Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Drax about the sustainability of their supply chains in relation to the cutting down of primary forests.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK only supports sustainable biomass use which can deliver genuine Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions savings compared to fossil fuels. Ofgem is responsible for auditing the sustainability of biomass used by biomass electricity generators which receive support under the Renewables Obligation and has a process in place for this.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the projected impact of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) on household energy bills.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is developing a response to its consultation on the terms of support for power BECCS. A key factor in assessing these terms is affordability for consumers and no decision has yet been taken on how power BECCS will be funded. The response will be published in 2023.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce the Committee on Climate Change's hierarchy of uses for timber favouring non-burning applications; and whether subsidies will reflect this hierarchy.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In line with the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations, the Government is developing an evidence-based priority use framework for biomass across the economy. This framework will consider the decarbonisation potential of different end uses alongside wider environmental and economic impacts, to inform how biomass can best contribute towards net zero. The Government's forthcoming biomass strategy will support decisions around future Government support for biomass.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassess biomass electricity's classification as both a renewable and carbon neutral energy source.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government considers sustainable biomass a renewable, low carbon energy source.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of tree felling to provide fuel for UK power stations (1) in the UK, and (2) overseas.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government only supports the use of biomass for energy generation where it complies with our strict sustainability criteria. The sustainability criteria require, among other things, that where biomass is sourced from forests, irrespective of its location, it needs to be sourced from forest areas which are managed in a way that is consistent with sustainable forest management practices.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent of energy production in the UK through burning wood pellets; the supply chain carbon cost of this approach; and the difference in supply chain carbon costs between wood pellets and coal.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The use of sustainable biomass for power generation has been shown to have significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. Statistics on energy generation from renewable sources including biomass is publicly available on the GOV.UK website. In 2020, around 9% of total electricity generated in the UK was from plant biomass, the majority of which is wood pellets.
Supply chain greenhouse gas emissions data reported as part of compliance with the UK’s stringent sustainability criteria under existing renewable energy schemes are available on Ofgem's website.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which of the British Overseas Territories have had (1) the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and (2) the Paris Agreement, extended to them as of May 2021.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Overseas Territories Bermuda, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands have had UK ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change extended to them. Currently no UK Overseas Territories have had UK ratification of the Paris Agreement extended to them.
The Department is consulting with UK Overseas Territories as to whether they would like to have the UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement extended to them.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to extend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia comprise a UK Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus. UK ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has not been extended to the Sovereign Base Areas. The Department will consult with the Sovereign Base Areas should they formally request the extension.