Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), travelled to Windsor Castle on 21st February to receive her OBE from Princess Anne. She had been awarded the honour for services to the development of the biogas industry in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2022.

"I was delighted to receive this OBE from the Princess Royal, who is very knowledgeable about the biogas industry," commented Charlotte. "I took the opportunity to highlight the huge contribution recycling the 105bn tonnes of methane emitting organic wastes humans produce annually through biogas can make to the Global Methane Pledge, and the support her brother King Charles made to the industry by helping to establish the first commercial scale gas to grid plant on the Duchy of Cornwall's Poundbury Estate in West Dorset in 2012 - which he then owned as Prince of Wales."

The AD plant at Poundbury Estate now produces enough renewable gas for 7,500 houses mid-winter and 100,000 houses mid-summer.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a process by which organic matter such as food waste, sewage, manure, and other agricultural wastes are recycled into a green gas (biogas/biomethane), a biofertiliser (digestate), bioCO2 and other valuable bioproducts.  AD is currently credited with reducing the UK's total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 1%. If all organic wastes were treated through AD, this figure could increase to 6%, which, with the right government support, is achievable by 2030. This would increase the number employed by the industry to 60,000 from the c4,800 employed today.  

Additionally, the sector can produce 2-3 times the amount of gas currently imported from Russia, as well as all the CO2 used in the UK. Fully deployed, it could deliver 50% of the UK's Global Methane Pledge targets and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2030.

Charlotte Morton has served as ADBA Chief Executive since it was founded in 2009. Since its launch, ADBA has facilitated a growth of nearly 400% in the anaerobic digestion (AD) sector in the UK.

Following the appointment of Chris Huhne as Chairman of ADBA, she has been able to spend more time on her other role as Chief Executive of the World Biogas Association (WBA).