Reducing electricity, gas and fuel consumption is often, quite rightly, the first thing a business looks at when planning to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and these topics frequently dominate public discourse about climate change. However, the way we use water is often overlooked as a significant greenhouse gas contributor so in this article we attempt to explain why it should be prioritised along with energy, and provide some simple ideas for incorporating water conservation into your climate goals.

Why water is a climate issue

Water conservation is essentially about protecting the supply and quality of water. Although water is a renewable resource and therefore something that the planet is not likely to run out of any time soon, it is in very short supply in many regions and there are widespread issues with water quality. That means that reducing the use of water is always a good thing, along with protecting water sources from pollution so that it is a plentiful and viable source of life for everything on our planet, not just humans. 

What people often do not realise is that reducing water use also reduces greenhouse gas emissions due to the high energy cost associated with sourcing and treating water. This can happen directly through water a business consumes in bathrooms, kitchens, cleaning and so on, but can also happen indirectly through water used in the production goods a business procures such as food and beverage items. Heating and cooling water has a high energy cost that is usually included in your electricity or gas bill, however, there are other emissions involved that can be improved by reducing overall water consumption.

Handling wastewater

Although gravity is most commonly used to get water to drainage systems, in many cases energy will be required to get it to wastewater plants and to treat it so it can either be reused or put back into the natural environment.

How to reduce water consumption in your business