14/11/2021
This is the latest update regarding stoves and fires.
Defra Update & Presentations
Dear Phil
Good afternoon – I wanted to update you following last week’s SIA meeting (via TEAMs) with DEFRA and clearSkies. James and I attended for the SIA, Morley Sage and Gordon Allison for clearSkies and from DEFRA, Karen Smith (Head of Policy), Andrew Baxter and Sarah Murray (both Policy Leads in Karen’s team). Please follow the links below to the presentations, which are being shared in their entirety:
SIA presentation
clearSkies presentation
The purposes of the meeting were to:-
Continue the engagement and relationship building with a key stakeholder
Update DEFRA on the latest independent research on emissions with an emphasis on the impact of outdoor burning
Update DEFRA on the latest independent research on emissions from indoor burning
Reiterate our key messages to DEFRA, including challenging the 38% ‘issue’
From our perspective, we found the meeting positive with good engagement from the DEFRA team. The key points were as follows:-
It is not their current intention to ban wood burning stoves – their focus is on education to ‘burn better’, and they plan to revive the campaign soon. They will also move on to their next project in the new year, which is to how they can improve emissions from burning wood.
Their NAEI data, whilst reviewed annually, will probably not be able at this stage to incorporate our research, although they are keen to receive it to help inform their ‘thinking’. Over time, we are optimistic the 38% level will be modified, although this is highly unlikely to be in time for the next NIEA publication, which is due very shortly.
They acknowledged the reduction in emissions that come from replacing an open-fire with an Ecodesign/clearSkies stove, but no government funding is currently proposed for a scrappage scheme to replace old stoves.
They have modified their internal briefing to ministers and their responses to the Press and other correspondents to cease saying that ‘Domestic burning on fires and stoves being the single largest contributor to emissions’ by removing the word ‘single largest’ and changing to ‘major’
They recognise the inaccurate reporting from some parts of the media and the issues this cause – they also face the same issue!
They will review with colleagues the wording on the emissions website and consider if similar changes/enhancements to improve accuracy can be made.
Outdoor burning does not fall under DEFRA’s remit; same for PM2.5 emissions from vehicles (brakes/tyres), which comes under the Department for Transport
They recognise the contribution our sector makes to the UK economy – we are no longer a ‘cottage industry’ but a large manufacturing sector, employing some 25,000 people across the UK
They are very pleased to see the how our sector is taking responsibility for continually driving improvements (efficiency, emission reduction etc.) and welcomed the next stage of raising the standards through the implementation of clearSkies
Moving forward, we plan to meet with them again in Spring next year, to continue the relationship building and share the results of the further research we’re producing.
Best regards
Andy Hill
Chair
Stove Industry Allian
