In light of the political agreement text, the Technical Expert Group (TEG) has recommended bringing Waste-to-Energy for further consideration to the Platform on Sustainable Finance.

ESWET and CEWEP welcome the report on the “EU Taxonomy” published by the Technical Expert Group (TEG) on sustainable finance, with the positive remarks of the experts emphasising that “WtE has a role to play even in an increasingly circular economy, as not all waste can be reused or recycled”. Other experts expressed concerns about whether WtE could hamper recycling.

In light of the political agreement text, the TEG has recommended bringing Waste-to-Energy for further consideration to the Platform on Sustainable Finance.

According to EUROSTAT data, almost half of the EU Member States still landfill more than 40% of their waste (above 80% in some countries). That’s not good news for EU waste management. Methane emitted by landfills is a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period. It is thus in the interest of a greener Europe not to overlook the treatment of residual waste.

We firmly believe that energy recovery from residual waste that cannot be reused or recycled (e.g. for hygienic reasons) is a key enabler to the success of any truly sustainable waste management strategy.

Download the Press Release in pdf.