Wessex Water has today published its routemap to achieve net zero operational carbon emissions by 2030 and full de-carbonisation of all aspects of its work by 2040, a decade ahead of the UK government’s 2050 target.

The operational net zero plan will reduce annual emissions by 110,000 tonnes of CO2. Currently position in 2019-20 the water company’s net emissions were 117 kilotonnes carbon dioxide equivalent. Around 65% of this is related to energy use, 25% from sewage and sludge process emissions and 10% from transport.

The routemap has three strands:

• Emissions avoidance by further reducing leakage and encouraging water efficiency; use of lower carbon transport and promoting low energy, nature-based solutions.
• Optimisation measures to improve energy efficiency.
• More renewable energy by increasing generation from biogas and new opportunities for wind and solar power, both as generator and end user.

Wesex Water will achieve this by:

• Emissions avoidance measures, such as reducing water use and leakage; increasing the use of lower carbon transport; and promoting nature-based solutions that avoid energy use.
• Optimisation measures, such as energy efficiency work and systems for monitoring and controlling nitrous oxide from sewage treatment.
• Renewable energy – increasing the amount of biogas that we generate from anaerobic digestion and pursuing opportunities for wind and solar power, either as generators or as the end-user.

Need to pursue more innovative options

According to Wessex Water, reductions in background emissions and the most readily-available options will not be sufficient to achieve its goal of net zero carbon. The routemap says:

“We will need to pursue more innovative options involving emerging science and technology, such as turning sewage sludge into biochar, as well as promoting nature-based solutions. While these methods are not yet well-established, we are assessing their maturity and availability and will take part in trials where appropriate.”

Commenting on offsetting, the routmap states this would be a last resort if Wessex Water is unable to secure net zero carbon emissions from background reductions, its own operations and from emerging science and technologies.

“We have not undertaken any carbon offsetting to date and we regard it as a last resort. It may, however, be necessary to meet our new zero carbon commitment in 2030,” the routemap says.

Building whole-life carbon into decision-making processes will “necessarily mean challenging assumptions about best ways to carry out investment”

Beyond operational carbon emissions, Wessex Water is planning to develop a whole-life ‘total carbon’ approach, rather than treat operational emissions and embodied carbon in the materials and products it uses as separate issues. This will include building whole-life carbon into decision-making processes, to enable the company’s transition into a low carbon business.

Looking ahead, this will “necessarily mean challenging assumptions about the best ways to carry out investment” for customers, communities, and the water environment.

Launching the routemap, Chief Executive Colin Skellett commented:

“There is no doubt we are in the midst of a climate crisis. Unless substantially reduced or removed, these gases will result in a level of global warming that will be catastrophic for humanity and most of the world’s remaining ecosystems. The climate is changing rapidly and the effects will become more severe unless we act now.

“It is critical that we focus our efforts on ways to neutralise our carbon footprint and are committed to achieving net zero operational carbon emissions by 2030. However, we must decarbonise all aspects of our work, and will work to achieve net zero total emissions by 2040 at the latest.”

“Delivering our plan will require investment, collaboration and innovation. We will work with our communities, customers and other stakeholders to meet this challenge, with new ways of working and use of emerging technologies. We look forward to working together to play our part in halting the environmental and societal damage being caused by climate change.”

Click here to download Wessex Water's Routmap to Net Zero Carbon