As vegans, we are always conscious of how all of our actions and choices impact the planet and its many inhabitants. Although information regarding ingredients in food and health and beauty products is, slowly but surely, becoming more accessible, there is still a lack of clarity when it comes to energy production. In fact, there is actually very little information known about how many energy providers exploit animals in producing energy, and what actually constitutes as green, renewable, nonvegan and vegan energy.
Currently, energy providers are required by Ofgem (ofgem.gov.uk) to declare the fuel mix of the energy they supply, however, they are not obligated to declare whether animals are used in its production.
In the UK, there are two main sources of energy generation: anaerobic digestion (AD) and biomass. Both types of energy production can contain by-products of animal farming, such as factory farmed livestock, slaughterhouse waste, animal slurry and fish parts. AD involves a series of biological processes that break down material in the absence of oxygen — the end product is biogas. This is then used to generate electricity, heat and fuel, or as a renewable natural gas. The microorganisms used during anaerobic digestion are typically derived from animal by-products or from actual dead animals, with most originating from factory farms wanting to get rid of and profit from their ‘waste’.