The water firm’s lead advisor for climate change adaption Amanda Crossfield told Utility Week: “We recognise the imperative for the decision makers in Paris to agree a robust international agreement that will reduce emissions to safe levels as quickly, cost-effectively and equitably as practically possible.”
The company said it “does not underestimate” the impact that severe climate change would have on communities in Yorkshire, the UK and around the world, and is “taking steps” to reduce its emissions to “play its part” in reducing the scale of future climate change.
Evidence shows change is “very likely” to place increasing pressure on the water sector’s ability to affordably maintain safe and reliable water supplies, said Crossfield. “We are working to embed effective long-term planning for weather resilience and climate change throughout the end to end process of our operation.”
“The distribution and treatment of water and waste water is currently energy and carbon intensive,” she added. “But there is great scope to generate low-carbon, sustainable circular economy processes in our sector.
“We are watching the Paris talks with keen interest and we hope to see a robust global climate agreement.”
Thames Water is also hoping for an effective deal from Paris.
The firm’s climate change and sustainability strategy manager Keith Colquhoun told Utility Week: “As a business, we are taking action both to reduce our carbon emissions and become more climate resilient, but we are only one small piece of the jigsaw.
“We are therefore looking to COP21 in Paris to deliver the basis for an effective transition to a sustainable, low-carbon, climate resilient and well adapted global economy. With over 160 countries already pledging to reduce their carbon emissions with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C, we hope that COP21 will be the catalyst to increase the scale and pace of change.”
The conference (COP21) will be held in Paris from 30 November until 11 December. Its aim is to agree the first truly global agreement to tackle climate change.
The UK government said: “A global agreement is the only way we can deliver the scale of action required to reduce global emissions. Securing an ambitious global climate deal in Paris is a UK government priority and we are working with other countries to push political ambition.”