South West Water has pledged £20 million to an ongoing collaboration with the University of Exeter to create a centre that will conduct research into the impacts of climate change.
The centre will undertake work into the provision of safe and resilient water supplies in the UK and internationally as pressures from the effects of climate change mount.
The Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) is part of a 25-year partnership between the water company and the university.
CREWW’s work will focus on managing natural resources in a sustainable, resilient way in the face of climate change and population growth.
Its work will use environmental intelligence to develop nature-based, circular economy and behavioral solutions, which have been highlighted as a key part of the next price review to deliver benefits to the environment, communities, and the economy.
Susan Davy, chief executive at South West’s parent company Pennon, said: “We have ambitious plans to transform the way we do business not just to reduce but reverse our emissions while protecting the places people love across our region. Climate change will also have potentially serious impacts on the water cycle, presenting a number of risks for us and the communities we serve, in terms of floods, droughts and rising sea levels.”
Through partnerships with local stakeholders, South West has already supported wildlife habitats, restored wetlands, and improved over 91,000 hectares of land.
Davy added: “The collaborative research and innovation that will be developed and deployed through this new centre will help us play a leading role in protecting and enhancing our natural environment for generations to come. We will continue to benefit from the university’s academic expertise and use of state-of-the-art field monitoring equipment to aid research and help us pilot, test and deploy innovations to help mitigate the risks of climate change.”
She recently told Utility Week that climate mitigation and adaptation were her main focus for the business.