An investigation carried out by BBC Panorama found that Drax, a UK company engaged in renewable power generation, is exploiting primary natural forests, causing massive environmental damage through deforestation in British Columbia, Canada.

Drax, which received £6bn in green energy subsidies from UK taxpayer money, runs Britain's biggest power station through the consumption of millions of tonnes of wood pellets, a strategy deemed convenient for clean biomass energy. 

The plant is currently located in Yorkshire, UK, and currently produces about 12% of the UK's renewable energy.

The investigative team uncovered that some of the wood was sourced from primary forests in Canada.

The company claims it uses waste wood which comprises around 20% of its feedstock, while the remaining 80% comes from sawmill residues like sawdust, chips, and shavings.

Unlike coal or natural gas, wood is a low-carbon fuel, which makes its consumption green. However, some environmentalists contest this approach.

Burning wood produces more emissions than burning coal, yet it is classified as renewable because new trees are allegedly planted to replace the old ones and these new trees should recapture the carbon emitted by burning wood pellets.

Satellite images captured by the team showed clear evidence of Drax trucks picking up logs from an area of precious forest.

According to ecologist Michelle Connolly, Drax was taking part in the destruction of forests that had taken thousands of years to grow.

"It's really a shame that British taxpayers are funding this destruction with their money. Logging natural forests and converting them into pellets to be burned for electricity, is absolutely insane," Connolly said.

Per the investigation, Drax purchased logging licenses to earn access to two areas of primary forest in British Columbia, one of which is a square mile, including other areas that have been identified as old-growth forests.

The area covered by the second Drax logging license has already been fully cut down.

British Columbia's federal government says old-growth forests are recognized as having very high aesthetic, cultural, and nature conservation values and those companies who exploit them for lucrative purposes should cease their operations.

The company's own sourcing policy says it "will avoid damage or disturbance" to primary and old-growth forests, but the evidence clearly indicates otherwise.

The pretext of waging a logging campaign on these forests is that many of the trees there had already died, and therefore logging would reduce the risk of wildfires, according to Drax.

Drax has previously been accused of enabling environmental racism by providing £2 million ($2.15 million) per day in subsidies to Drax Biomass, an energy company that has paid millions to US regulators over allegations that it violated chemical emission restrictions at wood chip plants near black and low-income communities.

Drax was accused of violating regulations governing the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a category of air pollutants associated with cancer, respiratory issues, and other negative health impacts.

NEW: Drax has been accused of driving “environmental racism” after a @UE investigation by @QuashieIdun and @Cdeane__ revealed that the power company has agreed a $3.2m settlement over toxic emissions in the US Deep South. Watch and share our latest video now. pic.twitter.com/JEapsirApP

— Unearthed (@UE) October 3, 2022

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