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Around the world our climate is changing, and it’s changing at an alarming rate. The impacts are being seen here in Scotland in our own communities, in the services we provide and the infrastructure we operate.

Scottish Water’s employees can see first-hand how delivering water and waste water services are being affected by more frequent intense rainfall events, and longer drier periods of weather.

The impacts here can range from flash flooding of property and urban spaces, water efficiency measures being implemented and our source water quality changing, requiring different treatment approaches to maintain reliable supplies.

Across our organisation, our people are engaged day to day to combat the effects of climate change, to minimise any potential disruption, enhance customer experience, ensure water and waste water services run as effectively as possible.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the water industry’s partnership with WaterAid. Since 1981, we have worked together to find solutions to the global water crisis.

Over the decades, those working in water services in Scotland have played a very active part in supporting the charity’s mission to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to places where those things aren’t as accessible as they are to us – or accessible at all.

With climate change impacting countries with the greatest need for the basics that we take for granted here in the UK, it’s more important than ever that we make collective efforts to support. In short, the climate crisis is fast becoming a water crisis.

Already, 1-in-10 people worldwide don’t have a reliable source of clean water. And the more our climate changes, the more challenging this becomes. WaterAid is working to ensure communities have a steady supply of clean water whatever the weather may bring. Find out more here.

The link between water and climate is crystal clear. The connection between our people and those communities around the world runs deep. You can find out more about climate change and its impact on people in Malawi through stories told by WaterAid.

With all eyes on Glasgow in November for the world’s most important forum on climate – COP26 (the 26th session of the UN conference of the parties), it will bring the debate much closer to home for many of us.

Alongside the focus on reducing carbon emissions, we urgently need to look at how we can support those living on the front line of climate change right now.

So, as we continue to make steps in our own lives – at home and at work – to adapt to the changing climate, we too remain committed to ensuring vital daily access to clean water, working toilets and sanitation that protects the health of millions of people.

To mark our 40 years in partnership together, WaterAid has come up with a fundraising challenge with a difference – £40 for 40 years. Help us reach everyone, everywhere with clean water. Find out how to get involved.

he banks and forests surrounding one of Scotland’s iconic lochs are to boost the fight against the climate crisis by becoming a carbon emissions sink.

Plans being developed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) will see Scottish Water’s lands and catchment areas around Loch Katrine increasingly soak up emissions from human activity which cannot otherwise be eliminated.

The 8-miles long freshwater loch – which supplies water to 1.3 million people in much of the Greater Glasgow area and other parts of the Central Belt every day via infrastructure built by Victorian pioneers – is surrounded by 9000 hectares of land managed by Forestry and Land Scotland.

Together the two organisations are working to maximise the biodiversity benefits of around 5000 hectares – an area broadly equivalent to the size of the city of Dundee – to lock up greenhouse gases and ensure visitors and local communities can continue to enjoy the natural environment in the area.

A consultation is ongoing with local communities on future land management plans for Loch Katrine.

Using the environment to act as a natural sink for greenhouse gases on such a scale will play a vital role in achieving the net zero emissions targets set out by Scottish Water.

The public water and waste water organisation published its Net Zero Emissions Routemap in September 2020 and pledged to achieve net zero status by 2040 – but go beyond that by working with others to achieve similar gains.

Dr Mark Williams, Scottish Water’s sustainability and climate change manager, said: “Loch Katrine and its surrounding catchment is a jewel in Scotland’s natural environment crown.

People live, work and play there and it has an essential part in the daily lives of around a quarter of the Scottish population who receive their water supply from the loch.

“The surrounding woodland, rivers and landscapes not only shape the lives of thousands of people locally and further afield, but they are a become a vital component in our work to mitigate the impact of the climate crisis.

“We are working to reduce emissions across the whole network which produces 1.5 billion litres of water per day for customers and collects, cleans and recycles waste water, returning it to the environment. But some emissions simply cannot be prevented. Vibrant forests and peatlands act as a sink for them and lock them up stopping them emitting into the atmosphere.

