Environmental groups warn Scottish government against biomass power with BECCS

In the UK, the Scottish Government has been warned that burning trees is not a realistic solution to climate change. Environment and conservation groups have written to Ministers to share their grave concerns about plans to generate energy by burning trees and crops while trying to capture the emissions produced – known as Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS).

The speculative technology, which is unproven at the scale imagined in the UK, is currently being considered by the Scottish Government as part of its plans to meet its climate targets in both 2030 and the ‘net-zero’ target for 2045. Campaigners fear that the need for trees to burn will endanger mature forests or see a rush towards huge monoculture plantations of fuel trees – increasing existing pressures on land and providing little habitat for wildlife.

The Government’s advisors from the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC) have previously suggested that Scotland could grow and supply around 33% of all UK biomass. Later this year, the Scottish Government will produce a BioEnergy Action Plan alongside their Energy Strategy. The Climate Change Plan, which has been delayed due to coronavirus, will also spell out how they will meet the increased targets set in last year’s Climate Act.

The open letter has been signed by Trees for Life, Reforesting Scotland, Plantlife, RSPB, Biofuelwatch, Friends of the Earth Scotland and others.