WRA hails government move to include BECCS in UK ETS

The Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) has welcomed the UK government’s announcement that engineered greenhouse gas removals (GGRs) will be included in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) by 2029.
The move is being hailed by the association as a major milestone in the development of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and a critical step towards achieving net zero.
The government confirmed this week that negative emissions generated from sustainable biomass will be formally recognised within the UK’s primary carbon trading system. This inclusion will create a regulated compliance market for durable carbon removals, encouraging long-term investment and scaling up of the technologies needed to deliver meaningful reductions in atmospheric carbon.
The WRA said the decision marks a turning point for the development of a self-sufficient, regulated removals sector in the UK, with BECCS technologies expected to play a central role.
The integration of GGRs into the ETS will be legislated by 2028 and become operational in 2029.
Under the new framework, only UK-based removals will be eligible initially, and projects will be required to demonstrate a minimum 200-year carbon storage capability.
Monitoring, reporting and verification processes will be aligned with the forthcoming UK GGR Standard, ensuring integrity and transparency.
Commenting on the announcement, Richard Coulson, Chair of the WRA’s Biomass Advocacy Group, said: “We welcome the clarity and momentum, especially the commitment to domestic removals and the move to keep removals within a single carbon market - this ensures confidence and a level playing field, supporting investment into high-integrity removals.
“As the regulatory environment for GGRs develops, it’s crucial that the UK supports the existing assets that are capable of delivering negative emissions and moves forward with the implementation of these developments as quickly as possible. The end of ROCs means there is a significant risk that by the time GGR regulations are in place, the UK will have no BECCS sector left.
“We will continue working with policymakers to ensure that BECCS for sub-100MW biomass assets is achievable and that these plants can fulfil their potentially huge contribution to net zero.”
The announcement also indicated there would be no artificial restrictions on the use of removal allowances for compliance purposes, and that the inclusion of woodland-based removals is still under review, with further evidence expected in due course.