A new report from a UK parliamentary committee has warned that the government's policy on bioenergy is "piecemeal" and that the UK lags behind other countries in its efforts to promote bioenergy.
The report, from the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, claims that the current UK state policy on bioenergy is so lacking in ambition as to raise questions about the extent of the government’s commitment to its domestic climate change agenda. Westminster needs to renew and redouble its efforts in this area, the report states.
The committee found, after conducting a review, that the government’s existing and planned bioenergy support schemes are simply causing confusion, and that state departments need to work more closely together to develop a better strategy for the use and promotion of bioenergy initiatives.
The report states that the UK is not making the most of bioenergy as a way to reduce carbon emissions, and that biomass schemes are suffering as biofuels are receiving disproportionately more support from the government. It is therefore recommended that the government increase its support for biomass projects to bring about a balance.
Overall, it was found that the UK lags behind other countries in its bioenergy-promoting efforts. However, the committee believes that the UK could realistically seek to mirror the achievements of more successful countries such as Sweden and Denmark.