The water theme at COP26 in November will be jointly led by Anglian Water and Mott MacDonald who with the Water Pavilion will compile a programme focused on helping people adapt to climate change.
The dedicated theme of Nature: Water will explore how governments, organisations and businesses globally are responding to increased risk of droughts and flooding and how communities can live in a warming world.
It is designed to highlight the positive social, environmental and economic outcomes that investing in water resilience will bring. As well as physical events an online channel will showcase best practice, sharing ideas and driving global action.
Peter Simpson, chief executive of Anglian and champion of water sector commitment to net zero by 2030, said: “We have long recognised that adapting to the reality of climate change requires just as much focus as the global race to reach net zero carbon. For many years we have structured our investment plans to meet this goal, and built cross-sector relationships to unlock new approaches to water management.”
He stressed that investments in long-term resilience must be made now by businesses and governments – not in five or ten years’ time, which was a central argument in the company’s appeal of its PR19 business plans.
“And it’s important to remember that imaginatively delivered adaptation can bring enormous benefits for communities and the environment as well as mitigating risk.”
Mott MacDonald’s executive chair, Mike Haigh, said water resilience was critical to delivering social outcomes by putting climate resilience and net zero at the heart of all the company did.
Haigh said: “The impacts of climate change on water will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable in society as well as ecosystems and the natural environment. Investing in and building resilient water and sanitation systems, managing water resources sustainably, adapting through nature-based solutions and harnessing the power of digital tools are all imperative to our response to the climate challenge.”
The Water theme will be part of the event’s Resilience Hub in Glasgow, with both physical events in the pavilion and a virtual element to connect attendees around the world.