“Smart approaches to peatland restoration, planting and re-planting, forest and land management, natural regeneration and biodiversity will mean Loch Katrine, for decades and longer to come, will be a valuable asset to our communities. We cannot plant our way out of the climate crisis. But biodiversity can help reduce the impact of activities on the very environment we rely on for our water.”

Making use of native tree species where possible will minimise ground disturbance and encourage natural colonization, with planting taking place where the seed source is scarce or where a greater mix of species is required. 

This approach will blend with the work that FLS is already doing – such as the significant juniper planting in the extensive ancient woodland that rings the loch – and the ongoing management of the Ben A’an and Brenachoile Woods SSSI / Trossachs Woods SAC. 

The project will also benefit the diversity of wildlife in the area, which includes badgers, bats, a huge variety of birds and particularly rare species, such as the Pearl Bordered Fritillary butterfly.

FLS’ Operations Forester for Loch Katrine, James Hand, said: “There is a huge variety of wildlife in the area and we’re currently carrying out a large survey to update our data on open habitats at Katrine to help inform our management decisions.

“We’ll be looking at how habitat enhancement can benefit the many species to be found here, also taking care to avoid planting in areas where it will be of detrimental impact on key species – such as Golden Eagle – and priority habitats such as peatland and upland heathland. 

“This careful, considered approach will bring significant, long-term benefits for wildlife. It’s all about finding the right balance.”

We established an ‘expert panel’ for reduction in carbon in construction and it has explored many issues to grow knowledge and drive action. It is attended by senior reps from all of our supply chain, CECA (the Cilvil Engineering Contractors Association) and Scotland’s construction innovation centre. So, all the right people are there to help shift the dial.

One fantastic output is the ‘Carbon Academy’ – our digital learning hub. It’s available across our supply chain as well as to employees and will help us reach net zero but importantly go beyond thereafter.

Our Alliance partners have mapped their top 10 materials which drive emissions: at the top end of the list are concrete and steelwork; so to materials which help from our pipelines – so important to our day-to-day service for customers.

Here are some examples which are making a small but important dent in carbon emissions:

Procurement: All our suppliers have committed to create carbon plans by 2023.

Pilot Projects: 16 projects are identified in Managed Delivery to pilot low emission materials/techniques. CWA and ESD have published case studies of the use of golden rules.

Concrete: Two trials of low carbon concrete are underway, the first in Scotland.

Diesel: Hydrated vegetable oil (HVO) offering 90% reduction in emissions is being piloted by one of our delivery partners. Another has trialled innovative new software monitoring plant and material movements in real time to reduce movement and emissions.

Pipe Materials: Modified approach to selection – brought to life by new materials avoiding the need for concrete thrust blocks on our largest pipeline project.

Net zero site establishment: CWA’s site at Ibrox has been set up using net zero cabins involving solar panels and rainwater collection, wider deployment is being explored.

Net zero plant and equipment: We have successfully trialled electric mini diggers

Many construction sites use diesel generators for all their power. We are working with the supply chain to trial alternative approaches and fuels for generation to reduce emissions.

On our Scottish doorstep, Scottish Water has set ambitious targets to achieve net zero operational emissions by 2030. As one of Scotland’s largest consumers of energy, that’s no mean feat. Fortunately we have a tremendous amount of land and property that offer enormous potential when it comes to carbon reduction.

Over the last decade we’ve installed a variety of technologies such as solar PV, wind, biomass boilers and anaerobic digestion to help offset operational energy consumption and reduce carbon pollution. Already we’ve come a long way. 

But the pressure is on to do more, much more.  And do things faster and on a much bigger scale. We have an interim target of delivering and extra 90GWh of new renewable generation projects by 2030 (the equivalent powering over 24,000 homes a year), and time is ticking.

Today we’re celebrating the commissioning of our 50^th and largest solar PV scheme to date at Perth treatment works. A major milestone thanks to the hard work of our people, contractors and onsite operational teams. Later this year we will begin building another PV scheme in Dunbartonshire that will eclipse anything that we’ve done before.

