7.1 - Net Zero, Climate Change and Air Emissions

Air Emissions

Pennon & Net Zero

Climate Change

The 2021 IPCC identifies climate change as the most significant global risk. Pennon’s businesses are already feeling the impacts of climate change. The region surrounding Pennon’s headquarters is especially vulnerable; their 860-mile coastline faces rising sea levels and intensified storms. In response, Pennon has published a climate adaptation report, assessed 60+ climate risks through its Corporate Risk Framework, and invested in tools to understand and mitigate impacts. While progress has been made, growing climate risks demand ongoing and future action.

In 2021, Pennon set ambitious plans to reduce its operational carbon emissions and hit its Net Zero target by 2030. Since then, Pennon has gone further, adding a Race to Zero commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) across the organisation’s entire value chain by 2045. Pennon’s Net Zero Strategy is driven by three pillars:

• Sustainable living
• Championing renewables
• Reversing carbon emissions.

As part of Pennon’s Net Zero plans, the company is trialling the use of ‘HVO’ bio-fuel for stand-by power generation as an alternative to diesel. This reduces both greenhouse gas emissions and air quality emissions (NOx, CO) when compared to diesel. In addition, Pennon’s planned transition from fossil fuel to low and zero-carbon alternatives within their transport fleet, including the 53 electric vans now in use across the group to reduce air quality emissions from fleet activities.