The UK spent almost £2bn in 2021 on subsidising logging of forests to burn wood for bioenergy, according to a new report.
The report by Trinomics, commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), shows that the UK has paid more subsidies to bioenergy than the 11 other European countries analysed.
In 2021, the UK gave £1.8bn in subsidies to the bioenergy industry, a 70% increase from 2015.
The majority of the subsidies go to Drax, which burns wood from primary forests in Canada, the US, and Estonia, among other countries, the report found.
The report calculates that the UK’s future subsidy payments to a bioenergy carbon capture project at just one power plant may add up to £3.8bn to UK energy bills.
Phil MacDonald, Chief Operating Officer of energy think tank Ember, said: “We now know that burning forest bioenergy is not just very expensive – it can contribute to climate change.
“A cheaper, cleaner alternative exists: the UK’s enormous wind power resource, which is being rapidly harnessed to generate electricity and lower energy bills. In the middle of an energy bill crisis, the UK must end wasteful funding to bioenergy, and instead focus efforts on building truly emissions-free sources of electricity.”
Elly Pepper, Senior Advocate for NRDC, said: “The UK and other governments, by wrongly claiming bioenergy is zero carbon, all have a hand on the axe that is bringing down the world’s forests.
“As we face climate disaster, governments like the UK must stop burning our planet’s forests for fuel under the guise of renewable energy.
“We need our forests to stop climate change and save nature. The UK Government should be subsidising real energy solutions that will actually save families money and keep them warm this winter.”