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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

A dedicated team has been assembled focused on working across the organisation which delivers Scotland’s public water and waste water services and is already chasing early wins and milestones.

The aim is clear – on a month by month, year by year basis, continue to drive out emissions from the production of 1.4 billion litres of water a day and from the processing of nearly one billlion litres of waste water which gets removed, cleaned and returned to the environment every 24 hours.

Providing these services, which are vital to the everyday lives of five million people across Scotland, is an energy-intensive undertaking. We require electricity to operate water and waste water treatment works, chemicals to treat and clean our water to keep it safe and fuel to power the 1400 vehicles in our fleet taking employees on the equivalent of 19 million miles annually.

Our assets – a great many dating to the Victorian era and not designed to meet the needs of a modern and growing Scotland – need constant upkeep. From repairs and maintenance to complete replacement in some cases, all of that activity results in emissions – including those embedded in construction and materials used.

The routemap we published in September 2020 sets out the long-term journey of transformation we need to take to become net zero – and go beyond.

A long-term approach doesn’t mean we can afford to wait.

Action and activity now will build on successful reductions already achieved operationally, driving out even more from our processes, and spanning new areas of focus.

Encouraging our delivery partners and alliances in the construction sector to develop more sustainable methods and materials will unlock emissions reductions in projects throughout Scotland. Enabling and encouraging innovation in that sector will lead to new approaches being taken far beyond the water sector in Scotland. In an industry-first, we’ll start reporting on carbon emissions driven by our investment needs.

It will also foster a new era of skills development, with sustainable technologies and engineering likely to replace more traditional ways of working.

Renewable power is also a vital component of how we drive out harmful emissions.

Harnessing wind, hydro and solar energy to power treatment works will be pivotal. As one of the country’s biggest users and purchasers of electricity, switching to renewable power to deliver Scotland’s daily water and waste water needs will place us at the leading edge of utilities and make a significant contribution to the country’s overall environmental targets.

There is also the wicked issue of emissions we simply cannot remove altogether. Making space for carbon sinks to lock up and store those unavoidable emissions will need bold collarboration to maximise our land holdings collectively on which to plant trees and restore peatland.

Of course, further investment is needed to enable a net zero future for Scotland’s water and waste water provision. Making emissions central to spending decisions will require new ways of thinking.

Later this year, the eyes of the world will be on the COP26 event in Glasgow where nations will gather to consider the steps we can take to help slow the pace of climate change impacts caused by human activity globally.

There is no single silver bullet. Scottish Water’s success – like that of our country and other nations’ successes – will depend on collaboration, partnership and a multi-layered approach to achieve the reductions we need for the sake of our children and future generations

“Celebrating the 10th anniversary of our recycling facility during Scottish Climate Week couldn’t be more appropriate. Our plant at Deerdykes has achieved a lot in a decade, contributing greatly to Scotland’s renewables and its target of becoming a net-zero society.

Diverting food waste from landfill and transforming it into valuable new products also helps boost our customers’ environmental credentials as they strive to become more sustainable and reduce their environmental impact. We will continue to build on the plant’s success and work closely with our partners to maximise opportunities and efficiencies.”

Colin Lindsay, Operations Manager at Scottish Water Horizons

Around one million tonnes of food is thrown away in Scotland each year. A number of local authorities across west central Scotland currently transport waste to Deerdykes. It comes from Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council, East Dunbartonshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council areas, along with waste from many food producers and businesses.

“We must cut down what we waste and send to landfill if we are to reduce our impact on the planet. Deerdykes has proven to be a valuable facility by protecting us from the worst impact of food waste and transforming its potential into the energy that powers our homes.”

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland

Earlier this Scottish Climate Week, we published a trailblazing Net Zero Emission Routemap which sets out how we will achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and beyond, and make a greater contribution to Scotland’s overall emissions ambition.

“Food waste reduction is critical in the fight against climate change and we have set an ambitious target, to reduce overall food waste by 33% in Scotland by 2025. In reducing our impact on the planet, this is an area where all citizens and organisations can make a difference. 

It is fitting that the 10th anniversary of the Deerdykes Food Waste Recycling Plant falls within Climate Week. By diverting 155,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and transforming it into renewable sources of energy, it has helped us reduce food waste and protect the environment. 

The plant will of course form part of Scottish Water’s wider plans to reach net zero emissions by 2040. The contribution of these low carbon technologies and nature based solutions are invaluable if we are going to build a green economy to enable Scotland to meet its national net zero target by 2045.”

Roseanna Cunningham -Secretary for the Environment

“Harnessing solar energy is just one of the many ways we are helping to tackle climate change and contributing to Scottish Water’s ambitious target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

The site at Inverness provides a perfect opportunity to install a scheme of this scale, which will have a significant positive impact both on the environmental and financial cost of providing clear, fresh and great-tasting drinking water to around 86,000 customers in the Highland Capital and beyond.

In the years ahead, we will be seeking to develop further, larger renewable energy projects so that self-generated green power can meet all of Scottish Water’s electricity needs. In Scottish Water Horizons we intend to deliver 90 Gigawatt hours (GWh) per annum of new renewable generation by 2030 to help Scottish Water on its journey to meeting its net zero carbon goal.”

