New EfW Net podcast host Alban Forster speaks with ESA’s Jacob Hayler on the key issues shaping the new 2026 podcast series.

In the first EfW Net podcast of 2026, new host Alban Forster is joined by Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, for a wide-ranging discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing the Energy from Waste sector. The conversation explores how carbon pricing and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme may influence operational behaviour, the role of policy certainty in driving long-term investment, and the balance between front-end waste decarbonisation and back-end solutions such as carbon capture.

Drawing on the ESA’s perspective across the full waste and recycling value chain, the episode sets the scene for deeper dives in upcoming podcasts, touching on plastics, landfill diversion, regulatory alignment and the practical realities of delivering a circular economy at scale. It offers valuable context for operators, policymakers and investors navigating an increasingly complex transition period for EfW.

Many of the themes raised in this episode will also be explored in more detail at the Energy from Waste Conference 2026, taking place in London March 4th, where industry leaders will come together to examine the EfW sector.