Almarai wins 'Best Corporate Sukuk' at Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards    Top climber falls to death after rare Himalayan feat    US voters flying home in time for election    Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters    India's Modi condemns violence after Canada temple incident    Harris and Trump make final push in must-win Pennsylvania    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Saudi crown prince, Tunisian president review bilateral relations in phone call    Al-Khereiji: Collective action in combating terrorism is a must for achieving stability and prosperity    SFDA Chief visits premier biotechnology and medical firms in China    Saudi Awwal Bank becomes the Kingdom's first bank obtaining ISO certification for quality management system in operations    Saudi Arabia's non-oil revenues grow 6% in 9 months while Q3 budget posts SR30 billion deficit    10 cooperation agreements signed during Saudi-Turkish Business Forum in Istanbul    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Enhancing zakat, tax, and customs compliance takes center stage at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Conference 2024    Neymar expected to join Al Hilal squad for AFC clash against Esteghlal, says coach Jesus    Al Qadsiah secure 2-0 victory over Al Ettifaq in first Eastern Derby since 2021    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UK power station owner cuts down primary forests in Canada
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 03 - 10 - 2022

Drax, Britain's biggest power station, generates electricity by burning millions of tons of imported wood pellets.
LONDON — A company that has received billions of pounds in green energy subsidies from UK taxpayers is cutting down environmentally-important forests, a BBC Panorama investigation has found.
Drax runs Britain's biggest power station, which burns millions of tons of imported wood pellets - which is classed as renewable energy.
The BBC has discovered some of the wood comes from primary forests in Canada.
The company says it only uses sawdust and waste wood.
Panorama analysed satellite images, traced logging licences and used drone filming to prove its findings. Reporter Joe Crowley also followed a truck from a Drax mill to verify it was picking up whole logs from an area of precious forest.
Ecologist Michelle Connolly told Panorama the company was destroying forests that had taken thousands of years to develop.
"It's really a shame that British taxpayers are funding this destruction with their money. Logging natural forests and converting them into pellets to be burned for electricity, that is absolutely insane," she said.
The Drax power station in Yorkshire is a converted coal plant, which now produces 12% of the UK's renewable electricity.
It has already received £6bn in green energy subsidies. Burning wood is considered green, but it is controversial among environmentalists.
Panorama discovered Drax bought logging licences to cut down two areas of environmentally-important forest in British Columbia.
One of the Drax forests is a square mile, including large areas that have been identified as rare, old-growth forest.
The provincial government of British Columbia says old-growth forests are particularly important and that companies should put off logging them.
Drax's own responsible sourcing policy says it "will avoid damage or disturbance" to primary and old-growth forest.
However, the latest satellite pictures show Drax is now cutting down the forest.
The company told Panorama many of the trees there had died, and that logging would reduce the risk of wildfires.
The entire area covered by the second Drax logging license has already been cut down.
Drax told the BBC it had not cut down the forests itself and said it transferred the logging licenses to other companies.
But Panorama checked and the authorities in British Columbia confirmed that Drax still holds the licenses.
Drax said it did not use the logs from the two sites Panorama identified. It said they were sent to timber mills - to make wood products - and that Drax only used the leftover sawdust for its pellets.
The company says it does use some logs - in general - to make wood pellets. It claims it only uses ones that are small, twisted, or rotten.
But documents on a Canadian forestry database show that only 11% of the logs delivered to the two Drax plants in the past year were classified as the lowest quality, which cannot be used for wood products.
Panorama wanted to see if logs from primary forests cut down by logging companies were being transferred to Drax's Meadowbank pellet plant. The program filmed a truck on a 120-mile round trip: leaving the plant, collecting piles of whole logs from a forest that had been cut down by a logging company and then returning to the plant for their delivery.
Drax later admitted that it did use logs from the forest to make wood pellets. The company said they were species the timber industry did not want, and they would often be burned anyway to reduce wildfire risks.
The company also said the sites identified by Panorama were not primary forest because they were near roads.
But the UN definitions of primary forest do not mention proximity to roads and one of the sites is six miles from the nearest paved road.
Panorama's findings come at a critical moment for Drax.
The UK government is due to publish a new biomass strategy later this year, which will set out its policy for natural fuels like wood.
A Drax spokesperson said 80% of material in its Canadian pellets is sawmill residuals, which would be disposed of anyway.
They also said that Drax applies stringent sustainability standards to its own pellet production as well as suppliers, with verification from third-party certification schemes.
"We are constantly reviewing these policies to ensure we take account of the latest science," they added.


Clic here to read the story from its source.