Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the findings of the paper published in Nature Sustainability on 20 April 2026 titled "Decades of increased emissions from forest-fuelled BECCS" conflict with the modelling underpinning the Department's decision to provide new subsidies to Drax for 2027 to 2031; and if he will now order a review of his modelling.

The case for awarding the 2027-31 Low-Carbon Dispatchable Contract for Difference to Drax was based on short to medium-term security of supply needs as identified by the National Energy System operator (NESO). Longer-term system needs, and considerations around Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage, are considered as part of the government’s forward planning in delivering Carbon Budgets and clean power system requirements.