Press Release: Lord Deben, Chairman of the UK Committee on Climate Change, to open 2020 World Biogas Summit

• The Rt. Hon John Gummer, Lord Deben, Chairman of the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC), will provide the opening keynote address to the 2nd World Biogas Summit
• Themed “There’s No Net Zero without Biogas!”, the World Biogas Summit will take place online from 6th until 8th October 2020.
• The Summit will introduce a roadmap towards enabling the biogas industry to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 12% by 2030.

The World Biogas Summit 2020, a unique thought-leadership forum for the global anaerobic digestion and biogas industry, will open on 6th October with a keynote address by the Rt. Hon John Gummer, Lord Deben, Chairman of the UK Committee on Climate Change.

Launched in 2019, hosted by the World Biogas Association (WBA) and supported by the UK’s Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), the Summit provides the largest international platform on which to highlight the value of anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas as solutions to the global challenges of organic waste management, food and energy security, as well as climate change  – thus putting the industry at the heart of sustainable development around the world.

Taking place entirely online due to Covid-19 restrictions, the 2020 event will see the launch of the latest WBA report “Biogas: the roadmap to 2030“, which sets out the pathway for delivering the biogas industry’s potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by at least 12% by 2030.  The Summit will also discuss how the industry can contribute to achieving Net Zero, help restore soil health and underpin city projects for low carbon urban development. Another crucial topic will be how to finance the growth of the AD and biogas sector to fulfill its huge potential.

David Newman, WBA President, said: “ We are honoured to welcome Lord Deben to the World Biogas Summit 2020. In the build up to next year’s crucial COP26 in Glasgow, it will be particularly opportune to hear his insights into how the UK, as host nation, is addressing the climate emergency and taking a leadership role in meeting Paris Agreement targets.  In 2020, our industry is presented with a unique opportunity, globally, to play its part not only in contributing to global decarbonization, but also in supporting a green recovery from Covid-19. This year’s Summit will be remarkably relevant and timely.”

Charlotte Morton, ADBA Chief Executive, said: “Lord Deben has been a powerful voice on environmental issues in the UK for many years and especially on climate change. As one of the leading figures in the UK’s climate change agenda, he has been a guiding light in getting our industry to achieve the recognition that it deserves.  Anaerobic digestion could deliver a 6% reduction in UK GHG emissions by 2030, and 12% globally, just by capturing and recycling through AD the organic wastes we humans produce, in the process creating 30,000 green jobs in the UK and 12-15 million worldwide. The Summit will explore how our sector can make its vital contribution to Net Zero and unlock its growth potential.”

This event is free-to-attend, registration is open now.

View the World Biogas Summit 2020 programme here.

– ENDS –

For further information, contact:

Jocelyne Bia, Senior Communications Consultant
e: jbia@worldbiogasassociation.org ; tel: +44 (0)7910 878510

Notes to editors:

• The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008. Its role is to advise the UK and devolved governments on reducing GHG and to report to the UK Parliament on progress made preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
• Lord Deben has chaired the CCC since 2012. He was the longest serving UK Secretary of State for the Environment and has sixteen years of top-level ministerial experience which also includes Minister for London, Employment Minister and Paymaster General in HM Treasury. He has consistently championed an identity between environmental concerns and business sense. To that end, he set up and now runs Sancroft, a Corporate Responsibility consultancy working with blue-chip companies around the world on environmental, social and ethical issues.
• The World Biogas Summit 2020 will run in parallel with the World Biogas Expo 2020 in an interconnected, online programme, featuring companies presenting their technologies and services and dedicated sessions providing expert insights into policy, technical and operational aspects of the industry.