Net operational greenhouse gas emissions
This chart shows the emissions from the different aspects of our operations. These are calculated using location-based accounting methodology.
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We provide various building and development services to help you complete your project and get you connected to the network.
Help and resources
We provide a range of commercial services across our region. You can learn more and enquire about them here.
Useful Commercial links
Here you can access all the information you need about our retailer commitment, our policies, using the retailer portal, and more.
Useful Retailer Links
Here you'll find all the latest information on what's happening in our region including our current Pathfinder projects.
Useful Region Links
Here you can learn more about us and our ambitions and the people, organisations and policies that underpin our business.
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reported incidents and planned works.
We're monitoring and reporting our operational emissions and are taking steps to reduce them as part of our plan to reach net zero by 2050.
Emissions from our operations include those arising from energy and transport, as well as from the treatment of our water and wastewater (termed process emissions).
The charts below show our overall yearly emissions (financial year, April–March) across all of our offices and operational sites in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The methodology for reporting meets Defra guidance and is calculated using the Water Industry Carbon Accounting Workbook developed by UKWIR. This method reflects the ‘location-based accounting’ approach. This uses the average carbon intensity of electricity supplied via the National Grid and doesn't reflect the renewable power that we purchase.
We express our results as ‘tonnes or kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent’. We include additional greenhouse gases in our accounting (methane and nitrous oxide) and convert these to the mass of carbon dioxide that would have the equivalent impact. This is based on their global warming potential (i.e. potency).
This chart shows the emissions from the different aspects of our operations. These are calculated using location-based accounting methodology.
This chart shows our annual emissions per customer served for the last six financial years. With a rising population in the South East and increased treatment standards, reducing emissions is challenging. Despite these factors, our emissions have decreased year-on-year. This has primarily been possible due to the decarbonisation of the national grid, which has reduced reliance on fossil fuels. In addition, we've invested in renewable energy to proactively reduce our emissions. This includes the installation of solar panels to help power our treatment works.
This chart shows the emissions from the different aspects of our operations. These are calculated using location-based accounting methodology.
This chart shows our annual emissions per customer served for the last six financial years. With a rising population in the South East and increased treatment standards, reducing emissions is challenging. Despite these factors, our emissions have decreased year-on-year. This has primarily been possible due to the decarbonisation of the national grid, which has reduced reliance on fossil fuels. In addition, we've invested in renewable energy to proactively reduce our emissions. This includes the installation of solar panels to help power our treatment works.
We use the carbon accounting workbook (CAW) to assess and measure our emissions. This allows us to consistently measure, monitor and report emissions data in accordance with Ofwat’s guidance. It's also in line with the annual performance reports (APR) data collection and reporting methodology, employed since 2012–13.
From 2019, the CAW was enhanced to calculate the carbon benefit from the renewable grid electricity we purchase.
This type of reporting, which includes our green energy purchases, is termed ‘market-based accounting’. Before this, we only used ‘location-based accounting’. This employed the UK grid average emissions values to calculate the emissions associated with our purchased grid electricity.
Our net zero 2050 commitment requires market-based reporting, detailing the carbon emissions associated with our electricity purchase contracts.
While maintaining our historic location-based reporting (graphs above), we've also provided a broader view, which reflects our market-based accounting. The table below is based on Ofwat’s consultation released in May 2021 (Table 2 page 12). In 2023 we also expanded the scope of operational emissions we are able to report.
Focus |
Water (tCO2e) |
Wastewater (tCO2e) |
---|---|---|
Scope 1 emissions |
|
|
Direct emissions from burning of fossil fuels |
153 |
1,475 |
Process and fugitive emissions |
1,163 |
57,102 |
Transport: Company owned or leased vehicles |
1,134 |
2,106 |
Total Scope One emissions |
2,450 |
60,683 |
Total Scope One emissions by GHG type: |
|
63,133 |
|
CO2 as CO2e |
4,769 |
|
CH4 as CO2e |
30,034 |
|
N2O as CO2e |
28,330 |
Scope 2 emissions |
|
|
Grid electricity used by company (Location Based Method) |
32,733 |
58,694 |
Scope 3 emissions |
|
|
Business travel on public transport and private vehicles used for company business |
61 |
114 |
Outsourced activities |
1,503 |
8,936 |
Purchased electricity – Transmission and Distribution |
2,815 |
5,048 |
Total Scope Three emissions |
4,379 |
14,097 |
Total Scope Three emissions by GHG type: |
|
|
|
CO2 as CO2e |
16,948 |
|
CH4 as CO2e |
993 |
|
N2O as CO2e |
528 |
Gross operational emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) |
|
|
By area (water and wastewater) |
39,562 |
133,474 |
Overall total |
|
173,036 |
Exported renewables (generated onsite and exported) |
|
2,883 |
Emissions reduction from purchased renewable energy (market-based carbon accounting benefit) |
|
81,926 |
Total net operational emissions |
|
91,152 |
We have committed to support industry body Water UK’s Net Zero commitment – to become carbon neutral. In 2021, we published our initial Net Zero Plan, confirming our commitment to the Water UK Public Interest Commitment to net zero operational emissions by 2050 (market-based approach).
This was an interim target in our long-term strategy to reach net zero by 2050. We recognise the important role we, and the water sector must play in reducing emissions while balancing this with the need to provide our services at an affordable price to our customers.
Forecasts against our 2050 commitment indicate that our plans up to 2050 will mean we can't achieve net zero without the use of offsets for residual emissions. We face significant challenges in delivering our net zero 2050 commitment. These challenges are both in terms of feasibility and deployment.
We believe the best value to our customers will not be served by purchasing external offsets and our strategy isn't to purchase these on the external market. As an alternative, we're continuing to explore how we could support medium- to long-term carbon sequestration through our strategic land management plan and nature-based solutions. We're working with the wider water sector to understand the range and scale of carbon offsetting opportunities.
Our Net Zero Plan sets out our journey towards zero carbon and how we can work with our partners to find sustainable solutions.