Two billion people around the world are living in water-stressed areas and the climate crisis is only serving to make this worse by prolonging droughts and intensifying floods. With water use and management accounting for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is imperative that governments and water companies work together to achieve net zero. This means transitioning to renewable energy, mitigating their carbon emissions and reducing the nitrous oxide and methane emissions that come from wastewater treatment.

In the UK in 2020, water companies spear-headed the industry’s low-carbon journey with the publication of the Net Zero 2030 Routemap – the world’s first detailed sector-wide plan to reach net zero on operational emissions by 2030.

In this event, Water UK will host a discussion with UK representatives and colleagues from around the world to discuss how they are tackling the dual challenge of reducing emissions and ensuring water resilience. The event will explore how water companies are tackling the race to net zero, how they are ensuring resilience is embedded into these plans and how they plan to progress once they’ve achieved the ‘easy wins’.

Water Pavilion launch event

The IPCC Working Group 1 report makes grim reading. Strong evidence from thousands of studies across the globe was brought together to detail how the climate is and will change. Floods, droughts and other extreme events like heatwaves and cyclones are the main ways in which people across the world are feeling the impacts of climate change, and it comes as no surprise that many of these impacts are water-related. Understanding the implications and regional variations highlighted by the IPCC report for future water management is crucial. In this session, the authors of the IPCC report will share insights about water-related changes, including extreme weather events due to climate change and panelists' will discuss the implications of the same for adaptation and mitigation. 

Further info at: 

https://www.waterforclimate.net/meetings/virtual/3Ttcn88wWzC427E3N

Freshwater-related mitigation measures in water systems, energy systems and ecosystems (such as wetlands and other inland water ecosystems, forest, croplands, rangelands); Mitigation within the water-sanitation-hygiene sector, including links to energy and cities-infrastructure; Educate on the water sectors collective GHG emission impact, celebrate those utilities who have already made a Net Zero commitment, and call other corporations and utilities to make their own commitment. 

Further info at:

https://www.waterforclimate.net/meetings/virtual/Ah6LpDqk9CJbL6geC

Introducing the Water Tracker for National Climate Planning! If climate action is to be effective, the vital role of water in mitigating and adapting to climate change must be recognized. Water is a critical resource for all sectors, understanding where and how water is needed for climate action is necessary now to avoid adverse outcomes, maladaptation, or outright project failure. This event will introduce a new tool for countries to assess water needs in their national climate planning and bring together leaders from around the globe to share good practices in adaptation and demonstrate the importance of placing water at the center of resilient climate planning. The Water Tracker for National Climate Planning is an initiative of the Egypt and UK-led Adaptation Action Coalition (AAC), and we will use this opportunity to showcase pilot country experiences applying the Water Tracker to their national climate plans and invite other countries to join the Coalition.

The first Water Pavilion at a COP - A celebration

18:45 - 19:00 High Level welcoming remarks

19:00 - 19:15 Performance by Låpsley

19:15 - 20:00 Water Pavilion Reception