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How Scotland Can Reach Net Zero Targets Through Biogas
Scotland is trying to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045 to reduce its impact against climate change. One of the ways it can do this is by adopting more biogas initiatives, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.
This is why the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) is hosting its ADBA Scottish Conference 2024 on May 24th 2024.
The event, which will take place in Aberdeen, will see industry experts from the biogas sector come together to discuss how Scotland can establish new anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities to reduce its environmental impact.
Chris Huhne, chair of the ADBA, was reported by The Scottish Farmer as saying: “Scotland is already home to the biggest producers of biogas in Britain, and our industry can expand rapidly to provide energy security and capture the harmful methane emissions that are so damaging for global warming.”
Biogas helps to reduce carbon emissions by using organic and food waste to produce energy; use biomethane gas for heat supply or to fuel transport; reduces the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released from organic products; and using digestate, which is a coproduct of anaerobic digestion, as a fertiliser.
Synthetic fertilisers account for 13 per cent of agricultural emissions, and farms are responsible for 12 per cent of all global greenhouse gas. Therefore, limiting the amount of CO2 emitted on rural land could have a big impact on climate change.
The conference will also address how having an AD plant on a farm can provide another income stream for farmers, as they could export energy. This could help them during the current challenging times, which will also help to stabilise food prices.
Labour rural affairs spokesperson Rhoda Grant, energy minister Gillian Martin, Tory MSP Maurice Golden, and SEPA’s National Waste Unit’s Fiona Donalds will be speaking at the conference, encouraging more people in the agriculture industry to consider setting up AD plants on their land.