Committee on Climate Change

The Committee’s review of bioenergy was launched on the 7th December at the Royal Society. Lord Turner, Chair of the Committee presented the key recommendations and explained the detailed analysis in the report. A lively question and answer session followed.

The role of bioenergy in climate change mitigation is controversial and the review illustrates significant uncertainties around emissions reductions that can be achieved through using it, future levels of sustainable supply, and where this might best be used across the economy.

Taking the uncertainties into account, the Committee assessed where bioenergy might best be used to support the UK in building a prosperous low-carbon economy, recommending different approaches across sectors including: power generation, industry, aviation, surface transport and smaller-scale local uses for bioenergy.

The review concludes that a 10% share of bioenergy in total energy could be required to meet the UK’s 2050 emissions target, compared to the current share of 2%. Bioenergy would ideally be used with CCS, which would allow for the removal of carbon from the atmosphere and for higher emissions reductions to be achieved.

In the report the Committee makes five key recommendations to the Government:

1. Regulatory frameworks should be strengthened to ensure sustainability of bioenergy.
2. Government should regard targets on biofuels and biomass as flexible and should delay setting any new targets.
3. CCS should be demonstrated as a matter of urgency. 
4. Subsidies should not be provided to new large scale biomass power generation under the Renewables Obligation covering period beyond 2020 until new governance arrangements are in place.
5. Low carbon options based on electrification should be developed for heat in buildings and surface transport.

David Kennedy, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change said:
“The extent to which bioenergy should contribute to economy decarbonisation is highly controversial.

Our analysis shows that there is a crucial role for bioenergy in meeting carbon budgets, but within strict sustainability limits – and trade-offs with wider environmental and social objectives may be needed.

Strengthening of regulatory arrangements is required both here and in Europe to provide confidence that bioenergy used over the next decade is sustainable.

CCS should be demonstrated and demonstration projects commenced given the crucial role of this technology when used with bioenergy to meet carbon budgets.

The Government should change its approach to supporting new biomass power generation, which as proposed could raise costs with limited carbon benefits.”

Read the full report and technical papers here. Read the press release here.

The findings of the bioenergy review will feed in to the Government’s new bioenergy strategy and to the Committee’s advice on the inclusion of international aviation and shipping in carbon budgets which will be published in Spring 2012.