To keep global warming below 2°C—ideally 1.5°C—we must do more than just cut emissions; we…
Sign the open letter to the Secretary of State Ed Miliband: Secure Biomethane’s Place in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme
Help us unlock £8bn in investment and secure biomethane’s future in net zero
ADBA are calling on the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, to confirm that biomethane will be treated as a net zero fuel under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). This decision is now urgent.
Policy uncertainty is already delaying investment and threatening the delivery of over £8 billion in planned projects. If we don’t act now, the UK risks missing a major opportunity to decarbonise heat, transport, and industry – as well as undermining its Nationally Determined Contributions and Net Zero targets.
By signing this open letter, you’ll be adding your voice to a growing coalition across the biomethane and anaerobic digestion sector, urging the Government to act before it’s too late.
Text of the joint letter
Dear Secretary of State,
We are writing to urge immediate clarity and action on the treatment of biomethane in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). Without a clear decision to recognise biomethane as a net zero fuel within the ETS, we risk stalling a strategic net zero solution and losing more than £8bn in investment.
As you know, biomethane is a proven, homegrown, low-carbon gas already reducing emissions from heat, transport, waste and agriculture. It supports rural economies, displaces fossil fuels, and cuts methane emissions. Its role is clearly set out in NESO’s Future Energy Scenarios and the Net Zero Growth Plan – yet current policy uncertainty is holding back investment and delaying sector-wide growth.
Biomethane also plays a critical role in decarbonising high-value industrial sectors that are essential to the UK’s national security and economic resilience – including ceramics, food processing, glass, and the chemicals industry. These sectors rely on high-temperature processes that are difficult to electrify and need immediate, scalable alternatives to fossil gas. Biomethane is one of the few viable options available now.
This is not a technical or marginal issue. Government analysis suggests up to 30 TWh/year of biomethane could be produced by 2030, displacing fossil gas and cutting emissions by 6MtCO₂e annually as well as presenting the potential for a further 4MtCO2e per year of greenhouse gas removals. But this will only be delivered if investment is unlocked now – and that won’t happen without policy certainty.
The UK’s biomethane sector is at a crossroads. A clear decision to recognise biomethane as a net zero fuel within the UK ETS is essential. Without it, we risk undermining delivery of our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and losing a key part of the UK’s net zero strategy and putting at risk our energy security.
Developers and investors urgently need clarity and confirmation that the full net zero value of biomethane will be recognised. Further delays threaten to stall a sector that is ready to scale and deliver.
We are calling on you to:
- Confirm that biomethane will be eligible under the UK ETS as a net zero fuel when injected into the UK’s gas grid
- Ensure UK ETS rules fully reflect biomethane’s full value
- Set out a clear timeline for implementation to give the market confidence
This is an immediate opportunity to unlock growth, accelerate decarbonisation, and bring forward billions in private investment. We urge you to act now.
Signed,
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 unlock the full potential of the UK AD industry so it can help the UK achieve its emissions targets and other policy goals, creating a truly circular economy.
www.adbioresources.org
Co-signed,
ADBA Members and UK Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Community
