Action Plan
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Short term Progress in 2025/26 |
Medium term up to 2035 Plans to deliver proven interventions |
Long term to 2050 and beyond Developing solutions for the future |
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|---|---|---|---|
| REDUCE | Delivered nine projects through the energy efficiency programme, saving 0.9 GWh of electricity and avoiding 221 tCO2e pa | Build on ESOS Phase 3 submission to develop our energy management capability supported by the recruitment of net zero engineers | Recovery of phosphorus, ammonia and cellulose to reduce the load on existing assets and support a circular economy |
| 200 new electric vans added to our fleet, and installation of 68 EV charge points across our sites | Transition our van fleet from diesel to electric vehicles where practical and continue trialling electric HGVs | Digital tools to improve route optimisation and incentivise and encourage good driver behaviour to improve fuel usage | |
| 1.16m litres of HVO deployed for use in generators and 32,625 MWh of biogas used in boilers | Increase use of renewable fuels like biogas and HVO in our equipment and fleet | Low-carbon fuels for HGV fleet and equipment including electricity, biomethane and hydrogen, as viable options come to market | |
| 164 GWh of renewable electricity generated, 19% of electricity used | Expand renewable energy use enabled by the recent development of a commercial framework for behind-the-meter renewable PPAs | Maximise biogas yield from sludge through high-temp side-stream treatment, digesters in series and new AAD treatment hubs |
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| TRANSFORM | Nitrous oxide monitoring project commenced, with mobilisation activities initiated across ten of the planned eighteen sites representing 34% coverage | Liquid and gas-phase nitrous oxide monitoring and mitigation, enhanced leak detection for methane; low-nitrous oxide and low-methane wastewater and sludge treatment technologies such as MBBR and AAD | Advance lower-carbon operations through predictive modelling and next-generation monitoring technologies; enable selection of specific microbes to improve N2O emissions through microbial infrastructure mapping |
| LowCast (cement free pre-cast concrete) demonstration project for our Better Rivers programme delivered 64% carbon saving vs. standard design | Deliver carbon benefits through Project Blueprint by expanding the catalogue of carbon-assessed standardised products | Deploy low-carbon materials and emerging construction techniques, such as cement alternatives and 3D concrete printing | |
| Delivered a cloud platform for sharing carbon project-level data (MOATA) – providing the tools to measure, monitor and reduce emissions for capital programmes | Embed whole-life carbon decision-making in capital delivery projects and programmes | Expand nature-based treatment solutions such as swales, reed beds and SuDS to transition away from high-carbon engineered systems | |
| BALANCE | 1,245 hectares of peatland restored and 142 hectares of woodland created in the past 12 months | Maximise the value of our land for biodiversity and carbon through peatland restoration and woodland creation | Harness waste heat from the sewer network as a new source of low-carbon energy |
| Completed an award-winning LOOP Balance demonstration project – complete carbon capture for the water industry and fully sustainable hydrogen production |
Increase production of grid-quality biomethane from biogas to displace fossil natural gas and decarbonise the UK grid | Upscale engineered carbon capture and storage (i.e. hydrogen and graphene from biogas) | |
| Initiated structured carbon engagement with key suppliers that account for 34% of our Scope 3 emissions from goods and services | Extend partner and supply chain engagement to drive low-carbon solutions | Introduce commercial frameworks that incentivise suppliers to innovate and reduce embodied and operational carbon | |
| Installed nine additional FujiClean systems - compact biological treatment providing chemical-free phosphate removal | Reduce the embodied carbon of our chemical use by optimising dosing and transitioning to greener alternatives | Extraction of biopolymers from sludge for use as coagulants in the water sector and AI automation for polymer dosing |