Call your MP to take urgent action to protect nature from Drax’s tree burning. 

Forests are the lungs of our planet and it’s never been more important to protect them in order to tackle both the nature crisis and the climate emergency. Yet the UK Government is subsidising the destruction of vital forests around the world by using our energy bills to fund tree burning in power stations like Drax in Yorkshire and Lynemouth in Northumberland. Drax is the UK’s single biggest carbon emitter and the world’s biggest tree burner. Drax has repeatedly been exposed for logging and sourcing from primary old-growth forests in British Columbia in Canada which are home to threatened species such as caribou. Drax is also burning wood from Southern US forests which are home to many rare and endangered species such as black bears, salamanders, Red Cardinals and Cerulean Warblers.

Drax already receives c.£1.5m per day from UK bill payers to burn trees whilst making record profits.The Government is now considering proposals to use our energy bills to give tree-burning companies huge new subsidies to continue funding this destruction and harm to nature for many years to come! If these subsidies go ahead we could be locked in to decades more of tree burning, pollution, nature loss and forest destruction. Please join us to call on MPs to take urgent action to protect nature from Drax’s tree burning.  

How to take action

Below are some resources to help you with your call including a draft script. please feel free to adapt this accordingly in line with the 3 key aims of the call:

  • To ask your MP to write to the Secretary of State for DESNZ (Ed Miliband) to say that we should not waste public money on companies that burn trees. 
  • And to ask if they can ask a parliamentary question concerning drax, if they agree, please email us on biofuelwatch@gmail.com and we can email you over some recommended questions to provide to your MP

Please remember to fill in this form to let us know you called your MP.

How to find your MP’s number

You can find your MP’s phone number on the parliamentary directory of MPs or on their website/social media. It’s worth contacting your MP’s constituency office if you can’t get through to their Parliamentary number. If you’ve already emailed your MP about this it’s really helpful to mention that when you call, as it makes them much more likely to properly read your email! 

If there is a recorded message, it would be great if you’re happy to leave a short voicemail message with your contact email and /or number so your MP’s office can reply. There is a draft phone script and voicemail message below. Please feel free to let us know how you get on by filling in this form. It’s a good idea to send a follow up email with what you discussed and this is an example follow-up email which you are very welcome to personalise and adapt. If your MP doesn’t have a phone number, or if you’ve received a response from your MP and would like help replying to it, please email us at biofuelwatch@gmail.com and we’ll be delighted to help.

Draft script (if you are able to speak to someone)

Action taker: Hello I’m … and I’m one of [MP name] constituents. I’m phoning because I’m very concerned that the Government is giving millions of pounds a year from UK energy bills to wood-burning power stations and it is now proposing to give huge new subsidies to these power stations, including Drax which is the UK’s single largest carbon emitter and the world’s biggest tree burner. (If you’ve already emailed them, this is a great time to mention that)

I don’t want my energy bills to be used to fund Drax’s forest destruction and harm to nature. I’d be grateful if [MP] could sign the Stop Burning Trees pledge or write to the Secretary of State for DESNZ (Ed Miliband) to say that we should not waste public money on companies that burn trees. 

MP’s staff member: (likely to offer to flag your concerns with your MP and may ask you to send an email with your key points – there is an example email here which you are welcome to adapt and personalise) 

Action taker: Would it be possible to receive a response in the next week? I’ll be happy to send a follow-up email and an MP briefing about the proposed new subsidies.

MP’s staff member: (likely to offer to send a response to your follow-up email.) 

Action taker: Thank you very much for speaking to me today and for taking my message. I look forward to hearing back from you soon. 

Draft voicemail script (if there is a recorded message)

Action taker: Hello I’m … and I’m one of [MP name] constituents. 

I’m phoning because I’m very concerned that the Government is using UK energy bills to fund tree burning in UK power stations and is now proposing to give huge new subsidies to power stations like Drax which is the UK’s single largest carbon emitter and the world’s biggest tree burner. 

I don’t want my energy bills to be used to fund Drax’s forest destruction, pollution of communities and harm to nature and the climate.I’m phoning to ask if [MP name] would be interested in signing the Stop Burning Trees MP pledge to support an end to subsidies for burning wood. I would also be grateful if [MP name] could write to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, to call for no new subsidies for burning trees.

My number / email address is……  and I look forward to hearing back from you. I can also send a follow-up email with more information. Thanks very much. Goodbye. 

Social media

Once you have called your MP, please share on social media. We have some sample posts to use below, but please feel free to adapt them and please @ or tag your MP. Please also feel free to use the image we have added below.

Twitter

I just called my MP to say NO to more subsidies for wood-burning power stations! Let’s protect our forests and the climate, not destroy them! #StopBurningTrees #BigBadBiomass #ForestsAreNotFuel Click To Tweet

Facebook/instagram

I just called my MP because I’m deeply concerned that millions of pounds from our energy bills are being handed over to wood-burning power stations like #Drax – the UK’s single largest carbon emitter and the world’s biggest tree burner.

Now, the government is proposing huge new subsidies to support these polluters! Instead of funding more environmental damage and harm to nature, we should be protecting our forests and investing in clean, renewable energy.

It’s time to speak up! Call your MP and tell them to #StopBurningTrees and stop the subsidies! Let’s act before it’s too late. #ClimateAction #ProtectOurPlanet #NoMoreSubsidies #BigBadBiomass #ForestsAreNotFuel #SaveNature