Drax, the UK’s largest energy company, has come under growing criticism for supposedly sourcing wood from old-growth forests in British Columbia, Canada. This debate comes even as the company touts its sustainability efforts. New research reveals Drax’s dirty timber trail landed him full shiploads of whole logs from old-growth forests. This is very troubling from an ecological perspective and it undermines the company’s sustainability messaging.
In October 2023, Drax publicly asserted that it had ceased sourcing wood from areas labeled by the British Columbia government as “protected” or “deferred” old-growth forest stands. Yet, according to reports, the company still sources timber products from other locations home to old-growth trees. Drax imported 425 truckloads a day of whole logs cut from designated cutblocks. These places were old growth forests, set aside specifically for logging. Of these, 90 truckloads came directly from the Skeena area, known for its diverse and immeasurable ecological worth.
The contradictory nature of the situation has led environmental experts and advocates to raise serious doubts about Drax’s professed commitment to sustainability. New evidence indicates the company likely obtained timber from forests of significant ecological importance. That very thing probably happened as close as this past summer, 2023. This contradiction has been an enormous red flag for conservationists and local communities passionate about the fate of old-growth forests.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability Claims
Drax has long positioned itself as a renewable energy success story. It has been awarded billions of pounds in burning biomass, mostly wood pellets, subsidies. Unfortunately, it has grown to be Britain’s biggest carbon emissions, a reality that blows a huge hole in its sustainability story. The company maintains that all of its wood comes from “well-managed, sustainable forests.” In practice, commercial sawmills often turn away the low-grade wood that goes into biomass pellets. This waste wood is then sold or burned to reduce wildfire risk, adding even more complexity and concern about this practice’s environmental impact.
As climate and environmental activist Tegan Hansen said in a recent testimony. She further noted that even the oldest of trees can start to decay in their centers. Unfortunately, this unique feature is one reason why they are so critically important for wildlife. This feeling drives home the biological importance of protecting these irreplaceable native forests instead of cutting them down to make biomass fuel.
The data presents a stark reality: designated areas of old growth total 5.3 million hectares in British Columbia, with an overall old-growth forest area spanning 11.1 million hectares. On top of this, another 3.7 million hectares have been protected through alternative designation schemes. The overall magnitude speaks to the urgency of protecting these forests instead of pillaging them for immediate profit.
Drax’s Response and Ongoing Controversy
In response to allegations surrounding its timber sourcing practices, a spokesperson for Drax reiterated their commitment to sustainable forestry practices. Our sourcing policy commits Drax to not source biomass from established old growth forests. We only source woody biomass from well-managed and sustainable forests. This prediction has been met with disbelief considering the data showing the complete opposite.
Drax has been under more intense scrutiny for its sustainability claims in recent years. In fact, the company is making £2m+ a day from green energy subsidies from UK bill payers. Today it’s under enormous pressure to address its environmental footprint. Recent reporting has indicated Drax is almost certainly sourcing more old growth than they’ve documented. This gap is due to a lack of spatial data.
Hansen helpfully illustrated the difficulty in ensuring accountability for the illegal logging that is rampant in British Columbia. Further, she noted that Drax is located in an area that has experienced immense hardship. We have found a shocking level of logging in high-risk forests there. In BC, logging practices established by the province make it physically impossible for Drax to not include old-growth forests in their wood supply. This is just the nature of how logging operates in this space.
Local Perspectives and Future Implications
This ongoing saga over Drax’s operations has left a trail of distrust, disillusionment, and traumatized local communities and environmental activists in its wake. Hansen went on to say, “Drax has come into British Columbia with promises to address the problems in our forestry industry, but they haven’t done that. She explained that instead of solving known problems, Drax’s work is actually making the problems worse.
On a related recent field visit, Hansen was alarmed to see extreme clear-cutting practices and the threat to long-term health of native forests. It was very chilling. The yards are big and there were all these large log piles,” she said. She was greeted by the spectacle of gigantic, healthy, mature trees of every age. Some had even been burnt by fire, yet they flourished when cut to the ground.
Yet the realities behind Drax’s timber sourcing highlight an urgent demand for transparency and accountability at the heart of the biomass industry. As the world transitions to renewable energy and the demand for renewably-mined battery minerals increases, it’s more important than ever to understand the environmental impacts of such practices.