New research reveals that anaerobic digestion could undermine UK net-zero emissions. Alternatives to anaerobic digestion are needed to tackle the climate crisis. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been touted as an environmental silver bullet, providing renewable energy in the form of biogas from organic materials including food waste. However, its benefits have been vastly overstated—and pursuing AD as part of the UK's environmental policy could actively hamper progress towards reaching net zero carbon emissions.