100 signatures reached
To: Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield - STOP Partnering with Drax
Terminate the University of Sheffield’s partnership with DRAX, the world’s biggest tree burner.
AND
Follow the lead of other universities, such as the University of Cambridge, in creating and implementing a process to ensure that all new research partnerships and projects are subject to climate-specific due diligence.
Why is this important?
Drax is a biomass power plant in North Yorkshire. It’s the UK’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, as well as the world’s number 1 tree burner, and relies on millions of pounds of UK taxpayers’ money in subsidies each year. A recent report from the independent climate change think tank E3G confirmed that DRAX is not needed to achieve the Government’s clean power 2030 mission.
- Drax’s operations will increase carbon dioxide levels in the environment for decades (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aaa512 and https://www.woodwellclimate.org/letter-regarding-use-of-forests-for-bioenergy/).
- It is highly polluting. Drax’s facilities have broken environmental laws over 11,000 times in the US, with toxic emissions linked to respiratory diseases and cancers affecting poor communities of colour the most (https://www.landclimate.org/drax-usa-11000/ and https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/groundbreaking-report-reveals-harmful-impacts-of-biomass-wood-pellet-plants/).
- It is ecologically damaging, Drax burns rare forest wood, destroying unique habitats. Last year Ofgem fined Drax £25 million, for misreporting data on wood pellet sourcing (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68381160 and https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-decision-investigation-drax-power-limited).
