Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any subsidies provided to incentivise the burning of woodchip on reducing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The Government keeps the impact of the burning of biomass, including woodchip, on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions under review.

The UK only supports biomass for heat and electricity generation which complies with strict sustainability criteria, and generating stations utilising biomass only receive subsidies in respect of compliant biomass. These criteria include a minimum 60% lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions saving, compared to emissions from an EU fossil fuel comparator for electricity. The calculation requires transport, growing and processing emissions to be included. The greenhouse gas savings requirement will be tightened in a trajectory to 2025.

Those plants using biomass, with a capacity greater than or equal to one megawatt, must also prepare an annual sustainability report, compiled by a third-party auditor/verifier which will provide assurance that biomass is from sustainable sources.

Recent analysis done in relation to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme estimated lifetime carbon savings as follows: