Environmental analysis: Waste energy not enough to achieve UK green targets

Energy from waste could help Britain increase its renewable energy resources but other procedures are needed to hit 2020 targets, according to an expert.

A spokesperson for the Green Alliance said: "Creating energy from waste could make a contribution to our renewable energy targets but only after high levels of waste prevention, reuse and recycling have been achieved."

She added that, in order to achieve these targets, maximum waste recovery needs to be pursued, including introducing more sophisticated recycling technologies.

According to a report released last week by researchers at the Centre for Renouncement Management and Efficiency at Cranfield University, energy from waste (Efw) could produce 50 per cent of the UK's renewable energy by 2020.

This follows last month's government announcement of the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES). The initiative will see organisations playing an important role in cutting the nation's carbon emissions.

The aim of the scheme requires public and private sector businesses like hotels, supermarkets and local authorities to improve their energy efficiency to achieve a reduction of 34 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020.

Posted by Claire Manning