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| | | | | Government cannot prove biomass sustainability, NAO report says | | | | | | The Government cannot prove the sustainability of the biomass-fuelled energy which it has subsidised to the tune of more than £20bn, a new report suggests.
Public spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) points to Ministers' reliance on biomass in combination with carbon capture technology to make a big contribution to the country's net zero goals. But it says the Government cannot currently demonstrate that its approach to making energy producers comply with sustainability requirements is adequate.
Referencing the country's two largest biomass power stations in Drax's Selby plant and Lynemouth Power's Northumberland plant, the report calls for generators to say where exactly the wood used for burning has come from and describe how that forest is managed.
Following questions about the provenance of biomass materials, and including a bombshell BBC Panorama investigation aired in 2022, the NAO has called for generators to submit an annual, independently audited, report to Ofgem to prove that wood used has not contributed to further deforestation.
You can read more about the report and what the Government, Drax and Lynemouth Power had to say in its wake in our story. Read more | | | | | |
| | | | | More climate agenda headlines | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | Concerns raised as North Sea oil proposals clear first Commons hurdle | | | | | | A UK Government bid to maximise North Sea oil and gas production has cleared its first Commons test, amid Conservative criticism and warnings of "sleepless nights" over the proposals.
The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill would require the industry regulator to run annual rounds for new oil and gas licences, subject to stringent new emissions and imports tests.
Labour opposed the bill, which has also drawn criticism from leading Tory voices such as former cabinet minister and COP26 president, Sir Alok Sharma who said the Bill would "reinforce the unfortunate perception about the UK rowing back from climate action".
The Tory MP also cast doubt on suggestions that extra North Sea fuel production could help to lower consumer energy bills. Read more | | | | | |
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| | | | | The latest climate agenda headlines | | | | | | | | | Offshore wind projects worth around £500m progress | | Three invited to next stage of the Scottish government's Strategic Investment Model process Read more | | | | | | | | | | | Lhyfe partners with Source Galileo for 'multiple' UK hydrogen sites | | The French firm is breaking into the UK market via its North East and Yorkshire bases Read more | | | | | | | |
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