After July 4th, the new government will be faced with significant challenges and an equation to solve.
The two key issues which are often pitted against one another, are economic growth and protecting the environment. But without solving this equation, the new government can’t put the UK on the path to prosperity.
The climate crisis and cost of living crisis should be tackled together. Green policy isn’t a zero sum game. There are growth opportunities across the vital water, waste and energy sectors - if the right policy frameworks are in place.
The UK cannot afford more delays. The new government must prioritise actions that enable investment to decarbonise, depollute and regenerate resources at scale.
As set out in our new strategic plan ‘GreenUp’, Veolia UK is a global leader in decarbonisation, depollution and regenerating resources.
These are our top priorities a new government must act on in the first 100 days.
Secure 95% low-carbon electricity by 2030 aligned to the UK Energy Security Strategy by setting out a clear pathway to unlock investment in infrastructure, reduce planning delays and develop green skills.
1. Update the planning system and Environment Agency permit process to unlock private capital into low carbon infrastructure.
Major projects are regularly delayed by years before approvals and permits are provided. Veolia currently provides 560Mw of low carbon capacity that can power over 1.3 million homes and plans to invest tens of millions in local decarbonisation projects if the right frameworks allow.
2. Recognise the significant opportunities from district heating by delivering local loops of energy programmes which open new opportunities for large private investment into district heating.
Heat is the biggest contributor to emissions (40%). To tackle this issue, Veolia provides local low carbon solutions and has secured over £25M in investment for district heating, which will deliver 100 GWh of heat to homes and businesses by 2027.
3. Drive demand for bioenergy and gas and alternative fuels through dedicated schemes including an extension for Renewable Obligation Certificates, to continue the key role of bioenergy in decarbonising electricity, transport and heat to achieve Net Zero.
A circular economy with less waste is essential to reducing emissions. At Veolia, we’re utilising waste through anaerobic digestion to generate biogas for reuse as a fuel or injection into the national grid, improving our sustainability and security, while making better use of landfill sites.
Support the continued development of world leading sustainable resource management with efficient and effective legislation that assures investment.
1. Implement a simple Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging to incentivise producers to design for recyclability and create demand for recycled material, while providing long term stability to local authorities on Simpler Recycling.
Local authorities and businesses are unable to budget and ensure their compliance. Veolia has a clear model for an efficient and effective pEPR which supports local authorities and is fair to producers.
2. Escalate the Plastic Packaging Tax to a 50% recycled content threshold and a £500/tonne tax rate.
Currently, only 22% of material used in plastic packaging is from recycled sources. Our research shows escalating the PPT has the potential to create 2,500 green jobs and £1.1 billion in investment.
3. Create a simple UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) with the right incentives for decarbonisation and a focus on fair and deliverable outcomes for the whole value chain.
As a sector, waste is a significantly challenging sector to decarbonise which is at risk due to disjointed policy. Veolia will continue to directly work with any new government to develop an appropriate and fair system.
Water
As the world's largest water company Veolia is a leader in innovative water technology, providing clean and safe drinking water to millions of people.
The resilience of the UK water supply against climate change and the unacceptable levels of water pollution calls for serious action to restore public trust:
1. Create stable and transparent frameworks to ensure all works are publicly tendered so that the water industry can evolve into a high investment and innovation driven sector.
Without transparent public tender frameworks, the water industry will continue to be murky. Veolia has decontamination solutions on the market today and can provide efficient operational and maintenance services.
2. Improve the monitoring and reporting of wastewater treatment across the UK which will create the right environment for investment in innovative technology.
Too many harmful pollutants enter our natural environment. After our multi-million pound investment in advanced systems at our Seafield site, we process wastewater to meet the highest environmental standards.
3. Ensure the resilience and protection of water supplies by creating favourable investment conditions and appropriate safeguards to protect precious water resources against climate change.
Water resilience is already low. Veolia already provides expertise across the UK and Ireland by working in areas where water resilience is low to protect against water scarcity and improve quality.
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste must be treated to cause no harm to human health or the environment.
As the UK's largest hazardous waste operator with 14 treatment facilities, we drive innovation for safe treatment and understand the right approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A new government should ensure that planning, legislation and permitting for hazardous waste incentivises the best treatment and recycling options are available to create a high-value UK industry.
As part of Veolia's new strategic plan GreenUp:
i. Veolia has expanded the solvent recovery capacity at its Garston facility to 86,000 tonnes a year to meet the growing demand for more sustainable recycled products.
ii. Solvent recovery process will also save an estimated 172,000 tonnes of CO2e in greenhouse gas emissions each year, compared to virgin resources, equivalent to taking 78,000 diesel cars off the road annually.
iii. We welcome the current battery strategy from the government and support efforts to ensure high standard supply chains with a focus on battery recycling and regulation is welcome.
