Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to establish a pathway and timeframe for transition plan disclosure to become mandatory for large companies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government ran a consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements from June to September 2025 which has now closed. The consultation included questions on the impact of transition plan disclosure, implementation options and interaction with UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of transition plan disclosure on private sector investment for net zero transition.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government ran a consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements from June to September 2025 which has now closed. The consultation included questions on the impact of transition plan disclosure, implementation options and interaction with UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether transition plans will be integrated within the UK’s Sustainability Reporting Standards framework.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government ran a consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements from June to September 2025 which has now closed. The consultation included questions on the impact of transition plan disclosure, implementation options and interaction with UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish his Department's roadmap for implementing mandatory transition plan disclosure for in-scope companies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government ran a consultation seeking views on how to implement transition plan requirements from June to September 2025 which has now closed. The consultation included questions on the impact of transition plan disclosure, implementation options and interaction with UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. We are reviewing responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that transition plan requirements are proportionate and flexible for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is clear that it wants any future requirements to be proportionate and that the focus will be on economically significant entities where there is likely a significant investor and public interest. As a result, small to medium-sized companies are not envisaged as being within the scope of any future requirements set by the government. The FCA has independent decision-making powers for companies in scope of any future transition plan requirements they set.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31833 on Mineworkers' Pension Scheme, when he expects discussions with Mineworkers' Pension Scheme trustees to conclude on the future of the surplus sharing arrangements.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The then Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones) met the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees in April and July to discuss their proposals and the analysis we had jointly commissioned. The Government is keen to reach agreement with the Trustees as swiftly as possible on changes to take effect from the September 2026 scheme valuation.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of anaerobic digestion plants following the end of the Renewable Obligation Certificates and feed in tariffs on (a) energy security and (b) net zero.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is aware that the expiration of Renewables Obligation accreditation may affect the commercial viability of generators from a range of technologies, including anaerobic digestion plants.
We are continuing to assess the situation to understand the impact that the end of Renewables Obligation support will have on security of supply, clean power 2030, carbon budgets and the environment.
No decisions have been made yet on potential further support.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that anaerobic digestion plants supported by renewable obligation certificates and feed in tariffs remain open following the end of those schemes.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is aware that the expiration of Renewables Obligation accreditation may affect the commercial viability of generators from a range of technologies, including anaerobic digestion plants.
We are continuing to assess the situation to understand the impact that the end of Renewables Obligation support will have on security of supply, clean power 2030, carbon budgets and the environment.
No decisions have been made yet on potential further support.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of designating anaerobic digestion plants as critical national infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department recognises the importance of anaerobic digestion plants. Where low carbon energy infrastructure, including anaerobic digestion plants, meets the threshold for being a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the National Policy Statements already define such projects as being of Critical National Priority.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of treating biomethane in the same way as (a) other renewable fuels and (b) renewable electricity under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises biomethane as a practical and cost-effective way of contributing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) applies a zero emissions factor to combustion of biomethane where supplied directly to ETS installations. Where biomethane is injected into the gas grid, there is not currently a mechanism to ensure biomethane is accounted for separately.
The ETS prices emissions from electricity generation but not from electricity use as emissions are only priced at the point of combustion.
As outlined in the future policy framework for biomethane production call for evidence, the Government is working with the ETS Authority to consider whether the ETS could account for biomethane injected into the gas grid and will provide an update on this in due course.