The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) has switched to a 100% renewable energy tariff for its electricity supplies.

The organisation which stages the iconic Royal Welsh Show, has signed up with energy supplier EDF. The Renewable for Business scheme uses electricity backed by UK REGOs (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin) or European GoOs (Guarantees of Origins), from a blend of sources including hydro, wind, solar, biomass and landfill gas. The switch is in support of the Society’s commitment to sustainability.

EDF’s Renewable for Business has been designed to help businesses and commercial organisations with their greenhouse gas reporting. The Carbon Trust has confirmed that the electricity supplied is 100% covered by Renewable Certificates that have been obtained and retired by EDF, in line with the WRI GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance (2015), meaning that the electricity supplied has zero emissions.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's Chief Executive, Aled Rhys Jones, emphasises the importance of responsibility and sustainability.

“We are committed to minimising our impact on the environment and reducing our carbon emissions. We are delighted that the EDF Renewable for Business tariff guarantees that all the electricity we use will originate from 100% renewable sources with a zero-emission rating, which will enhance our long-term sustainability goals.”

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society is also currently installing a new 300kW solar system on the roofs of the livestock buildings on the showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells. This will be supported by the very generous funds raised by last year’s feature county of Clwyd.

“The installation of the solar panels is a key part of our pathway to become greener and protect us against some of the eyewatering increases in energy prices we’ve seen over recent months. We are pleased that we have appointed a contractor to install the new panels and hope that the work is completed before this year’s show.”