Water Utilities: Moving fast toward a zero-carbon future

Xylem recently called on water sector leaders and organizations to join the “Race to Zero” global sustainability push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to water systems and water management. This follows our announcement in September that Xylem has formalized our commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions across our value chain before 2050*.

Water use and management accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, today.  Water utilities account for about 2% of GHG emissions – the same as the global shipping industry.  Xylem is collaborating with a consortium of partners including the UNFCCC High Level Climate Action Champions, CDP, Water UK, the US Water Alliance, the International Water Association, GIZ and others to help water utilities commit to reducing GHG emissions.

“Water and climate crises go hand-in-hand,” said Claudia Toussaint, Xylem’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “We are a sector of sustainability stewards, and approaches exist, today, to dramatically reduce emissions from water systems -- especially using highly efficient, advanced digital technologies. Together, we can make a meaningful contribution to containing climate change. We hope every part of the sector joins us, so we’re all part of the solution.” 

Xylem's latest paper outlines some of the ways utilities can get started on their race to zero and the high-efficiency technologies that can accelerate their path to a zero-carbon future.