UK water companies have joined forces as part of the UNFCCC's international Race to Zero campaign, pledging to deliver a net zero water supply for customers by 2030.

Water UK is the first industry trade body to be made just one of 20 official partners to the UNFCCC’s (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Race to Zero campaign, which aims to rally leadership across businesses, cities, regions and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery.

The organisation represents all of the water companies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Anglian Water and Severn Trent have been confirmed as the first companies to join the campaign under the Water UK umbrella, building on the launch of the sector’s Net Zero 2030 Routemap in November last year.

Designed to provide water companies with a framework on which to build their own net zero action plans, the Routemap estimates potential investments of £2-4 billion into tackling the emissions associated with providing clean water to over 28 million homes and businesses.

Christine McGourty, Water UK Chief Executive said:

“The publication of the Net Zero 2030 Routemap was a major step forward for our sector so we’re incredibly proud to be taking this forward as the first industry trade body to join the Race to Zero campaign.

“Working in partnership with other businesses, government, and our regulators, we intend to deliver this plan decisively, openly and quickly, and look forward to sharing our experience with other infrastructure, utility and energy-intensive industries as we continue to tackle the threat of global climate change.”

The UK water industry was the first sector anywhere in the world to publish a comprehensive Routemap to achieve net zero on an industry-wide basis. It is estimated that water companies will prevent the emission of 10 million tonnes of greenhouse gases by reaching net zero two decades earlier than the UK Government’s legally binding target for 2050.

Nigel Topping, High Level Climate Champion for COP26 said:

“Water UK has shone a light on the path to net zero for the water sector with a ground-breaking plan to deliver a net zero water supply for customers by 2030 - the world's first sector-wide commitment of its kind. We're delighted to welcome them as a partner of the Race to Zero campaign, and to catalyse ambitious climate action across the water sector as we race to COP26.”

The water sector’s Net Zero 2030 Routemap identifies a variety of technologies and initiatives that will be needed including:

• The production of biomethane from sewage waste, allowing green gas to be injected into the grid to heat up to 150,000 homes and/or for use as an alternative fuel for transport
• The development of up to 3GW of new solar and wind generation capacity – enough power to meet 80% of the sector’s electricity demands
• The restoration of 20,000 hectares of owned peatland and grassland, and planting of 11 million trees
• The electrification of 100% of passenger vehicles and transition of 80% of commercial vehicles (LGVs and HGVs) to alternative fuels.

Commmenting on the Race to Zero campaign, Peter Simpson, Anglian Water Chief Executive, said:

“We’re proud to be one of the first companies to join the international Race to Zero Campaign, and to share our ambition and journey as an industry to reach net zero carbon by 2030.

“Never has the opportunity been greater to work towards a better, greener recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, nor has the need been more critical. In the East of England, we face the challenges brought by climate change and population growth more keenly than anywhere else in the UK, and it is only by working collaboratively towards a common goal that we will reach our target.”