ETS for EfW: Post Webinar Round Up
Couldn’t make our ETS for EfW webinar with MRW magazine? Here’s what you missed.
On 28th February 2024, we hosted a webinar with Materials Recycling World magazine aimed at demystifying the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and investigating the impact of including energy-from-waste (EfW) in the scheme on independent waste operators.
Under ETS, businesses buy and sell carbon credits for every tonne of emissions they produce each year. Those who reduce emissions can sell spare allowances to those who do not. An overall carbon cap is set and then decreased over time – the idea is to stimulate markets to provide net zero alternatives.
EfW will be included within the UK ETS from 2028 in a move that the Environmental Services Association has described as “the most significant regulatory intervention to the UK waste industry in a generation” and one that would change the sector’s economics.
The webinar brought together experts from every corner of the waste and recycling industry. They were:
- Colin Church, the chief executive of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and Chair of the Green Alliance Circular Economy Task Force
- Samantha Riggs, a criminal defence barrister and member of CIWM specialising in defending companies and directors in environmental, financial and regulatory matters
- Emma Beal, managing director of the West London Waste Authority and previous Head of Public Sector Development at Suez
- Dr Stephen Wise, Advetec’s chief strategic development officer, has held senior roles with waste operators and consultancies in operations, business development, engineering, and general management. He has supported projects within the UK and globally.
Led by MRW editor Corin Williams, the session explored how independent waste management operators can prepare for new policies in an already highly regulated industry and what practical steps they can take now to ensure they adapt to this new environment when 2028 arrives.
Key themes covered included:
- The barriers to waste innovation in the UK and how to circumnavigate those
- Advice for independent waste handlers feeling overwhelmed in the face of rising costs
- Training available to those looking to learn more about the changes
- How to overcome the lack of sector resources and permitting delays
Over the coming weeks, we’ll share a series of Q&A blogs answering webinar viewers’ burning questions about the ETS for EfW, so keep your eyes peeled for those on our website and social media pages.