Last updated: 19.10.2023

<aside> 💡 High-Level Description:

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) extends its environmental stewardship into the water sector, offering methodologies for calculating carbon emissions intrinsic to water treatment and supply systems. These methodologies are particularly nuanced because of the energy-intensive nature of water purification, distribution, and wastewater treatment. By dissecting the stages where electricity - often produced from fossil fuels - is heavily consumed, DEFRA underscores the indirect emissions that significantly burden the environment.

The DEFRA approach is meticulous, incorporating emissions from the operational phase of water collection, treatment, and distribution. This includes the energy used in pumping stations, emissions from chemical treatments, and processes involved in wastewater operations. The methodology promotes efficiency upgrades and alternative energy sources, recognizing the potential for substantial energy savings and carbon reduction within the sector. By providing a comprehensive carbon footprint framework, DEFRA enables water companies to identify high-emission activities, encouraging innovation in emission reduction strategies that contribute to the broader national goal of decarbonization.

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Equation

co2_in_g = amount * co2_in_g_per_unit

API request

{
  "expand": [
    "items"
  ],
  "items": [
    {
      "type": "water",
      "methodology": "DEFRA",
      "external_reference": "string",
      "activity_type": "supply",
      "volume_in_liter": 2.4
    }
  ]
}

Bibliography