Zero Carbon Champion
Shortlisted Nominees
Acciona
What is it?
The third largest private water operator in Spain, a major player in both EPC and O&M for water, wastewater and desalination. The water division is part of infrastructure conglomerate Acciona, S.A.. The company is present in over 30 countries, and has more than 80 references in the desalination sector, with a combined installed capacity of 6 million m3/d.
What has it done?
After launching its Sustainability Master Plan in 2021, Acciona has already achieved substantial results. Although Acciona has been carbon neutral since 2016, by offsetting its remaining scope 1 and 2 emissions through the purchase of certified emissions reductions, the company is not resting on its laurels. It has a 2040 net zero target for all scopes (including scope 3) which has been certified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), meaning it is continuing to pursue emissions reductions. Ultimately the company aims to be climate positive, going beyond net zero to have an actively positive impact on regenerating the planet through climate mitigation, adaptation and water sustainability.
What makes it special?
Over 2022, 97.2% of electricity consumption at Acciona’s treatment plants came from renewable energy, with the figure reaching 100% at desalination plants in Spain. This enabled it to achieve a 58.5% reduction in GHG emissions since 2017 for scope 1 and 2, well ahead of its target for the year. The company is also focused on electrifying its fleet: 60% of its vehicles are now electric, and it is designing a 100% electric truck for sanitation services.
The company has also actively pursued green finance, which is becoming increasingly available as investors set goals for green infrastructure projects and countries focus on the fight against climate change. Acciona also has a decarbonisation fund to finance actions that reduce GHG emissions, awarded through an internal bidding mechanism. Acciona estimates the fund prevented 17,000 tons of CO2 emissions last year.
Improving efficiency through digital technologies is another mechanism by which Acciona is reducing its carbon footprint. It began deploying its Water Control Centre (CECOA) for plant operations which helps reduce downtime, energy consumption and chemical dosages, all leading to lower CO2 emissions.
Anaergia
What is it?
One of the world’s largest listed organic waste to biomethane solutions companies. Beginning as a technology provider, Anaergia has now expanded into offering complete lifecycle solutions including project financing and operations. It has delivered over 1,500 resource recovery facilities on four continents over the last 25 years.
What has it done?
By helping its clients produce renewable fuel from waste, Anaergia has allowed them to greatly reduce and sometimes completely eliminate the carbon footprint of their plant operations. Whereas most companies are focusing on their own scope 1 and 2 emissions, Anaergia is putting all energy into reducing its downstream scope 3 emissions, those emitted by its clients.
What makes it special?
Anaergia continued its portfolio growth in 2022 by commissioning multiple plants. At all of them, Anaergia estimated the amount of CO2 reduction accounted by their installations, offset by the production of renewable fuel. The SoCal Biomethane at VVWRA in California will prevent 38,000 tonnes per year of CO2e being released into the atmosphere and another plant in Camden, New Jersey will prevent another 9,000 tonnes per year. Another plant in California, expected to be fully commissioned in 2023, will avert a further 14,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Perhaps the most significant contract Anaergia secured last year was in Singapore, to design and build a co-digestion facility which will treat food waste and sludge at the Tuas Nexus waste management facility. Co-digestion will increase the production of biogas at Tuas Nexus, which will be Singapore’s first integrated water and solid waste facility.
Other facilities such as the major facility in Rialto, California, are continuing to divert hundreds of tons of sludge from landfill every day, eliminating methane emissions and generating carbon-neutral fuel. Overall, Anaergia estimates it prevented 41 times more emissions last year than its operations emitted. Being in the unique position to be providing solutions that help utilities and industries directly reduce their emissions, the company considers that helping its clients to avoid emissions is where it can make the biggest difference.
Grundfos
What is it?
A global provider of advanced pump solutions and water technologies, headquartered in Denmark. Grundfos provides water solutions to utilities worldwide, as well as multiple industries requiring advanced water technologies including food & beverage, healthcare, data centres and manufacturing.
What has it done?
Although its business centres around energy-intense products, Grundfos is fully aware of its responsibilities. As well as reducing the energy intensity and water intensity of both its operations and their products, the company is investing in and implementing environmentally sustainable practices into its business operations so others will do the same.
What makes it special?
In November 2022 Grundfos became the first water technology company to have its net zero target fully validated by SBTI, considered the gold standard framework for setting targets grounded in science. The company plans to reach net zero by 2050, including scope 3 emissions, and has an intermediate emissions reduction target for 2030 which has also been validated by SBTI.
Grundfos has identified that 99% of its emissions are downstream scope 3, meaning the emissions produced by end-users of its products. This means that achieving net zero on Scope 3 emissions will be particularly challenging and require continued innovations to reduce the carbon impact of their products. The company is therefore focusing on making its products as energy efficient as possible, with digital technologies playing a big part in its ambitions.
The company also opened its new US main office which it designed with Grundfos water technology and solar panels. The building uses no fossil fuels and relies on harvested rainwater and captured HVAS condensate water.
Suez
What is it?
A global operator of water and waste management systems. Since last year’s purchase of large parts of the company’s business by Veolia, the ‘new’ Suez has reformed to cement its place the second biggest private water operator in France and is active in a vast array of markets around the world.
What has it done?
The new Suez has found its footing and decided to affirm its presence with a new sustainability roadmap. With a net-zero roadmap of substance and clear deliverables, Suez has made sure all its commitments are clearly measurable, with concrete outcomes. These commitments focus on reducing emissions through renewable energy as much as increasing water savings and avoiding micropollutants.
What makes it special?
To accelerate emissions reduction, Suez is ramping up renewable energy generation to achieve energy self-sufficiency. The company aims to achieve full energy self-sufficiency in Europe by 2030, and 70% in the rest of the world by leveraging biogas production and solar farms on its sites through power-purchasing agreements.
Its scale gives Suez unique opportunities for synergies and internal offsetting to reduce carbon emissions across the business. Unlocking the biogas generation potential in solid waste and wastewater will go a long way in reducing emissions, and open spaces such as landfills are also perfect for installing solar panels. All this renewable energy can help power the energy-intensive water operations, as well as provide renewable energy for communities.
The company has also committed to investing €40 million a year into research and development for carbon capture technologies. Although biogas production from solid waste and sludge is a strong lever, some level of incineration is still required. Suez believes carbon capture is the best solution to mitigate those remaining emissions, and is advocating for other stakeholders to get involved.