Anaerobic Digestion trade bodies welcome IPCC report on Climate Change and Land

• Report highlights the scale of the impact of our agricultural system on the environment and the important role land management can play in climate mitigation

• World Biogas Association and UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association emphasise the role AD and biogas can play in developing sustainable agricultural and food waste treatment systems as well as decarbonising heat and transport

• The AD and biogas industry has the potential to reduce global GHG emissions by 10-13%

On Thursday, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest report, Climate Change and Land, which not only states that better land management is needed to address climate change, but also that reducing GHG emissions from all sectors, especially from food waste, is essential to keep global warming to 1.5oC or well below 2 ̊C.

The World Biogas Association (WBA) and the UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) welcome the report and, in particular, the acknowledgement that future land use will need to support bioenergy to ensure that global warming is limited to 1.5oC. This would need to be integrated into a portfolio response to the climate crisis, including reforestation, afforestation, reduced deforestation, and a reappraisal of our existing food system.

The WBA recently published a major report on the Global Potential of Biogas, which sets out the contribution biogas can make to climate mitigation, and last year published a landmark report on Global Food Waste Management.

David Newman, President of the WBA, said: “This latest IPCC report illustrates how important it is to address climate change across multiple sectors – and this is where anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas can play a significant role. Our recent research shows that AD and biogas can help reduce global GHG emissions by 10-13% and in some of the hardest to decarbonise sectors: agriculture, transport, and heat. We’re currently only processing 2% of the organic feedstock available into green energy and bio-fertilisers.

There’s so much that this industry can do, and world governments need to ensure that they integrate it not only into their Nationally Determined Contributions to meet Paris Agreement targets, but also in their strategies for developing a sustainable circular economy across the world. Biogas has been shown to make a significant contribution towards 9 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. It needs to be recognized and supported as a key player in the global sustainability agenda. ”

Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of ADBA, a founding member of WBA, said: “On-farm AD is a key growth area in the UK and an essential part of achieving the UK’s Net Zero emissions target by 2050. It enables the

development of a sustainable farming model in which organic wastes are recycled into natural fertilisers, to restore our depleted soils; and biogas to generate power for electricity or biomethane for the hard-to-decarbonise transport and heat sectors. We are feeding in our views to help shape the UK’s Agriculture Bill, among other policies, to ensure the UK can take the lead in revolutionising farming, food waste and sustainable land use. This IPCC report is welcome in emphasising the very urgent need to do so.”

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For further information, contact:
Jocelyne Bia, Senior Communications Consultant
Jocelyne.bia@adbioresources.org ; tel: +44 (0)7910 878510

Notes to Editors
• The World Biogas Association, launched in November 2016, is the global trade association for the biogas, landfill gas and anaerobic digestion (AD) sectors, dedicated to facilitating the adoption of biogas globally. It believes that AD and biogas technologies provide multi-faceted opportunities to produce clean, renewable energy while resolving global issues related to development, public health and economic growth. www.worldbiogasassociation.org @wbatweets

• The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) is the trade association for the UK anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry. Its vision is to see the full potential of the UK AD industry realised so it can help the UK achieve its emissions targets and other policy goals, creating a truly circular economy. ADBA was established in September 2009 and now counts over 400 members. www.abioresources.org @adbioresources

• The WBA Global Potential of Biogas report highlights the potential of AD as a technology to generate renewable energy, abate GHG emissions and recover organic nutrients and carbon for use on soil, and makes recommendations on how to realise this potential. The report also sets out how AD can help meet the climate change targets under the Paris Agreement and many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.