Drax tree-burning sets poor example on climate change ahead of COP26 – Yorkshire Post Letters

BUSINESS Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng touts Drax as an example of a good “green” company integral to the Government’s climate plans (The Yorkshire Post, July 31) as our country prepares to host the world at COP26.

COP26 and how the world will follow Yorkshire’s lead in global green race – Kwasi Kwarteng

In reality, Drax’s successful lobbying of the Government in favour of burning trees for electricity, earning it £2.3m every day in subsidies, is lining the pockets of company executives and shareholders and should give major cause for concern.

The even bigger scandal is that these enormous sums of money are being spent by the Government to prop up a business and energy source that exacerbates climate change, harms forests, and emits deadly air pollution.

Unlike solar and wind, large-scale wood-burning at Drax can emit dangerous air pollution linked to an array of health harms.

At the same time, Drax’s supply chains pollute the air of marginalised communities in the US South, where most of its wood is sourced. This fake renewable energy is not what our region needs.

It is an embarrassment that in the year the UK holds the COP26 presidency, Britain continues to spend billions to subsidise dirty energy produced by companies like Drax.

We should be protecting trees, not bankrolling businesses that cut them down.

The Government must choose cleaner air and more real clean energy jobs in Yorkshire.

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