UK Climate Change Programme 2006 - JNCC - Defra

58
Business
85. The EU Landfill Directive will have a significant
effect on emissions; partly because it imposes
strict engineering requirements on landfills, partly
because it requires landfill gas (methane) to be
captured and used, and partly as it imposes limits
on the amount of biodegradable municipal waste
that can be landfilled. The targets (based on the
amount of waste produced in 1995) and
timescales that apply to the UK are:
• a reduction to 75 per cent of the total
amount by 2010;
• to 50 per cent of the total amount by 2013;
and
• to 35 per cent of the total amount by 2020.
86. The Government has introduced a number of
policy measures to divert biodegradable waste
from landfill, including landfill allowance schemes
to specifically meet these targets for
biodegradable municipal waste, as well as more
generally through increasing landfill tax. These
are described in chapter 1 Diverting
biodegradable municipal waste from landfill to
meet these targets will result in additional carbon
savings, through avoided methane emissions, of
2.7 MtC by 2010 and 3.3 MtC by 2020
(compared to 2000 levels) 8 . The total reduction in
methane emission from UK landfills relative to the
level in 1990 is between 6 and 7 million tonnes
of carbon equivalent. Additionally the increase in
energy recovery from biomass waste at
incineration plant is projected to save a further
0.2 MtC in 2010. This is built in to the baseline
with measures projections.
landfill, result in CO 2
emissions from the transport,
treatment and recovery or disposal of waste.
88. There may be additional CO 2
savings not in the
baseline arising from savings in fossil fuel CO 2
emissions due to an increase in energy from
waste beyond the level allowed for in the DTI
model; as a result of landfill allowance schemes
(for municipal waste) and increases in landfill tax
that will also impact on commercial and industrial
waste streams. To the extent that the resulting
changes in waste management practices
(including increases in recycling) divert greater
amounts of waste from landfill than is assumed in
the DTI model, and displace additional fossil fuel
generation, there will be further greenhouse gas
emissions savings. These have not been quantified.
Working with others to deliver change
89. Businesses play a crucial role in supporting
Government to move become innovative and
develop low carbon emission technologies needs
to stretch beyond 2010. Alongside companies
that are already taking action to cut their
emissions, there are already those that are
developing innovative low-carbon products and
services. To ensure this effort is maintained and
enhanced, the Government is committed to carry
on working to support the deployment of new
technologies and products and to help develop
vibrant markers to provide businesses with the
confidence for long-term investments.
87. Other waste management routes produce
significantly less GHG emissions per tonne of
waste managed than does landfill. The principal
reason for this is that methane emissions from
landfill are avoided by managing the waste some
other way. In addition, however, recycling
generates significant CO 2
savings as a result of the
reduced need to extract and process raw materials
(although much of this benefit accrues overseas),
whilst recovering energy from the biogenic
fraction of waste yields other, relatively modest,
savings. All waste management options, including
8 UK Landfill Methane Emissions: Evaluation and Appraisal of Waste Policy and Projections to 2050, Golder Associates report for Defra, 2005.