Carbon management in Southern Water may 2020 Emma Bennett

Carbon management in Southern Water may 2020 Emma Bennett

• 1.
  Carbon Management ina Water Utility – Southern Water Sussex LNP Carbon Workshop Emma Bennett, Southern Water Carbon Manager May 2020
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  Our business 2
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  Southern Water &Climate Change - context 3  We are a regulated utility that provides essential services which are sensitive to climate and weather  We have a long history of planning on delivering water supplies in a changing environment which includes climate change scenarios (Adaptation)  We have reduced our footprint by investing in renewable energy and addressing efficiencies (Mitigation)  We have been recording our operational emissions since 2008 and have a good understanding of our footprint However we need to do more in this Climate Emergency…..
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  How we accountfor carbon 4  Activity (e.g electricity use) * emission factor (e.g. 0.23 kg CO2e per kWh) = carbon emissions CO2 equivalent: Different greenhouse gases trap different amounts of heat in the atmosphere, a quantity known as the global warming potential. Carbon dioxide equivalent is a way of comparing emissions from all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide. Methane is 25 x more potent than CO2 Nitrous oxide is 300 x more potent than CO2
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  Make up ofour emissions 6 2018-19 Summary Drinking Water, 46 , 23% Sewage, 98 , 49% Sludge, 41 , 20% Admin, 1 , 1% Transport, 14 , 7% 200 Kt
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  Target Net ZeroCarbon by 2030 7  We have pledged to meet net zero carbon emissions by 2030 as a sector  The sector is collaborating and sharing skills and knowledge in order to develop a route map this year  We will plan our pathway to net zero
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  Net Zero Carbon 8 ‘Netzero emissions are achieved when anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere are balanced by anthropogenic removals over a specified period.’ (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC)
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  Residual emissions: Ourinterest in carbon sequestration & offsetting… 9 Residual emissions will require offsetting
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   Emissions Reduction/AVOID: Direct GHG reductions (operational practice, technology)  Netting Off/ MITIGATE: renewable energy generation exported  Carbon Offsets/Insets Hierarchy 10
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  Offsetting 11 Additionality Perpetuity VerificationMaintenance Projects can include: • Avoided emissions (renewable energy, energy efficiency) • Sequestration (planting trees, other biosequestration, reducing deforestation, land use change, physical capture of carbon)
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  Insetting 12  Reduction occurswithin boundary or sphere of influence such as supply chain  Possibility of obtaining credit earlier?  Ensures more reliable, long term control  Requires effort and development and maintenance  Needs to stand up to scrutiny and verification and be able to be included in footprinting  Collaborative – who owns reduction?
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  Summary 13  Offsetting/Insetting havea role to play to address residual emissions but is the bottom of the net zero hierarchy  Some carbon reduction accredited initiatives do not allow offsetting within the reduction plan  We would look to offset towards the end of the decade (2030)  We hope to see innovative ways of offsetting/insetting for local initiatives such as blue carbon
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  14 Thank you forwatching