Of course innovation and new technologies will continue to play a big part in our net zero journey. We have some fantastic examples coming up such as the integration of energy storage batteries at our Perth PV scheme; as well as a trial of bifacial solar panels (which produce power from both sides of the panel) at a site in Fraserburgh to help generate greater power output.

And when it comes to heat production, the need for innovation becomes even greater. With the UK soon to phase out gas boilers, alternative ways to heat our spaces must be a priority. Domestically, things are improving with technologies such air and ground source heat pumps. On a larger scale, there is much more to do.

In Horizons, we are continuing to develop heat projects by supporting upcoming district heat networks. We’ve been working with Clyde Gateway to enable heat to be extracted from Dalmarnock treatment works to support a district heat network in the east of Glasgow area; and with Renfrewshire Council to develop a heat scheme to the AMIDS project (Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland) which will utilise heat extracted from the final effluent from the nearby Laighpark treatment works. Going forward, its likely such schemes will become even bigger and bolder.

On the more local front, we’re continuing to accelerate the delivery of heat and energy efficiency measures across Scottish Water’s office buildings. Often underappreciated, energy efficiency can dramatically reduce carbon emissions. In the future we aim to go one step further by developing a pathway to a net zero building estate by transforming our heating emissions.

Whilst our main focus is on energy generation and efficiency, the sheer scale of Scottish Water’s operations will also require the creation of ‘carbon sinks’.  A lot of great work is being done to maximise the use of our land to help with carbon offsetting such as tree planting and peatland restoration. But there are lots of factors to consider to ensure we protect precious ecosystems whilst creating opportunities for new habitats to grow and flourish.

So a lot to play for.  The opportunities are boundless, but only if we take bold and immediate action.  We must work together and combine forces where we can. We must make conscious decisions in everything we do. In short, we must adopt a ‘mindset change’ to address ‘climate change’. 

The scheme is the utility’s largest single solar energy investment to date and is the first to include battery storage facilities in its design, which will enable around 94% of the renewable power generated to be used on site.

It is the 50th solar power project to be delivered by Scottish Water Horizons, the publicly-owned water company’s commercial subsidiary.

More than 2,500 solar panels are now installed on land adjoining Perth’s Waste Water Treatment Works at Sleepless Inch on the River Tay, with a combined generating capacity of just over 1 Megawatt (MW).

The renewable energy generated is expected to provide around a quarter of the electricity needed to treat water that has been used by customers all over the city, enabling it to be safely returned to the environment.

The battery storage technology will installed later this year – allowing energy to be produced when the sun is at its peak and then delivered to site when it is most needed, any time of day or night.

This will help to cut the carbon footprint of the works by around 160 tonnes of CO₂ per annum – the equivalent of offsetting 580,000 miles from the average passenger car.

“This is an exciting milestone in our journey towards Scottish Water’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and it is fantastic to see how innovation is constantly increasing the amount of energy we can generate at our sites. The waste water treatment works here in Perth is a key site for Scottish Water, serving customers across the city, but it uses a lot of energy in serving its vital purpose. Being able to maximise the renewable energy we are now generating by storing via battery technology will be an important boost to the value of our investment – ultimately reducing energy costs at the site by around 40% on an ongoing basis. This year we have assessed over 450 sites for their suitability to host renewable generation and this will form a major part of how we cut our emissions in the coming years, alongside a range of other measures.”

Paul Kerr, Managing Director of Scottish Water Horizons

In addition to the new photovoltaic panels and batteries, the project included the installation of the utility’s first rapid electric vehicle charging facilities to support the transition of the company’s 1,600-vehicle fleet of vans and tankers away from fossil fuels towards clean electricity. The site is located close to the M90, at a key hub of the transport network.

“This is a very welcome project from Scottish Water and marks a real turning point in how renewable energy is incorporated into sites and placed at the heart of powering Scotland’s essential services. At the same time, it can be a part of Perth’s bold ambition to become the most sustainable small city in Europe. The Scottish Government is committed to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change by 2045 and it is innovative schemes like this which will help us reach that target, as well as creating green jobs and contributing to a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport

I always say that everything we do drives emissions, so in a net zero world everything has to be different.

