BIOMASS

That this House notes that biomass heating could reduce household carbon emissions by around three million tonnes, equivalent to taking 3.25 million cars off the road; recognises the significant environmental and economic benefits of using farm and forestry waste as well as specific crops to produce energy and the opportunities that energy crops offer farmers, landowners and rural communities to diversify their activities and rebuild rural economies in a sustainable manner; regrets that biomass only accounts for one per cent. of total UK heat generation; and calls on the Government to rebalance the renewables obligation away from its bias towards land-based wind power to create the stimulus necessary for the development of a sustainable biomass industry.