Employment tribunal documents have revealed that senior Drax executives privately questioned whether the company had sufficient evidence to support its sustainability claims, even as leadership publicly denied allegations about sourcing wood from old-growth Canadian forests.
The court papers, obtained by The Guardian and other news organisations, show that following a BBC Panorama documentary in October 2022, Drax's head of compliance warned colleagues the company may have burned old-growth pellets "consistently" since at least 2019 and lacked adequate data to prove the exact origin of all its wood pellets.
This occurred whilst CEO Will Gardiner was assuring government ministers that sustainably sourced biomass remained at the heart of operations with "careful and robust governance and traceability."
Former head of public affairs Rowaa Ahmar, who brought the employment tribunal case, alleged she was dismissed after warning the company was "misleading the public, government and its regulator." She reached a settlement with Drax without admission of liability.
Ofgem's subsequent 16-month investigation found "an absence of adequate data governance and controls" regarding Canadian wood sourcing between April 2021 and March 2022. Drax paid £25 million for the breach, though Ofgem found no evidence subsidies were issued incorrectly. A Financial Conduct Authority investigation into historical statements continues.
The company, which received over £7 billion in household bill subsidies and produced 10% of Britain's electricity in 2024, maintains all claims were properly investigated and verified.
Read the full investigation here.
Senior Drax executives raised internal sustainability concerns while publicly denying forest claims