Some of the things we need to work on have a bigger impact than others, and that’s where our focus lies.

A lot of enabling activities have been completed that will allow us to progress our energy efficiency and renewables programme and change half of our fleet to electric vehicles.

Some of the changes are smaller, like getting employees to make different choices in approaching business travel, but to borrow a phrase from a well-known supermarket, every little helps.

One area that we’ve focussed on is working out how to transform the emissions from our construction programme, and we are getting great input on this from our construction partners who have been bringing in learning from the other sectors that they work in.

The best thing in the last year has been how positive everyone is about delivering net zero – everyone understands why we are doing it.

Gordon Reid, General Manager Zero Emissions at Scottish Water

We have been trialling some new low emission alternative materials such as a new low carbon concrete – the first time that material had been used in Scotland – and if we can adopt these then the wider Scottish construction sector will also be able to use them, helping us all to get to net zero faster.

The best thing in the last year has been how positive everyone is about delivering net zero – everyone understands why we are doing it. The question I always get is “what does it mean for me?”.

In the next year I will be looking to answer that for everyone in the business, letting them know when it will be happening – for some it will be soon, for others it’s a few years away as technology needs to mature. And with that will come the need to learn new skills – so a real people focus going forward.

It outlines the activities which have taken place during the 12 months since September 14th 2020 to further reduce emissions and lay the foundation work to enable future decreases.

The public water and waste water services organisation has been reducing its carbon footprint since 2006 and has now achieved more than 249,000 tCO2e – a 2 per cent reduction on the previous year. In 2006 our emissions were 462,000 tCO2e.

During the year there was a focus on our four strategic areas of action which can help us reduce further and faster to become net zero by 2040 – five years ahead of national targets.

A programme of organisation-wide transformation has also been developed which will enable even more work to be done to limit our impact on the environment.

The routemap was published in 2020 during Climate Week and again it provides a platform for the first annual update on progress.

Scottish Water is working closely with a broad spectrum of partners – from our supply chain to academia, private and public sector – to go beyond net zero.

To mark climate week and the anniversary of the routemap, Scottish Water has become a signatory to the Edinburgh Declaration – an international statement of intent led by Scottish Government to ensure action is taken at all levels to protect global biodiversity.

“We are committed to playing our part in supporting a flourishing Scottish environment. Signing the Edinburgh Declaration signals our intent to tackle biodiversity loss and protect nature alongside our commitment to be net zero by 2040.”

Simon Parsons, Scottish Water’s director for Strategic Customer Service Planning

This year we will host COP26 here in Scotland. It’s a hard to underestimate how important this could be for us all.  Back at COP21 the Paris Agreement on climate change saw signed – the world agreed to take action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C by 2050. This has failed and the IPCC’s recent findings show the Earth could well exceed the 1.5ºC warming limit by early 2030s. The ‘code red’ is because every emissions scenario considered by the IPCC, Earth’s surface temperature will continue to increase until at least 2050 and unless we take action now, we will be looking at a 2 or 3C future – or perhaps worse. This will have very significant impact on the planet and how all creatures on the planet live.

As we prepare for COP26 there is a lot of really positive action underway between ourselves and other organisations and companies across Scotland and the World. I am sure you will hear more about this over the coming week. 

So what’s our role – to me it’s simple we need to reduce our contribution to climate change and make sure our assets can still deliver fantastic service as the climate continues to change. This time last year we set out our Net Zero Routemap to reduce our operational and investment emissions down to net zero emissions by 2040. Earlier this year we agreed out plan for our operational emissions and we are aiming to get these to zero by 2030 and there is huge amount of work underway – transforming our fleet, building new renewable energy generation and reducing the energy we use across wastewater and water treatment. On our investment emissions we are making great progress – testing low carbon concrete, taking steel out of our designs and using recyclable material for roads.

This year we will host COP26 here in Scotland. It’s a hard to underestimate how important this could be for us all.

