As part of our Countdown to COP campaign, Utility Week speaks to the chief executive of Northumbrian Water about offsetting, encouraging customers to use less water and the priorities the government should set for Ofwat.

COP26

What do you want hear from the conference?

The biggest thing we want hear is that we can and will achieve the goals that we are there to discuss. We need a drive for radical change and leadership from the top down, as well as from the bottom up.

What should the legacy of COP26 be?

COP26 needs to be remembered as the beginning of a renewed focus on action, not somewhere ambitions were discussed. This could be the conference where we share the learning from sectors like water – what we have achieved and what we have laid out in our 2030 Routemap – to demonstrate the art of the possible. It’s challenging but we can do this, if we start taking those actions now.

Is your company actively participating in COP26? If so, what are you doing?

We will be supporting various events across COP26, with a specific focus on the Water Day on 5 November that considers the industry progress to net zero, alongside wider events on developing sector routemapss to achieve net zero. Additionally, we will be working with Business in the Community in their event programme and supporting the great efforts being made by Water UK in this space.

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

Given the challenges ahead, it is impossible to say anything is enough. Given my own personal commitment, and the commitment of Northumbrian Water Group, we’re always going to be pushing for more!

Walking the talk

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

Our goal is to achieve net zero in 2027. A big part of this continues to be on-site generation of green energy, which, through our use of technologies such as Advanced Anaerobic Digestion and Gas To Grid, has already helped us reduce our emissions from 303,000 in 2008 to just 56,000 in 2020.

Embracing solar, wind and hydro are also playing an important part and solar in particular continues to be a growing area for us.

And innovation is at the heart of our drive to net zero, which is a huge focus of our Innovation Festivals, as well as the innovative work that is embedded into our day-to-day activity. Then there are other exciting projects, such as our work to look at the potential for turning the ammonia from wastewater treatment into hydrogen for fuel.

Great innovation comes from collaboration, so we are continuing to work with a wide range of partners to find creative new ways to help us achieve our ambitious net zero goal.

As our plan is based upon operational carbon, it is not covered by the Science Based Targets Initiative, but we are accredited to ISO 14064 Part 1, our emissions are all reported to our regulator using the industry agreed standard tool, the Carbon Accounting Workbook, and are externally audited each year.

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

Our aim is to use offsetting as a last resort. Ultimately, we want to achieve net zero without it.  That said where we are producing renewable energy and exporting that onto the network or into the gas grid, then we do offset that against our emissions.

Customers and the community

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

We work with a wide range of stakeholders, including local authorities, on our drive to net zero and our ambition is always to support, influence and inspire change among our partners.

With councils in particular, we work very closely as part of the award-winning Northumbria Integrated Drainage Partnership, which has investigated some really exciting ways to deliver drainage solutions aimed at tackling climate change.

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

The biggest influence I believe we can have on customers is to encourage reduced demand for water.  This has multi-layered benefits, from the carbon reduction achieved through lower production volumes to people heating less water. The Water’s Worth Saving campaign is a fantastic exciting collaboration among the water industry and has certainly raised the dial in this area.

Policy & regulation

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

We need government to make sure it gets the Strategic Policy Statement right – for example setting out clear and evidenced long-term goals on climate change, possibly linking progress to net zero with explicit reference to the industry’s 2030 ambition.

It’s important for the regulator to recognise that sometimes the most ‘efficient’ option for investment and operation are not necessarily the best outcome for our climate, environment or customers. A more holistic view of what real public value is and the relative benefits of differing solutions is needed.

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