We're committed to preparing for the future and protecting our environment.
We’re taking strong action against climate change now. We’re moving to 100% renewable energy by 2025, and will reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Our sites will be powered by 100% renewable energy technologies, including solar, hydroelectricity and biogas.
In the short-term, some diesel and fuel-powered vehicles, equipment and machinery will still be in use, but they will be gradually phased out and most will be replaced with electric-powered versions.
Net zero greenhouse gas emissions means that while some of our activities will unavoidably produce a small amount of emissions, these emissions will be offset by carbon removal projects, such as planting native trees and shrubs.
There are two main ways we are going to reach our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
1. Technology
We will expand our existing renewable energy generation activities. This will include installing solar panels to power even more of our sites. We will adopt newly emerging and existing mainstream technologies to replace the use of fossil fuels.
Currently six of our highest energy consuming sites are powered by solar, with a seventh, our Gippsland Water Factory to become solar-powered in 2022.
2. Offsetting
In the short-term, we can’t completely prevent all carbon emissions and still run efficiently and cost-effectively. That’s why an important part of our plan involves offsetting the small amount of carbon we will continue to emit.
We’ve planted more than 200,000 native plants at our Duston Downs property, which will remove 60,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere over the next 25 years.
We’ll commence a second planting project in the coming years, which will help us completely offset emissions from use of fleet vehicles and plant equipment, which rely on fossil fuels, by 2030.
Offsetting is expected to be a long-term solution to carbon emissions from wastewater treatment, which are likely to always form a part of our operations.
Other ways
In addition to these two main methods, we will also reach our goals by:
We’re already well on our way to achieving these goals. The actions we have taken so far, include:
We’re one of 14 Australian and New Zealand water corporations sharing their climate goals as part of the global United Nations-backed Race to Zero campaign.