05Achieving net zero carbon
UKWIR will enable research which limits carbon emissions, to help the water sector play its part in keeping the global temperature rise under 1.5°C
Today, we are facing a climate emergency and must take immediate action to limit our carbon emissions in the water sector. We have a good understanding of the challenges we face and many organisations in the water sector have already got roadmaps to delivering net zero carbon emissions in their services. However, new developments are still required to tackle emissions in operations and value chains, including better use of data monitoring and working with customers collaboratively.
UKWIR plans to support research to increase knowledge and improve practices so that by 2050 the water sector will have:
- Achieved carbon neutrality across operational and value chains
- Decarbonised energy and transport through efficiency and alternatives to fossil fuels
- Implemented carbon storage and sequestration
- Customers, communities and stakeholders that are actively involved in limiting carbon emissions
- Regulatory frameworks which incentivise low carbon solutions across the water sector
How UKWIR themes relate to UN Sustainable Development Goals
Examples of our research publications
Quantifying and reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment processes - Phase 2
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Calculating whole life / totex carbon
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Land Carbon Sequestration Tool Development
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For each of our themes we have developed a mission and aims, which we have aligned to the UKWIR Big Questions and linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals to reflect their global applicability.
Helping to address the big questions
BQ10 - How do we remove more carbon than we emit by 2050?