Environmental campaigners stage protests outside Drax’s AGM in York

Environmental campaigners are staging simultaneous protests outside Drax’s annual general meeting (AGM) in York, UK, today (13 April, 2017).

In a statement, Biofuelswatch said that protests were being held against what the protestors see as “Drax’s involvement in dirty energy, its contribution to climate change and deforestation, and its continued reliance on government subsidies”.

Biofuelswatch also said local residents plan to protest at the port in Liverpool where wood pellets arrive from the United States to be burnt at Drax Power Station.

In York, campaigners will be holding a banner protest and leafletting shareholders going into and leaving the AGM.

Elsewhere, in London, demonstrators will be visiting first Drax's second largest investor, Schroders, before continuing to Invesco, its largest investor.

The demonstrations are being organised by a coalition including Biofuelwatch, Coal Action Network, London Mining Network, Fuel Poverty Action, members of Unite union in York and local residents in Yorkshire and Liverpool.

Commeting on the protests, a Drax spokesperson said: “Half the power station has been upgraded to run on sustainable biomass in place of coal.  We have reduced our coal consumption by 40% since 2010 and 65% of the electricity generated in 2016 was renewable. Drax now produces 16% of the UK’s renewable electricity – enough to power four million households, whilst making carbon savings of more than 80% compared to coal. Both the biomass and coal we use is sourced sustainably and responsibly.”