British Water has announced the agenda for its upcoming Creating a More Sustainable Water Sector conference which will take place in Manchester on 20th March 2025.
This year’s conference brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to tackle the biggest challenges facing the UK water sector and unlock new opportunities in four key areas:
- Embedding Sustainability Into The Water Sector – How water companies are transforming their operations, to achieve water neutrality, improve water quality and implement resilient infrastructure solutions.
- Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions In AMP8 – Unlocking the full potential of nature-driven water management and overcoming barriers to widespread adoption.
- Accelerating The Path To Net Zero – Showcasing innovative technologies and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the sector.
- Delivering Social Value And The Circular Economy – Moving beyond infrastructure to maximise environmental, economic, and social benefits through a systems based approach to water management.
Keynote Speaker is George Eustice, Managing Director, Penbroath Ltd, who was previously a Minister in Defra for nine years, including three years in the Cabinet.
During his time in Government he was responsible for designing and introducing the policy architecture for the post EU era including the Agriculture Act 2020, the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Environment Act 2021.
He also developed much of the detail behind the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Biodiversity Net Gain and the statutory targets set under the Environment Act.
Topics covered on the agenda include:
Shaping the future of water utilities
Chair: Lila Thompson, CEO, British Water
- Project Zero: Julian Webster, Water Net Zero Engineering Manager, Affinity Water & Jane Bellard, Water Saving Behaviour Change Specialist, Weir The Agency
- Havant Thicket Reservoir: Terry Fuller, Project Director, Future Water MJJV Ltd
- Yorkshire Water’s Storm Overflow Alliance: Chris Digman, Executive Technical Director, Stantec
AMP8 – blockers & opportunities for nature based solutions: setting up for success
- Chair: David Elliott, Director, Ferns Natural Capital
- Dr Jo Jolly, Director for Environment, Ofwat
- Natalie Ball, Group Head of Procurement, RSK
- Amina Aboobakar, Director of Strategy & Stewardship, The Rivers Trust
Circular economy
Tom Arnot, Water Innovation & Research Centre, University of Bath
Driving towards Net Zero
Chair: Tony Doocey, Managing Director Energy & Utilities, North Highland
- Technology for recovering residual methane to reduce GHG emissions from wastewater treatment: Louise Parlons Bentata, CEO & Co-Founder, Bluemethane
- Working with the Northumbrian water group and the European space agency to turn innovation into net zero business benefit: Martin Shaw, Senior Business Development Manager & Eamonn Prowse, Commercial Lead, MGISS
- Net Zero Hub: TBC, Severn Trent
- Sewage Sludge to Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Jason Askey-Wood, UK Managing Director, Firefly Green Fuels
Ripple effects: social value in the water sector
Chair: TBC
- Enabling Smart Water Communities (Successes and Future Challenges): George Warren, Integrated Water Manager, Anglian Water
- Principles for Multi-Capitals Approaches to Decision Making in the Water Sector: Michelle Ashford, Director, Indepen & Chair, Water Sector Multi-capitals Network (WSMcN)
- Benefits of Upstream Management on River Water Quality: Kat Evans, Associate Director, ADAS & Jason Winslow, Technical Director, RSK Habitat Management
Click here for more information about the conference
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