All signatories to the 2015 Paris Agreement must submit their NDC by the end of 2020. Addressing the first World Biogas Summit, jointly organised by ADBA and the World Biogas Association (WBA) in July, UNFCCC Secretariat (UN Climate Change) Manager Niclas Svenningsen emphasised the need for biogas to be part of every country's NDC to meet Paris Agreement targets. "Biogas has all the features of the next generation technology", he said, "It needs to be at the table when the future policies of governments are designed, when NDCs are reviewed and taken to the next level" he said.
The WBA's Global Potential of Biogas report launched at the Summit shows that the biogas industry has the potential to reduce global green house gases (GHG) emissions by 12 percent across multiple sectors. In the UK, the figure is 5 percent - a significant contribution towards meeting the Paris Agreement commitments and net-zero target by 2050 set by the Government - provided the industry is given appropriate policy support, incentives and investment. ADBA has made it clear that net-zero cannot be achieved without biogas, which, as we enter the critical period for preventing climate breakdown, provides a ready-to-use technology to cut emissions, particularly in hard-to-decarbonise sectors.
“We congratulate Glasgow in securing COP26, which rewards the UK's ongoing leadership in putting climate change at the top of the global agenda” said Charlotte Morton, ADBA Chief Executive. “Our recent interactions with Claire Perry and her team at BEIS were very encouraging and the pledges made in the Resources and Waste Strategy published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs fill us with optimism for the future place that AD and biogas can take in the development of UK's low carbon circular economy. We are nevertheless very concerned about the impact that Brexit negotiations and the uncertainty and distraction they create for both government officials and businesses will have on delivering on these ambitions. The UK needs to demonstrate the highest level of commitment to addressing climate change to be an influential host to COP26 and we therefore urge the Government to stay focused on this critical issue.”
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