Simon Parsons, Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning at Scottish Water

We are already adapting to extremes of weather – our water resources teams have shown again this year how prepared we are for significant dry periods – some great innovations that mean we get even more out of our reservoirs and learning from the new low levels we are seeing. Our wastewater teams have dealt with significant flooding challenges again this year – looking after our customers and embracing storm water management in partnerships with other organisations – and building intelligent networks with our digital partners. This will allow us to transform our asset base for the future.

I am hoping for a really successful COP26 to set the global momentum needed – and closer to home I know that everyone in Scottish Water will play there part in reducing our contribution and prepare us for a changing climate.

Diesel-powered vans which are coming to their end of their work cycle are now being replaced by vans which can be plugged in at charging points.

They form part of Scottish Water’s fleet of small vans and mark the beginning of a wholesale shift to more environmentally-friendly options.

The move comes as a new report for the public water and waste water organisation said up to 60 per cent of its operational fleet could turn electric to reduce transport emissions.

Pre-pandemic, Scottish Water’s fleet of vehicles – from HGVs and large heavy-payload vans to small general purpose vans and cars – clocked up 19 million miles annually.

The organisation pledged to become net zero by 2040 and set out plans to achieve that in a routemap published in September 2020.

The 20 new Nissan EV 200s have just been bought and need to be adapted for use in helping deliver services across the country, including by water quality samplers, technical teams and network operatives. They will be on the road by April 2022.

A report by consultants for Scottish Water said that the light commercial van fleet had real potential to reduce fuel emissions.

The comprehensive review of over 1,300 vehicles by Cenex identified where suitable electric vehicles could be introduced, the location and type of charging infrastructure required, and provided a strategic deployment plan to meet Scottish Water’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2040.

A new Scottish Water project team led by EV vehicle specialists is now in place to take forward the fleet transformation opportunities.

As well as achieving significant emission savings, including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, electric vehicles will generate substantial financial savings from reduced fuel and maintenance costs over their operational life.

Other areas being explored include using alternative fuels for heavy vehicles including compressed natural gas (CNG) and “drop-in” fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

Crucial to successful roll-out is access to electric vehicle charging points at strategic locations across the country. Charging stations have already been installed at key Scottish Water offices, treatment plants and depots. Scottish Water Horizons, the utility’s commercial subsidiary,  are installing charge points during the build of new renewables sites as a cost-effective way of accelerating their deployment.

“We are now starting our journey to putting zero emissions vehicles on the road – and planning for more. We operate a varied fleet with specific usage profiles, payload and towing requirements and equipment.  

“We will now carry out our own real-world testing – including having access to vital charging infrastructure at workplaces and at home – to ensure the electric vehicle technology will meet operational requirements with no impact on customer service.”

Elaine Pringle, Fleet Manager at Scottish Water

“With such a large and varied operation, Scottish Water was one of the most complex vehicle fleets for us to assess and plan for a zero-emission fleet transition. In-depth analysis has shown that even with such a varied fleet operation, there is still great potential to transition the van fleet to electric, with limited impact on business operations.” 

Robert Anderson, Senior Fleet Specialist at Cenex

A fully electric-powered Renault Kangoo is now being used by Waste Water Process Scientists in the region to fuel green energy benefits.

The vehicle has been in use for a few weeks now and with a range of between 80 to 140 miles per charge, it is proving to be the perfect addition to the fleet. By not having to top up at the petrol pump using the van is helping protect the environment.

Elaine Pringle, Fleet Manager at Scottish Water, said: “We are still in the fairly early stages of our transition to electric vehicles, like this one, and every step taken to reduce our carbon footprint and help combat climate change is important.

“Scottish Water aims to remove all petrol and diesel cars from our fleet by 2025, phase out the need for petrol and diesel light commercial vehicles by 2025 and all new commercial vehicles by 2030.

“We look forward to seeing these vehicles in action across our operational teams and welcome the contribution they’ll make towards Scottish Water achieving its organisation wide pledge of net zero emissions by 2040.”

For further information contact Scottish Water on 07469 444806