Climate
Change Strategy
Low carbon, high water security

Climate change –
a risk for the water industry
The world’s scientists widely
agree that human activity is
causing the climate to change
and become less predictable.
This complex and long-term
global problem could affect
Sydney Water’s capacity to
provide services to its
customers. There is no simple
fix. However, Sydney Water
will work with customers
and stakeholders to:
• reduce the greenhouse
gas emissions that cause
climate change
• minimise the impact
on operations.
The organisation must prepare
and adapt to make its business
sustainable into the future.
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Sydney Water’s exposure
to climate change risk
Sea level rise coupled with increased storm surge could pose risks to low lying coastal assets.
Uncertainty about future Sydney Water has considered •cause sea levels and storm
climate is compounding the the potential range of events surges to increase, posing
risks associated with climate that may arise from climate a flood risk to low-lying
variability. In densely change. Sydney Water is coastal assets
populated areas of Australia working to identify, measure •change the structure
where economic activity is and respond to risks and stability of soils,
greatest, rainfall has associated with these events leading to greater risk
declined over the latter part so that the business is well of pipe failure
of last century. In the past prepared to withstand them.
•disrupt electricity supplies
25 years there have been A drier, warmer climate may: due to increased storm
fewer high rainfall events
•reduce supplies of fresh activity or excessive
over catchments on the east
water demand during heatwaves.
coast, including Sydney’s
Warragamba catchment. •increase customer demand A legislated, national
for water greenhouse emission
The Intergovernmental Panel
trading scheme is likely to
•increase the risk of severe
on Climate Change’s (IPCC)
begin by 2012. The scheme
bushfires in catchments,
2007 Assessment Report
will put a price on
reducing the quality of
found overwhelming
greenhouse gas emissions,
water run-off
scientific evidence – greater
which could significantly
than a 90 per cent chance – •increase algal blooms in
increase the costs of
that human activity is dams, with implications for
electricity, construction
causing significant global taste, odour and toxicity
projects, and other areas of
warming. The IPCC predicts
•increase the risk of pipe Sydney Water’s operations.
that further significant
corrosion and odours Understanding Sydney
warming is likely if
Water’s carbon risk exposure
•cause more extreme storms
greenhouse gas emissions
is imperative in planning for
that test the capacity of
continue to increase.
emissions trading.
sewage treatment plants
2

Sydney Water’s response
In a unique position, Sydney Water:
Sydney Water aims to engage
• is clearly exposed to the risks
with the community and be part
associated with climate change
of a broad societal response to
• consumes almost one per cent of grid climate change by communicating
electricity in NSW its research, reducing greenhouse
emissions and adapting to a
• has the capacity to generate accredited
carbon-constrained environment.
renewable energy
Sydney Water is committed to
• creates a large volume of accredited
working with the NSW
carbon offsets
Government to secure water
• is required by law to minimise the supplies for the long term
environmental impact of its activities, through key actions under the
including energy use. Metropolitan Water Plan,
including water conservation,
recycling and desalination.
Sydney Water has developed a Climate Change
Strategy and Action Plan to effectively identify A key study is examining the
and address the risks associated with climate likely impacts of climate change
change. The plan outlines how the organisation on water supplies and demand
will: across Sydney. The project is a
NSW and Australian government-
sponsored collaboration between
Sydney Water, the NSW
Department of Water and
Research to…
Energy, the NSW Department of
better understand Environment and Climate Change,
the extent of its carbon CSIRO, Sydney Catchment
footprint and the Authority, the Australian Green-
impacts of climate house Office and the University
change of NSW.
Sydney Water has plans to reduce
the effects of climate change on
its operations and infrastructure
to ensure that it can maintain
Mitigate by… its services over coming decades.
Actions will include reducing the
cutting its emissions
Adapt to… risk of business interruption
by 60% by 2012, becoming
from severe windstorms or
carbon neutral by 2020, reduce the risk of adverse heavy rainfall, and the risk of
and by engaging with impacts on operations flooding from sea level rise
business and the and infrastructure, and and storm surge.
community to reduce improve the sustainability
Because of uncertainty about
emissions of fresh water supplies
climate change and its impacts,
Sydney Water will take an
adaptive approach and
progressively incorporate the
latest and most accurate
scientific knowledge into its risk
management processes.
3

