Severn Trent has set targets for reducing its emissions over the coming decade in line with the guidelines from the Science Based Targets Initiative.
It has committed to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions – those from owned or controlled sources, and indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity – by 46 per cent by 2030.
It will reduce scope 3 emissions – those from the company’s suppliers – through engagement with more than 70 per cent of its supply chain partners to take action on their own emissions.
The scope 1, 2 and 3 reductions are from a 2019/20 baseline.
Coordinated by Water UK the industry made a public interest commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030. A roadmap was published in November to reduce operational emissions by 60 per cent compared to the 2018/19 baseline and offsetting the remainder.
Severn Trent set the targets for credible reduction in greenhouse gases based on a 1.5-degree global warming scenario.
Chief executive Liv Garfield: “As a water company we take care of one of life’s essentials, so a healthy environment is vital to the long-term sustainability of our business. Taking positive action to mitigate climate change and ensure we are resilient to its impact is at the core of that goal.”
Since being accredited by the Carbon Trust in 2009 SVT has cut its emissions from operations by 57 per cent to the end of 2019/20. In that same period it increased generation from renewable sources to account for 51 per cent of its energy consumption.
The proposed targets have been submitted to the Science Based Targets Initiative and will be finalised in the coming months with shareholder approval sought at the AGM in June.
In January the company submitted several project proposals to Ofwat to bring forward hundreds of millions of pounds of investment as part of the Green Recovery initiative.
The company said its proposals would allow it to deliver low carbon water sources, create thousands of jobs and enhance both river quality and flood resilience.