11 January 2022

BPIF CCA SCHEME REOPENED TO NEW JOINERS

Following lobbying from the BPIF and other sectors, the Environment Agency announced shortly before Christmas that it would be re-opening the Climate Change Agreements (CCA) to new members but only for a short 3-month window ending on 31 March 2022.

The scheme, which has been closed to new joiners since 2020, is administered by the BPIF on behalf of the industry and saves its 330 participants over £11m in environmental energy taxes each year. In return, those companies commit to reaching energy efficiency improvement targets.  

Steve Walker, Commercial Products Manager of the BPIF who runs the scheme, stated that “it was a welcome opportunity for printing companies to get some relief on their energy bills, particularly with the relentless increase in energy prices seen recently.” He added “the scheme is most relevant for those with high energy spends who will be the ones suffering the most from the price hikes. For instance, a site using 500,000 kWh of electricity could save around £2 ½ k a year by being on the scheme, but if the energy usage is higher far more can be saved.”

At the same time the Environment Agency also announced a consultation on the future of the current CCA scheme which is due to end in 2025. Within the consultation there is a recommendation that the scheme eligibility is confined to energy intensive industries and there is a real danger that if this is adopted the printing industry will lose the discount. This would be a serious blow to the industry as it would see its costs rising by around £11m annually if it was required to pay the full Climate Change Levy.

The BPIF will be responding to the consultation after taking the views of the industry through workshops and its Environmental Forum Steering Group. Its aim will be to try and ensure the Environment Agency retains its current eligibility criteria, and so avoid a huge increase in costs for those participants when the scheme ends in 2025.   

Companies may wish to respond separately, and copies of the consultation document can be provided by Steve Walker at the BPIF by emailing [email protected].     

The BPIF has launched a number of initiatives across sustainability, recycling and environmental alongside lobbying directly with the Government on the affects and implications of the Plastic Tax and Extended Product Responsibility. You can find out more by clicking the links below. 

Environmental Road Map 

Plastic Packaging Tax

For more information regarding the BPIF’s Environmental initiatives, including how to measure a printing companies carbon footprint and cover 95% of emissions, please contact Steve Walker at [email protected] or your Regional Director.