This article first appeared in BusinessGreen.
By Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Chief Sustainability Officer, Drax Group
Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Chief Sustainability Officer, Drax Group
Drax divides opinion. Some recognise the critically important role we play in generating renewable power which keeps the lights on for millions. Others argue that we are not ‘green enough’ and need to do more to demonstrate that we are part of the solution to tackling the existential threat of climate change.
We know that no organisation is immune from criticism and challenge and nor should they be, and this is particularly true for the energy industry. Our work sits at the intersection of some of our most critical economic, social and environmental issues like enabling growth, better productivity and job creation and reducing global warming.
Since the Ukrainian conflict and the ongoing uncertainty around investments needed to achieve net zero, energy has overtaken many other sectors in the controversy stakes. From nuclear to renewable power, our screens are filled every day with reasons to question the role that these different technologies can play in all our lives.
The UK Government’s Clean Power Action Plan sets out a positive roadmap to deliver more renewable electricity while addressing the daily pressures that people in this country feel. To meet these goals industry, government and civil society must work together and listen to one another. Without this collaboration the prospects of tackling climate change while delivering energy security are bleak.
2024 was the 50th anniversary of Drax Power Station helping power the UK. We converted our site, formerly Western Europe’s largest coal fired power station, to generate renewable energy with biomass, making it the largest single source of clean power in the country. We are rightly proud of the contribution the power station continues to make, securely powering homes no matter the weather.
However, in recent years, the polarisation of the debate around the use of bioenergy has become so loud that it frequently drowns out constructive discussion.
Drax is a fast-growing business, in a rapidly evolving sector that relies on the natural world to operate. And we have a strong desire to contribute to decarbonising our society, to protecting and enhancing nature, as well as to providing renewable energy and carbon removals to those industries which can’t otherwise reach net zero.
We recognise that some people have concerns about our operations. We understand that we need to do more to demonstrate that the biomass we use is genuinely sustainable and that we are taking the necessary steps to operate our business responsibly. We are listening to these concerns and we are determined to learn from them by taking positive action to provide greater transparency about our plans, processes and operations.
That’s why this year will see us make changes to further integrate sustainability across our operations. We are developing this new approach in consultation with experts to ensure that we’re on the right path to being climate, nature and people positive.
The launch of this new approach will not be the end of the journey either. It will be the start. We are committed to continuing this external engagement so we can continually improve our company.
The centrepiece of this will be a new sustainability framework underpinning our operations.
This includes making new investments in satellite technology, to deliver even more accurate measurements of the carbon stored in our sourcing areas, along with automating our data gathering to improve sourcing governance and traceability, so that our raw materials can be traced digitally.
We are also exploring implementing nature positive action plans for our sites and our supply chain to help nature thrive. And for our neighbouring communities, we are looking to fund STEM education and green skills training for 500,000 people. Additionally, we will target a continued reduction in supply chain emissions for Drax Power Station.
This new approach will be rightly challenging for us to deliver. We hope it will show that we are listening whilst also disentangling fact from fiction. We stand ready to play our part in delivering the secure clean energy the UK needs.
