like many voters across Scotland, will be asking which parties offer a credible plan for delivering net zero while protecting jobs and lowering costs. The ADBA Scottish Conference will provide a platform to test those plans, scrutinise commitments, and make the case for a stable, investable framework that allows our sector to flourish.”

Throughout the day, sessions will also provide insights into how to successfully grow the biogas industry in Scotland, in particular around on on-farm AD, finance and investment, innovation and risk management.

View the full programme.

– ENDS –

For further information, contact:

Jocelyne Bia, Head of Corporate Communications, ADBA
e: jocelyne.bia@adbioresources.org; tel: 020 3176 0592

Notes to editors

About ADBA

The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) is the trade association for the UK anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry. 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.adbioresources.org

About the AD industry

• There are currently over 750 AD plants operational in the UK

• The entire industry digests approximately 36 million tonnes of organic material each year – organic material that would otherwise emit greenhouse gases including highly potent methane, if left untreated in landfill.
• An estimated 21 TWh of biogas is produced each year by the AD industry – this green gas is either used to generate electricity and heat via a combined heat and power (CHP) unit or upgraded to biomethane and injected directly into the national gas grid.
• The industry currently delivers savings of 1% off the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions every year.
• An estimated 4,800 people are currently employed in the AD and biogas industry in the UK.
• Overall, the industry grew by 5 per cent last year as the closure of older, smaller plants was outweighed by big-scale units feeding into the gas grid.
• Fully deployed, by 2050, the UK AD and biogas industry is expected to:
  • produce over 100TWh of biomethane
  • provide between 20% and 50% of UK gas demand
  • create 30,000 direct and 30,000 indirect jobs.
  • save the UK 27 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent = taking 1/3rd of all cars off the road
  • heat 6.8 million UK homes with the 8 billion m3 of biomethane generated

How AD works

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the natural breakdown of organic matter when deprived of oxygen in a container called digester. The process produces biogas and a residue called digestate – a stable, nutrient-rich substance used as a biofertiliser which restores soil health.