Wessex Water’s chief executive discusses his company’s decarbonisation plans and his ask of government and Ofwat to accelerate this progress.

COP26

What do you want hear from the conference?

A strong commitment to rapid decarbonisation – from all countries and all sectors. We also need commitment by the UK government to develop new mechanisms to finance delivery of its net zero ambition, along with a strong commitment to deliver that ambition in partnership with the private sector.

There needs to be recognition of the need to deliver net zero in conjunction with government’s wider environmental goals and incentivise the private sector differently on the environment.

What should the legacy of COP26 be?

Specifically, enhanced carbon reduction targets and pathways as per the ‘ratchet mechanism’ agreed at Paris in 2015. Plus mechanisms for financing decarbonisation in the developing world.

Is your company actively participating in COP26?

Not as summit attendees. However, we have signed up to Race to Zero and will be talking about climate change and COP6 before and during the summit using our various communication channels.

We are also closely involved in the Financing UK Nature Recovery Coalition, which will be presenting draft recommendations to government on how to accelerate high-integrity markets for nature-based environmental services (including carbon sequestration) at COP26.

Has the UK done enough this year to position itself as a world leader on climate change?

We’re among the leaders, but we should not think that there is enough competition for leadership positions among larger emitters. The bar is low at the moment.

The UK has made good progress on decarbonisation of electricity over the last decade but it needs to go much further to demonstrate: 1) how it will keep up with the trajectory set by the Climate Change Committee in the next three Carbon Budgets; 2) how it will integrate local delivery of its Net Zero ambition with the other goals in its 25 Year Environment Plan.

Commitments that have been offered so far will likely not produce enough carbon reduction to keep the world below 2C of warming (see CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Our World in Data)

Walking the talk

When and how is your company planning to get to net zero?

Our targets: net zero operational emissions by 2030; net zero total carbon emissions by 2040.

Recent and current work:

–             Realtime energy monitoring and control.

–             Food waste digestion as well as sewage sludge.

–             Increased and diversified biogas use – for electricity, gas grid injection, vehicles.

–             Catchment management and trenchless technologies as alternatives to resource intensive standard solutions.

Additional work in progress:

–             Scoping technologies for locking up sludge carbon.

–             Introducing whole-life carbon assessment for capital schemes.

–             Piloting low energy treatment (eg, constructed wetlands).

–             Exploring methods for process emissions monitoring and control and possible locations for trials.

To what extent should utilities look to offset emissions as opposed to focusing on achieving zero carbon?

As a last option, or at least only after other options that can be financed have been implemented or started.

If we offset, it should be to invest in high quality nature-based solutions within our own catchments, which deliver other social and environmental benefits. Wessex Water is leading on Catchment Market Demonstration Projects in AMP8, which will demonstrate how to incentivise positive land use change that enables both mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Customers and the community

What role do you think utilities have in helping to accelerate the climate plans of local authorities?

Decarbonisation:

There is definitely scope for joint development of, or stimulus for, community-level renewable energy schemes (ie, as generators and/or long-term consumers). We are at the early stage of discussions along these lines.

Similarly, there is potential for developing infrastructure that could be used in common (eg, electric van recharging points).

Adaptation:

We need to cooperate where there are climate related risks, and do so already – especially in relation to surface water management. The RESCCUE project in Bristol is an example of this.

What role can utilities play in helping to engage customers on the path to net zero?

There are various touchpoints (eg, water use – especially hot water; avoiding sewer misuse; measures to help reduce surface water run-off – as well as linking our water-related messages to other environmentally friendly behaviour.

The challenges are diverse (financial – large outlay or small savings; unconscious behavioural issues; information overload / competing topics.

For most, being a sustainable consumer shouldn’t be a vocation or a pastime – it needs to be easy, not expensive, offering good experiences and ultimately ‘normal’.

Policy & regulation

What is your principle ask of government and regulators to help your company contribute to the net-zero push?

Some possible for government:

–             Convene the regulators and water companies on process emissions (nitrous oxide and methane) for which currently there are no commercial, fiscal or regulatory drivers for action.

–             Co-invest in demonstrators for sewage sludge-derived biochar for its carbon storage potential.

Ease planning restrictions for onshore wind.

Environment Agency and Ofwat:

–             Make carbon reduction a central aim of the next WINEP; take a fully integrated view of environmental enhancement.

–             Where we need to invest, help us focus on options that have the lowest whole-life carbon impact.

–             Build carbon pricing into cost models.

This interview is part of the Countdown to COP series. To read more click here.