Lords welcome Government's commitment to a long term plan for the bioeconomy

The Committee's report, published in March 2014, called on the Government to grasp the nettle and change the way we view waste – seeing it as an opportunity rather than a problem.

It also made a clear call to the Government to create a Waste Champion, to take on the job of developing a “brass from muck” bioeconomy - one that could see enormous economic benefits as well as a considerable number of green jobs – and develop a long term plan for a high value bioeconomy.

The Government have today embraced these central recommendations. They state that they will: “develop a long term plan for delivering and supporting a growing bioeconomy by early 2015” and that the Minister of State for Business and Energy in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), will take on the role of Ministerial champion for the bioeconomy. The Government add that a cross Government Steering Group will be established with industry and key stakeholders to coordinate the development and stimulation of a bioeconomy.

Chair of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, Lord Selborne, said:

“We are pleased that the Government have embraced our principal recommendations and we look forward to the forthcoming long term plan for delivering and supporting a growing bioeconomy

We heard in our inquiry that the UK now has a real chance to develop a multibillion pound economy from waste and we are glad that the Government seem seized of this opportunity.

We will doubtless return to this topic in due course to check the Government's progress against the commitments they have made today.”