Northern Ireland Water is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and to address the proposals of the Climate Change Bill. We will adopt measures to reduce our carbon footprint and are working closely with other water companies through Water UK to help develop a common accounting methodology to report carbon emissions. Our commitment will be demonstrated through the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme. Water UK has estimated that the water industry as a whole accounts for around 4 million tones of CO2 each year which is about 0.5% of the total UK carbon emissions.

With increasingly stringent European standards and to meet the effects of Climate Change, the water industry will see energy use increase to meet consumption demands and treatment. This will mean even greater efficiencies and smarter working to retain a high quality service keeping energy costs and carbon emissions to a minimum.

Northern Ireland Water currently purchases 6% of it’s total energy use from renewable sources, self produces an additional 2%, and is looking at alternative sources of renewable energy production to reduce carbon emissions from our activities namely abstraction, treatment and supply of water and waste water services.