Recommendation 34

The delay in implementing the ban on biodegradable municipal waste, announced around the time the draft Plan was laid, raises doubts about the draft's projection that emissions from energy from waste will peak in 2026. Whilst emissions have been low, relative to other sectors, they are rising and there is a clear risk that if they continue to rise they could offset some progress in other areas. Some waste is still to be diverted from landfill into other waste management streams, including likely energy from waste, up until the BMW ban begins to be enforced in 2028. The Committee asks the Scottish Government to:
set out in the final Plan revised projections on emissions in this area, as a consequence of the delay in full enforcement of the ban, and any other relevant developments;
set out in the final Plan any further actions the Scottish Government intend to take to stem the increase in emissions from energy from waste pending the ban;
indicate whether other parts of the Plan require revision to account for such revisions.