Melbourne Water brings local and international expertise to Melbourne to further net zero opportunities

Melbourne Water and its global net zero partners Aarhus Vand and Severn Trent - as well as other key local and overseas stakeholders - have met in Melbourne for the first time to present their net zero progress, and determine programs and initiatives that will help achieve real carbon emission reductions. 

A unique global collaboration, last September Melbourne Water formed an international alliance with Danish water utility Aarhus Vand and UK water leader Severn Trent to collectively reduce carbon emissions by one million tonnes annually. 

Gathering with Victorian Government representatives, embassy officials, guests from Singapore’s National Water Authority, and a number of metropolitan water retailers and water sector heavyweights at the world-renowned Western Treatment Plant, Melbourne Water: 

• Showcased its commitment to achieving net zero through international partnership and highlighted the collaborative work being undertaken in its partnership with Severn Trent & Aarhus Vand;   

• Discussed its net zero program and pathway, highlighting opportunities;  

• Launched its Path to Net Zero partnership with key stakeholders to help establish future programs with like-minded net zero partners;  

• Built relationships with key stakeholders to develop future net zero funding opportunities; 

• Discussed innovation and technology opportunities to make wastewater treatment greener, and; 

• Worked to establish new international standards for measuring and reporting emissions – as the industry looks towards a carbon neutral future. 

Already a global emissions reduction research leader, Melbourne Water, Aarhus Vand and Severn Trent will present a number of technical papers to an international audience later this year, including: 

• A joint ‘Nitrous oxide formation and emission from activated sludge plants in Europe and Australia’  conference paper as well as a keynote address at the IWA Leading Edge Conference, in South Korea; 
• A white paper/magazine article on nitrous oxide monitoring and mitigation strategies; 
• And next year, a joint collaboration with the University of Queensland and international Universities will analyse and model nitrous oxide emissions and mitigation strategies. 

"We are in the decade that matters when the actions we take now will define our future. We must also adapt our operations to prepare for a changing climate which is why we are passionate about this international alliance with Aarhus Vand and Severn Trent,” Dr. Nerina Di Lorenzo, Managing Director of Melbourne Water said.  

“At Melbourne Water we take a collaborative approach to the way we plan for and manage all elements of the water cycle: from providing clean drinking water, treating sewage so we can recover and re-use our valued resources, planning to prevent flooding, and keeping all 25,000km of Melbourne’s rivers, creeks and catchments healthy.  

“We are also at the forefront of a shift towards a circular economy, transforming our sewerage system, so we can recover Melbourne’s waste, turning it into water, nutrients and energy for re-use. Partnering with Aarhus Vand and Severn Trent will assist us in achieving this goal.”  

Melbourne Water has pledged to halve its emissions by 2025 and achieve net zero by 2030.  It’s also committed to sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2025, so that Melbourne remains a great place to live today, tomorrow and for generations to come.  

Media contact: Tony Mee

email: [email protected]

phone: 9679 7004