Affinity Water sets out comprehensive net zero targets

Addressing whole life carbon will be the second stage of Affinity Water’s net zero plans, the company has said in its roadmap which includes an outline for tackling embedded emissions and using nature-based solutions to eliminate fossil fuels.

The plan sets out how the company will meet the sector-wide commitment to be carbon net-zero by 2030.

From 2022, carbon reduction will be an explicit aspect of Affinity’s procurement processes for all its supply chain, which along with progress in other areas shall be included in the company’s annual report.

The company has begun work on a water neutrality community project, which will help householders lower carbon emissions and save on bills by using and heating less water.

Affinity anticipates emitting around 40,000 metric tons of carbon this year from its operational activities (scope one emissions).

It recognises indirect (scope 3) emissions are likely to be significant and is committed to becoming carbon negative for all three scopes, including from electricity and heat consumed (scope two). It will report on non-operational scope three emissions by 2022/23.

The company’s comprehensive route map to 2030 centres around improving energy efficiency, increasing use of renewables, decarbonising transport, and expanding nature-based solutions for sequestration.

Its six principles start with addressing the full scope of emissions and developing carbon accounting to improve baseline assessments to make reductions. The company will reduce before exploring offsetting.

Getting customers involved is key to the plans by deploying technology that will help householders reduce their water consumption to lower their own footprints and help Affinity with per capita consumption (PCC) targets. The company aims to cut consumption by 130 million litres per day by 2025 from a 2020 baseline, which it is encouraging consumers through the Save Our Streams campaign.

Affinity plans to its energy use by 7.5 per cent by 2030 by replacing and refurbishing equipment as well as introducing AI controls and analytics. In the past year it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 719t CO2e, which equates to a one per cent reduction in total emissions.

Standby power supplies and generation and gas heating systems will be replaced with electric options when they come to the end of their lives. Renewable generation capabilities will be increased by 2030 to generate 10 per cent of its own energy from solar, wind or hydropower.

The existing vehicle fleet will be electrified, whilst virtual meetings will be used to limit mileage whenever possible.

The company said these approaches should result in a minimal amount of carbon needing to be offset from 2030, which it will achieve through a selection of natural capital solutions – including afforestation (planting new forest on land without trees) and reforestation, soil carbon sequestration, seagrass restoration, wetlands, wet woodlands and chalk grasslands.

From next year the company will publish a baseline on embedded emissions (in the construction and operation of new infrastructure) and develop targets and a strategy for lowering these.

Through the Innovation in Water Challenge as part of Ofwat’s innovation fund, Affinity is developing a blue carbon finance framework with a seagrass nursery and trial to sequester carbon off the coastline.