As the situation over exactly which parties will be involved in the next government remains unclear after last week's election of a hung parliament, Colin Drummond, of Viridor, also stressed the need for a planning system that allow the development of the new infrastructure needed to meet the UK's landfill diversion goals.
Essential elements required from any new government include clear policies to maintain the momentum towards higher levels of recycling and energy recovery
Colin Drummond, chief executive, Viridor
And, he advocated the introduction of a target for 6% of the UK's electricity to be generated from “waste-based” renewable energy sources, highlighting the “important role” that the waste and recycling sector had to play in meeting the country's goals for renewable energy and carbon reduction.
Outlining his wish-list for the new government, Mr Drummond said: “Essential elements required from any new government include clear policies to maintain the momentum towards higher levels of recycling and energy recovery.
“Such policies must also enable a planning system that will help deliver the essential new infrastructure required. This is vital if we are to achieve the key challenges of meeting EU landfill diversion obligations and improving overall resource efficiency,” he added.
Eversheds
While business leaders have called for an early resolution to discussions involving the three main political parties over the make-up of the next government, lawyers Eversheds claimed that because EU legislation drives the UK's approach to waste management, a hung parliament was not likely to affect the waste sector in the short-term.
Michael Grimes, a partner at the firm, said: “The main issue for the waste sector is driven by the EU's Landfill Directive – requiring a major drive to deliver a modern treatment of the UK municipal waste stream. As a result, a hung parliament in the UK will not affect the industry in an immediate sense.”
However, Mr Grimes also stressed that there was “tension” between the three main political parties over how to deal with household waste, and in particular highlighted the Liberal Democrats opposition to incineration and Labour and Conservative support for combined heat and power (CHP).
He also noted Labour's support for alternate weekly collections, and the Conservatives opposition, and concluded that a clear strategy on all these areas was a “must-have” for the industry.
“The waste industry will await with the interest the makeup of any coalition governments and their resulting impact on waste policy,” he added.
Notably, last week's General Election saw waste and recycling minister Dan Norris lose his seat as MP for North East Somerset (see letsrecycle.com story), while seven candidates with a background in the waste sector all failed in their bids to win seats in the House of Commons (see letsrecycle.com story).
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