Burning wood for energy is a 'scandal' that will worsen global warming, group of 50 MPs tell energy minister

Burning wood to create power is a ‘scandal’, 50 MPs warn the energy minister in a letter today.

The letter – which has cross-party support – marks a major shift in political opinion over the burning of biomass, which is currently classed by the Government as a green form of energy.

The letter says the extra emissions produced by biomass ‘are the equivalent of three million Ford Fiestas on our roads’. 

Organised by Peter Bottomley, Father of the House of Commons, the letter calls for a meeting with Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to discuss ending subsidies to the Drax power plant in Yorkshire.

The plant supplies about 12 per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity, and is Europe’s biggest wood-burning power station. 

The letter states: ‘The sacrifices constituents are being asked to make to reach net zero are huge.

‘Neither they nor we can understand why it was decided to give Drax £4 billion of subsidies from electricity bills to create even more carbon dioxide. This scandal demands an immediate response.’

Signatories include the Green Party’s Caroline Lucas and the SNP’s Ian Blackford. They say scientists warn that burning wood for energy will worsen global warming in the short term.

A Drax spokesman said the plant played a ‘critical role generating 12 per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity’ to keep the lights on and work toward net zero.

A Government spokesperson said there were no plans to reduce subsidies to biomass before 2027, the date current contracts run to.

The spokesperson said: ‘We have always been clear that sustainable biomass has a vital role to play in the UK’s decarbonisation efforts and is an important part of the UK’s renewable energy mix, having generated 12.6 per cent of total electricity in 2020.

‘Sustainable biomass, which is backed by the independent Climate Change Committee, is considered a renewable, low carbon energy source, and the UK only supports biomass which complies with our strict sustainability criteria – which is some of the most stringent in the world.’

• Burning wood to create power is a ‘scandal’, 50 MPs warn the energy minister in a letter today 
• The letter has cross-party support and marks a major shift in political opinion over the burning of biomass 
• Biomass is currently classed by the Government as a green form of energy 

By Colin Fernandez Environment Correspondent