Becoming carbon neutral
In July 2007, Sydney Water Sydney Water has adopted the cogeneration or purchase
made a commitment to a set of carbon management of renewable energy. By 2009,
become carbon neutral principles that form the basis Sydney Water will be
for energy and electricity of its Greenhouse Mitigation generating about 20 per cent
consumption by 2020, and Framework. Priority is given to of its electricity needs through
set an interim target of a reducing emissions, firstly by hydro-generation and biogas
60 per cent reduction in avoiding energy use and then cogeneration projects.
emissions by 2012. By 2020, through using energy more
Any remaining emissions will
Sydney Water aims to have efficiently, for example using
be offset with carbon credits,
eliminated, or offset, more more energy efficient pumps
firstly through Sydney Water
than 400,000 tonnes of and treatment processes.
programs such as WaterFix.
greenhouse gases each year, Greenhouse emissions will
Sydney Water generates a
equivalent to taking 100,000
be considered over the full
large number of government-
cars off the road every year.
lifecycle for major projects
accredited carbon credits
Sydney Water is the most
or new facilities.
through its customer demand
energy-intensive Australian
Next under the carbon management programs and
corporation to commit to
carbon neutrality yet. management principles is renewable energy projects.
Sydney Water’s Greenhouse Mitigation Framework
Engage with business and community
to reduce greenhouse emissions
Offset with external
carbon credits
Start
Offset with internally
generated carbon credits
Set objectives
Measure
and report
Avoid energy use and the
Renewable energy
generation of unnecessary
Methane and hydro co-generation
greenhouse gases
purchase Greenpower or lower
greenhouse intensity fuels
Energy efficiency
4

Key actions
Sydney Water’s Climate Change • improving water supply • identifying and implementing
Strategy includes: security by participating best practice energy efficiency
in the NSW Government’s in water and wastewater
• participating in external Metropolitan Water Plan treatment
research to better understand and constructing a
• becoming carbon neutral
the likely future climate of the desalination plant at Kurnell
for energy and electricity
Sydney region
• using accredited renewable consumption by 2020
• quantifying climate change energy to power the
• introducing an externally
risks to infrastructure and desalination plant
verified greenhouse
acting to mitigate
• fully quantifying the emissions accounting
those risks
organisation’s carbon footprint and reporting system.
Conclusion
Sydney Water aims to provide continuity of water and wastewater services in the face of
climate change impacts. Sydney Water will achieve this by better understanding climate
change risks, reducing net greenhouse emissions to zero and increasing the resilience of
infrastructure and water supply sources.
2007
5

Further reading
IPCC Working Group 1, Climate Change
2007- Summary for Policymakers, www.ipcc.ch
IPCC Working Group 2, Climate Change 2007-
Summary for Policymakers, and Ch 11 –
Australia and New Zealand
CSIRO (2007) Climate Change in Australia
http://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au
Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering & Innovation
Council Working Group (2007) Water for Our Cities:
building resilience in a climate of uncertainty
NSW Government, 2006 Metropolitan Water Plan
http://www.waterforlife. nsw.gov.au/about/
metropolitan_water_plan/climate_change
NSW Greenhouse Office, NSW
Greenhouse Plan 2005 www.greenhouse.nsw.gov.au
Water Services Association (2006) Refilling the Glass:
Exploring the issues surrounding water recycling in
Australia. www.wsaa.org.au
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For more information visit
www.sydneywater.com.au
Printed on recycled paper
SW237 11/07