Parliament Biomass Report Echoes Greens' Call for Urgent Executive Action
Wed., March 29, 2006. 11:16.
A cross party parliament committee report out today has backed Greens' ongoing calls for urgent action to stimulate growth in the Scottish biomass industry.
The report from the environment and rural development committee highlights the potential of biomass to slash emissions from household fuel consumption and stresses the need for ministers to support the fledgling industry. (1)
Greens are particularly concerned about the 300 plus new schools being built under PPP as there is currently no source of funds or grants to help install biomass in the buildings. The fund that does exist to give capital grants for renewables, Scottish Community and Householders Renewables Initiative (SCHRI), is for communities and households only, and is facing an uncertain future. First Minister Jack McConnell's recently refused to commit further funds to the scheme despite high demand for grants.
Mr Ruskell, Green speaker on environment and deputy convener of the environment committee, said, "Scotland has a huge forestry resource which can be used to replace much of the polluting fossil fuels we use to heat our homes and workplaces. This is an example of where ministers are failing to get even the small things right in the fight against climate change with hundreds of new public buildings such as schools being built with dirty fossil fuel heating systems rather than clean biomass. Once buildings such as new schools are built then the opportunity to cut pollution from them is lost. We need to get it right now by ensuring that the right grant funding is in place to kick start a new eco-friendly industry in Scotland selling wood fuel for biomass systems. The uncertainty over the government funding of small scale renewables is strangling the biomass industry at birth in Scotland - people want to get on with the job of tackling climate change but government hesitation is destroying confidence."
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1. EXTRACT FROM PARLIAMENT RELEASE:
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE DEMANDS EXECUTIVE TAKES ACTION TO DEVELOP BIOMASS ENERGY
A comprehensive strategy to harness energy from biomass must be developed to help meet Scotland’s energy needs, according to a parliamentary report published today.
The Scottish Parliament’s Environment and Rural Development Committee has called on the Executive to take urgent action to develop energy from wood fuel.
The Committee’s inquiry into Scotland’s potential to produce energy from wood fuel found that energy policy focuses on electricity generation - which accounts for only 20 per cent of the country’s energy needs. The energy used for warmth and hot water in homes, public buildings and businesses is far greater.
It also found that public funding for biomass is inadequate. Uncertainty is being caused by several grant schemes currently being closed, under review or not able to support the right scale of projects.
The Committee recommended the following as urgent priorities:
· The Executive should use the opportunity of the current review of its climate change programme to give a strong lead on biomass. It should produce a comprehensive biomass strategy urgently. This should focus on energy for heat and building strong local supply chains so that wood can be used effectively without being transported long distances.
· Policy needs to be co-ordinated to make sure that planning, building standards, pollution rules and waste management regulations all work positively to encourage the use of wood fuel wherever appropriate.
· Using biomass in public buildings (such as schools and swimming pools) is the key to developing a strong local biomass industry. Public procurement rules, especially for PPP contracts, must be reviewed so that they actively encourage the public sector to lead this.
· A simplified grant scheme for installing biomass systems should be designed to focus on heat and support the development of local supply chains. It should be flexible enough to be widely available to domestic, public and commercial sectors.
Evidence submitted to the Committee suggests that increased use of biomass could:
· Create jobs and support economic development in forestry, supply sectors and installation – and improve the viability of existing forestry businesses;
· Reduce fuel poverty - wood fuel can already be less than half the cost of other fuels;
· Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 90 per cent compared to using fossil fuels such as oil or gas;
· Improve energy security – large supplies of wood fuel are readily available in Scotland.
The full report and details of the inquiry are available on the Environment and Rural Development Committee homepage at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/environment/index.htm.
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.