‘Missing: Will Gardiner’ – activists stage demo outside Drax AGM

Activists were searching for board and executive of power company Drax outside its AGM. This follows the widely condemned announcement that neither the board nor executive of Drax will be attending its AGM in person this year.

The Stop Burning Trees Coalition held a colourful and musical demonstration outside the building where Drax’s shareholders gathered, despite the board and executive refusing to turn up in person. The demonstration was greeted with equal numbers of police officers to attendees, despite no disruption occurring.

It’s time to end the absurd and immoral government support for woodburning firm Drax says /merry Dickinson of Stop Burning Trees and Axe Drax pic.twitter.com/YObERos3EN

— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) April 30, 2026

Campaigners held ‘Missing’ placards with members of the executive and board, highlighting their refusal to engage directly with the public and shareholders. Speakers drew attention to the £999m Drax received in subsidies last year.

They also highlighted the harms committed to forests and communities by Drax’s operations. And they offered messages of solidarity to those who travelled from the US to attend the AGM and raise their communities’ concerns.

This demonstration was one of several around the UK highlighting Drax’s AGM. These included:

• A vigil in York on 29 April.
• A demonstration in Liverpool.
• A planned tuneful day of protest from the Climate Choir Movement.

Merry Dickinson, of Stop Burning Trees, said:

For a company that’s taken £999m from the public in the last year, that’s making their money from ripping off billpayers, destroying forests and poisoning communities to refuse to show their faces is nothing short of utterly shameful and pathetic.

Drax knows their house of cards is falling apart. This latest move is just another in a long line of choices to lie to, rip off and hide from the public. We will never let Drax hide from their crimes. It’s past time we put Drax’s dirty business in the dustbin of history.

Molly Griffith-Jones, of Stop Burning Trees, said:

Drax cause destruction wherever they go. From scamming billions from hard working UK billpayers to choking communities in the southern US with their pellet mills to silencing whistleblowers, all while CEO Will Gardiner enjoys a massive pay package. Drax are running from the harm they are directly responsible for.

Clearly they are panicking in response to years of grassroots pressure and solidarity across borders. Refusing to even turn up at their own AGM is nothing short of cowardly and evasive.

Stop Burning Trees is a grassroots coalition working to end all subsidies for large-scale woody biomass power stations and for a just transition. Founded in 2022, the coalition is a mix of environmental, social and worker justice groups. It’s a broad based coalition, primarily located in Yorkshire, campaigning for an end to Drax and Lynemouth’s pollution. And it’s demanding a just transition for all workers and showing active solidarity with frontline impacted communities abroad.

Featured image via Stop Burning Trees