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On the 19th of October people around the world are joining the International Day of Action Against Big Biomass (IDoA) to call for an end to climate-wrecking tree burning in power stations.This guide should have everything you need to take action on the IDoA! Please contact stopburningtreescoalition@gmail.com or biofuelwatch@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Stop Burning Trees Coalition | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Axe Drax | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Biofuelwatch | Website | Facebook | Twitter
This toolkit is designed to help people to take action against Drax, Lynemouth and other tree burning power stations on the International Day of Action against Big biomass, which is happening on the 19th October 2023 with groups taking part in the UK and across the world! It would be great if you could join or organise a local action. We also have a range of digital and remote actions, which you can take at home.
This toolkit contains ideas, information and general guidelines, but is by no means prescriptive. Please feel free to adapt these ideas and take on your own ideas for action!
The aim of the International Day of Action is to raise awareness of the problems with burning forest wood for large-scale energy production. The event is intentionally timed to take place in the run up to the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC in November, to put global pressure on international and domestic policy makers to stop funding biomass, Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and other false solutions in favour of cleaner energy and climate solutions that benefit communities.
In the UK, we’re focusing on Drax Power Station in Yorkshire and Lynemouth Power Station in Northumberland - the two main tree burners in the UK. Both Drax and Lynemouth source their wood pellets from biodiverse forests around the world, causing huge amounts of harm to communities, forests and ecosystems. This is all being supported by the UK Government through huge subsidies, which comes out of our energy bills!
Drax is the UK’s single biggest carbon emitter and the world's largest tree burner. The IDoA is an opportunity to stand with frontline communities, whilst letting the public know how Drax harms people and the planet for profit. It’s important to understand how the impact of biomass sourcing abroad is part of wider systemic injustices against marginalised communities. Building international links strengthens our movement and can help build the power we need to justly and equitably address the climate crisis.
Drax is also an international test case for unproven technology known as BECCS (Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage). Drax claims that through BECCS they will be able to capture and store carbon from their smokestack. However, there is zero real world evidence that BECCS works at scale anywhere in the world. Despite this, BECCS features heavily in international carbon emission mitigation pathways endorsed by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). This allows for bigger carbon budgets with promises of future technology, and delays real climate action. Drax is lobbying the government for £billions of public money to fund BECCS which it is estimated would cost the public £31.7 billion. If legitimised by our government, many more countries could lock their economies into dirty tree burning energy for decades to come with disastrous impacts across the world, particularly for low income communities. If granted these subsidies, it will allow Drax to continue burning trees for decades to come, with disastrous impacts on forests, wildlife, communities and the climate. We need your help to stop these subsidies!
With Drax and Lynemouth lobbying for £billions in subsidies for BECCS, MPs have the power to stop the disastrous subsidy regime that props up these dirty tree burning polluters. In the UK, a lot of our campaigning focuses on targeting MPs to call on them to prevent any new subsidies going to biomass, with or without BECCS! Below are a range of ways you can take action targeting your MP, at home or in-person!
Call on your MP to halt the £billions of subsidies given to Drax and re-allocate the money to genuine renewables and climate action.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/demand-an-end-to-biomass-subsidies
We’ve written a draft email for you to send to your MP asking them to meet with you. Please click here to go to that action!
You can find your MP’s phone number on the parliament directory of MPs or on their website/social media.
Draft script:
Action taker: Hello can I speak to [your MPs name]?
Representative: (Likely to say no)
Action taker: Okay I understand
Action taker: Will you pass on my message? I’m urging [your MP] to prevent Drax from being given new subsidies for BECCS. Drax knows their technology doesn’t work, and they are using this as an excuse to keep receiving subsidies for burning trees. Green subsidies going to Drax need to be redirected to real climate action, like insulating homes. With record temperatures and devastating climate catastrophes around the world, it’s vital for the UK and other international policymakers to promote genuinely green and clear energy, rather than unproven technology which locks in polluting tree burning at scale.
This is also where you can ask to meet with your MP or ask when their surgeries are.
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/axe-drax-demands?source=linktree
0207 219 5972
Action taker: Hello can I speak to Claire Countinho?
Representative: (Likely to say no)
Action taker: Okay I understand
Action taker: Will you pass on my message? I’m urging Claire Coutinho to prevent Drax from being given the dual CFDs for BECCS. Drax knows their technology doesn’t work, and they are using this as an excuse to keep receiving subsidies for burning trees. Green subsidies going to Drax need to be redirected to real climate action, like insulating homes. With COP 28th on the horizon, it’s vital for the UK and other international policymakers to promote genuinely green and clean energy, rather than unproven technology which locks in polluting tree burning at scale.
01482 679 687
Action taker: Hello can I speak to Graham Stuart
Representative: (Likely to say no)
Action taker: Okay I understand
Action taker: Will you pass on my message? I’m urging Graham Stuart to prevent Drax from being given the dual CFDs for BECCS. Drax knows their technology doesn’t work, and they are using this as an excuse to keep receiving subsidies for burning trees. Green subsidies paid to Drax should be redirected to real climate action, like insulating homes. With COP 28th on the horizon, it’s vital for the UK and other international policymakers to promote genuinely green and clean energy, rather than unproven technology which locks in polluting tree burning at scale.
Financiers and Funders
Target
Relationship to Drax
Location(s)
Barclays
Financed Drax over £800 million in corporate loans and bonds.
Across the UK
Find your nearest branch: https://www.barclays.co.uk/branch-finder/
Santander
Financed Drax over £400 million in corporate loans.
Across the UK
Find your nearest branch: https://branchlocator.santander.com/?view=gb&defaultLanguage=en
Blackrock
Major shareholder.
Schroders
Major shareholder.
Invesco
Major shareholder.
London, Dublin, Wimbledon, Henley Upon Thames
Orbis
Major shareholder.
Biomass Sites and Offices
Target
What happens on site?
Location(s)
Drax Power Station
Tree burning
Yorkshire
Lynemouth Power Station
Tree burning
North East
Sandwich Biomass Plant
Tree burning
Kent
Drax head office
Business management
London
Government locations
Target
Relationship to Drax
Location(s)
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
Allocate them £billions in billpayer funded subsidies
HM Treasury
One of Drax’s main lobbying targets as they play a role in determining subsidies.
Subsidiary companies
Target
Relationship to Drax
Location(s)
Opus Energy
Energy supplier that Drax purchased in 2016. Provides energy to SMEs.
Drax Energy Solutions (previously Havenpower)
Part of Drax Group. Supply electricity from Drax, electrification services and smart metres to businesses and organisations.
BMM Energy Solutions
Purchased by Drax in September 2023. Electric vehicle charging points.
Gatwick and Forestfield (Sussex)
Contractors
Target
Relationship to Drax
Location(s)
Worley
Contracted to deliver FEED (Front-end engineering and design services) for the two BECCS carbon capture units at onsite at Drax
Hargreaves Industrial Services
Current supplier to Drax Power Station.
Rotork PLC
Technological installations will be supporting installation of BECCS technology.
Paramount Group
Provide Data and cyber security services
Sewell construction
C&I Engineer services for on sight infrastructure
Stockton on Tees (Northeast)
34 Falcon Court, Preston Farm, Stockton on Tees, TS18 3TX
Robertsbridge
PR firm
Publicity materials from the Environmental Paper Network
Draft press release for local groups
Roles
There are lots of great documentaries about the disastrous wood biomass industry and the harm Drax is causing around the world. If you’d like someone to join after the screening to give a bit of updated context about Drax/where the campaign is at now please let us know!
Some of our favourite ones:
