Representation by Liz Lewis
- Date submitted
- 22 August 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am writing to express my belief that the proposed continuation of the Drax Power Station to produce electricity by burning trees and to receive subsidy to invest in exploring carbon capture is misguided and should be stopped. CCS sounds like a good idea but there is only one functioning CCS pilot project left in the world - all the others have been abandoned as failures - and that one captures much less carbon than planned. CCS is an expensive distraction from the urgent need to cut all emissions and invest in wind, solar and super-insulating peoples’ homes. On the surface carbon capture can look beneficial but it is a distraction that this country should not fall for. Last month the High Court has ruled that the government’s Net Zero Strategy breaches the Climate Change Act. Mr Justice Holgate found that the Net Zero Strategy, which sets out plans to decarbonise the economy, doesn’t meet the government’s obligations under the Climate Change Act to produce detailed climate policies that show how the UK’s legally-binding carbon budgets will be met. The Drax CCS application is part of the problem. It is a mistake to pour money into research on expensive projects that are likely to fail . It is better to invest in realistic practical projects that reduce energy use and emissions. Now that it’s been found unlawful, the government will have to update its climate strategy to include a quantified account of how its policies will achieve climate targets, based on a realistic assessment of what it actually expects them to deliver. This updated strategy will have to be presented to parliament for scrutiny by MPs. The refreshed plan should include sound policies that stand up to the scrutiny of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which recently found that credible plans exist for just two fifths of the government’s required emissions reductions. This Drax application is an example of such a project and should be rejected.