Beyond target setting: Accelerating net-zero actions in municipal water management
Canadian Water Network (2022-ongoing)
Projet
In March 2022, CWN launched a peer-to-peer Strategic Sharing Group for members of the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium’s leadership group. The Strategic Sharing Group provides opportunities to share knowledge on how the Canadian water sector can take an ambitious, leadership role in bringing Canada closer to a net-zero future. This is so that local communities can get to the future they want through water. The group will also explore actions, strategies and activities that can help utilities attain net-zero targets that align with the local community in the context of climate change and environmental uncertainties, risk and resilience, financial constraints, and collaborative governance.
The group’s objectives are to:
- Exchange knowledge with other utilities about current work on advancing net-zero frameworks, strategies, actions, initiatives and targets.c
- Clarify issues and identify shared challenges and roadblocks in advancing net-zero initiatives in water, wastewater and stormwater utilities.
Members of the Net-Zero Water Strategic Sharing Group will bring a broad range of expertise and experience to the discussion. A variety of discussion topics will be addressed, including carbon reduction targets and defining net-zero, actions and approaches, challenges, barriers and best practices, and building the business case for investing in net-zero.
Produits
Strategic Sharing Groups provide unique and meaningful peer-to-peer sharing opportunities on emerging strategic issues. CWN facilitates an environment for confidential dialogue among participating senior municipal/utility managers and, where appropriate, invites leading experts to share their knowledge. The group directs the discussion with support from CWN staff who frame the issue, facilitate discussions, invite relevant guest experts, incorporate insights from the international community, and create meeting captures. CWN staff also use critical takeaways to shape future Canadian Municipal Water Consortium initiatives that support the municipal community.
Water and wastewater utility leaders across Canada will benefit from the Net-Zero Water Strategic Sharing Group because they will have the ability to drive discussion based on emerging needs within their respective communities. Utility leaders subsequently learn from one another and use the knowledge gained to help inform the development or advancement of actions, strategies and activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and attain net-zero targets in alignment with their local community targets and programs.
A summary of insights derived from the Strategic Sharing Group’s discussion on accelerating net-zero actions in municipal water management, including utility challenges and management approaches, will be provided at the conclusion of this group.
In the meantime, we have included a preliminary scan of Canadian municipalities pursuing GHG emission reduction goals below. The use of biogas/energy recovery at WWTPs is highlighted.
This snapshot (October 2021) shows the communities that have embraced greenhouse gas reduction targets. In addition, CWN is highlighting the actions that water utilities are taking for energy recovery through biogas capture. Other actions that utilities can take include electrical co-generation, co-locating renewable energies such as solar, renewable natural gas production, and in-line pipe turbines as examples. As we learn more about the actions taken by Canadian utilities, we will share them here.
Canadian Cities who have joined the Race2Zero: unfccc.int/climate-action/race-to-zero/who-s-in-race-to-zero#eq-5 [Accessed November 8, 2021]
Municipalities who have active Biogas Projects: biogasworld.com/projects/[Accessed November 8, 2021]
If you are interested in sharing your utility’s actions, or you are interested in joining the conversation, please reach out to Sandra Cooke, Director, Municipal Consortium.
