Petition for greater support and uptake of perennial biomass crops in the UK

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Version: Long – July 26th 2024

The UK is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 to combat global warming and climate change. UK agriculture is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, but it also holds the potential to offset its own emissions and those from other hard-to-decarbonise industries. The government aims to reduce UK emissions by 78% from 1990 levels by 2035, as recommended by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) in its Sixth Carbon Budget.

The CCC calls for a rapid increase in the cultivation of perennial biomass crops (such as miscanthus, willow and poplar) and short-rotation forestry to a minimum of 30,000 hectares per year by 2035, in order to achieve 700,000 hectares by 2050. These efforts could sequester 2 MtCO2e by 2035 and more than 6 MtCO2e by 2050. Combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, a further 3 MtCO2e could be sequestered by 2035, rising to 10 MtCO2e by 2050.

There is sufficient land available to support such a development without compromising food supplies. For example, research in Scotland has shown that a significant amount of land is suitable for growing biomass crops, around 900,000ha. There are currently only 8.8 thousand hectares of miscanthus and 3.8 thousand hectares of short rotation coppice (willow and poplar) for biomass growing on UK farmland, which is over 17,000 hectares short of the CCC’s annual target for biomass crops by 2030, with higher targets proposed thereafter.

There has been significant progress in the perennial biomass crops sector over the last two decades. The UK government has invested in the development of biomass crops, funding world-leading research capabilities such as plant breeding at IBERS Aberystwyth University, biomass research initiatives such as Biomass Connect or OMENZ, that have led to significantly higher yields in UK climates and better establishment success for farmers at lower costs. All these efforts will contribute to the scale up of UK domestic biomass resources.

Industry has shown strong interest and there are well-established markets in the biomass sector, where farmers supply renewable energy power stations under long-term, index-linked wholesale contracts. Other promising markets are opening up in sustainable building materials and biochemicals, products that store CO2 over the long term and represent the best use of biomass for the future. Given the market interest, supply should be encouraged

Encouraging UK farmers to adopt new technologies is crucial. Making these crop innovations commercially available will benefit the entire rural value chain—from farmers to contractors, hauliers to industrial users—while also generating more local rural jobs. More biomass crops need to be grown due to the increasing industrial demand. A supportive agricultural policy for perennial biomass crops is essential to ensure the success of the UK government’s research and development initiatives, to create a favourable environment for the companies involved and to attract private sector investment.

Priority should be given to support schemes that encourage long-term investment in the establishment of new perennial crops with returns for the British economy for many decades to come. Current farming incentive schemes currently give negligible support for perennial biomass crops. The Balanced Pathway outlined in the CCC’s Sixth Carbon Budget calls for a net investment of £1.5 billion by 2035, with £1.4 billion directed to the land sector and £0.1 billion allocated for agricultural measures.

Without financial support, farmers are reluctant to make long-term commitments to ambitious actions such as growing perennial biomass crops. The alternative short-term, three-year support offered by UK government schemes are currently more lucrative, without the commitment and therefore assurance of long-term benefits – minimum tillage, carbon storage, improved water quality, flood mitigation, reduced inputs and fertilisers, and improved farm productivity. Perennial biomass crops, on the other hand, when grown on less productive land, allow farmers to focus their efforts on more efficient food production on their better land, as well as providing emissions reductions, guaranteed income and environmental benefits for periods beyond 10 and potentially 20 years or more.

Therefore, we urge the government to take the following actions to support perennial biomass crops:

• Incentivise farmers to commit: Introduce support for initial establishment costs for farmers to plant perennial biomass crops.
• Incentivise farmers to keep cultivating long term:  Introduce annual financial incentives for farmers to continue cultivation of perennial biomass crops long-term, and not revert to annual arable crops.
• Integrate UK grown biomass into national energy policies: Highlight the role of biomass crops in achieving renewable energy targets and reducing carbon emissions through carbon capture and storage (CCS).
• Add additional government scheme actions to recognise their importance in providing a home for wildlife and contributing to ecosystem services above and below the ground.

By prioritising the expansion of perennial biomass crops, the UK can make significant progress towards a more sustainable and resilient energy system, while benefiting the agricultural sector, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change. With the largest renewable energy power plants in Europe and significant investment in agricultural biomass research, remarkable results have been achieved. The UK has the potential to showcase these achievements first at home, becoming a world leader in sustainable agriculture and exporting innovative low carbon technologies to the world.

References

Defra Agri-climate report 2023&24, Bioenergy Crops in England & UK 2008-2023&24 – Climate Change Committee 2020 – Scottish Draft Policy Statement 2024 – The Sixth Carbon Budget: The UK’s Path to Net Zero – Scotland Bioenergy Draft Policy Statement Consultation 2024