New report says water tech is “significant, growing & largely untapped opportunity” to tackle GHG emissions
- March 16, 2018
- Posted by: administrator
- Category: Environmental, North America
A new report from Canadian water sector organization WaterTAP says that water tech presents a significant and growing opportunity for tackling carbon emissions.
Released at the GLOBE Forum 2018 taking place in Vancouver, BC this week, WaterTAP’s newest report “Water: The next frontier on the path to a low carbon economy”asserts that clean water technology is vital to meeting GHG emissions targets.
Created under Ontario’s Water Opportunities Act in 2010, the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP) is a non-profit organization that brings private-sector experience and guidance to accelerate the growth and prosperity of Ontario’s water sector and champion the sector globally.
The new report recommends a continuing focus on clean water technology as a reliable, cost-effective way to lower GHG emissions and create energy savings.
Water and wastewater services can consume as much as one-half of a municipality’s total electricity use, This energy use results in substantial greenhouse gas emissions – on average, over 30% of municipal carbon emissions are related to water services.
Across Canada, emissions from wastewater treatment increased by 22% from 1990 to 2015.
The report says that this can be minimized through application of clean water technology across the full spectrum of water services – from water provision to wastewater treatment to stormwater management.
For example, generating biogas at wastewater treatment plants across Canada has the potential to offset 2.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year, the equivalent of taking 600,000 cars off the road.
“Water technology and systems present a significant, growing and largely untapped opportunity for energy savings, greenhouse gas reductions and renewable energy generation in Ontario,” the report says.
According to WaterTAP, Ontario’s water technology sector is poised to meet the demand for new solutions, both in Canada and across the globe, and are ready to apply them to the largely untapped domestic market.
More than 900 companies are part of Ontario’s water innovation ecosystem which includes 22,000 people employed in the water industry, 42 Canada Research Chairs and nearly 50 universities and colleges hosting water-related research programs.
Technologies being delivered by the companies include maximizing energy efficiency in water systems, generating renewable energy from wastewater, and harvesting valuable resources from waste streams.
Comenting on the report, WaterTAP President and CEO Dr. Peter Gallant said:
“Our companies are translating innovative ideas into real-world applications.”
“In doing so, they are contributing significant value to the Province’s dual effort to create high-value, low-carbon jobs and to grow this critical sector of the economy.”
WaterTAP works closely with emerging and established water technology companies in Ontario to build better businesses and provide access to world-class market development expertise.
It also connects companies to capital, customer, and partner opportunities through its expanding global network.
Click here to download WaterTAP’s report Water: The next frontier on the path to a low carbon economy