Global water use, storage, and distribution contribute 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (CDP, 2020).
A couple of weeks ago at World Water Week we brought together experts to present not only WHY the world should be looking to water for emission reduction opportunities but HOW to invest in water to enable resilient low emission development.
What are the next steps?
⭐ Awareness
Water must be understood as critically important to reaching Net Zero.
⭐ Action
We need to act now with the solutions we have a look at how to effectively scale them up.
⭐ Alliances
This cannot be done alone. We need to be working in networks that work across and unite sectors.
Here are some key takeaways
💡 There are solutions ready: in utilities, rice cultivation, energy planning and more. The success and sustainability of these solutions depends on understanding the local context ensure the right solutions reach the right people.
💻 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) organizes around cross cutting themes, one of those is the nexus of energy and water. Mike Rinker shared the need to connect research and innovation with regulation and policy to get deployment of solutions and outcomes that are water and energy resilient.
💧 The Freshwater Challenge presents a massive opportunity for decarbonization with a huge role for society, politicians and donors - Francesca Antonelli, Wetlands International
💱 Carbon credits are a small but under-leveraged opportunity for water solutions for net zero - University of Colorado Boulder's Evan Thomas, PhD, PE, MPH
🚰 Decarbonization solutions exist within utilities and more often than not provide the opportunity to improve performance and cost efficiency - Austin Alexander, Xylem
🌾 Innovation in irrigation could reduce emission form rice by 20-30% while increasing yield and reducing water use - Amod Kumar Thakur, ICAR- Indian Council of Agricultural Research
💰 Lance Gore shared that Asian Development Bank (ADB) aims to mobilize 100bn USD including 66bn USD for mitigation, he outlined opportunities across water supply, wastewater sanitation hygiene, energy and water storage, irrigated agriculture, AND land use and forestry.
🛠 The fundamentals to implement and scale solutions: enabling framework, incentives, regulations, as well as stable policies to enhance to attract investment, developed infrastructure and transparency - International Water Management Institute (IWMI)'s MAHA Al-ZU'BI, Ph.D.
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16 w
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing, how are you working with these three As at WINZ? :)
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17 w
This is a great initiative! Leveraging water solutions is essential for achieving a resilient, net-zero future. Excited to see the next steps!
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17 w
It is with regret that I observe that your organisation does not recognise the need for humanity to return within the carrying capacity of Earth, and does not recognise the threat posed by pronatalism and growth economics. Until humanity return within the carrying capacity of Earth, nothing that we do is sustainable. Climate change is a symptom of ecosystems collapse caused by cultural patterns that perpetuate overconsumption and overpopulation. Every day we are escalating mass extinction and ecosystems collapse. Please consider reporting on the proposed UN Charter for Ecological Justice, an aspiration to peacefully and equitably shrink both the global economy and population size until we return within the carrying capacity of Earth. The insights from I=PAT warn us of the dangers of applying growth economics during ecosystems collapse. Please check out my article explaining how to calculate Earth's carrying capacity, and offering suggestions how we might peacefully and equitably return within half the biocapacity of Earth; this would allow biodiversity to recover from the onslaught and loss of habitat that we are inflicting right now. https://app.wedonthavetime.org/posts/5b7db59b-a9d0-4ba0-b727-dfb0c6ee7b20 I urge your organisation to challenge anyone expressing aspirations to continue to grow the global economy and population; instead please explain to your influencers and partners that humanity must reduce its global needs to within half the biocapacity of Earth before we can achieve sustainability.
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17 w
@barbara_williams It is essential that organizations & media engage in a meaningful dialogue about these issues, exploring solutions that prioritize ecological balance over perpetual growth. Thank you for sharing your insights, they contribute to a necessary conversation about our planet's future.
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17 w
@gorffly_mokua Thank you for expressing your support for my work.