INVESTMENT IN anaerobic digestion and biogas could reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 6% within the next decade, accounting for 30% of the UK's legally binding carbon budget for 2030.

According to the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association trade body, the sector can also help reduce the carbon footprint of hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as heat, transport, waste management and agriculture. These points were highlighted by way of a welcome to the new government Ministers just appointed to the relevant briefs in Boris Johnson's cabinet reshuffle – Alok Sharma, the new president of the United Nations Climate Change Summit, COP26, and George Eustice, new Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs. Mr Sharma was also named Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

ADBA chief executive Charlotte Morton said: "We congratulate Mr Sharma and Mr Eustice for their appointments at a critical time for environmental policy in the UK ahead of COP26. These ministerial changes in the middle of a climate emergency mean that we, ADBA, must redouble our efforts to convey to policymakers the potential of AD and biogas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the critical need to develop a green, circular economy that will boost business and employment in the country.

"Ahead of COP26, the UK must show strong leadership and commitment on environmental issues or risk serious embarrassment," she continued. "In particular, it must clearly state its strategy to meet the Net Zero by 2050 target that it has set for the country. We strongly believe that there is no Net Zero without biogas, and we are determined to demonstrate the huge contribution that AD – a mature, ready to use technology – can make towards achieving the UK's goals.

"Biogas is the only sector that can deliver a 6% reduction in UK GHG emissions across heat, transport, waste and agriculture by 2030 and could directly create more than 30,000 new jobs over that time," Ms Morton claimed.

"Time is of the essence, and we trust the new Ministers' experience and understanding of environmental and climate change issues will enable them to recognise the vital role of AD in achieving Net Zero and commit to supporting the deployment of AD and biogas across the UK economy without delay."