Project Manager Ian Piggott

“It’s a great step forward that we can now generate a significant proportion of the electricity we need within the site, using renewable resources. We are really proud that our water treatment works at Loch Ashie is playing its part in helping Scottish Water achieve its net zero carbon ambitions.

Looking to the future, the inclusion of electric vehicle charging facilities will support faster progress with moving our 1600-vehicle fleet of vans and tankers all over Scotland away from fossil fuels towards clean electricity.”

Angus Mackinnon – Scottish Water’s local Water Operations Team Leader

Scottish Water Horizons has already delivered over 45 solar power projects, as well as 20 wind projects, two biomass projects and a heat from waste water project. Scottish Water also hosts significant additional renewable generation capacity on land that it owns across Scotland.

Net Zero by 2040

• This scheme is helping us achieve net zero emissions by 2040.
• We aim to produce or host three times the amount of renewable energy to the electricity we use by 2030.
• We’re contributing more widely to Scotland’s carbon emissions targets.
• Green hydro energy plays a vital role in tackling the climate change emergency.

Energy Usage

• We are one of the biggest users of electricity in the country. 
• We consume about 440 Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year of grid electricity.
• We have 37 operational turbines located on 25 different sites to help off-set our energy usage. 
• With an installed capacity of 7.2 Megawatts (MW), these have a design generation of 40.19 GWh per annum.

The routemap, published at the start of Climate Week, sets out how Scottish Water will deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2040, five years ahead of the national target. It has been created with the support of an expert panel.

The changing climate will increasingly threaten our ability to deliver services that are essential to everyday life for households and businesses across Scotland. We must deal with the climate challenges, secure the future reliability of our services, and eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to the climate emergency. Our commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2040 is our contribution to the national and global effort to addressing the climate emergency.

The net zero emissions routemap published today sets out details of the enormous challenge we face and the transformation which must happen in order to reach our commitment.

This will not be easy. We have a substantial emissions footprint due to the large amounts of electricity and chemicals we use. This routemap is about doing everything possible to minimise the emissions associated with our activities, irrespective of where they are generated, and maximise the positive contribution we can make. We will work with all parties involved in our investment programme to secure radical carbon reductions in our construction activities.

Over the next 20 years, dealing with the challenge of climate change, achieving net zero emissions, and replacing our ageing assets will require significantly increased annual investment. We know customers don’t want us to put off necessary investment to protect the environment and maintain the high levels of service they currently receive. We will need their continued support so that we can build a sustainable future together.

Douglas Millican, Scottish Water Chief Executive

The Covid-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented global crisis which has fundamentally changed almost every aspect of our lives. But the climate emergency has not gone away – far from it – and we remain wholly committed to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change.

We all need to work together with truly national endeavour to achieve this, and I commend Scottish Water’s leadership in setting out its Net Zero routemap, in doing so demonstrating how the transformation that will be needed right across our public sector in order to deliver net zero can be achieved.

I particularly welcome the focus on near-term actions, the contribution to development of key low carbon technologies and the delivery of renewables and nature-based solutions.

Scotland has the toughest target of any country in the world for emission reduction by 2030. At 75%, this incredibly stretching target goes far beyond what the IPCC Special Report says is needed globally to prevent warming of more than 1.5 degrees, but achieving it will require rapid, sustained and planned progress of the kind Scottish Water is demonstrating.

Roseanna Cunningham, Climate Change Secretary

The scale of the environmental challenge facing humanity is enormous and with a real urgency to act. Scottish Water’s commitment to delivering Scotland’s daily water entirely on renewable energy is a clear demonstration of the way that challenge is being faced head on.

By outlining how it will fulfil its ambition to go beyond what the law requires in reducing its use of our planet’s ecological resources and services, Scottish Water’s Net Zero Emissions Routemap has the potential to be an example of a drive towards One Planet Prosperity in action. SEPA will continue to support Scottish Water to find and take opportunities to comply with regulatory requirements – and to go beyond compliance in ways that enhance the environment, minimise resource use and maximise long-term social and economic benefits.

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Scottish Water already manages one of the key climate risks – climate change will transform Scotland’s water supplies and needs in the decades ahead. So I’m delighted to see Scottish Water extend their climate focus and accept their unique role in cutting Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The assets at Scottish Water’s disposal and the renewable energy opportunities on Scottish Water’s estate are vital contributors to the national goal of Net Zero by 2045. Their drive to cut carbon throughout their extensive supply chain will have a cascading impact throughout the Scottish economy. I hope other public bodies in Scotland will now match Scottish Water’s ambition – and their willingness to disclose their climate impact overall.

Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change, and a member of an Expert Panel

The route map highlights that some emissions cannot be eliminated completely and the organisation will counter balance and mitigate unavoidable greenhouse gases by increasing its approach to biodiversity through projects like peatland restoration which can store carbon.

For further information please contact Keith Sinclair, Media Manager, on 0141 414 7186 or at keith.sinclair@scottishwater.co.uk