Environmental Services Association (ESA) responds to Committee on Climate Change (CCC) Progress Report published today (Jun 25 2020)
Jacob Hayler, Executive Director
| Environmental Services Association
1 min read
ESA members are working on a Net-Zero strategy for the sector to de-carbonise operations
Through its Resources & Waste Strategy and Environment Bill, the Government has already laid the groundwork for major change which will help unlock the full potential of the recycling and waste sector to deliver significant carbon reductions for the economy, but these vital policy frameworks have not yet come to fruition.
They now represent a ‘quick-win’ for Government against the recommendations made by the Committee on Climate Change, but need a renewed focus and impetus to make up for time lost to the COVID-19 crisis.
In addition to delivering carbon savings to the wider economy through our core resource-efficiency, recycling and landfill diversion activities, ESA members are also working on a Net-Zero strategy for the sector to de-carbonise operations by improving the efficiency of Energy-From-Waste infrastructure, including greater use of heat offtake; removing plastics from EfW inputs; reducing emissions from the transport of waste and secondary materials; and reducing the fossil-based energy used to power our sector’s infrastructure.
But delivery of this strategy must be to pragmatic timescales and will require support – both from a policy and practical perspective – from government, local authorities, businesses and consumers.”
