Today (24 June), the Climate Change Committee published two reports on the UK’s progress towards its climate commitments, which urged the government to address rising emissions from energy from waste (EfW) plants (see letsrecycle.com story).
Jacob Hayler, the ESA’s executive director, welcomed the reports, saying they highlighted the need for “bold action” to reduce emissions across the economy and adapt to climate change.
He said: “Our sector has done well to date. Our continual efforts to move material further up the waste hierarchy have helped halve emissions from recycling and waste management activities and have enabled the UK to increase its municipal recycling rate from near zero to 45% in 2020, with higher rates still for commercial packaging and other materials.
“We must now do more across all of the sector’s activities, which includes EfW as just one component, to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”
The ESA said it was to launch its net zero strategy next week, which would set out a pathway to net zero for the waste sector “well ahead” of 2050.
Capacity
Shlomo Dowen is national coordinator of the United Kingdom Without Incineration Network (UKWIN) anti-incineration campaign group. He drew attention to the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations on how to minimise the amount of waste going to EfW and the emissions the plants produce.
The committee says the government should set out capacity and utilisation requirements for EfW plants which are consistent with plans to improve recycling and waste prevention by the end of 2021.
Mr Dowen said: “The CCC is right – the UK government needs to urgently get a grip on the rapid rise of incineration capacity, both due to incineration’s direct greenhouse gas emissions and because of the harm to recycling.
“The CCC recommends that the government needs to think hard about how much incineration capacity would be consistent with long-term plans to improve recycling and waste prevention.
“Given that the UK already has huge quantities of incineration capacity with yet more under construction, UKWIN thinks that any reasonable assessment would conclude that we need to stop allowing new incinerators to be built and that investment should be redirected to the top tiers of the waste hierarchy.”
Protecting the economy
Several other groups with environmental interests welcomed the publication of the reports and the recommendations contained therein.
“The only way the UK can credibly protect its economy from climate risks is by making climate change a top priority for all government departments”
Nick Molho is executive director of the Aldersgate Group, which describes itself as a politically impartial, multi-stakeholder alliance of leaders from business, politics and civil society which champions a competitive and environmentally sustainable economy. Its members include BT, Ikea and the RSPB, amongst others.
Mr Molho said: “The only way the UK can credibly protect its economy from climate risks and get on track for achieving net zero emissions is by making climate change a top priority for all government departments and supporting this with detailed and timely policy plans. Today’s progress reports from the Climate Change Committee show that this is clearly not the case at present.”
‘Very sober reading’
The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) also responded to the reports, which the trade association’s chief executive Dr Nina Skorupska said made for “very sober reading.”
Dr Skorupska said: “The Climate Change Committee’s progress report makes for very sober reading. At the REA we recognise and share the frustrations that the report outlines. In too many areas there are gaps in policy, inconsistent support and missed opportunities.”
She added: “If the UK government is to meet its very welcome ambitions on net zero, there needs to be consistent, robust and long-term policy frameworks in place. There needs to be confidence that the government will abide by its commitments, and they need to be proactive and responsive to our industry’s needs. We call on the government to immediately implement these policy measures and grab the low hanging fruit on offer to unleash investment and aid the green recovery.”
Related links
Climate Change Committee 2021 Progress Report to Parliament
Subscribe for free