SCOTLAND’S daily requirement for more than one billion litres of water will be delivered entirely on renewable energy by 2040, under a new plan published yesterday.

Scottish Water’s Net-Zero Emissions Route map outlines a new approach which fully embraces low-carbon energy, materials, products and construction and storage of unavoidable emissions.

It includes commitments to running the nation’s water and waste water systems, which are energy-intensive, on green power and operating a fully emissions-free fleet of vans and tankers and cutting mileage by 50%.

Over the next 20 years, Scottish Water will prevent over three million tonnes of emissions – the equivalent of half a million car journeys around the world – entering the environment.

The public water and waste water organisation, which is one of Scotland’s biggest users of electricity, aims not only to reach net-zero – but to go beyond that by reducing or eliminating all emissions associated with its activity, not just those it produces directly.

This includes reducing the carbon emissions from its multi-billion pound infrastructure improvement programme.

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The route map outlines how Scottish Water will tackle emissions across five key areas – electricity, processes, gas, transport and travel and investment – and states that the organisation will:

• Operate all of its assets, including 239 water treatment works and 1827 waste water treatment works across Scotland, using renewable power

• Transition its entire fleet of vehicles, currently 1600-strong and one of the most high-profile in the country, to zero-emissions vehicles and reduce mileage of 17 million miles per annum by 50%

• Reduce the carbon intensity of its £700m a year investment by 75%, with a similar reduction in its supply chain, by adopting zero-emissions design and using low carbon construction materials.

Scottish Water chief executive Douglas Millican said: “The changing climate will increasingly threaten our ability to deliver services that are essential to everyday life for households and businesses across Scotland.

"We must deal with the climate challenges, secure the future reliability of our services, and eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to the climate emergency. Our commitment to reach net zero-emissions by 2040 is our contribution to the national and global effort."