Climate & sustainability
Water infrastructure needs to be planned and built with future generations in mind.
We need a more long-term perspective on the investments made in water and sanitation. The water industry has and wants to be involved in developing solutions for a more sustainable water and sanitation industry. Together we want to be part of driving the green transition.
A Swedish water supply system for the next generation
The Climate and Sustainability Focus Group works to identify challenges and gather knowledge and solutions on how member companies and the water and sanitation industry in general can be supported in both reduced climate impact and increased climate adaptation.
Within climate & sustainability, the Water Industry wants to:
- Make the industry's progress towards reduced climate impact and increased climate adaptation visible with the aim of inspiring and spreading knowledge about the industry's development.
- That concrete requirements are set in procurement that drive reduced climate impact.
- We see great benefits from Svenskt Vatten's climate and sustainability work, for example their climate calculation tools and guidance for sustainable water and sanitation procurement. The water industry wants to support the tools so that they become more relevant and contribute the water industry's collective knowledge for ongoing development.
- We welcome our members producing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Multi-Criteria Analyses (MCA) that take climate impact into account.
- We encourage our members to engage in early dialogue with their customers and clients to include the climate perspective at an early stage.
Sustainability requirements in the procurement of water and sanitation services
In December 2023, the water industry conducted a survey among its members, which showed that significant work is being done to adapt to climate change and develop sustainable solutions. However, it also emerged that there is far too little demand for solutions that could accelerate the climate transition. The Climate & Sustainability Focus Group is continuing to work on the issue.
Water Industry Internship 2025 with focus on climate and sustainability
To gain the next generation's perspective on the water and sanitation industry, students in the Water Industry Internship Program 2025 were given a project assignment from the Climate & Sustainability focus group.
The task involved delving into the area of climate impact from water and sanitation. Sweden's climate goal is for Sweden to halve emissions by 2030 and be climate neutral by 2045 – but what does that mean for the water and sanitation industry and how can the Water Industry actively contribute to achieving the goals?
Examples of questions that the students brought with them were:
- Where do the largest emissions from water and wastewater occur?
- What good examples are there among municipalities and companies for reducing emissions and negative climate impact?
- Are there differences between larger and smaller municipalities' climate work linked to water and sanitation?
- Challenges and opportunities in different segments: pipeline networks, sludge management, maintenance, climate-smart design, energy use
The students were allowed to choose their own approach and the assignment would include reflection, analysis and conclusions. The results of the students' project assignment were presented at Mötesplats Vatten 2025 on October 23 at the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Center in Gothenburg.
Take a look at the reports below.
Recess:
Elsa Malmer
”"The climate issue affects our business, both now and in the future! We therefore need to take a knowledge journey together – we are doing it now!"”
