Earlier this year, we set our projects the challenge of finding and implementing ways to make a carbon saving in our first 20-tonne Carbon Challenge. It has been a great success, and our team on the Welsh Water Framework has been crowned the overall winner.
Ellen Thomas, site engineer and Katharine Biggs, graduate engineer, proudly received the winner's trophy on behalf of the Welsh Water team from Simon Smith, managing director.
The team demonstrated dedication to reducing carbon across the framework by implementing a series of carbon-saving measures. These included using more sustainable materials, introducing clothes recycling bins, and finding ways to reduce water consumption. The team saved almost 1,500 tonnes of CO2e!
Katharine Biggs was delighted to be part of the winning team and believes that collaboration was the main factor behind their success: "The working group had a broad range of experience and expertise. Working with both site-based and office-based colleagues, there was an opportunity for new innovative ideas to be explored whilst identifying what was already being done.
“The Carbon Challenge team on the framework wouldn’t have achieved this saving without the support from all the projects – both through sharing advice, creating opportunities and implementing new ideas - so a big shoutout goes to every person on the framework!”
Simon Smith presented Katharine Biggs, graduate engineer (left), and Ellen Thomas, site engineer (centre) with the winner's trophy.
The challenge has offered a great opportunity to collaborate and capture best practices, and support our commitment to being a responsible business.
Katharine explains how the team plans to keep up the momentum: “Now that we have captured our carbon-saving practices, we will consider implementing these on future projects. Most savings come in the design and planning stage, so with the start of the new Wessex Water framework, we will consider where these can be implemented early on.”
Having only just recently taken over as managing director for the Water business, Sarah Reid has been impressed by the commitment shown by the Welsh Water team: "It is clear how much effort has gone into this challenge across all the projects. There are some great and innovative ideas, and it just shows the impact we can have by focusing on reducing carbon on our projects.
“A big thank you from me to all the teams, across the wider business for embracing this initiative and keeping the momentum going.”
Over 30 entries were submitted from projects across the business resulting in a combined saving of 3,500 tonnes of C02e! This is the equivalent of boiling an electric kettle 5,000,000 times, flying from London to New York more than 590 times, or catching a train from London to Edinburgh more than 14,000 times.
Commercial director, Andy Ryder, who was part of the judging panel, was excited by the enthusiasm the project teams brought to the challenge: "The role of the panel was to assess the entries against a set criteria, which included total carbon saving and embedment of the PAS 2080 process. We commend the exceptional quality of all the submissions, which showed a real passion and commitment to reducing our carbon impact.”